2. analog
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Are there other Artisan Fidelity TT owners aorund?

So after being an audio hobbyist since my uncle got me going down this demented path some 17 years ago I finally purchased a TT. I had flirted with the idea for a very long time but honestly I've heard a number of TT's at shows and at buddies homes and none of them moved me. Now obviously many many variables are involved. Lets start with, was their TT setup correctly (superlatively).., I don't know. Was the arm/cartridge combination simpatico.., again, I don't know. Was the phono preamp just so-so or great and if it was great was the cartridge loaded correctly.., you get my drift.

So with my digital down through the years easily besting (to my ears) the analog I'd been privy to, I found no reason to spend the money required to involve myself with analog. My former Bidat easily dispatched a SOTA Cosmos Vacuum TT in a head to head listening session. Ditto for my former Dynavox Dynastation.., same with my AMR DP777...etc.

At Axpona last year I listened to the $170K Clearaudio TT along with about $85K worth of Pass Amplification and perhaps $200K worth of JM Labs speaker and cabling only to be more moved by the sound from the Playback Design MPD-5 in the same room.

Finally I realized the only way I would ever find out for myself would be to purchase my OWN TT and make sure it was expertly setup and dialed-in. I had a rare chance to purchase a latest-revision-pristine example of a Graaf GM70 Phono Preamplifier. I have a soft spot for Graaf as Mr. Mariani simply builds the finest gear I have laid ears on. So now I have this phono pre sitting in the box for a few months when I see a SP 10 MK III come up for sale in Agon. So, I threw caution to the wind and contacted Chris at Artisan Fidelity; after some conversation I hung up having just commissioned the building of a SP10 MKIII Next Gen TT.

I was happy for about a month then the fear started to creep in, "what have I done?". What if this thing SUCKS!!!! and my digital system which is very very very good if I do say so myself stomps it!

During the build I researched and read tons of user reviews (I don't really pay attention to so-called pro reviewers) on arms and cartridges. I finally settled (with a lot of talking to Chris and other friends and a lot of late night web searching) on the Kuzma 4 Point and the Ortofon MC Anna.

So, here we are today and I have had my TT for a little over 3 weeks now and I have about 150 - 160 hours on the rig. Early on it sounded ok, you know.., good but nothing special. I liked it but my digital was fully up to the task and in some cases much better :) (now I'm scared)

Ok, so fast forward to 100 hours.., ok, I think I'm starting to understand all this analog hype :) better and better. now we are at 150 hours.., the word SUBLIME comes to mind. The spaciousness, openness and natural continuity of the analog is addictive. The dynamics seem to go on forever along with a naturalness that is very difficult to put into words. I did purchase the Furutech Demag, the Destat II, a scale..., all the toys to go along with it :) Again, I wanted to know for myself and the only way to do that was to take the plunge.

So how does my digital hold up? Well, my well run-in long time AMR DP777 has NOTHING to be ashamed of. It sounds great and I can easily go from the TT to the DP without too much shock (the AMR guys are big vinyl heads and use vinyl as a reference when designing) BUT... when I have two equally well recorded pieces of music (Best of Eva Cassidy comes to mind or Diana Krall Live in Paris 24/96 vs 180g/45) as good as my digital sounds the SP10MK III simply walks away. Again the digital is not trodden underfoot and indeed 20 seconds of the digital and you will be into it fully, but the analog rig beguiles with its effervescent ease and infinite continuity of musical flow.

Ok, so to end this long synopses.., I am now deeply into analog and have been going to local used record stores and burning up my cc on Music Direct and Acoustic Sounds...etc.

The folks at Artisan Fidelity are the real deal and they built me a museum quality +180 pound Porsche Basalt Black TT/piece of art that sounds AMAZING!!!!

I also ordered a Bassocontinuo Apogeo rack for the table which should arrive in about 2 weeks. I am enjoying my foray into the land of analog!!!

THANKS CHRIS!!!!!!!
audiofun
audiofun OP
799 posts
 
Sjy425: Hi, I am sure your A.F. MKII sounds awesome, I mean it is not like your slumming :) I have been interested in the Terra Stone and how it might sound under a set of amps I own.

So as to the Ultra 5's; can't help ya :) LOL. Ok, what I really mean is the table has always had them as part of the package (they were not added later) thus I have no idea of the sound sans the Ultra 5's. I can not intelligently convey what they may add or subtract. As the table weighs anywhere between 170 and I am guessing somewhere south of 200 pounds I am not willing to experiment :)

The good news is that Music Direct carries the Stillpoints and they have a 30 day money back option so.., their really is no financial risk involved (unless you like them :).

My guess it they are doing wonderful things as my table IMHO sounds awesome and Chris does not use junk in his designs. Also I have used Stillpoints (ultra SS I believe) under other gear before and while I do not hold that they bring about changes for the better under every piece of gear, I did like what their usage did in some, perhaps most cases.

Nothing beats listening in your own rig :) Sorry I could not be of more definitive help.
sjy425
15 posts
 
Alas, listening is the real answer and maybe Music Direct is the way to go. I hate buying and trying and returning, but at these prices, what can a poor boy do? I did get the upgraded platter from Chris, but I have not gotten the "quiet core" bearing yet. It's hard to know where to start and where to stop. I do find that mono cartridges for mono records are amazing!
audiofun OP
799 posts
 
I understand about not wanting to buy and return but they offer it as an incentive and I would not hesitate to return something if I had no need/use for the item.

The new platter for the MK2 is awesome, I have held it and I was amazed at how the copper and aluminum (gun metal ?) portions of the platter transitioned one to the other. I could not detect the transition from one metal to another with my fingers running over it.

I am planning to run a mono cartridge in one of the arms of the 401, may I ask which mono you are using?
sjy425
15 posts
 
I have a Yamamoto mono. I have heard the Miyajima Monos and they are wonderful in all their iterations. Currently the Yamamoto is set up on an RS Labs arm which may not be the perfect match, but I haven't drilled a second arm board for the Artisan Fidelity Plinth. Sometimes Ill think wow my Miyajima Shilabe (on my Schroeder arm) must not be set up right and then I realize, oh I'm playing a mono record and I switch arms and it all falls back into place. I guess it's the right tool for the right job. You can't buy a Yamamoto cartridge in the states, but any of the Miyajimas would be great, mono or stereo. I would love to compare them head to head, but alas...these kinds of experiments require a lot of logistics and patient friends who would allow you to use their equipment...
richardkrebs
422 posts
 
Sjy425
Perhaps I can help with the Ultra 5 question.
I have been using these as a reference for awhile now. I has access to a machine shop, so have been trying to make something that approaches their performance. As you say they are pretty expensive and my goal is to build a foot that I could use throughout my system that was "good enough" but at a lower cost.
So far the Ultra 5s reign supreme... from the upper bass up to the lower treble. In that range they are wonderful with great body and delineation. My efforts have not however been totally in vain.
Deep bass is, slightly, attenuated and ill defined. The same goes for the upper treble. There is also, slight, clogging when the orchestra really gets going. This results in a subtle attenuation of dynamics. These are minor criticisms though. The weighting that is put on these areas would depend on the current voicing of your system and of course your preferences.
Overall I find them to be excellent.
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