Fremer's review of a 90k turntable system!!

Yes that is right a 90k turntable system which includes Caliburn table (65k), Cobra arm (12.5k) and Castellon stand (25k). The stand is a real piece of work, it weighs about 150 lbs. and supports the 160 lb. turntable with a magnetically levitated shelf. That's right no coupling at all, magnetic levitation. Imagine that a 300 lb. vinyl rig.

One thing I have to say about Fremer, he gets somewhat out of control with adjectives but he's a very good and entertaining writer (and a fellow alum). I enjoyed reading the article partly because the price it so outrageous its not even in the realm of fantasy

 

Got a pic? I wanna see this beast!

mud-

 

BTW, I believe the $85K price gets you installation and setup at your home by the TT's designer.

 

Hell, that's damn decent of 'em.

mud-

 

I'll send you a picture of mine, Mud, as soon as it shows up.

I sold my condo and cashed out my Visa Card to pay for it... Hopefully the local Lighthouse Mission will have an adequate amp and pair of speakers so I can play it for the rest of my homeless brethren while we enjoy chicken soup.

 

Hey Mud, check it out:

http://www.continuumaudiolabs.com/Contin.html

Please do not construe my posting of this link as a Ski Bum endorsement of this product. I heard one at HE2005 and thought it sounded excellent, but so did the top of the line VPIs that other dealers were playing. You could buy a lot of vinyl for the $75G price difference.

 

Well, you can always look at it if they don't have the necessities at Lighthouse.

mud-

 

I ain't buying. I'm just looking!

It's a beauty!

mud-

 

Do you think Realistic makes a replacement cartridge?

 

Pretty old news. We've mentioned it in the "I'm back from CES - what's new?" thread.

Hey, what took you so long to read your copy of Stereophile?

Oh, and in case you don't know, this beast is made in Australia. Ozzie, ozzie, ozzie - oi, oi, oi .

I agree with John that Mikey can be entertaining - I thought that the Continuum article was one of the best pieces he has written.

The manufacturer was at CES with one, and the California distributor was there with one at THE Show. I heard both. It's a fine piece, but does it sound as good as a complete system from Lloyd Walker (at the same price)?

For $85k from Lloyd you get:

• Walker Audio Proscenium Gold Signature turntable
• Walker Audio Reference Phono Amp and Power Supply, Second Edition (w/latest upgrades)
• Walker Ultimate Reference Controller
• Walker Audio Velocitor Power Line Enhancer (w/latest upgrades), 3 units
• Walker Audio Prologue Rack (Maple)
• Walker Audio Prologue Turntable Stand (Maple)
• Walker Audio Prologue Amp Stands (Maple), 2 units
• Walker Audio Valid Points Resonance Control System kit, 2 units
• Walker Audio Extreme Super Silver Treatment (E-SST) Contact Enhancer
• Walker Audio Reference High Definition Links
• Omega Mikro Active Power Cords, 7 units
• Omega Mikro Ebony Active LCX Interconnects, 2 units
• Omega Mikro Ebony Active LCX Speaker Cable Set
• Silent Source Power Cables, 2 units
• The Disc Doctor Miracle Record Cleaner system

 

www.radioshack.com

mud-

 

Well, when you factor that in, it's really a bargain.

 

Lemme guess...he liked it.

 

How did it measure?

 

I heard it at the CES. Pretty impressive, but not the best sounding turntable at the show. To be fair, they had a pretty small room to work with, though. Exceptionally nice people, though, especially the designer.

 

It sounded much better in the WAVAC room 1602 at the St Tropez. Jonathan Brown (Covent Audio Consulting) had another satin-finish Continuum (stand was chrome) with a Lyra Olympus, WAVAC preamp (same as the manufacturer's room at AP) and WAVAC amps (smaller ones than the other room). The speakers were Vecteur (from Belgium) and the cables were Prana. I really like the Vecteurs and I know Joe Cohen's wires are stellar.

This room was small too - probably smaller than the AP room, but the speakers were firing down the long axis. The presentation in this room was fabulous. I remember that SRV's "Tin Pan Alley" sounded just stunning.

porziob, the records I heard were not new, and did have the odd click; but the noise they made was much reduced by the design of the turntable. I know you won't believe me - but such is the case.

 

I wonder if he'll make a pure GOLDedition for the gangsta rappers? A mere drop in the bucket for those starz...Although he'd better be packin when he comes over to their crib to install this sucker...Did I say sucker?

 

Depends on how often I work out.

I was just awestruck by the stand design. The one thing I will say was that they needed more pictures. Its just a lot easier to describe the device, especially one this complicated, with pictures or even schematics. In this case the one shot they had of the table was lacking. The add a few pages in front of the review had a better pic.

 

You are so right - some of Mikey's explanations went on and on; a picture would have nailed it. But that's Stereophile - they don't take pictures of equipment! Now when hifi+ review this thing they will have at least 20 pictures - and it deserves it. The engineering is amazing.

 

I find that if the price is outrageously high, Mikey always likes it.

 

Mikey might be hoping for an extended home audition of it.

 

Did you ever think that when it comes to turntables, the people that make outrageously priced ones actually know how to make them? If there is a correlation between the price of a TT and whether Michael Fremer likes it I would bet it is because there is the same correlation between the price and sound quality.

I have no feeling whatsoever that Michael Fremer is swayed by the price of a TT when he reviews it. The last time I checked he had a Simon Yorke TT in his system, which he had said was his 2nd favorite behind the Rockport (before reviewing the Continuum 90 K unit). The Yorke certianly isn't as expensive, say, as the Walker.

 

porn

I lusted after that turntable as soon as my copy of Stereophile came in the mail. It's a sorry commentary on just how bad I've fallen into the HiFi mindset, that I drooled over that turntable like the centerfold of the latest Playboy!

Still, $90K is a hell of a lot of money, but as they say: If money were no object....

 

The thing with Mikey is that it's not just tied to turntables. He gushes over pretty much ANY piece of equipment that is outrageously priced--those ugly Alexandria speakers, the $300,000 Wavac amps, etc. In fact, John Atkinson hinted that he was going to leave the Wavac off Stereophile's recommended components list because of its extremely poor measured performance, but Mikey vehemently lobbied for it. It's gotten to the point where just by looking at the price of a component I can accurrately predict what Fremer's comments will be. Truth be told, Mikey likes some cheaper stuff too, but it seems to me more often than not he is more impressed by a price tag than by actual sound quality.

Take a look at the review of the Wavacs (yeah, I know Wavac is one of Steve's favorites). Mikey absolutely gushes about them, stating that they are essentially the pinnacle of performance in recreating recorded sound. John Atkinson's measurements and listening came to an opposite conclusion, leading him to state that the Wavacs had so many sound quality issues that you would have to hear "through" those issues in order to listen to them. Not a ringing endorsement--especially for something that is priced higher than many peoples' homes. I do not relish saying it, but Fremer has very little credibility in my book.

 

Mikey is not the only person who likes the Alexandria speakers. I thought that the purpose of speakers is to make sound, not look pretty. I'm sorry you think they look ugly.

Doesn't SH like and use Wavac amps?

I don't think either of the items you mentioned exemplify Mikey being impressed by the price rather than the sound quality. I can't remember reading a review of either the Alexandria speakers or the Wavac amps that didn't say they sounded great.