I hope you enjoyed the video, I appreciate its a little unfinished in a way as I didn't speak about sound quality but rest assured I will be back to do so, I will just need some time to be able to report back about it properly and accurately as possible. Thanks for your patience with this.
In '78 purchased the Revox B-790 linatrack TT. The, "Arm", is 1.75 inches long and moves like an overhead trolley crane just like the old Vinyl Cutting Mastering Lathe. 1000 bucks new, still works.
I owned the little brother B795 with Ortofon cartridge. Changing cartridges was a nightmare as it required counterweights. The tracking of the arm was done via LED and optical sensor, which made the cartridge move along. Had it for 20 odd years:-)
Great Vid Terry. When I saw your video about your first turntable, I knew you would appreciate what playing a vinyl record would bring to your ears. Now the upgrade craziness begins. Cartridges, phonostage,cables,etc. My advice is to get your analogue portion of your system to the point when it is no longer about the equipment but about sitting down and enjoying the music. Cheers my friend and please update us with your listening experience.
Nice! I'd love to hear it one day. If you are looking at carts certainly look at Hana, the Hana ML is a beautiful cart and digs up lots of detail without ever sounding harsh or shrill in any way, it's very smooth even with a fairly neutral phono stage like my Chord Huei. Look forward to your tests 👍
Congrats for this fantastic turntable! The Bergmann table that I heard at the Montreal Audio show last spring was tremendous! Can't wait for your impressions!
Congratulations on the first you tube review to cover the historical air bearing arms and air bearing turntable. From the classic seventies and eighties, the turntables also vacuumed the record to the platter to reduce resonance and vibration.. I am still using my battery operated Rabco SL8 arm from 1970. And I have a rebuilt REVOX turntable also. As a retirement to myself, I bought my best cartridge yet and over time for the rebuild the price has increased, but at that time is was $1200. While below one level, I would recommend it as a starting cartridge for your st. line arm. Also, the next model above. I think most would not need anything more expensive. So, for your reviews I recommend the Sound-Smith Aida or the closer speced version the Voice. They have excellent separation of the channels that can put the soloist directly in fromt of the band in your listening room. This was a first experience after all these many years. From the last several Berlin shows, there have been a number of st. line arms, some extremely digital operated, and no one has reviewed them instead of there expensive jeweled pivoted arms.
I think with a turntable of this(potential) quality I’d be looking at quite high end mc carts such as Ortofon cadenza black, as a starting point, and similar priced phono stages. A big investment, but worth it! Im looking forward to seeing how you get on😀
Congratulations to the world of airbearings I have been using them since I was 14 with the likes of Airtangent Rockports Kuzma Vyger etc to mention a few. The bergman is a sweet turntable and works well. If you wish to hear some of the worlds greatest turntables under one roof in the UK let me know
Looks great. Would love to hear your take on this and if it does sound more analogue and pleasurable to listen too than digital playback. I'm sure digital playback will be more transparent with more details but interested to see if if this vinyl playback is more enjoyable to listen too then outright, upfront detail
Great video Terry. Initially I would check with Bergmann to see which cartridge they recommend. You need to be aware of the compliance of a cartridge to ensure compatibility but I suspect with this arm you could use pretty much anything. As a Lyra owner I would recommend trying the Delos. Excellent tracking & very detailed.
I really like my Hana ML moving coil cartridge I would also consider adding the second tone arm and making it a mono tone arm set up with a mono cart I listen to jazz and mono playback is critical … at least for me
Re cartridge choice Benz micro SL, Hana SL, many of the AT OC9 range. If possible I would always go for one with a boron cantilever, they are a step up from aluminium cantilevers
Fascinating video, really intrigued by the combination of linear tracking and airbearing technology - can't wait to hear how it sounds. Re Cartridge suggestions - how about a Grado Master 3...(approx £1,100, I believe)???
Terry out freaking standing Turntable there, first off. As far as cartridges, the Hana ML or MH is outstanding at $1200. The phono stage is one that you have to set a budget for, but an Audio Research Ref 3se, used Ref 3 or a Ref 2se would be a perfect match and at the same level as or greater than the turntable. You will get balanced output and gain from 45-72db, to be able to drive any cartridge that your budget can allow.
Great video! I own a Bergmann myself. I think you need to check out the Audio Technica AT33PTG/II as an affordable by excellent step into MC. That Goldring you tested is brilliant as well. I use a DS Audio DS003 optical cartridge myself with the bergmann and I think it is incredible. You should definitely try out the budget model DS-E3 system.
I would recommend Dynavectors 20 series either as low out put or high output. Its a MC cartridge using a micro ridge stylus. List price is about $1150 USD A significant up grade would be the XX-2 lo out put Dynavector using a solid Beryllium cantilever and alnico magnets and a patented coil set up to lower distortions common with ceramic magnets used by others. About $2200 USD Both track extremely well. The Sound reminds me of the old Ortofon Sl- 15 mK II cartridge. All the cartridges have a very tight frequency response curve envelope. With the XX-2 being +/- 1 db with 30 db of separation. Current Ortofons you have to be very careful as they tend to emphasize high frequencies. Dynavectors are known for their strong accurate bass and midrange production with just enough high frequencies to give the definition listeners prefer who can still hear above 16 khz. Which most men can't past early middle age. So those listeners prefer bright cartridges and speakers. I do not, still being able to hear 17 Khz quite easily.
Re: Cartridges, the world's your oyster (ooh, pun not intended) at £500-£1500. You could try Grado Timbre Reference cartridge at about £1150. You mentioned Sumiko already, so maybe their Songbird high-output MC at £900. The Ortofon Cadenza blue is kind of an industry standard, but that's £1650, so maybe the Cadenza Red at £1200 would be a great option. Anyway, have fun!
Tha Avid was good but this Bergmann is properly NICE. Ortofon Cadenza blue, Dynavector Karat D17DX,Hana Microline. You've a nice budget giving plenty to consider... Personally I'd reach out to Bergmann and ask what are commonly selected choices by owners. Great video BTW. 👍🏻
Lovely build but damn you need to have a pretty decent chunk of change set aside . Would love to hear an A/B comparison with playing music on this setup vs a turntable setup under 2k .
I'd like to see the pick up wires inside that floating tonearm, and wether or not there's some form of drag caused by them sliding side to side. Just curious.
Thats a good question, the wire is quite long and I hadn't worked out why until now but maybe that is why to offer a lot of slack, I will try and show this on camera in the future however seeing the rear of TT will be hard once its all installed, I will do my best
All fun and games until your pump blows a gasket. Then you have a 10k$ paperweight. I like it. But my old B&O 4002 has it severely beat in the looks department. As always terry, great review (overview). Thanks for all you do! Cheers!
I absolutely love the design - and I am a freak for super technic - the cost is just pocket money - we are all rich (wealthy) I do believe deep in my heart - reality will kill every dream instantly - it is nice to see people reactivate their hearing experience - many have lost what nature gave them - digital music takes away the ability to really hear - where it was common to mix a number of tracks to a composition like the many instruments in an orchestra - we are getting less just straight noise -
@@PursuitPerfectSystem oh that’s right - I forgot. When my brother bought a $500 ultrasonic record cleaner, he was no longer able to hear the surface noise everyone else could.
@@PursuitPerfectSystem Hey, don't get me wrong - I LOVE vinyl, and grew up with it into my audio interests. But when digital came along, I was quickly able to sacrifice any advantages from vinyl in favor of the lack of surface noise in digital. A few years ago, I went back to vinyl, not because it offers anything BETTER than digital, but to see if I could extract as much quality from vinyl as I was getting from digital. Kind of a mystery thing maybe. I recently learned that the great jazz engineer Rudy Van Gelder - considered a "god" among vinyl enthusiasts - when digital came along, said, "Good riddance" to vinyl. This whole vinyl vs. digital thing is much ado about nothing - but it's fun!
