Review: Pure Fidelity Harmony Turntable

I wasn’t in the market for a new turntable. I was enjoying my time with the Sempersonus TE-2, which was outfitted with a 12” TW Acustic Raven arm and a Charisma Audio Signature One cartridge. I had put together this rig in collaboration with Paulo Rebordão, chief proprietor of Sempersonus, after agreeing to serve as an early adopter of his latest design. All was well–the table sounded great (long REVIEW if you are interested). Except it wasn’t–there were a few lingering fit and finish issues which were not successfully resolved, all a byproduct of the pandemic and the harsh realities of global shipping, and they were bugging me. As an “early adopter” I anticipated a few bugs would need to be ironed out but despite lots of time, effort and good will on all sides, the problems remained. The TE-2 sounded great, but ultimately Paulo and I agreed that the table should go back to Portugal for replacement and upgrade of some key parts and then on to another client for further evaluation.

It didn’t take me long to come up with a shortlist of contenders in the sub $10K range as a replacement. Then one day an ad from Pure Fidelity in one of the rags I still subscribe to caught my eye. How did I miss this beauty? Maybe it was the pandemic–I hadn’t been to a show or dealer for almost two years. Somehow I hadn’t seen anything on the forums either. I did a little digging. A few reviews popped up along with a video rave by the guy on New Record Day–earnest, amusing, yet slightly annoying. I reached out to the brand manager (PJ Zornosa) and ended up in a helpful three-way conversation that included John Stratton, the owner of Pure Fidelity, which is based in Vancouver. Both were very responsive and helpful in answering questions and guiding me toward the right product in the PF lineup. They also connected me with a nearby dealer they had recently signed up (Dan Oest of Stellar Home Audio in NY) who would handle the purchase. 

About Pure Fidelity:

If you haven’t heard of them, I would encourage you to check out the PF product offerings. They include four turntables which can be outfitted at the factory with PF branded arms or those supplied by Acoustic Signature or Origin Live. (Of course other options are possible). All of the tables feature solid MDF plinths with simply gorgeous veneer options as well as piano black–custom finishes are also available, just ask. (Ask I did, choosing a custom satin black finish that came out spectacular!). Build quality is exceptional at this price point–PF uses bronze bearings with a ruby ball, massive delrin platters, and precise CNC machining of all parts, including the aluminum subplatter, which is driven by dual drive belts. There is also a separate speed control unit and power supply, which provide exceptional speed stability and adjustment (33/45rpm). More about these later.

Unlike the Eclipse/Encore which are first tier players in the lineup, the Horizon and Harmony topline tables feature a heavy duty machined aluminum isolation platform with Isoacoustics GIAI IV isolation feet threaded into the base. Basically, the entire plinth, including feet, of what would be an Encore/Eclipse simply drops into the isolation platform, adding significant mass, improved isolation, and a handsome contrast to the veneered plinth above. Other than the thickness of the platter and the isolation platform, the only difference between the Eclipse/Encore and the top modes is the speed control unit, which is slightly more robust on the topline models. Within each tier one can choose between a traditional square plinth or one that is rounded on the platter side–both look super cool. Finally, all PF tables come with an in-house designed stainless steel record weight (SS-10) which looks simple, feels robust and which, in direct A-B comparison, equaled the performance of my Stillpoints LP-1 which I abruptly sold. Thanks PF!

Set Up:

The New Record Day review of the Harmony begins with a rant about packing and for too many high end manufacturers this is truly an afterthought. Not so with PF–the packing is absolutely first rate, with layers of foam and a sensible arrangement of the goodies. Set up was a breeze. I ordered my Harmony with an Origin Live Conqueror MK 4. I have long lusted after an OL arm and when I suddenly found myself in the market for a table I was determined to get one for my next rig. Mounting the Conqueror to the Harmony was equally simple and it wasn’t long before I had the Charisma Signature One from my TE-2 dialed in and ready to play some tunes. Use of the Charisma would allow a nice A-B comparison with my prior analogue playback system, whose retail was several thousand dollars more expensive than the PF Harmony/OL. 

Sound Quality:

This will not be a lengthy review–time is short and there are tunes to play. However, there are a few notable characteristics of the PF Harmony/OL combination that are unique in my experience and which make this table an incredible value for money.

