Now, I'm a Linnie—my turntable loyalties lie toward Scotland. Yet if the
LP12 hadn't sprung fully formed from the forehead of the sainted Ivor
Tiefenbrun, it would be a VPI that would probably be spinning my LPs. In
its Mk.IV version, VPI's HW19 features the bearing and 11/2"-thick,
20-lb, lead-impregnated, four-layer, precision-machined acrylic platter
of their TNT flagship model—changes over the ealier '19 that bring the
sound, thinks Guy Lemcoe, into competition with "the megabuck darlings
of the audio elite." With the excellent Eminent Technology 2
tonearm, "the music arises from a background as pitch-black as the dry,
haze-free Santa Fe night sky," sayeth GL. The good news for VPI owners
is that the upgrade is available for earlier versions of the turntable
for just $700. It's ironic, as Guy pointed out in his review, that
analog playback is reaching an unprecedented level of excellence just as
new vinyl becomes as scarce as unobtanium.
VPI HW19 Mk.IV turntable ($1800; reviewed by Guy Lemcoe, Vol.15 No.8, August 1992 Review)
In 1992, we had a VPI HW 19 Mk IV ($1,800.00 USD) with an Eminent Technology ET-2 Tonearm and Lyra Clavis De Capo DC Cartridge.This is a terrible turn-table. What is remarkable is that Eminent Technology sold, and was able to, a wide range of add-on upgrades.
The Cardas hookup wire was regrettably thin. The slightest connection or re-connection would require a total re-solder. This (analog) is terrible, terrible technology.
Now one could be satisfied with a reel-to-reel.
McCormack DNA-1 power amplifier ($1995; reviewed by Robert Harley, Vol.15 No.4, April 1992 Review)
Who the hell would want a $2000 amplifier? Contrast that with the Krell KSA-300S Power Amplifier ($8,900.00 USD).Today, someone would want a Sanders Sound System MagTech ($5,500.00 USD) for $2,000.00 USD.
JP 2016/01/24
www.hifiart.ca
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