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CES 2014
Jadis Debuts New Turntable at "CES 2104"
Michael Fremer  |  Jan 09, 2014  |  First Published: Dec 31, 1969  |  4 comments
Okay it was a typo but we like kicking people when they are down, so we're using the press release date. Obviously importer Bluebird Music meant 2014. French electronics manufacturer Jadis introduced a new granite plinth-based Thalie turntable.
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CES 2014
Sperling L-1 Turntable From Germany Imported By Audio Arts
Michael Fremer  |  Jan 09, 2014  |  First Published: Dec 31, 1969  |  2 comments
The Sperling Turntable we profiled in our Munich 2013 coverage is now being imported to America but AudioArts.
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CES 2014
Music Hall Adds Black Ikura to Turntable Line
Michael Fremer  |  Jan 09, 2014  |  First Published: Dec 31, 1969  |  1 comments
Music Hall introduced a black version of its snazzy looking $1195 Ikura turntable. Analogplanet.com profiled the original white version in an earlier show report.
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CES 2014
Lamm Introduces Model LP 2.1 Dual Monaural Pure Vacuum Tube Phono Preamplifier
Michael Fremer  |  Jan 09, 2014  |  First Published: Dec 31, 1969  |  0 comments
Vladimir Lamm introduced at CES 2014 the new LP 2.1 phono preamplifier, a pure Class A vacuum tube based phono preamplifier operating pure "Class A" with no loop feedback.
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CES 2014
Audio Research Ref Phono 10 Makes CES Debut
Michael Fremer  |  Jan 09, 2014  |  First Published: Dec 31, 1969  |  1 comments
Billed as a state of the art phono preamp, ARC's new Ref Phono 10 is a two box true dual mono hybrid design featuring a JFET front end coupled to a 4 6H30 tube output
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CES 2014
Pro-Ject Announces Major Line Re-Vamp-Upgrade at 2014 International CES (YouTube Video Enhanced)
Michael Fremer  |  Jan 08, 2014  |  First Published: Dec 31, 1969  |  20 comments
Pro-Ject announced at CES 2014 a major line upgrade. We have a GoPro video covering all of it but because of pathetic internet speed we are unable to post at this time. It might have to wait until after CES.

For now, here are the details: The $199 Elemental is now in full production. This is an "out of the box" ready to play 'table complete with Ortofon OM-5 cartridge. The intent is to kill the grew chewing Crosely junk by convincing budget buyers that spending $60 on a turntable and $30 on a 180g version of Dark Side of the Moon is DUMB.

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CES 2014
2014 International CES Opens To News That USA Vinyl Sales Hit 22 Year "Record" High
Michael Fremer  |  Jan 08, 2014  |  First Published: Dec 31, 1969  |  4 comments
The 2014 International CES opened yesterday, with attendance down due to the extremely cold weather conditions gripping the nation, but among vinyl fans warm feelings prevailed as sales were the highest in 2013 since the 1991 debut of Soundscan. And it can be argued that Soundscan barely "scratches the surface" of actual record sales.

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Cartridge Reviews
The Kubotek Haniwa HCTR01 MkII-6T Green Marker Phono Cartridge
Michael Fremer  |  Jan 05, 2014  |  First Published: Dec 31, 1969  |  6 comments
The moving coil cartridge advantage comes in great part due to its far lower moving mass. A relatively light-weight coil moves and reacts faster than a far heavier magnet. The lighter the coil, the less the mass.

Over the past few years, thanks to improved magnets and coil and former materials as well as how they are implemented, designers have found ways to increase output efficiency. Thus fewer turns of wire are required to produce a given voltage output.

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Album Reviews
"Uncle Meat"—Frank Zappa's Soundtrack Album to a Movie He Correctly Predicted You Would Never See
Michael Fremer  |  Jan 03, 2014  |  6 comments
Frank Zappa’s sprawling 1969 soundtrack from a movie (he correctly supposes in a speech balloon) “….you will probably never get to see”, has ripened beautifully with age.

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Vote
Five Phono Preamplifiers Compared. You Be the Judge - Pick One! (File #2 updated)
Michael Fremer  |  Jan 02, 2014  |  31 comments
Analogplanet posts files here containing a minute’s worth of music recorded at 96/24 resolution taken from the stupendous sounding out of print Wilson Audiophile LP Winds of War and Peace (W8823). Our thanks to Dave Wilson of Wilson Audio Specialties who originally engineered it with Bruce Leek and Joseph Magee, and granted us permission to use it.

The recording of the National Symphonic Winds conducted by Lowell Graham was minimally miked using Sennheisers and captured to 30IPS ½” analog tape on John Curl’s Ultramaster reel to reel deck. The sound of the enormous bass drum is absolutely sensational as you will hear. Be prepared.

Which phono preamplifier will you think sounds best? The Rega Aria? the Lehmann Black Cube SE II, the P.S. Audio NuWave Phono Converter, the Musical Fidelity M1 ViNL or the Ypsilon VPS-100?

The first four moderately priced units were tested using a Pro-Ject Xtension10 turntable ($2995) and Transfiguration Phoenix MC cartridge ($4249). The Ypsilon ($26,000+ $6000 for the “L” series transformer) was paired with the new Lyra Etna cartridge ($6995), mounted on the Kuzma 4 Point tonearm ($6500) installed on the Continuum Caliburn (don’t ask).

You’ll find reviews of the first three on analogplanet.com. The $1199 Musical Fidelity M1 ViNL was reviewed a few years ago in Stereophile and used as a benchmark in the Aria and Lehmann reviews.

The ultra-expensive front end was thrown in just as a reference, though none of these files will be identified so you will be traveling “blind.” After listening, please vote for your favorite. When we have a sufficient number of votes we will reveal which was which. Enjoy!

Here are the five files: Right click on PC or Control click on a Mac to download to your desktop.

Preamp Test File #1 (20.8 MB)

Preamp Test File #2 (20.9 MB)

Preamp Test File #3 (20.6 MB)

Preamp Test File #4 (19.9 MB)

Preamp Test File #5 (20.6 MB)

Five Phono Preamplifiers Compared. You Be the Judge - Pick One! (File #2 updated)
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