Another satisfied Houdini owner. Still 100% approval! Who's next?
Matt.
Another satisfied Houdini owner. Still 100% approval! Who's next?
Matt.
I would check that you haven't fouled the suspension with a bolt that is slightly too long. There is nothing wrong with using the screw to Houdini for both types it's just the setup is a real pain for the lugg type cart. There is absolutely no reason why a K9 should be immune to Houdini's charm.
I am currently editing fitting videos where all questions should be answered.
Regards, Matt.
Thanks Matt
No there wasn't any problem with screws fouling. I set up two decks with K9s and nudeline styli and they sounded very similar. Then added the Houdini to one of them and whilst I could hear an improvement - i was A/B ing them using the a copy of same album on both decks so I could just press a button on amplifier to compare - it wasn't anywhere near the magnitude if change heard with the AT125lc. I wonder if I had already got near the limit of what the K9 could produce prior to adding the Houdini?
Audiophile Tosher
Audiophile Tosher
Location: London, England
Posts: 6
I'm Neil.
I don't post to forums very often and use them sparingly.
I've owned my Pink Triangle turntable since the 1980s, and having had several upgrades over the years, it is essentially now Anniversary spec (SME V/Koetsu Urushi). I don't change components very much; I'm pretty much on my third system in almost 40 years and it mostly dates back to the 80s/90s. Everything I have has been refurbished in the past five years. I like to think that I'm pretty immune to the snake oil and exhortations to make eye-wateringly expensive "upgrades". I haven't got unlimited funds and I (mostly) like what I hear.
I've had cause to deal with Arthur this year to fix a broken bearing and have been fortunate enough to get some early experience of the Houdini on my "other" turntable, a PT Tarantella (Origin Live Silver/Ortofon Kontrapunkt B). When Arthur suggested that, while my main TT was out of action, he fit the Houdini to the Tarantella, I resisted. But, I've always thought that the back-up TT was a bit lacking all-around compared to the PT Too/Anniversary/SME V/Urushi combo, and this was still the case after a few weeks settling in to listen with the Tarantella again, so I relented.
Having had Houdini fitted to the Tarantella, the sound I'm getting has been transformed. I feel like I'm getting a lot more depth, space and resolution. What was a bit of a mellow-sounding cartridge seems to have more bite/attack and firmness in the bass, without any harshness. I'm not sure I want to take my "main" turntable back out of the box!
Compared to the kinds of outlay that many hifi enthusiasts are prepared to make over and over again to "improve" the sound coming from their systems, I find it hard to believe that commentators on various hifi forums are attacking something they've not even heard on the basis of its price! How many significant upgrades to a hifi system's sound can be had for a few hundred quid? Surely one must listen and decide on that basis, not just put a value based on what you can see in the pictures? Talk about a red herring! The fact that it looks simple doesn't mean that it is simple. The value is in what it sounds like.
I would strongly suggest that this is an upgrade worth investigating. It may not be for everyone, but at the price, even owners of a budget vinyl-based system can consider it (and for them, despite the price being significant compared to their overall system cost, it will be the most worthwhile, based on my understanding of how Houdini works). With the offer of a refund if not satisfied, what is there to lose?
I've also heard been fortunate to listen to another of his new developments, the Akutrak, which, although of a completely different order price-wise, pushes the sonic results that can be achieved by lower-cost MM cartridges into besting the sound of very high-end MC cartridges. There's more to it than that, but I'm thinking that it could be a one-off outlay that saves enthusiasts a lot of money on cartridges over the years!
j.
PT Too (Anniversary Spec)/SME V/Koetsu Urushi (PT Tarantella/Origin Live Silver/Ortofon Kontrapunkt B)
Audio Research SP9 mk3
Micromega Solo
Albarry M1008 Monoblocks
Pro-Ac EBT
(VdH/Kimber/Cardas cables, Woodblock/Red Rollers RF inhibitors)
Thanks for that Neill.
So far 100% satisfaction. Not one detractor anywhere.
Who is next? info@thefunkfirm.co.uk.
Thanks, Matt.