For a great more budget pairing, maybe the Sutherland TZ Vibe Phono Stage (current input type) and the Audio Technica AT33/PTG MKII cart. I think this affordable setup will surprise you very much.
Hi Terry, congratulations on the purchase. The Thor is very forgiving as to which cartridge you set up with it. Just so you know, you may need to adjust the airflow with the heavier cartridges and visa versa with lighter cartridges, or else the tonearm might catch on its elbow. This is simple to do but always worth a note. Also, check the level of the arm regularly; this takes a while to settle in and can change. You will notice this if the record starts to skip or sounds a little distorted, especially with instruments such as the Sax. In terms of cartridges, not all are aligned perfectly, and as you cannot adjust the azimuth easily, this can become a problem; shims can fix this, which Adam is looking into. I am using the Ortofon Jubilee, which I have found to be a great match, but you can no longer purchase these. Another good match, but you have to get one built, is the Denon DL-103R modified by Expert Stylus with their sapphire cantilever and Paratrace stylus. This sits beautifully and is a lively cartridge that works well for Rock music.
For phono stage for a Moving Coil I’ve been fortunate enough to have the add on board to my Mola Mola preamp. May well be worth while considering this with the Griffin. Also consider a Step Up Transformer for a Moving Coil cartridge, such as the Ortofon for their cartridges. It’s a good workaround for any low output MC.
Great video, very informative! Fellow air bearing turntable and arm owner here (Forsell Air Reference); I’m a big fan of Lyra cartridges, so maybe check those out if you can. Also, if your domestic situation allows it, try to get your gear out from between your speakers. Put them on a side or back wall if possible and your soundstage should improve substantially.
Cheers that’s the third Lyra recommendation already so I will check them out, the racks of gear are about a metre behind the speakers so that’s not an issue and room is treated acoustically for symmetry so it’s a small room but I don’t think you could make it much better than it is. Dimensions dominate from there though
Hi Terry, you mentioned the Ortofon black and it's interesting because as you will no doubt have learned there are other colours in the range and those other colours mean different stylus tips. Each tip will generate something slightly different towards your overall sound. Some tips give you more detail, but the caveat is that that tip will pick up more background noise. Please do some research into different shapes of diamond tips. Everyone goes on about the shibata tip, and they tend to be the dearest, but not everyone agrees that they give the sound you may like. Below the Ortofon black is the bronze, and below that is the blue. Different tips and different materials. (In some cases). You will never know what you like, until you have listened to the different tips and types. That is why serious vinyl lovers, may have over 10 different cartridges. Sorry Terry. Its not getting any easier, is it. Lol. 😊
The Ortofon Black was recommended a lot to me last time and because its black on the all black turntable it kinda made sense. I was listening to a Turntbale the other day on a crazy high end system and I thought it was an Ortofon Black, turned out it was a winfield which even the guy who owned the system didn't realise how high end it was :)
You made me buy a similar setup. Can you already say something about dust buildup on the arm shaft. In other words, would it be possible that dust interferes with the movement of the arm...?
Interesting I get a lot of dust in my room and I have since new kept my TT covered with a soft cloth when I am not using it to keep the dust off. I don’t know about long term use but I think it stands to reason to keep the dust off
OK Terry, I've let you off the hook but, do the new videos quicker there to far apart. I forget what when before. I look forward to hearing the cartridge you have hx goldring this can be used with mm phono stage. Supposed to be a very good cartridge. To better it I would be looking at moving coil type. Burgmann what do they suggest. I've now got Naim nait 50, using my beloved linn LP12 with upgrades. I use linn Adikt cartridge. I've pre ordered the new rolling stones album hackney diamonds. Can't wait for a listen. Vinyl is good fun.
Going as fast as I can, important not to rush and makes mistakes, better to go slow and be thorough. I know some channels go much quicker than me, I don’t know how they do it and still build in enough testing time
Cartridge recommendations: for use with a MM compatible phono stage: Nagaoka MP-300 or Nagaoka MP-500 (great all rounders very quite in the groove) For MC the Hana ML is a great cartridge.
Terry, I’m surprised at the upgrade so soon. It suggests to me you’ve embraced vinyl even more - and that’s fantastic. Kudos and happy listening, my friend.
For the learning curve it’s important to test and try as many different things as I can, as quick as I can. The job facilitates it much quicker than I could if I worked in a normal job that’s for sure
Going straight for a Bergmann with parallel tracking tonearm is a pretty bold move. This is a very impressive set up nonetheless. The 500 to 1500 pound price range for a cartridge is pretty much the impossible range. I gather 90% of cartridges, other than budget ones, are in this range. In my mind, for you as a reviewer, I should think you ought to start at the lower end of the range and build your way up learning what the sound improvements/differences that come with the higher price cartridges are. Then again you already own a 500 pound cartridge so ... But knowledgeable audiophiles that know what sort of cartridges work with this tonearm should come to the rescue. Eliminating what shouldn't work based on technical specs would be a start. It will be a long process. Having friends in this hobby can be invaluable, especially when it comes to trying out various options. Luckily, many audiophiles are quite a committed breed.
Ah yes,@@PursuitPerfectSystem! I forgot about the Avid Ingenium! For a bottom of the range turntable it was really impressive - I have never seen an Avid up close before your video. I guess Avid's bottom of the range starts where others' top of the range lies. I have to admit that the Rega RB110 tonearm threw me off - it should be possible to easily upgrade that to, say, an RB220 but that seems to defeat the purpose of the Ingenium, given that it's meant to be a one-stop, complete solution. I guess that offering it with a higher specification arm would take the price higher than the intended target market segment though.
I also use a linear tracking arm (Terminator from Trans Fi Audio) and they are very nice less distortion and easier set up. In the price range of carts you mentioned for MC perhaps a Shelter 901 and MM Nagaoka MP500. I am currently using the MP200 which is good the 500 is better I guess.
in answer about interesting cartridges to explore, I would suggest a rega . although an industry leading company , the cartridges don't get much notice, but have unique industry leading features, plus a very unique suspension. Another very unusual approach is from sound smith, who have a cartridge stylus made from a cactus spine, said to be the perfect answer to the eternal lightest stiffest cartridge stylus question.
I haven’t adjusted the counter weight yet I will be soon I have a new cartridge to install. I have found the whole linear arm has taken me some getting used to but now I like it. There are some things you have to watch you can easily ping it upwards if your not careful but that’s the same with all arms, the pivot of it is different and it’s very light so mistakes feel a bit more disastrous than they are. I am very clumsy. I would say maybe get hands on with one if you can you might have a lot more experience than me so will feel very differently to me as I am still learning and making mistakes :)
I always wonder about diminishing returns when it comes to hi-fi like this. I am sure it sounds amazing, but I wonder how it would compare to something like the Pioneer PL-L1 ?
You should try a Hana cartridge - ideally for a set up of this cost you should go up the chain as much as you can. In my experience you can easily go up to 60/70% of the cost of the rig and still get the best from the cartridge, so your options are only limited by your wallet 😉
@@PursuitPerfectSystem Hana Umami Blue which I just heard at a friends Technics set up is $2500 in the US and really blew me away with its sweet and detailed delivery. Worth a try at your upper end. Have fun and keep us posted!
There's only one turntable you should own, the recently released Technics sl-1200 gr2, comes in black and silver. Sound quality is excellent. Quartz lock direct drive is the only way to go!
Cartridges are a bit tricky with that arm at the price point I have heard the Phasmation PP300 work very well on that tonearm as it has substance to the sound the Hanna cartridges also workd too. The ortofons tend to be a bit light weight for that turntable the lyra Delos is nice in terms of speed on the modi but lacks a bit of weight and scale but nicely nuanced
The etsuro Cobolt works very well as does the etsuro Bordeaux the cobolt being a bit more insisive and dynamic while the Bordeaux having a fleshed out midrange.@@PursuitPerfectSystem
Visit my place and you will understand I have practically heard most things ever made when it comes to analouge spanning over decades@@PursuitPerfectSystem
That's an impressive turntable. Never knew we have turntables with some floating parts, but I only recently got into records some few months ago. I keep learning something new everyday. I wonder if this can help extend the life of the stylus... enjoy rediscovering your music !
