Review: Thorens TD 309 turntable

 

I've been making slow but steady steps upgrading my current family shared stereo.  I've gone from decidedly mid-fi gear to something that I consider a step up from the usual bog equipment.  The Aleph J, for example, continues to amaze me as does the clarity of the Classe 5 preamplifier.  The Wharefedale Denton speakers have also been a real treat, easily besting anything I've heard in the sub-$1000 (USD) price range.  However there has been one niggling point that has been pulling back this stereo from being truly great.  I am, of course, talking about the turntable.  The Dual CS5000 has been in service for me for almost a decade.  It does a competent job of playing vinyl, my preferred medium, but I knew it was time for an upgrade.

The question was what to get?  In the past few years the turntable market has exploded with varying makes and models across all budget ranges.  Given my under $2000 (USD) price range I had a few options including the discontinued (and marked down) Rega P8, the Rega RP6, or the tried and true VPI Scountmaster (used or B-stock).  I hemmed and hawed, thinking of my experiences with solid plinth turntable, and in the case of the VPI, the JMW unipivot tonearm.  I wanted something a little different, a little more old school, with a suspension. I won't go into the ancient debate between suspended and solid plinths, each falling in and out of favor as the years have gone by.  I will instead just go with what I heard with the best systems.

Searching through Audiogon listing and doing a lot of review reading, I came to the Thorens TD 309 Tri-Balance turntable.  The reviews, even with the included and very budget Audio Technica AT95S, were mostly positive.  It seemed that any negative points could be ameliorated with a better cartridge.  I was also taken by the engineering with a speaker manufacturer to reduce motor and environmental vibration.  The speed controlled DC motor, the available colors, and the Japanese quality bearings was a bonus.  So I purchased one - used - that came with an Ortofon 2M Bronze cartridge.

Once I received the turntable via FedEx it took me a solid 90 minutes to set up.  Some of this involved running off to the grocery store to buy some batteries for my digital style gauge.  At first glance it looks to be a well-made record player.  I was especially impressed by the methods used to decouple the platter from the motor.

Installation of the 2M Bronze wasn't exactly a breeze.  It required the removal of the headshell and some fiddling of the screws that mount directly to the body of the cartridge.  Using the Thorens supplied protractor I was able to get the alignment zeroed in pretty quickly.  After adjusting the counterweight I was finally able to listen to some records.

Initial Impressions: I can immediately tell there is a difference. With the Thorens there is a lot of weight to the bass.  Music plays with a lot more ease and less grunge than the old Dual.  Which is to say there is a lot less mechanical noise with the new turntable.  This in turn reveals more detail, makes the notes "breathe" easier, and also increases depth and width of the soundstage; allowing the listener to "hear" deeper into the recording.  I'm reminded of the VPI Aries 1 in this regard, and, given the difference between the platter weight, a surprise.  I suppose a well-tuned suspension can replicate the solidity of a table with a solid plinth and heavy platter.

After a few hours of enjoyment and some tweaking of the arm setup, it was time to sit down and do some serious listening.

Dead Can Dance - Into the Labyrinth is a well-recorded gem.  The Thorens/Ortofon combination reveals quite a bit more detail, a pulsing bass, and a soundstage that had width and depth.  The music positively soared, leaving, in comparison, the old Dual sounding like an AM radio.  Voices were especially good, with excellent body and realism.  Congestion was nil, each instrument sitting in its own space without confusion or muddiness.

Background noise, on this original 1993 UK pressing, was suppressed with any ticks and pops riding on a separate plane of the music.

Neil Young's live acoustic album - Massey Hall 1971 - is a well-recorded album.  A good system should sound like live music, revealing not only excellent timbre but the very hall itself.  The Thorens TD 309 does a very good job here.  If I close my eyes it does feel and sound like I'm really there, enjoying the concert.  The only break in the spell is the lack of chatter behind me, and of course no cigarette smoke.

The reverberation or natural slap of the hall walls can be heard.  Impressive with much more life than any digital rig I've ever heard.

