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Analog Gear News
Hana introduces Umami Red MC Cartridge
Michael Fremer  |  Aug 04, 2020  |  14 comments
Japanese chemist Kikunae Ikeda-san officially coined the term "Umami" in 1908, defining it as a very pleasing or delicious flavor on the palette, a synergistic effect resulting in higher taste intensity.

From the Musical Surroundings press release:

"When Hana decided to create a high-end cartridge, Master cartridge designer Masao Okada-san applied the concept of Umami combining brilliant materials and classic Japanese techniques with modern audio engineering."

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Analog Gear News
Say Hello To a "Little Disco Fwend" For Technics Direct Drive Turntables
Michael Fremer  |  Jul 27, 2020  |  3 comments
Though today's Technics Direct Drive turntables are for audiophile not disco use, not surprisingly "Little Fwend"'s playful Norwegians wood name their specially designed for Technics turntables end-of-side arm lifter "Little Disco Fwend".

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Analog Gear News
HiFiction Introduces Innovative X-quisite Cartridge Line
Michael Fremer  |  Jul 26, 2020  |  11 comments
Switzerland-based HiFiction, best known for its line of Thales tangential tracking pivoted tonearms and high-performance compact turntables recently announced a new, high technology cartridge line called X-quisite (in July of 2018 HiFiction announced its acquisition of EMT’s cartridge assets).

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Analog Gear News
Can Hagerman Audio Labs' Humbucker Put a Grado Cartridge On Your Rega Turntable?
Michael Fremer  |  Jul 13, 2020  |  11 comments
Of course you can put a Grado cartridge on your Rega turntable without Hagerman Audio Labs' permission or help, but because of where Rega positions the motors on its turntables, doing that comes at a cost: hum.

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Technics Launches New Limited Edition SL-1210GAE 55th Anniversary Turntable
Michael Fremer  |  May 28, 2020  |  14 comments
Based on the Grand Class SL-1200G, the new 1210GAE is wholly made in Japan with a "significant level of hand-made processes" and features a full black anodized black brush hairline finish and black buttons.

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OMA (Oswalds Mill Audio) Debuts K3 Direct Drive Turntable—An AnalogPlanet Exclusive
Michael Fremer  |  Feb 28, 2020  |  11 comments
Oswalds Mill Audio demoed yesterday (Feb. 27th) at its Brooklyn showroom the K3— a brand new, more than 3 years in the planning and manufacturing direct drive turntable that aims to define "state of the turntable art". What you see in the photo is not the final finish nor is it the 100% completed physical design.

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Analog Gear NewsNews
SME Exits the OEM and Retail Tone Arm Business
Michael Fremer  |  Dec 04, 2019  |  27 comments
SME press release (December 3):

SME will exit the tonearm retail and OEM business with immediate effect shifting our focus on our core turntable and tonearm combination business. The decision to leave the tonearm business was not taken lightly, especially as we have played a key role in the design and development of the world’s best tonearms. The growth of our turntable business and commitment to higher production levels means that we cannot continue both streams.

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Analog Gear News
Chord Introduces Affordable "Huei" MM/MC Phono Preamp
Michael Fremer  |  Oct 17, 2019  |  5 comments
The Huei is based on Chord Electronics’ high-end, award-winning Symphonic MC phono stage. While the Symphonic offered MC compatibility only, the Huei offers both MC and MM compatibility, opening the world of Chord high end analog playback to everyone listening to vinyl.

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Analog Gear News
Buzzcocks a different kind of tension Reissued by Domino
Michael Fremer  |  Jul 05, 2019  |  7 comments
Domino has just re-issued two of The Buzzcocks’ four albums with the sticker on the masterful classic a different kind of tension reading “Sourcing the original ¼” tapes for the first time since the original 1979 release.”

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Analog Gear News
"Aretha's Gold" Is Limited to 4000 Copies and Should Already Be Souled Out!
Michael Fremer  |  Jun 18, 2019  |  2 comments
Mobile Fidelity's double 45rpm reissue of Aretha's Gold (originally issued in 1969 as Atlantic SD 8227) gets off to not such a great sonic start because though "I Never Loved A Man (The Way I Love You)" and "Do Right Woman-Do Right Man" are musical classics that belong at the head of the hits lineup, the Rick Hall engineered recordings at his Fame Record Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama pale in comparison to everything else in this molten set recorded at Atlantic Studios in New York City.

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Analog Gear NewsMunich 2019
Veteran Turntable Designer Touraj Moghaddam Introduces The Dynamic Groove Record Player
Michael Fremer  |  May 17, 2019  |  5 comments
Vertere Dynamic Groove "plug'n'play" turntable
Yes, the megabuck turntables and other costly products get the most attention, but the introduction of the Vertere Dynamic Groove turntable, a circa $4000 "plug'n'play" design from Vertere struck me among the most significant debuts at High End Munich 2019.

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Analog Gear News
Pre-Munich SAT Announces Debut of XD1 Direct Drive Record Player System
Michael Fremer  |  Apr 30, 2019  |  21 comments
In a pre-Munich press release, SAT announced the debut in Munich of its new XD1 Record Player System that will be presented in room F214 in Atrium 4 along with Marten Audio loudspeakers.

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Analog Gear News
E.A.T. Introduces New Budget Prelude Turntable
Michael Fremer  |  Jan 26, 2019  |  17 comments
E.A.T. (European Audio Team) importer VANA Ltd. just introduced to the North American market the new Prelude turntable. The Prelude features a new 9 inch A-Note tonearm said to be lightweight, ultra-stiff and resonance-free, fitted with an Ortofon 2M Red MM cartridge as well as a "heavy" aluminum platter spinning on a low tolerance (0.01%) polished stainless steel spindle in a soft bronze bushing.

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Analog Gear News
McIntosh Introduces MTI100 Integrated Turntable
Michael Fremer  |  Jan 25, 2019  |  14 comments
Binghamton, NY— On January 24th, 2019 McIntosh announced a snazzy-looking new integrated turntable featuring a built-in tube preamplifier and phono preamplifier and amplifier with both analog and digital inputs, Bluetooth, loudspeaker and subwoofer outputs and a
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Analog Gear News
At CES 2019 Technics Introduces Elegant SL-1500C Coreless Direct Drive Turntable
Michael Fremer  |  Jan 09, 2019  |  29 comments
At CES 2019 Technics expanded its turntable line with the introduction of the SL-1500C "complete" turntable with built-in MM phono preamplifier as well as a new SL-1200MK7—the company's first new standard DJ turntable in approximately 9 years.

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