I love vinyl and play mine a lot. There are so many companies established at this game. This one, my word what a load of malarky that is. All that faff which is interesting as a talking point ...great but really! I would love to hear this side by side with a Linn at same price point.
You can't consider a cartridge independently of the arm as they work in tandem constituting a single resonant system. So my advice would be to consult with Bergman first with regards to their cartridge (or cartridge specifications) recommendations.
Thats a great question, being honest I tried to contact Rega about a year ago to see if they would be willing to send me one of their most affordable cartridges for me to make a video about, I was hoping to compare a couple around £100 entry level units. I was not met with a very friendly or interested response which I didn't take personally but of course it leaves a bit of a bad taste. I have been seeing the Bergmann in dealers for a couple of years and I was scared to even touch one as they seemed well beyond me. The last 18 months has changed that a lot for me as my confidence is growing and I realised its going to take a long time to develop any real breadth of experience if I just keep taking baby steps. The Bergmann is a chance to spend real time with a high end unit, with an air unit and linear tracking so there is a lot of new here all at once for me to learn about. I can also get to grips with affordable carts and bits and more expensive carts and bits to develop more experience still. So there are lots of reasons, more than just sound quality itself but of course I am really keen to hear what all this can do too :)
I know the UK Dist for DS Audio very well. I was supposed to visit DS in Japan a few years ago to make a video of their factory etc but COVID killed that, would have been a trip of a lifetime.
If you are looking for a good Turntable then the MARANTZ TT143 is it or if you have more money then the REVOX B975, I suspect that both will accept the Ortofon Needle.
How do you adjust azimuth? I don't think linear tracking works very well it's always has problems. You need a scope to set it up as you say it tracks on the wall of the record anyway you can overcome that is to use a scope you can buy cheap handheld ones for a couple hundred these days part of a multimeter. What's wrong with the avid?
I didn't explain that very well, using spacers, I have ordered some tiny shims or some tape as a spacer that would allow you to adjust the angle with the screws tension, but if the cartridge is good you shouldn't need to as the headshell is bonded to the arm already set level
@@PursuitPerfectSystem The goldring ethos about £850 very good cartridge, one of the best phono stages out there is classic audio MC Pro 650£. young startup English company a very good engineer worked in the space industry. I'm sure he will send you one for review. No brainer for a arm go for the blackbird £2,000 good as any £40,000
Thanks for an interesting video. If this is the turn table that you wanted and enjoy, that's great! The real question is, are you going to get or hear a $7000.00 increased difference in sound quality vs lets say a Techniques SL-1200GR $1799 or even the 1200G Grand Class which is $4299?
This actually a good question, but as easy as it seems to slap a dollar figure on something and attempt to equate a difference is only a small part of the equation. If Terry can afford to make the purchase, which he did, the money aspect is mute. As far as performance, yes there is a difference as you go up the ladder, some of it is performance and some are convenience based. With the Bergman, with the record being coupled to the platter, you reduce friction, similar to having a record clamp on the record, but it is on the entire record due to the air, which will especially help warp records and overall provide the cartridge with better contact and help to improve the cartridges performance, think of what VPI does with their record clamp, which is applied to the outer area of the platter, but Terry’s table will be better because the record will be sucked onto the platter and it won’t be able to be moved. As far as platters go some manufacturers believe in mass, like VPI, project on their higher in models and others. I have had about 11 turntables from, Rega, Music hall, Project, Dual, Technics and others. When I jumped up from one to another, I did get sonic benefits, but I did ask the question was it worth it and overall it was a yes. I learned Tonearms, platters, feet, plinth, motors and phono cartridges all have an effect on what you hear. There was a guy, I can’t think of his name, but he tested the Technics at 4299 vs his own Bergemann and he found them to be closer than different, it he said the Bergeman was better, especially at some things. Cartridges make a huge difference and can take your table to another level based on the type of stylus and it’s individual characteristics. I went from an Audio Research PH8 to a Ref phonostage and my differences were more convinced based, with the ability to play two tables at the same time, XLR outs, Columbia, DECCA and RIAA and the ability to go from 45db of gain to 72db, which allows me to drive darn near any cartridge, especially with the low, high and medium setting gain also on my Line stage, but it does sound better than the PH8. It is the melding of the phono stage, turntable and cartridges that along with others that determine what you finally get. I also agree that just because something is more expensive doesn’t make it better. Also never ever equate money with system synergy because you will make a mistake every time. You don’t have to spend a lot to get a lot, but we can’t judge those who do. For me the cartridge took me over the top and gave me what I was looking for. Each person has to decide what is best for them based off of their budget and not anyone else’s. For some the 4299 Technics is plenty, others too much and others still not enough. Good luck Terry and we are here to help. I also keep a stash of extra cartridges as back up.
1) Is the arm is controlled via a remote device ? Do the arm detecs the starting groove of a track? i use to have one that you could program it to only play your favofite tracks. 2) Do they foresee selling the arm alone ? Bye. Lucien.
You won’t be disappointed with any of those Dynavector cartridges. They’ve been around a while. There’s some new pretenders about but these are solid and reliable are thus over looked - unless you talk to the right dealers who have been around a bit.
You do such a great job explaining unfamiliar tech. The turntable looks amazing and I love the design. One question. Do you hear any noise from the air flow? Or is it dead silent? Also, the new Mofi phono stage is supposed to be amazing.
Thanks very much. Interestingly you can't hear anything from the platter, you dont even know the air is on to be honest. Up very close, like inches from the arm you can hear the air but I think the pressure is a little high at the moment as we didn't do a full setup with any listening testing and I had a fan going as it was a very hot day and poor Andy was cooking. From the pump you can again hear sound up very close but of course its pulling in air. But from maybe a foot away its silent and again you don't even know if the air is on until you hit the go button or hold your hand near the arm area Whats interesting is you think your going to need tons of air pressure to lift the platter but it doesn't seem to work that way, its clever stuff
Lovely deck Terry, but remember vinyl LP play back, is only as good as the LP, the mastering & the pressing quality, from companies like analogue productions, speakers corner, mobile fidelity sound lab, music on vinyl, blue note tone poet & theres more a lot more, but there's also a lot of poor pressing out there, that sound dull and lifeless, but it's good you've taken the vinyl plunge seriously now, enjoy👍
Terry lovely new turntable. But what happened to the avid tonearm upgrades, was waiting to see what you would go for. Looks like you cut it short. Looks like the avid was a five minute wonder. I would like to have seen a sound demo between the old and the new. As for cartridges help yourself the market is full of them. You did not consult use on changing turntables. Bring back the avid and continue with the upgrades, come on finish the job before you move on. Try Linn Adikt mm cartridge. OK Terry best of luck.
Great points, like I said in the video this wasn't long term planned for me, it was a short notice thing that I couldn't turn down an amazing opportunity to broaden my experience to this level and have a great time doing it. I was also struggling a little as the Ingenium is not designed to be pulled apart or upgraded really with other arms, I upgraded all the AVID approved parts and made videos about them so I think that was done really. Also no VTA adjustment meant I was reluctant to mess around with different cartridges to this is a good move for me now and I am excited for that this will all bring and allow me to do
I was just wondering, with the UK has one of the richest histories in the world of high end turntable manufacturing, why didn't you buy one? I have at least British tonearms on both my tables. I have one table from Clearaudio (with Origin Live arm) and a much more elaborate Hans table with an SME V arm which I'm getting ready to send away to a Canadian company for upgrade. The Hans table uses an opposing magnet system so the platter is not in direct contact with anything. There are many out there to chose from obviously and I guess we buy what we come across that works for the requirement at the time.