Animals is my favorite Pink Floyd album so I was looking forward to hear what the Thorens to do.  Instead of a big vibrant soundscape, I began to hear a lot of compression (at higher levels).  Once I turned the volume down, the compression disappeared.  As an experiment I went upstairs and pulled out my backup amplifier, the venerable Adcom 545, which has roughly 4x the power of the Aleph J.

Long story short, it turned out that the Thorens had such an extended bottom end that it was making my low-powered single-ended Aleph J clip!  Such is the life of trying to live with so little power with a pair of 86dB speakers.  This pointed to a future speaker upgrade.

With the Aleph J back in the system, I went for something a little less bombastic.  Gabor Szabo was a Hungarian guitarist with a delicate touch.  He died too young but luckily left a large body of beautiful work.  The album High Contrast works well with the Thorens: with speedy lead note changes, the shifting dynamic drum work and the perfect rhythm guitar genius of Bobby Womack..  The attack of the guitar is just about right, never edgy, revealing the intricacies and subtle methods of Szabo.  The imaging, given the multi-miked nature of the recording, is also very good with the lead guitar slightly forward of the rest of the instruments.




As you can tell I was quite taken by the Thorens, at least once I understood that it had such a wider dynamic range than the Dual CS5000.  This lower, more refined bass response caused all sort of havoc with my amplifier/speaker pairing, leading me to the decision that a more efficient pair of speakers is in my future.

As regards to overall sound quality:

Bass: Dynamic, at least within the limitations of the small Wharfedale speakers.  The midbass frequencies are special here with lovely timbre and shades that I've heard only on the better turntables.  It's the sort of bass that I prefer over digital, which can plod and sound artificial. 

Midrange: Subtle, expansive and revealing.  Different recordings, well, sound different.  So there's not a lot of coloration or analog "dither" (noise) over the music.  Once again it's not a sterile presentation, which can occur with lower-end digital, but shines a light on the notes in an engrossing way.  It's also easy to shift attention to another instrument.  Organic is a word that comes to mind, but not overly warm like some noisier turntables.

Treble: Smooth, provided the cartridge is setup correctly.  An aggressive recording is not going to sound rolled off, but something well-balanced won't sound dark either.  There is a nice sparkle and shimmer too.

Other: This sort of tight analog foundation seems to be rare but adds to the rhythmic toe-tapping experience of music.  More than once I found my foot moving with the beat.  The turntable plays very quietly, doing an excellent disappearing act in minimizing coloration.  The Ortofon 2M Bronze is a great tracker too, playing the last songs without any audible IGD.

Conclusion: For the money, the Thorens is a nice alternative in a very competitive price range.  Even if I had bought a new unit I still would have been perfectly happy with the choice.  Given the quality of the tonearm, the engineering of the suspension, the DC motor, the platter thickness, and the modern looks, the TD 309 gets a solid recommendation.  As does the 2M Bronze, though a Black stylus may be in my future.

System:
Dual CS5000
Classe 5 preamplifier
Aleph J amplifier
Wharfedale Denton speakers
Canare interconnects
Kimber 8PR/4PR speaker cable

Review: Ortofon Super OM 20 Phono Cartridge

Introduction: Reviewing phono cartridges is a difficult task.  Why?  Because it's part of a complex system involving the tonearm. platter, vibration, setup, and, based on the quality of the other components downstream, can radically alter one's perception of the whole system.  Also a cartridge that works wonderfully for one system may be dreadful on another.  That's the nature of the analog beast: difficult to tame but, to my ears, worth the trouble.

As for why I decided to replace the Shure M97xE; it's a matter of personal taste.  The M97xE is one smooth cartridge but I had the feeling I was missing something, mostly the very top end sparkle.  And since I'm upgrading my current system - one component at a time - I thought it was time to try something a little different. The OM series was mainly selected because it is supposed to be an ideal match with the lightweight arm on the Dual CS5000 turntable.  The CS5000 originally did ship with an OM cartridge, so why not take the manufacturer's recommendation to heart?

Among the family of Ortofon's OM cartridges I selected the OM 20 - it is affordably priced and, based on my online research, strikes a good balance between detail and listenability.  It's a Moving Magnet cartridge with a healthy 4mV output, which will work perfectly with my soon-to-be-replaced Adcom GFP-555 and my next future preamplifier.

