Originally Posted by
Non-Smoking Man
Speedracer and I were invited to hear Tom's new system and, having been once or twice before, we werent going to let the opportunity slip by.
There have been many changes - an Allnic phono stage, Miyajima step ups and Audiopax (Bra.) replace the all in one Esoteric Research pre, and driving the (same speakers) Tannoy Canterburys we have a pair of Silvercore SET monos with a humungous output valve and ss rectification, replacing the 100w Radford. (Plus a Tannoy pair of supertweeters. (The digital side was much as we remembered.)
Tom popped on a CD whilst preparing the leak, potato and pot barley soup (oh yes!) and brook and I looked at each other and new this wasnt a wasted journey!
Tom's front end is basically the same TD124 I possess, with 2 mods that I have had for a couple of years - a replacement mat arrangement (here Cu platter mat) for the aluminium top platter, and the isolation springs for the motor. In addition Tom has acquired the Shopper platter and bearing and a new pukka plinth (details elswhere on this Forum).
Its amazing what this TT is capable of. Tom likes the Ikeda arms and Miyajima carts and they performed really well. (I have come into posession of Tom's old Shilabe vie Petrat and Cliveg. Lucky me.)
We were treated to a variety of great music - both mono and stereo, plus a Count Basie 78. I had to hear the Satchmo 'St James Infirmary' again to gauge the giant stride Tom has made from an already excellent system, and amongst a bunch of good stuff, a Sheffield Lab Wagner and a Dire Straits track from a mofi Brothers in Arms stood out.
Dynamic range, presence and sustained controlled high spl delivery marked this system as one of the best, if not the best, I have heard.
The single ended 20w Silvercores drove the Tannoys to astonishing levels without any sign of letting go. Impressive!
Congates Tom.
Jack NSM