Hi-fi is a great hobby and I enjoy different peoples opinions on their gear even if it’s something that I would never want. Personally for that kind of money I would have gone down the Linn route but I suspect that you got that set up at a fraction of its rrp, or the manufacturer even gave it away for the free publicity.
Some fair comments here. To be honest I have had no contact with Linn since I started my channel so their products are not on my radar and I am also not a fan of the old school look of the Linn I prefer modern looking designs and as I mentioned in the video I am a sucker for the linear tracker since seeing and hearing the clearaudio statement which is immense. But it’s each their own and that as you say a great part of the hobby.
@@PursuitPerfectSystem my modern Linn LP12 in maple looks absolutely stunning and sounds amazing but I must admit it took me the best part of 50 years to get it. Nothing wrong with your choice either. If technology and design is your thing it certainly is an impressive set up. I fancied one of the Nottinghams just on looks alone. I have several turntables for different things. My Linn for proper listening, a Revolver/Ittok/K9 with a conical stylus for knackered records and for background listening I pop in a nude elliptical and finally my Rega P1/3 in bright gloss red with a AT610 mono cartridge for my 1960’s stuff. The Rega’s looks puts a smile on my face. These 3 works for me.
@@PursuitPerfectSystem could be called greedy I suppose but as I have taken the best part of 50 years putting my system together then not really. I look on it as tools doing different jobs as all my head shells are fixed so I can’t swap cartridges easily. Stylus’s wear out so this way I am not using my more expensive Linn Adikt on old second hand records and the conical ATVM95C that I use in the K9 sits higher in the groove avoiding the crackles and pops. Easily swapped with the EN for less critical listening of my better records. Believe me it works. Having a dedicated mono set up also gets rid of the crosstalk and distortion you can get using a modern stereo stylus on old mono records.
A bit of faffing about several years back with a Rega P1, Nagaoka MP-150, Schiit Mani and a dozen records was enough to convince me to cut my losses and stick with digital. A similar total investment in either DAC or TT + Cart + Phonostage setup will yield similar SQ, whether it's $1000 or $10000. Except that buying records will always be more expensive than listening to the same music on a streaming service like Tidal. Also, having to get up to flip sides and not being able to have playlists of songs from different albums? Not for me, no thanks.
I had it order from Warner bros but they let me down, I think in the uk you can’t have the black version you have to get + version where the LP is blue. To be honest I am not that keen on the album. I got my money back and spent it on Ryan Bingham moseclito instead that was crazy expensive but I prefer the album. Got to like the music when your spending £30-£50 on a piece of plastic
@@PursuitPerfectSystem I’ve had an LP12 since 1980 and never heard any tracking error. Don’t even know what I would be listening for. Pretty sure you’ll like the Linn.
I think if you have owned something that long your brand allegiance likely makes you blinkered to alternative solutions - its understandable, I am the same with some things. I don't have that for vinyl, on my travels I have listened to loads of things inc LP12 a number of times but nothing has bettered the CA Statement and that uses a Linear Tracker so I am good with the choice and the other TT that really impressed me was an air based Tech DAS. I am in the middle of the two and hopefully in a very good place
@@PursuitPerfectSystem Good for you Terry. The thing that always impressed me with Linn was - at HiFi shows, Most rooms just sounded like “Meh!” - unimpressed and then the Linn room always sounded coherent and integrated - so I sold my soul to Linn because I just wanted something that worked together properly and I didnt have to keep on surfing down the slippery slope and spent a Shit load of time and money playing the lottery of trying to find some combination of of things that work, and chop and change until a little more content. I know for some people it’s the journey and experimentation that is the attraction, but I couldn’t be arsed - especially getting married and having a Family. But now with kids gone and in a new House in Germany - I’m setting up my second Home Cinema system - All Linn except Projector and Anthem AVM-90 surround processor. The music system in the living room is active Linn Keltiks with Klimax Exakt DSM / EXAKTBOX (ORGANIK) AND 2 AKURATE 4200\B amps - Will be upgrading the Keltiks to Killer Keltiks in November by replacing the drive units… and wondering if I can get a used pair of the active 350’s after we sell my dad’s old house in Derbyshire… Happy listening
Looks like a retrograde step from your Bergmann setup. How does it compare? Agree the OL represents best bang for buck. I recently researched a lot of decks for a friend with a headphone setup. He was plagued with motor noise breakthrough on a Rega style deck. So important to have separate motor pod. With vinyl, you can't have enough isolation.... Be nice to get your opinion on different drive systems, like Direct Drive or idler drive.
I am hoping to review lots of different turntable and vinyl products over time that was the whole point getting into it to experience lots of new, its going to take me some time to establish myself in this area of HiFi so please give me the time to do so.
I hope you enjoyed the video, I appreciate its a little unfinished in a way as I didn't speak about sound quality but rest assured I will be back to do so, I will just need some time to be able to report back about it properly and accurately as possible. Thanks for your patience with this.
What a wonderful, elegant, and gorgeous turntable setup, in triple black! 🖤🎶
Terry, really enjoy your videos. Congratulations on the new turntable!
Love a turntable, love gadgets and tweeks, so loved this one. You lucky sod! Well done.🎉
In '78 purchased the Revox B-790 linatrack TT. The, "Arm", is 1.75 inches long and moves like an overhead trolley crane just like the old Vinyl Cutting Mastering Lathe. 1000 bucks new, still works.
I owned the little brother B795 with Ortofon cartridge. Changing cartridges was a nightmare as it required counterweights. The tracking of the arm was done via LED and optical sensor, which made the cartridge move along. Had it for 20 odd years:-)
More than happy helping getting everything set up Terry! Fantastic video!
Thanks again Andy
This is a really interesting and innovative unit. There is much brain going inside…
Many thanks for the vid ✌️
I'm not really into turntables that much but I still enjoyed watching your journey into this new source equipment. 👍
Must be doing something right haha :) thanks
Great Vid Terry. When I saw your video about your first turntable, I knew you would appreciate what playing a vinyl record would bring to your ears. Now the upgrade craziness begins. Cartridges, phonostage,cables,etc. My advice is to get your analogue portion of your system to the point when it is no longer about the equipment but about sitting down and enjoying the music. Cheers my friend and please update us with your listening experience.
Hi I remember years ago a technics turntable with the linear tone arm , and back then, totally amazed on how it worked
Saw one just the other day
I haven't seen a turntable /arm setup in a long time that got me so excited as this
Nice! I'd love to hear it one day. If you are looking at carts certainly look at Hana, the Hana ML is a beautiful cart and digs up lots of detail without ever sounding harsh or shrill in any way, it's very smooth even with a fairly neutral phono stage like my Chord Huei. Look forward to your tests 👍
The engineer in me likes this design a great deal. Looking forward to your thoughts on how it sounds
Best of luck with the turntable. Can’t wait to hear your thoughts in the future on it.
Congrats for this fantastic turntable! The Bergmann table that I heard at the Montreal Audio show last spring was tremendous! Can't wait for your impressions!
Bergmann Air Bearing Linear Arms work very well with EMT cartridges. From a fellow Bergmann TT user.
Congratulations! The turntable looks great. Enjoy.
Congratulations on the first you tube review to cover the historical air bearing arms and air bearing turntable. From the classic seventies and eighties, the turntables also vacuumed the record to the platter to reduce resonance and vibration.. I am still using my battery operated Rabco SL8 arm from 1970. And I have a rebuilt REVOX turntable also. As a retirement to myself, I bought my best cartridge yet and over time for the rebuild the price has increased, but at that time is was $1200. While below one level, I would recommend it as a starting cartridge for your st. line arm. Also, the next model above. I think most would not need anything more expensive. So, for your reviews I recommend the Sound-Smith Aida or the closer speced version the
Voice. They have excellent separation of the channels that can put the soloist directly in fromt of the band in your listening room. This was a first experience after all these many years. From the last several Berlin shows, there have been a number of st. line arms, some extremely digital operated, and no one has reviewed them instead of there expensive jeweled pivoted arms.