Setup:  Since the Dual CS5000 has a lightweight tonearm, I pulled out the removable 2.5g weight that is inserted on top of the OM20 cartridge.  With the Dual's easy to remove headshell, cartridge swaps are easy; provided you have a pair of good eyes.  I'm definitely due for my first pair of bi-focals so it took a bit of fiddling with the wires, along with some careful tightening of the headship clips.  Once I had the cartridge mounted, I used the protractor that came with the turntable.  The narrow body of the OM 20 cartridge makes alignment easy.  Tracking force was set at 1.2g using my fiddly digital gauge.

Initial Thoughts: After installing the new cartridge I found the sound to be a touch bright and forward.  Lively was the first thought.  Some hotly records vocals were strangely muffled. After adjusting the VTA and double-checking the tracking force, I spun a couple of records that night.  A few days later I felt comfortable enough to start some detailed listening.



Lisa Gerrard of Dead Can Dance has a voice that is both ethereal and powerful.  The Mobile Fidelity pressing of Spiritchaser showcases her vocals wonderfully, as does the Ortofon OM 20.  The notes from that golden throat soar above the primeval music, and roll around, expand, and then come together like I'm under the effects of a psychedelic drug.  This is about as close as one can get to being high without taking an illicit substance.  I've heard this record done a little better on more expensive systems, but not by leaps and bounds.  Nor have I ever heard the Dual CS5000 sound this good.  Sure isn't in VPI Aries 1 territory, and any sins are ones of omission, but I am loving the overall sound coming out of the Wharfedale Denton speakers.  Considering the budget, very impressive.

Bass has depth and impact, while the left-to-right stereo spread go beyond the edges of the speakers.  The real magic is in the midrange - lively, engaging, and with good pace and timing.  The treble is more extended than the old Shure cartridge, but it isn't bright either.  So far so good.  For my next record I picked something a little more down to earth.


I'm not sure if you will find many Outlaw Country fans in audiophile-land, but with Waylon Jenning's Honky Tonk Heroes they're missing out on one humdinger of an album.  This first pressing is pure RCA studios: warm, wonderfully recorded, and just brimming with that old school Nashville production.  Jenning's vocals are rich, and if a system doesn't capture this magic, then you know something is wrong.

Bass: Attack of the deep bass guitar is quick with no overhang.  Warm, dark, and low - like it should be for this era of recording.

Midrange: full-bodied but no excessive warmth.  In comparison the Shure could overdo this portion of the spectrum. The upper midrange of the Ortofon is definitely more lively but still captures the huskiness of Waylon's vocals.

Treble: More extended, lively, but the upper end never becomes aggressive or shrill.  How much of this is the Denton speakers remains to be seen.  In this department the Shure was more rolled-off, and perhaps more pleasing on some hotly recorded albums.  

Other: Channel separation is excellent and every instrument sits in its own space.  I've heard more detail and body with moving-coil cartridges but this moving magnet, at least in this system, is more cohesive.  There is no portion of the frequencies that stick out like a sore thumb.  Depth is also less than the best I've heard.  It's not quite flat-as-a-pancake, but I certainly never got the illusion that the drums were in the next county.


Neil Young's Live at Massey Hall 1971 is an excellent recording that should be part of anyone's collection of good music and good sound.  This is a very system friendly album that sounds great on every stereo I've owned.  This current budget setup was no exception.

The body of the acoustic guitar was about as real as it can get, and so were the vocals.  The effect is similar to sitting mid-row in a small coffee shop.  So a very personal album.  Micro and macro dynamics of the guitar and the piano were fairly realistic, only bettered by the Aries 1 turntable and UREI speakers of yore.  Once again I heard shorter depth and a bit less detail than my older systems, but there was still a cohesiveness that really brought my enjoyment factor to a very high level.


