High End 2012
The times they are a-changin', and the High End show is
no longer the oasis of analog insanity it once was. Whereas tonearms used to be measured
in feet rather than inches and record players took on a nearly baroque style and
complexity, things are now almost sensible -- or as sensible as playing records ever gets.
Take the Hartvig TT Signature turntable as a case in point. If ever a product had "I
did it the way I wanted it" stamped all over it, then this is it.
Theres certainly nothing revolutionary about the
Hartvig (except perhaps the simplicity of its rather prosaic name), and it certainly
cant be categorized as affordable. But in this case, your 21,000 (without
'arm, 25,000 including a battery power supply) does at least buy you a serious slice
of practicality and sheer common sense.
The compact plinth is pressure-formed from a five-layer
sandwich of MDF and acrylic, creating an incredibly inert base that is supported on three
isolating feet, two of which are easily and precisely adjustable from above. The massive
separate motor housing offers switching for 33 and 45 and uses a flat rubber belt and DC
motor to drive a deep, T6-aluminum platter that must be all of 75mm (3") thick. This
spins on a large-diameter, grease-lined, inverted bearing, topped with a ceramic ball that
supports a phosphor-bronze sleeve. On top of this, separated from direct physical contact
with the bearing, sits a 75mm-thick acrylic platter -- a combination that is said to
deliver the speed stability and musical presence of a heavy platter coupled with the
clarity and overall neutrality of acrylic. The pivoting acrylic armboard will accept 'arms
of different lengths, including well out beyond 12" if thats what your fancy
demands. The whole 26kg (57-pound) plinth system is amazingly compact, and with a wide
range of finishes, rather elegant if you like the currently fashionable, slightly blocky
styling of modern Scandinavian products.
More finish options and that
standalone tonearm base.
But the bit we really like is the separate, free-standing
armbase that allows you to run two or even three 'arms. Its stable and heavy enough
to stay were you place it, maintaining correct tonearm geometry, while versatile as
regards placement relative to the platter, and as an optional extra, it only costs those
who actually want the facility. Now thats simple, sensible and, taken as a whole,
mightily effective.
Running with Tri-Planar/Shelter 7000 and
Breuer/Dynavector XV-1s 'arm/cartridge combinations, the jet-black version certainly
complemented the aesthetic sensibilities of the Tidal electronics and speakers it was
playing with. More on the system as a whole later, but this is one table wed
definitely like to take for a spin. |