I think with a turntable of this(potential) quality I’d be looking at quite high end mc carts such as Ortofon cadenza black, as a starting point, and similar priced phono stages. A big investment, but worth it! Im looking forward to seeing how you get on😀
That's a beautiful turntable...and I'd never heard of the brand til now.
Congratulations to the world of airbearings I have been using them since I was 14 with the likes of Airtangent Rockports Kuzma Vyger etc to mention a few. The bergman is a sweet turntable and works well. If you wish to hear some of the worlds greatest turntables under one roof in the UK let me know
Looks great. Would love to hear your take on this and if it does sound more analogue and pleasurable to listen too than digital playback. I'm sure digital playback will be more transparent with more details but interested to see if if this vinyl playback is more enjoyable to listen too then outright, upfront detail
Great video Terry.
Initially I would check with Bergmann to see which cartridge they recommend.
You need to be aware of the compliance of a cartridge to ensure compatibility but I suspect with this arm you could use pretty much anything.
As a Lyra owner I would recommend trying the Delos. Excellent tracking & very detailed.
Someone else just recommended that - there you go
I really like my Hana ML moving coil cartridge
I would also consider adding the second tone arm and making it a mono tone arm set up with a mono cart
I listen to jazz and mono playback is critical … at least for me
Re cartridge choice Benz micro SL, Hana SL, many of the AT OC9 range. If possible I would always go for one with a boron cantilever, they are a step up from aluminium cantilevers
Very cool turntable, enjoy 🙏
Fascinating video, really intrigued by the combination of linear tracking and airbearing technology - can't wait to hear how it sounds. Re Cartridge suggestions - how about a Grado Master 3...(approx £1,100, I believe)???
Very interesting concept that I was not familiar with 🤔
Terry out freaking standing Turntable there, first off. As far as cartridges, the Hana ML or MH is outstanding at $1200. The phono stage is one that you have to set a budget for, but an Audio Research Ref 3se, used Ref 3 or a Ref 2se would be a perfect match and at the same level as or greater than the turntable. You will get balanced output and gain from 45-72db, to be able to drive any cartridge that your budget can allow.
Great video! I own a Bergmann myself. I think you need to check out the Audio Technica AT33PTG/II as an affordable by excellent step into MC. That Goldring you tested is brilliant as well.
I use a DS Audio DS003 optical cartridge myself with the bergmann and I think it is incredible. You should definitely try out the budget model DS-E3 system.
I would recommend Dynavectors 20 series either as low out put or high output. Its a MC cartridge using a micro ridge stylus. List price is about $1150 USD A significant up grade would be the XX-2 lo out put Dynavector using a solid Beryllium cantilever and alnico magnets and a patented coil set up to lower distortions common with ceramic magnets used by others. About $2200 USD Both track extremely well. The Sound reminds me of the old Ortofon Sl- 15 mK II cartridge. All the cartridges have a very tight frequency response curve envelope. With the XX-2 being +/- 1 db with 30 db of separation. Current Ortofons you have to be very careful as they tend to emphasize high frequencies. Dynavectors are known for their strong accurate bass and midrange production with just enough high frequencies to give the definition listeners prefer who can still hear above 16 khz. Which most men can't past early middle age. So those listeners prefer bright cartridges and speakers. I do not, still being able to hear 17 Khz quite easily.
Great help thanks
I love your play on the word "blows", best "click bait" of the year! Noway that baby can sound bad, congratulations Buddy, I'm jealous! Hee hee 😅!
Re: Cartridges, the world's your oyster (ooh, pun not intended) at £500-£1500. You could try Grado Timbre Reference cartridge at about £1150. You mentioned Sumiko already, so maybe their Songbird high-output MC at £900. The Ortofon Cadenza blue is kind of an industry standard, but that's £1650, so maybe the Cadenza Red at £1200 would be a great option. Anyway, have fun!
I recommend the Nagaoka MP-200 and the Hana ML :)
Turntable looks great, I reckon EMT, Lyra and Phasemation cartridges would work well with your LTA, Good luck.
Tha Avid was good but this Bergmann is properly NICE.
Ortofon Cadenza blue, Dynavector Karat D17DX,Hana Microline.
You've a nice budget giving plenty to consider... Personally I'd reach out to Bergmann and ask what are commonly selected choices by owners.
Great video BTW. 👍🏻
I'm no turntable expert but the Bergmann decks are as good as I've heard (up there with Brinkmann & Grand Prix Audio). Nice pick Terry🍻
Lovely build but damn you need to have a pretty decent chunk of change set aside . Would love to hear an A/B comparison with playing music on this setup vs a turntable setup under 2k .
Great video as always, you should try one MC cartridge from Phasemation Japan!
I'd like to see the pick up wires inside that floating tonearm, and wether or not there's some form of drag caused by them sliding side to side. Just curious.
Thats a good question, the wire is quite long and I hadn't worked out why until now but maybe that is why to offer a lot of slack, I will try and show this on camera in the future however seeing the rear of TT will be hard once its all installed, I will do my best
All fun and games until your pump blows a gasket. Then you have a 10k$ paperweight. I like it. But my old B&O 4002 has it severely beat in the looks department. As always terry, great review (overview). Thanks for all you do! Cheers!
I absolutely love the design - and I am a freak for super technic - the cost is just pocket money - we are all rich (wealthy) I do believe deep in my heart - reality will kill every dream instantly - it is nice to see people reactivate their hearing experience - many have lost what nature gave them - digital music takes away the ability to really hear - where it was common to mix a number of tracks to a composition like the many instruments in an orchestra - we are getting less just straight noise -
fantastic gear mate! Congratulations! Looking forward to hearing about sound difference vs avid.
Man, I bet surface noise sounds FANTASTIC on that thing.
Clean record what surface noise?
@@PursuitPerfectSystem oh that’s right - I forgot. When my brother bought a $500 ultrasonic record cleaner, he was no longer able to hear the surface noise everyone else could.
Great Banter I like it
@@PursuitPerfectSystem Hey, don't get me wrong - I LOVE vinyl, and grew up with it into my audio interests. But when digital came along, I was quickly able to sacrifice any advantages from vinyl in favor of the lack of surface noise in digital. A few years ago, I went back to vinyl, not because it offers anything BETTER than digital, but to see if I could extract as much quality from vinyl as I was getting from digital. Kind of a mystery thing maybe. I recently learned that the great jazz engineer Rudy Van Gelder - considered a "god" among vinyl enthusiasts - when digital came along, said, "Good riddance" to vinyl. This whole vinyl vs. digital thing is much ado about nothing - but it's fun!
Its not a digital vs vinyl and doesnt have to be, they can both be great ways to enjoy music
Lyra cartridges are amazing. I've read great things about Hana.
For a great more budget pairing, maybe the Sutherland TZ Vibe Phono Stage (current input type) and the Audio Technica AT33/PTG MKII cart. I think this affordable setup will surprise you very much.
That is the same cartridge I would recommend. A giant killer...
Hi Terry, congratulations on the purchase. The Thor is very forgiving as to which cartridge you set up with it. Just so you know, you may need to adjust the airflow with the heavier cartridges and visa versa with lighter cartridges, or else the tonearm might catch on its elbow. This is simple to do but always worth a note. Also, check the level of the arm regularly; this takes a while to settle in and can change. You will notice this if the record starts to skip or sounds a little distorted, especially with instruments such as the Sax. In terms of cartridges, not all are aligned perfectly, and as you cannot adjust the azimuth easily, this can become a problem; shims can fix this, which Adam is looking into. I am using the Ortofon Jubilee, which I have found to be a great match, but you can no longer purchase these. Another good match, but you have to get one built, is the Denon DL-103R modified by Expert Stylus with their sapphire cantilever and Paratrace stylus. This sits beautifully and is a lively cartridge that works well for Rock music.