At one time, when I was a much younger man, The Clash was called "The Most Important Rock Band in the World."  If anyone was listening to me, I would have to snub The Clash and go for James.  Their Eno produced Laid is an early example of what makes their albums sound so close to perfection: catchy hooks, memorable lyrics, Tim Booth's powerful vocals, and the ability to bring me near tears with a mix of sadness and elation.

The Ortofon cartridge wrings out the best of the 90s production - deep bass, the sound of the drums, the jangle of the guitars, and the dynamic contrasts.  This is no audiophile hidden gem since it was probably recorded on early digital equipment with plenty of overdubs and even a few effects.  Nonetheless I've never heard this album sound so right.  I had to tap my toes, smile, and remember my youth with wistful melancholy while being uplifted with the wonders of life.

The swelling and rolling of the bass was impressive and was the precision of the midrange.  The treble was never overly aggressive either.  Again there was a slight lack of body and some minor loss of definition compared to more expensive cartridges, but the Ortofon is really no slump in this department.  I'm looking forward to trying out some different phono stages to see if this area can be improved on.  The Adcom, after all, uses op-amps with high negative feedback and currently has some aged components, so perhaps I'm expecting too much out of this budget unit.


Conclusion: With cartridges it is hard to make blanket recommendations, but with the Dual CS5000 and it's lightweight tonearm, the Ortofon OM 20 bests anything else I've tried on this rather modest turntable.  It certainly is more cohesive than the Shure M97xE, an Audio Technica ATN95HE, and even better than the Nagaoka MP-110.  Of course the Ortofon is a bit more expensive than any one of these cartridges, but what is really happening here is a matter of system matching.  And, as a bonus, the Ortofon OM 20 cartridge can take any number of stylus upgrades which will be worth exploring in the future.

As for the sound of the OM 20, it really did exceed my expectations, bumping my rather pedestrian system up another notch in quality.  Considering the odd blend of gear here - vintage American amplification, small British mini-monitors, and a German turntable and cartridge - the sound is cohesive, engaging, and just touching on the fringes of high-end.  I hate to gush since such proclamations are often viewed with distrust, but, at least with this turntable and system, the Ortofon OM 20 is a real winner.  Highly recommended.


System:
Adcom GFP-555 preamplifier
Adcom GFA-545 amplifier
Dual CS5000 turntable with Shure M97xe phono cartridges
Pioneer DVD-V7400 DVD player
Wharfedale Denton 80th Anniversary speakers
Kimber 8PR/4PR bi-wire speaker cables
various budget interconnect cables

Review: Shure M97xe phono cartridge

The Nagaoka MP-110 on the Dual CS5000 wasn't exactly a perfect match, not with such a light tonearm, but I was satisfied with the overall sound.  A couple hundred records later and I was starting to have some IGD distortion issues.  I decided it was time to try something different.  The Shure M97xe with the aftermarket JICO SAS stylus is a popular combination for an budget upscale cartridge.  With that future goal in mind, I bought a plain-Jane M97xe on Ebay for a not-so princely sum of $69 shipped.

Very nice box - all metal - and the package also included a screwdriver, brush, and a template for mounting.  For the Dual CS5000 I eschewed the Shure template and instead used the one that came with the turntable.  Mounting, with the integrated brush on the cartridge body, is a royal pain but once I got everything straight, I gave a few records a spin.

Initial presentation was BRIGHT - reminding me of headache inducing bad digital.  But a few hours later and the sound mellowed out considerably.  Compared to the Nagaoka - at least with the Dual CS5000 - I preferred the Shure M97xe, which is a much better match with the low-mass tonearm.  Tracking, even on the inner grooves, is really good and the little front mounted brush actually does remove the errant cat hair.  Of course if too much fuzz is picked up, the cartridge brush and cantilever need cleaning, otherwise records will mistrack.  Overall sound is not brash or exciting like some cartridges, but - at least to my ears - is fairly neutral.  Ticks 'n' pops are fairy reduced too, though perhaps not to the same level as the Nagaoka.

Treble seems a might rolled off, as does the bass.  But my budget system doesn't have that much low-end content so I don't feel like I'm missing much.  The rolled off treble may be an issue for younger people, but these middle-aged ears aren't wishing for any more air.  Even with the el-cheapo Adcom preamplifier and the ancient McIntosh 2100, the sound is surprisingly neutral.  I think there is some real synergy here with the Dual CS5000, like the arm and cartridge are matched well.