The Sound of Quiet: 

The Harmony has very little self-noise and is by far the quietest turntable I’ve ever owned. This realization is strange and came upon me immediately. I don’t typically think of self-noise with regard to turntables–amplifiers, yes. I recall hearing the David Berning designed LTA amp in my system for the first time and being blown away at how little self-noise it generated, allowing so much more natural detail to emerge from the speakers. The same “holy cow” moment occurred when I cued up the Harmony on the first play. There was no background noise–total blackness–and a corresponding increase in low level detail that was naturally rendered. If this were the only attribute that distinguished the Harmony from other tables I’ve owned it would be plenty enough. I’m not talking about surface noise, I’m talking about noise that is generated within the deck that is amplified by the cartridge, competing with the signal etched in the grooves that the cartridge is trying to convey. It’s the kind of noise you tend not to notice until it is gone, and then you wonder how you could have lived with it all along. I’m not sure why the Harmony is so quiet–it could be the bronze bearing and ruby ball, the precision machined subplatter, or simply every design element working in unison. But once you hear the quiet you will understand immediately why the Harmony is such a seductive performer. It all begins with the absence of noise.

Transparency:

The Harmony’s other salient quality is the way it gets out of the way and allows you to hear more clearly what is pressed into the grooves. I would say this “transparency” to the source is another defining characteristic of this playback system. Throughout my time with the Harmony, I developed a new appreciation for the production value of each recording in my collection. Stellar recordings with dynamics, ambient information, instrumental separation, and natural tone are presented in all their glory. Lesser recordings individual flaws are easily identified and unfortunate production choices made in the studio are readily discernible. This does not necessarily mean that poor recordings are made to sound bad. Rather, it turns listening to them into a bit of an audio archeology exercise, placing you in the studio contextually. To me, the Harmony is just doing it’s job–getting a close read on the grooves so your system can let you hear what was laid down in the studio. Other tables I’ve owned presented a more homogenized version of my music collection. The really good news is that when the recording is well done your system really shines!

The Rest of It:

The PF Harmony, as equipped, simply checks every remaining box for top tier vinyl playback. I won’t list them here–you know what I mean. We are talking about really exceptional sound. Think of the best of what digital and analogue bring to the table seamlessly joined in one blissfully coherent sound. No frequencies embellished or diminished, everything naturally rendered, including the performance space, utter transparency to the source, dynamic agility and musical flow. I could say more but will stop with this–I’ve had at least 10 high end turntables at this point in my journey and can say without a doubt that the Harmony is far and away the best built and best sounding of them all. To be completely fair, one must consider the contribution of the OL Conqueror MK4. Many consider it to be among the best arms available at any price. It may be that good–and yet the Harmony stands as a more than capable partner in this marriage. 

So What’s Not to Love:

There are two areas for improvement that I can detect. First, while the bass response of the PF package goes deeper than the Sempersonus or the VPI I had before it, it is ever so slightly less tuneful on some recordings than the idler-type TE-2. This can be discerned when listening to less well recorded rock or jazz, where the propulsive drive seems to lose a tiny bit of verve, leaving your toes less inclined to tap away to the beat. Good recordings do not suffer the same fate. Que up some well recorded jazz and you will find the Harmony in full swing. It’s interesting–regardless of the recording the bass detail is all there, yet somehow with less desirable records a bit of the swing is lost in the way the notes are stitched together. This is not something that I would have noticed had the Harmony not come in on the heels of the TE-2, whose drive system excelled in the PRaT department. But I did notice so I am reporting it here.

Second, I’m not a huge fan of the Maestro speed control unit. The aluminum casework is not up to the same level of quality as the rest of the table and the toggle switches (on/off and 33/45) are too small, as is the print on the front panel which I cannot read without retrieving my glasses. It looks well enough and, in conjunction with the power supply, maintains excellent speed stability, but the entire arrangement is simply not commensurate with the rest of the effort–which is exceptional. I have shared this opinion with John in hopes a more worthy replacement is offered, perhaps as an upgrade for those who are so inclined.

Closing:

I’ve now had the PF Harmony for over six months and it continues to provide exceptional performance and flawless operation. In one of the promotional videos that appears on the PF site John claims as a goal to build “heirloom” tables that his clients will be proud to own for a lifetime. Maestro aside, I believe he has well cleared the mark with the Harmony and Horizon. With their integrated aluminum base and Isoacoustics footers, these topline tables in the PF lineup offer exceptional build quality, outstanding sonics, and timeless aesthetics that are a refreshing contrast to the behemoth bling spinners currently in vogue. Equipped with a top flight arm like the OL or Acoustic Signature and appropriate cartridge, I cannot imagine better sound from a belt driven table anywhere near the money. If your fancy leans toward vintage idler or direct drive then of course look elsewhere, but if you have $8-10K to drop on a belt drive playback system (table, arm, cartridge) then you will be hard pressed to do better than the PF Horizon or Harmony.