For phono stage for a Moving Coil I’ve been fortunate enough to have the add on board to my Mola Mola preamp. May well be worth while considering this with the Griffin. Also consider a Step Up Transformer for a Moving Coil cartridge, such as the Ortofon for their cartridges. It’s a good workaround for any low output MC.
Before getting out of vinyl, I had a Bergmann Magne. Air bearing is the only way to go.
The Magne sucks, I want one 😎
Great video, very informative! Fellow air bearing turntable and arm owner here (Forsell Air Reference); I’m a big fan of Lyra cartridges, so maybe check those out if you can. Also, if your domestic situation allows it, try to get your gear out from between your speakers. Put them on a side or back wall if possible and your soundstage should improve substantially.
Cheers that’s the third Lyra recommendation already so I will check them out, the racks of gear are about a metre behind the speakers so that’s not an issue and room is treated acoustically for symmetry so it’s a small room but I don’t think you could make it much better than it is. Dimensions dominate from there though
Hi Terry, you mentioned the Ortofon black and it's interesting because as you will no doubt have learned there are other colours in the range and those other colours mean different stylus tips. Each tip will generate something slightly different towards your overall sound. Some tips give you more detail, but the caveat is that that tip will pick up more background noise. Please do some research into different shapes of diamond tips. Everyone goes on about the shibata tip, and they tend to be the dearest, but not everyone agrees that they give the sound you may like. Below the Ortofon black is the bronze, and below that is the blue. Different tips and different materials. (In some cases). You will never know what you like, until you have listened to the different tips and types. That is why serious vinyl lovers, may have over 10 different cartridges. Sorry Terry. Its not getting any easier, is it. Lol. 😊
The Ortofon Black was recommended a lot to me last time and because its black on the all black turntable it kinda made sense. I was listening to a Turntbale the other day on a crazy high end system and I thought it was an Ortofon Black, turned out it was a winfield which even the guy who owned the system didn't realise how high end it was :)
Happy with the Blue:-)
You made me buy a similar setup. Can you already say something about dust buildup on the arm shaft. In other words, would it be possible that dust interferes with the movement of the arm...?
Interesting I get a lot of dust in my room and I have since new kept my TT covered with a soft cloth when I am not using it to keep the dust off. I don’t know about long term use but I think it stands to reason to keep the dust off
OK Terry, I've let you off the hook but, do the new videos quicker there to far apart. I forget what when before. I look forward to hearing the cartridge you have hx goldring this can be used with mm phono stage. Supposed to be a very good cartridge. To better it I would be looking at moving coil type. Burgmann what do they suggest. I've now got Naim nait 50, using my beloved linn LP12 with upgrades. I use linn Adikt cartridge. I've pre ordered the new rolling stones album hackney diamonds. Can't wait for a listen. Vinyl is good fun.
Going as fast as I can, important not to rush and makes mistakes, better to go slow and be thorough. I know some channels go much quicker than me, I don’t know how they do it and still build in enough testing time
Cartridge recommendations: for use with a MM compatible phono stage: Nagaoka MP-300 or Nagaoka MP-500 (great all rounders very quite in the groove) For MC the Hana ML is a great cartridge.
Terry, I’m surprised at the upgrade so soon. It suggests to me you’ve embraced vinyl even more - and that’s fantastic. Kudos and happy listening, my friend.
For the learning curve it’s important to test and try as many different things as I can, as quick as I can. The job facilitates it much quicker than I could if I worked in a normal job that’s for sure
Hana Cartridges are well reviewed, but I’d like to hear an see your take if they are available to you, and on your Radar.
Going straight for a Bergmann with parallel tracking tonearm is a pretty bold move.
This is a very impressive set up nonetheless.
The 500 to 1500 pound price range for a cartridge is pretty much the impossible range. I gather 90% of cartridges, other than budget ones, are in this range.
In my mind, for you as a reviewer, I should think you ought to start at the lower end of the range and build your way up learning what the sound improvements/differences that come with the higher price cartridges are. Then again you already own a 500 pound cartridge so ...
But knowledgeable audiophiles that know what sort of cartridges work with this tonearm should come to the rescue. Eliminating what shouldn't work based on technical specs would be a start. It will be a long process. Having friends in this hobby can be invaluable, especially when it comes to trying out various options. Luckily, many audiophiles are quite a committed breed.
Not straight to the B but second time to it :)
Ah yes,@@PursuitPerfectSystem! I forgot about the Avid Ingenium! For a bottom of the range turntable it was really impressive - I have never seen an Avid up close before your video. I guess Avid's bottom of the range starts where others' top of the range lies. I have to admit that the Rega RB110 tonearm threw me off - it should be possible to easily upgrade that to, say, an RB220 but that seems to defeat the purpose of the Ingenium, given that it's meant to be a one-stop, complete solution. I guess that offering it with a higher specification arm would take the price higher than the intended target market segment though.
I also use a linear tracking arm (Terminator from Trans Fi Audio) and they are very nice less distortion and easier set up.
In the price range of carts you mentioned for MC perhaps a Shelter 901 and MM Nagaoka MP500.
I am currently using the MP200 which is good the 500 is better I guess.
Terry consider the Sumiko Blackbird MC. Reasonably priced for such a great rich sounding stylus.
in answer about interesting cartridges to explore, I would suggest a rega . although an industry leading company , the cartridges don't get much notice, but have unique industry leading features, plus a very unique suspension.
Another very unusual approach is from sound smith, who have a cartridge stylus made from a cactus spine, said to be the perfect answer to the eternal lightest stiffest cartridge stylus question.
Thanks Richard I have been watching a few Soundsmith videos this morning always learning :)
Looks so much simpler compared to the Swiss watch style pivot tonearm.
How is the counterweight on the Thor? Is it easy to adjust? Is the arm wand sturdy feeling?
I haven’t adjusted the counter weight yet I will be soon I have a new cartridge to install. I have found the whole linear arm has taken me some getting used to but now I like it. There are some things you have to watch you can easily ping it upwards if your not careful but that’s the same with all arms, the pivot of it is different and it’s very light so mistakes feel a bit more disastrous than they are. I am very clumsy.
I would say maybe get hands on with one if you can you might have a lot more experience than me so will feel very differently to me as I am still learning and making mistakes :)
I would go with Hana Mc or Denon Dl 103r , I really like the goldnote ph10 phono stage
I always wonder about diminishing returns when it comes to hi-fi like this. I am sure it sounds amazing, but I wonder how it would compare to something like the Pioneer PL-L1 ?
You should try a Hana cartridge - ideally for a set up of this cost you should go up the chain as much as you can. In my experience you can easily go up to 60/70% of the cost of the rig and still get the best from the cartridge, so your options are only limited by your wallet 😉
To be honest the price range I set is based on my experience and not wanting to run before I can walk- also the cost too :)
@@PursuitPerfectSystem Hana Umami Blue which I just heard at a friends Technics set up is $2500 in the US and really blew me away with its sweet and detailed delivery. Worth a try at your upper end. Have fun and keep us posted!
There's only one turntable you should own, the recently released Technics sl-1200 gr2, comes in black and silver. Sound quality is excellent. Quartz lock direct drive is the only way to go!
The only one? Come on man
Cartridges are a bit tricky with that arm at the price point I have heard the Phasmation PP300 work very well on that tonearm as it has substance to the sound the Hanna cartridges also workd too. The ortofons tend to be a bit light weight for that turntable the lyra Delos is nice in terms of speed on the modi but lacks a bit of weight and scale but nicely nuanced
Very interesting thank you, also how do you know this?
What about higher price points too please?