Soundstaging and other intangibles:  I won't comment too much here since my current setup - speakers wide apart and pretty close to the wall - isn't conducive for the best depth.  There also seems to be some missing detail, but with this amplification chain, that's a given.  What I am hearing is great cartridge for the money.  I'm now in no rush to get the JICO SAS stylus, but will keep that in mind for a future upgrade.

System:
Adcom GFP-555 preamplifier
Adcom GFT-555 tuner
McIntosh MC2100 amplifier
Panasonic DVD player
Dual CS5000 turntable
B&W Matrix 805 speakers on VTI stands

Dual CS5000 turntable

Pioneer DVD-V7400

Adcom GFP-555 preamp

Adcom GFT-555 tuner

McIntosh MC2100

B&W Matrix 805s on stands

Wire: Kimber 8PR/4PR bi-wired

           Cardas Crosslink interconnects

Review: Nagaoka MP-110 phono cartridge

Since my Audio Technica AT95E phono cartridge mysteriously suffered a cantilever bend, and, even after adjusting for this minor metal tweak, began to suffer from bothersome inner-groove distortion, I thought it was time for something new.  With the B&W speakers and the very nice (for the price) performance of the Nakamichi SR-3A receiver, I wanted a decent jump up in sound quality.  In the sub-$100 category, there are several popular choices - the Ortofon OM10 and 2M Red, the Audio Technica AT-100E and AT-110E, the Shure 97xE, the Sumiko Oyster, and two Grado cartridges.

One brand, however, begin to stick out, Nagaoka.  They offer several models ranging from the $80 MP-100 to the $655 MP-500.  Since this is a budget rig, I decided on the MP-110 with its strong 5mV output, a reputation for tracking and low noise, and the replaceable stylus.  The cartridge came in a funky little UFO-shaped container along with screws and even a little screwdriver.

A quick visual inspection showed a cantilever that was mounted straight without any slop to the left or right.  Construction quality was high - it felt more substantial than the budget Audio Technica AT95E - though some threaded holes would be nice instead of juggling with tiny nuts and screws (please no sexual jokes).  Installation on my Dual CS5000 removable headshell wasn't too bad, provided my big Norgie cat stopped getting in the way.  Apparently she likes shiny things.  After that a protractor was used for alignment and digital gauge to determine the stylus force, which was set at 1.8g.

With no break-in, the sound was a little strange - diffuse and with some minor midrange suckout.  Tracking, however, was very, very good.  With some cartridges, the MFSL re-issue of Frank Sinatra - Nice 'n' Easy, the last track could start to show some serious inner-groove distortion.  Listening intently with the Nagaoka I had a hard time hearing any mistracking or added grittiness to the vocals.  Very impressive considering the low price point of this cartridge.

A few hours and many records later it was time to do some serious listening.

Listening to the re-issue of Dead Can Dance - The Serpent's Egg revealed a cartridge that sounded surprisingly refined for this price level.  The midrange was on the warm sound of neutrality and the treble was slightly forward with a bit of a metallic sheen, but the music was reproduced without any of the roughness or congestion that I normally associate with cheap cartridges.  Bass definition - at least through the small woofers of the B&W Matrix 805s - was very good.  It was also easy to pick out the different instruments in the mix. 

One of my rarer records is the album Turquoise Fields from the French Coldwave act Little Nemo.  My copy isn't exactly mint and normally has some offending ticks and pops that distract from the music.  The Nagaoka MP-110, however really reduces this noise quite a bit.  I also found this to be true with my beat up Japanese copy of This Mortal Coil - It'll End In Tears.   In short, the cartridge is a godsend for vinyl collectors of obscure music who can't always find the cleanest copy.