The etsuro Cobolt works very well as does the etsuro Bordeaux the cobolt being a bit more insisive and dynamic while the Bordeaux having a fleshed out midrange.@@PursuitPerfectSystem
Visit my place and you will understand I have practically heard most things ever made when it comes to analouge spanning over decades@@PursuitPerfectSystem
Can you please contact me as I don't know who you are to be to respond but I appreciate your help, terryellis@pursuitperfectsystem.com
That's an impressive turntable. Never knew we have turntables with some floating parts, but I only recently got into records some few months ago. I keep learning something new everyday. I wonder if this can help extend the life of the stylus... enjoy rediscovering your music !
No, this has nothing to do with stylus wear.
I love vinyl and play mine a lot. There are so many companies established at this game. This one, my word what a load of malarky that is. All that faff which is interesting as a talking point ...great but really! I would love to hear this side by side with a Linn at same price point.
Setting up a TT for a couple of hours that will do you for decades maybe is not really a lot of faff when you think about it.
Very nice indeed. Not envious in the slightest... :^D
Look at some of the Hana ranges of cartridges.
You can't consider a cartridge independently of the arm as they work in tandem constituting a single resonant system. So my advice would be to consult with Bergman first with regards to their cartridge (or cartridge specifications) recommendations.
Great video!
It looks incredible Terry.
What was the decision process in choosing this over more conventional designs such as the Rega Planar 10 etc?
Thats a great question, being honest I tried to contact Rega about a year ago to see if they would be willing to send me one of their most affordable cartridges for me to make a video about, I was hoping to compare a couple around £100 entry level units. I was not met with a very friendly or interested response which I didn't take personally but of course it leaves a bit of a bad taste.
I have been seeing the Bergmann in dealers for a couple of years and I was scared to even touch one as they seemed well beyond me. The last 18 months has changed that a lot for me as my confidence is growing and I realised its going to take a long time to develop any real breadth of experience if I just keep taking baby steps.
The Bergmann is a chance to spend real time with a high end unit, with an air unit and linear tracking so there is a lot of new here all at once for me to learn about. I can also get to grips with affordable carts and bits and more expensive carts and bits to develop more experience still. So there are lots of reasons, more than just sound quality itself but of course I am really keen to hear what all this can do too :)
@@PursuitPerfectSystem thanks for the comprehensive reply Terry, much appreciated. I wish you all the best with the new system.
HANNA SL MC cartridge is very nice used on my project 2xperince tt.
For sure look at the Hana series of cartridges, then start saving for the end game DS Audio series of optical cartridges.
I know the UK Dist for DS Audio very well. I was supposed to visit DS in Japan a few years ago to make a video of their factory etc but COVID killed that, would have been a trip of a lifetime.
Have a look at this excellent cartridge brand: Skyanalog - the P-1 hits the 500GBP price and the G-2 the 1500GBP area.
Wharfedale Aura!
Elysian 3
@@PursuitPerfectSystem Even better!
If you are looking for a good Turntable then the MARANTZ TT143 is it or if you have more money then the REVOX B975, I suspect that both will accept the Ortofon Needle.
How do you adjust azimuth? I don't think linear tracking works very well it's always has problems. You need a scope to set it up as you say it tracks on the wall of the record anyway you can overcome that is to use a scope you can buy cheap handheld ones for a couple hundred these days part of a multimeter.
What's wrong with the avid?
I didn't explain that very well, using spacers, I have ordered some tiny shims or some tape as a spacer that would allow you to adjust the angle with the screws tension, but if the cartridge is good you shouldn't need to as the headshell is bonded to the arm already set level
@@PursuitPerfectSystem
The goldring ethos about £850 very good cartridge,
one of the best phono stages out there is classic audio MC Pro 650£. young startup English company a very good engineer worked in the space industry. I'm sure he will send you one for review. No brainer for a arm go for the blackbird £2,000 good as any £40,000
Try a Lyra Delos which is the higher end of your budget range.
One to consider working up to thanks very much
Thanks for an interesting video. If this is the turn table that you wanted and enjoy, that's great! The real question is, are you going to get or hear a $7000.00 increased difference in sound quality vs lets say a Techniques SL-1200GR $1799 or even the 1200G Grand Class which is $4299?
That’s a very valid interesting question I hope someone with extensive experience of both can answer. I am sorry I can’t at the moment
This actually a good question, but as easy as it seems to slap a dollar figure on something and attempt to equate a difference is only a small part of the equation. If Terry can afford to make the purchase, which he did, the money aspect is mute. As far as performance, yes there is a difference as you go up the ladder, some of it is performance and some are convenience based.
With the Bergman, with the record being coupled to the platter, you reduce friction, similar to having a record clamp on the record, but it is on the entire record due to the air, which will especially help warp records and overall provide the cartridge with better contact and help to improve the cartridges performance, think of what VPI does with their record clamp, which is applied to the outer area of the platter, but Terry’s table will be better because the record will be sucked onto the platter and it won’t be able to be moved.
As far as platters go some manufacturers believe in mass, like VPI, project on their higher in models and others. I have had about 11 turntables from, Rega, Music hall, Project, Dual, Technics and others. When I jumped up from one to another, I did get sonic benefits, but I did ask the question was it worth it and overall it was a yes. I learned Tonearms, platters, feet, plinth, motors and phono cartridges all have an effect on what you hear. There was a guy, I can’t think of his name, but he tested the Technics at 4299 vs his own Bergemann and he found them to be closer than different, it he said the Bergeman was better, especially at some things.
Cartridges make a huge difference and can take your table to another level based on the type of stylus and it’s individual characteristics. I went from an Audio Research PH8 to a Ref phonostage and my differences were more convinced based, with the ability to play two tables at the same time, XLR outs, Columbia, DECCA and RIAA and the ability to go from 45db of gain to 72db, which allows me to drive darn near any cartridge, especially with the low, high and medium setting gain also on my Line stage, but it does sound better than the PH8.
It is the melding of the phono stage, turntable and cartridges that along with others that determine what you finally get. I also agree that just because something is more expensive doesn’t make it better. Also never ever equate money with system synergy because you will make a mistake every time. You don’t have to spend a lot to get a lot, but we can’t judge those who do.
For me the cartridge took me over the top and gave me what I was looking for. Each person has to decide what is best for them based off of their budget and not anyone else’s. For some the 4299 Technics is plenty, others too much and others still not enough. Good luck Terry and we are here to help. I also keep a stash of extra cartridges as back up.
1) Is the arm is controlled via a remote device ?
Do the arm detecs the starting groove of a track?
i use to have one that you could program it to only play your favofite tracks.
2) Do they foresee selling the arm alone ?
Bye.
Lucien.
The arm is all manual and it’s available separately now I mention all this towards the end
Try a Dynaavector DR-T cartridge! Or lower down their XX-2 or 20X2L
Thanks I would never had thought of that brand
@@PursuitPerfectSystem Pear Audio are the UK Distributor. John and Peter are great for advice/information
@@michaelharmsworth9243 thanks we haven’t spoken before
You won’t be disappointed with any of those Dynavector cartridges. They’ve been around a while. There’s some new pretenders about but these are solid and reliable are thus over looked - unless you talk to the right dealers who have been around a bit.
You do such a great job explaining unfamiliar tech. The turntable looks amazing and I love the design. One question. Do you hear any noise from the air flow? Or is it dead silent? Also, the new Mofi phono stage is supposed to be amazing.
Thanks very much. Interestingly you can't hear anything from the platter, you dont even know the air is on to be honest. Up very close, like inches from the arm you can hear the air but I think the pressure is a little high at the moment as we didn't do a full setup with any listening testing and I had a fan going as it was a very hot day and poor Andy was cooking.
From the pump you can again hear sound up very close but of course its pulling in air. But from maybe a foot away its silent and again you don't even know if the air is on until you hit the go button or hold your hand near the arm area
Whats interesting is you think your going to need tons of air pressure to lift the platter but it doesn't seem to work that way, its clever stuff
@@PursuitPerfectSystem thank you for that. I’m looking forward to your thoughts on what it’s like to live with and how it sounds.