My second system is mainly used for background - not for serious listening.  The speakers are too far apart and too close to the wall for good imaging.  The soundstaging, therefore, is not a strong point.  I can't comment too much on the Nagaoka MP-110 here, but the imaging is a bit diffuse and a little less solid than my CD player.  I am, however, too lazy to install this cartridge in my main system, replacing the Dynavector 10X5.  Maybe someday once the Dynavector needs to be re-tipped.

Nonetheless, I can highly recommend the Nagaoka MP-110 within the confines of a budget system.  That refinement I mentioned earlier gives a real "taste of the high-end".  In comparison, my memory of the Ortofon 2M Red (on a different table, mind you) was of a rougher sound.  This finesses of the MP-110, and the ability to reduce vinyl noise while tracking the inner groove makes it a budget winner.

Second System:

Dual CS5000 turntable

Pioneer DVD-V7400

Nakamichi SR-3A receiver

B&W Matrix 805s on stands

Wire: Various brands

Review: VPI Aries 1 turntable

Introduction:
I've been having turntable envy for years.  While I soldiered on with my old VPI HW19 Mark III, my good friend had the much better Mark IV version of the same table.  This included a much thicker platter, plinth, and the well-regarded SME309 tonearm.  These tables are fairly rare, only popping up on Audiogon or Ebay every once in awhile.  I thought of upgrading my own table with a better tonearm and slowly piece together the parts to bring it up to Mark IV status.  However, the parts for these old models are getting harder to find, and frankly the dollar amount made me skeptical of that direction.

Obviously VPI - and other manufacturers - are still making turntables, but most of them lacked an option that I thought was of utmost importance: an active suspension.  The original VPI HW19 turntables were suspended designs, using heavy duty springs in the corners to isolate the plinth, tonearm, and platter from the surrounding environment.  This is hardly a new idea - it has been done with countless turntables like the classic AR, Thorens, and Linn.  On the other hand, I've always associated solid plinth (or non-suspended) turntables with the dreck that came out in the 1970s and 1980s - notably the cheaper Japanese turntables that sprouted up everywhere and gave some of the bad vinyl experience that made consumers flee to the digital world.

So where does the Aries 1 fit into all of this?  Though it is non-suspended, it was also VPI's first foray into this type of design.  It was also supposed to be a cheaper alternative to the TNT, their top of the line model.  So basically the Aries sports the TNT's platter but instead of a spring suspension, it uses a solid (and very thick) plinth.  The tonearm is also an upgrade over the normal Scout of Scoutmaster, using the JMW10.5 instead.  For some reason, not many Aries seem to be sold.  The sit in a sort of middle of the road position in the VPI lineup - more expensive than their entry-level models, but still expensive enough that the alternatives: the HRX, The Classics, or the TNTs are almost direct competitors.  That means you don't see too many Aries around, and the 1 seems to be even rarer.

Based on the reviews, Arthur Salvatore's recommendation, and the quality of the platter and bearings, the Aries 1 has always been on my list of possible upgrades.  Though it lacked a true suspension, I thought that perhaps with enough mass loading, even having the "limitations" of a solid plinth could be overcome.  When a conversation with the owner of local record/stereo store brought up the Aries 1, I knew this was one table I had to try and snag.  He was willing to sell it for a lower price than I was seeing on Audiogon, and it would also mean no shipping.  That means a lot when buying something so fragile.

It only took one glance at the beautiful piano black plinth, the super thick 25lb TNT platter, and the well-made JMW tonearm to know that I would be willing to put a sizable dent into my credit card.  So off I went, heading home with a lovely turntable and a bite of debt.

The Design
As mentioned before, the Aries 1 table sports a heavy-duty platter composed of aluminum and acrylic, weighing in at a heft 25pds.  Supposedly - and I have no direct experience with this - this earliest version is superior to the later lighter frosted acrylics platters.  Beneath this is the thick solid plinth made of MDF and painted with a glossy black.  Like the Scout and Scoutmaster, the motor is not bolted to the plinth. Instead it sits inside a carve out with no direct connection to the turntable except for the belt.  The motor chassis itself is very, very heavy and does not move or rock back and forth when turned on.  The tonearm on this particular version is the JMW 10.5i which has Nordost wiring.  It's a unipivot design which essentially has the entire arm resting on a single minute point.  When moving the tonearm over the records, this can lead to some unsettling rocking side-to-side motion.  However after prolonged use, one realizes how sturdy the whole contraption feels.

Initial Impressions:
Since I only had a Denon DL-110 on hand, that was the first cartridge I plugged in.  With some additional headshell weight - an additional metal tab provided with the cartridge - I soon had the tonearm dialed in.  The supplied VPI jig certainly helped, along with my digital pressure gauge.  More details for setup here.  One thing I really liked was the tonearm connection "junction" box that allows interconnects to be plugged directly into the table.  This is certainly better, at least if you enjoy swapping cables around, than dealing with one set of wire that could possibly be too short.

I threw on a copy of Neil Young - Live at Massey Hall (Pallas) which is a high quality recording.  I was struck by the sheer quietness of the Aries turntable.  The normal background rumble and wash that I unconsciously filtered out with my other tables was suddenly gone.  The effect reminds me, oddly enough, of the CD!  However, the Aries is not lacking in detail, nor are subtle musical cues missing.  Instead the separation of motor, the heavy plinth and platter, along with the tonearm has given this turntable a foundation that allows the music to spring from total blackness.  Simply amazing.

Not only is the background incredibly quiet, but the dynamic and bass control also reminds me of the better parts of digital.  For example, listening to The Police - Synchronicity (Japanese) and there was terrific low frequency control and detail that gave a bouncy excitement to the music.  The dynamic sweeps, from softest to loudest, seem almost infinite in scale.  This is not your father's turntable.

Upgrading the Cartridge:
The Denon DL-110 phono cartridge is no slouch and is certainly one helluva a bargain at $139.  Nonetheless, I felt the urge to upgrade.  A better match for the tonearm was the Dynavector 10X5, a cartridge that I had run before with much success.  Thanks to a friend, I was able to procure one with low hours at a price lower than new.  Once again installation was a breeze.

The Dynavector 10X5 brought further refinement to the sound: more detail, deeper bass, a controlled treble, and a large sense of scale.  The sonic attributes already mentioned: black background and dynamic scale were only improved even more so.  After listening to several records and doing some dialing in with cable swaps, speaker positioning, and tonearm adjustments, I came up with following impressions:

Sonic Attributes:
Bass: This is one of the major strong points of this turntable.  It can reach Stygian depths, the likes that are normally the province of the digitial medium.  Along with this extraordinary depth comes control and slam.  This makes rhythmic music gel together in a foot-tapping way, but also adds to the foundation of the performance.  This level of bass performance is simply wonderful. 

Midrange :Like the bass, the keyword here is control.  The lack of muddiness and the washed out effect that lower turntables generate, leads to clarity.  Minute details are more apparent.  The end result is a very refined sound, but not one that is overtly so.  That is to say the turntable serves the music embedded in the vinyl, not the other way around.  This allows the character of the recording to come through with delicacy, aggression, or whatever was intended by the artist.  This bloom and body is something that the digital medium has a hard time with, and lesser turntables can only catch a glimpse of.

Treble: Refined is the first word that comes to mind.  Like the midrange, the lack of fuzziness brings plenty of detail to the table.  A poor recording will sound harsh, while a good recording will bring out the delicate reverb of the hall or the sweeping shimmer of the cymbal.  There is no glossed over warmth here, or masking effects from roll-off.

Other: If I could fault the Aries in any way, it would be the slight mechanical reproduction of the music.  You see the lack of muddiness leads to an extremely open sound that honestly reminds me of digital in many ways.  Now don't get me wrong, this is no Magnavox CD player, but an extremely musical machine that is also ruthlessly revealing.  This lack of uber-analog warmth my turn off some listeners used to a richer euphonic sound.  Personally I prefer gear that speaks to what the recording has to offer, not to give a pleasant coloration.

Conclusion:
The VPI Aries 1 has been a major upgrade.  Not only has this turntable blown away my expectations of solid versus suspended plinths, it has also brought my entire stereo up another notch in fidelity.  It's quite common to get carried away with a new piece of gear, but lengthy listening has proved that the Aries is no flash in the pan.  In the wide world of turntables, I'm sure *better sonics could be found, but expect to pay for it.  Highly recommended.