Lovely deck Terry, but remember vinyl LP play back, is only as good as the LP, the mastering & the pressing quality, from companies like analogue productions, speakers corner, mobile fidelity sound lab, music on vinyl, blue note tone poet & theres more a lot more, but there's also a lot of poor pressing out there, that sound dull and lifeless, but it's good you've taken the vinyl plunge seriously now, enjoy👍
I suspect that you will want a marble platform to accommodate both the Turntable and the PSU/Air Pump.
Yes I am looking at a platform but I wasn’t thinking of marble, I was looking at an isoacoustics Delos the biggest one
I'm wondering what would happen if it lost air to the tonearm but not the platter, which means the stylus couldn't follow the groove.
It would still track just not floating
Where can I buy those acoustic panels at the back of the room behind the plants?
All my treatments are from GIK Acoustics
OK, many thanks!
Terry lovely new turntable. But what happened to the avid tonearm upgrades, was waiting to see what you would go for. Looks like you cut it short. Looks like the avid was a five minute wonder. I would like to have seen a sound demo between the old and the new. As for cartridges help yourself the market is full of them. You did not consult use on changing turntables. Bring back the avid and continue with the upgrades, come on finish the job before you move on. Try Linn Adikt mm cartridge. OK Terry best of luck.
Great points, like I said in the video this wasn't long term planned for me, it was a short notice thing that I couldn't turn down an amazing opportunity to broaden my experience to this level and have a great time doing it.
I was also struggling a little as the Ingenium is not designed to be pulled apart or upgraded really with other arms, I upgraded all the AVID approved parts and made videos about them so I think that was done really. Also no VTA adjustment meant I was reluctant to mess around with different cartridges to this is a good move for me now and I am excited for that this will all bring and allow me to do
Great RUclips channel and please can you use or replace the turntable arm with other brands like Kronos arm
Try the Shelter cartridge line above $500.
I was just wondering, with the UK has one of the richest histories in the world of high end turntable manufacturing, why didn't you buy one? I have at least British tonearms on both my tables. I have one table from Clearaudio (with Origin Live arm) and a much more elaborate Hans table with an SME V arm which I'm getting ready to send away to a Canadian company for upgrade. The Hans table uses an opposing magnet system so the platter is not in direct contact with anything. There are many out there to chose from obviously and I guess we buy what we come across that works for the requirement at the time.
Hi-fi is a great hobby and I enjoy different peoples opinions on their gear even if it’s something that I would never want. Personally for that kind of money I would have gone down the Linn route but I suspect that you got that set up at a fraction of its rrp, or the manufacturer even gave it away for the free publicity.
Some fair comments here. To be honest I have had no contact with Linn since I started my channel so their products are not on my radar and I am also not a fan of the old school look of the Linn I prefer modern looking designs and as I mentioned in the video I am a sucker for the linear tracker since seeing and hearing the clearaudio statement which is immense. But it’s each their own and that as you say a great part of the hobby.
@@PursuitPerfectSystem my modern Linn LP12 in maple looks absolutely stunning and sounds amazing but I must admit it took me the best part of 50 years to get it. Nothing wrong with your choice either. If technology and design is your thing it certainly is an impressive set up. I fancied one of the Nottinghams just on looks alone. I have several turntables for different things. My Linn for proper listening, a Revolver/Ittok/K9 with a conical stylus for knackered records and for background listening I pop in a nude elliptical and finally my Rega P1/3 in bright gloss red with a AT610 mono cartridge for my 1960’s stuff. The Rega’s looks puts a smile on my face. These 3 works for me.
See when I call myself a greedy audiophile I am not as greedy as others :) 3 TT for different things very nice
@@PursuitPerfectSystem could be called greedy I suppose but as I have taken the best part of 50 years putting my system together then not really. I look on it as tools doing different jobs as all my head shells are fixed so I can’t swap cartridges easily. Stylus’s wear out so this way I am not using my more expensive Linn Adikt on old second hand records and the conical ATVM95C that I use in the K9 sits higher in the groove avoiding the crackles and pops. Easily swapped with the EN for less critical listening of my better records. Believe me it works. Having a dedicated mono set up also gets rid of the crosstalk and distortion you can get using a modern stereo stylus on old mono records.
Who knew? A turntable with a CPAP machine. It looks great.
It takes a fellow sufferer to enjoy that joke 🙄🤣
Dust are no.1 enemy for linear air tracking arm
A bit of faffing about several years back with a Rega P1, Nagaoka MP-150, Schiit Mani and a dozen records was enough to convince me to cut my losses and stick with digital. A similar total investment in either DAC or TT + Cart + Phonostage setup will yield similar SQ, whether it's $1000 or $10000. Except that buying records will always be more expensive than listening to the same music on a streaming service like Tidal. Also, having to get up to flip sides and not being able to have playlists of songs from different albums? Not for me, no thanks.
My ocd couldn’t handle that turntable. 😂😂 you got colter wall little songs on vinyl yet .
I had it order from Warner bros but they let me down, I think in the uk you can’t have the black version you have to get + version where the LP is blue. To be honest I am not that keen on the album. I got my money back and spent it on Ryan Bingham moseclito instead that was crazy expensive but I prefer the album. Got to like the music when your spending £30-£50 on a piece of plastic
Don’t you live near a LINN dealer? Try the Klimax LP12. Linn have been doing it since 1973 or 4. Linear tracking tonearm seriously?
The best turntable I have listened to so far has been the clearaudio Statement - that uses a Linear Tracker - no tracking error
@@PursuitPerfectSystem I’ve had an LP12 since 1980 and never heard any tracking error. Don’t even know what I would be listening for. Pretty sure you’ll like the Linn.
I think if you have owned something that long your brand allegiance likely makes you blinkered to alternative solutions - its understandable, I am the same with some things. I don't have that for vinyl, on my travels I have listened to loads of things inc LP12 a number of times but nothing has bettered the CA Statement and that uses a Linear Tracker so I am good with the choice and the other TT that really impressed me was an air based Tech DAS. I am in the middle of the two and hopefully in a very good place
@@PursuitPerfectSystem Good for you Terry. The thing that always impressed me with Linn was - at HiFi shows, Most rooms just sounded like “Meh!” - unimpressed and then the Linn room always sounded coherent and integrated - so I sold my soul to Linn because I just wanted something that worked together properly and I didnt have to keep on surfing down the slippery slope and spent a Shit load of time and money playing the lottery of trying to find some combination of of things that work, and chop and change until a little more content. I know for some people it’s the journey and experimentation that is the attraction, but I couldn’t be arsed - especially getting married and having a Family. But now with kids gone and in a new House in Germany - I’m setting up my second Home Cinema system - All Linn except Projector and Anthem AVM-90 surround processor. The music system in the living room is active Linn Keltiks with Klimax Exakt DSM / EXAKTBOX (ORGANIK) AND 2 AKURATE 4200\B amps - Will be upgrading the Keltiks to Killer Keltiks in November by replacing the drive units… and wondering if I can get a used pair of the active 350’s after we sell my dad’s old house in Derbyshire… Happy listening
This is some swanky system Terry. Unfortunately I can't give you any advice on this, I don't have a vinyl system, yet 😅
Looks like a retrograde step from your Bergmann setup. How does it compare?
Agree the OL represents best bang for buck. I recently researched a lot of decks for a friend with a headphone setup. He was plagued with motor noise breakthrough on a Rega style deck. So important to have separate motor pod. With vinyl, you can't have enough isolation....
Be nice to get your opinion on different drive systems, like Direct Drive or idler drive.
I am hoping to review lots of different turntable and vinyl products over time that was the whole point getting into it to experience lots of new, its going to take me some time to establish myself in this area of HiFi so please give me the time to do so.