* I see that the VPI Aries 3 has an asking price of $6000USD.  I'm not sure if this would be a good bargain, so if you are interested in this particular model, be sure to shop used.  An Aries that has been well cared for will be a better deal than many new turntables in the same price range.

Review System:
VPI Aries with JMW 10.5i tonearm and SDS Power Supply
Dynavector 10X5
Cardas Cross 1M interconnects
Quicksilver preamplifier with Mullard short-plate 12AX7s, RCA 12FQ7s, Raytheon black-plate 5814
Cardas Quadlink 5C .5M interconnects
B&W Bass Equalizer
Cardas Quadlink 5C 1M interconnects
EICO HF-60 monoblocks with Mullard XF2 EL34s, EF86s, 5AR4s, and GE 6SN7GTAs.
Cardas Hexlink speaker cable
B&W Matrix 805 mini-monitors
VTI UF29 stands
VTI BL503 equipment rack

Review: Denon DL-110 high-output moving coil

(picture taken from Google Images)

My previous phono cartridge was a Denon DL-103R, the famed 'upgraded' version of the DL-103.  Mine had been modified with an aluminum body.  Partnered with Cinemag step-up transformers, the DL-103R was a great performer, offering plenty of hi-fi goodies - soundstaging, detail, etc - at a budget price.  It really is an excellent low output moving-coil alternative to the more expensive units out there.

Sadly, the cantilever of my DL-103R was accidentally broken when I moved to my new house - don't ask!  Since this new place is just temporary and has the misfortune of a smaller listening space where I cannot use the UREI 813A speakers, I instead opted to buy the budget DL-110.  Regarding type and specifications, the Denon DL-110 is a high output (1.6mV) moving coil cartridge that can work well into a standard moving magnet phono input.  At 4.8g of weight, it's also very light and with some tonearms may require the use of the included metal plate.

Using the VPI HW19 Mark III table with a Rega RB300 arm, I was immediately taken with this cartridge.  Though it lacks some of the finer points of the modified DL-103R, it still in no slouch.  No immediate shortcoming come to mind, though the midrange is perhaps slightly forward.  Bass detail is also good and treble extension was spot on with minimal aggression or roll-off.  Detail retrieval - hall ambience, trailing edges - aren't exactly on par with the best I've heard, but once again, any sins were of omission.  So all in all, a very good cartridge for the $139 asking price.

I recently purchased a new turntable: a VPI Aries I with a JMW 10.5" tonearm.  Since I only had the Denon DL-110 on hand, I was forced to use this cartridge which had a cost some 20X less than the turntable.  Due to the light weight of the cartridge body, I as forced to add the included metal plate under the headshell.  This was a tricky operation that required much fiddling and curse words.

Even with the upgraded turntable and arm - and much to my surprise - the DL-110 did not fall on its face.  For example, Neil Young's "Live at Massey Hall" never sounded so real.  Soundstaging was deep and wide and the music - much like the real, live thing - came at you instead of hanging out behind the plane of the speakers.  There was a nice shimmer to the slightly forward midrange, while bass was low but still tuneful, giving great response with the small KEF speakers.  Treble was very extended with more detail than the old HW19 table.  I'm sure I would find more faults with the UREI speakers installed, but at least with this system, the sound was much better than anticipated.  Highly recommended for the budget conscious audiophile.!

System
VPI HW19 Mark III with Rega RB300 or VPI Aries with JMW tonearm - both with SDS Power Supply
Denon DL-110
Cardas Quadlink 5C 1M interconnects
Quicksilver preamplifier with Gold Lion 12AX7 re-issues, RCA 12FQ7s, Raytheon black-plate 5814
Cardas Cross 1M interconnects
EICO HF-60 monoblocks with Mullard XF2 EL34s, GE 6SN7GTAs, Genalex CV4085s
Kimber 8PR/4PR 2M bi-wire cable
bi-wired KEF iQ30 with VTI UF29 stands
VTI BL503 equipment rack