Vertere Acoustics has built its reputation around high-end analogue sources for the most demanding enthusiasts. With this new DG-1 Dynamic Groove Record Player, the brand wishes to democratize “very high fidelity” to open it to a public wishing to have a system that is simple to set up and at a contained cost. It is thanks to a complete overhaul of its technological approaches that Vertere has succeeded in drastically lowering the price of its turntable while remaining uncompromising on quality.
I can’t speak for you, dear readers, but for my part I have always been sensitive to beautiful human stories. So I’m going to tell you one that originated in the UK, at the time of the foundations of British hi-fi. Once upon a time, there were three men of character, passionate about sound and dissatisfied with the production of their time. At that time, hi-fi was at a paradigm shift, at the heart of a major turning point in its evolution: the end of the sixties and the advent of modern audio. The first, named Ivor, committed the sacrilege of questioning the established order by affirming that the most important link in a hi-fi system was the source. The second, Julian, had a clear disdain for complicated circuits and wanted to make simplicity and efficiency the norm, especially in power supplies, thus going against the grain. The third, obviously more discreet but no less charismatic, has observed the first two a lot to follow in their footsteps and thus confirm his visceral attachment to precision mechanics, like the first and to the systemic approach, like the second. Our third partner, a certain Touraj, created the Roksan brand, which quickly became just as mythical as its prestigious companions, Linn and Naim. We were on the borderline between the 70s and 80s, and British hi-fi was laying the foundations of a punk movement within the burgeoning global hi-fi industry. Solidly backed by Hi-fi Review magazine, these three brands, and a few others (Arcam, Rega, Royd, Exposure, Nytech, Ion Systems, Mission, Cyrus…..) were a total dream to me.
40 years later, I’m still convinced that they were incredible pioneers. Ivor gave way to his son Gilad as head of Linn, which fortunately remained an independent company. Julian passed away prematurely, most certainly changing the course of Naim’s history. As for Roksan, after having grown, it was bought out. And Touraj created a new, smaller, more flexible company dedicated exclusively to the development, design and manufacture of exceptional turntables and the ecosystem necessary to make them work: tone arms, phono cells, power supplies, cabling and phono preamps. This small company called Vertere Acoustics is making a radical return to its roots! It started its activity with the launch of a superb flagship, the RG (for Reference Groove), which it has since declined regularly and in a more democratic way, to end up today with the DG-1 which is in front of me.
How to bring down the production cost of a turntable while giving it features that can compete with the best on the market? This was the challenge that Vertere Acoustics engineers faced in designing and producing their newest turntable, the DG-1. It became clear that cutting corners in the quality of the materials used was not the answer. The only way to achieve the desired result was to rethink every basic element of the turntable, optimizing them while eliminating all non-essential components. Thus, from the base to the arm, including the bearings, each component was rethought. This total redesign makes the DG-1 look like no other turntable and asserts its personality from the first glance. It nevertheless benefits from all the know-how implemented by the brand on its reference models. Special attention has been paid to the engine. This is the key element of any turntable. It must ensure a precise and stable platter rotation speed while limiting as much as possible the appearance of vibrations that could propagate to the stylus of the pickup. Vertere Acoustics has therefore designed a motor derived from its reference model, the RG-1. This new motor is of the synchronous type. With 24 poles, it works at low voltage, which limits the emission of electromagnetic interference near the pickup. It is powered from an external box. It is managed by a specific microprocessor. Note that this choice opens the door to possible updates.
A silicon-based belt ensures the transmission of the movement to the platter. The motor shaft is equipped with a single aluminum alloy pulley, as the speed is changed from the control electronics. The platter is also made of aluminum alloy, machined to very close tolerances. It is fitted with a mat produced from a combination of cork, neoprene, and nitrile (a substance similar to latex) which has the task of eliminating the appearance of undesirable resonances. Finally, the main bearing of the central pivot uses a tungsten carbide ball.
Another key element is the arm. Here again Vertere Acoustics has rethought the very concept of the arm. Gone are the traditional tubular arms. On the DG-1 the engineers have chosen a flat profile arm. This element, which also contributes to give the DG-1 an outstanding design, is not affected by certain resonance phenomena that can occur with a tubular arm. This flat structure also offers the possibility of fundamentally redesigning the wiring. On the DG-1, a flexible printed circuit board replaces the traditional shielded wire. Finally, the ball bearings in the arm rest are replaced by bundles of twisted nylon wire. These are made up of hundreds of strands of nylon 3 micrometers in diameter twisted together. This technological choice has the advantage of guaranteeing ultra-quiet arm movements while damping the arm’s movements.
Finally, Vertere Acoustics has chosen to offer this turntable its latest high-end Sabre cartridge. Unlike the turntable, it is based on proven concepts and is designed around conventional solutions. Vertere Acoustics has opted for a moving magnet (MM) type. The reason for this choice is that, although moving coil (MC) cartridges are renowned for their fine reproduction, they are tricky to set up and, above all, it is not easy to have a quality preamplifier. Thanks to their higher output level, MM are easier to operate and require less expensive equipment. What’s more, Vertere Acoustics’ mastery of cartridge design has resulted in a new cartridge that behaves more like an MC cartridge. Its stylus, based on an elliptical diamond, offers a particularly wide frequency response, from 15 Hz to 25 kH, and extracts each micro-information in the groove with impeccable precision. Optimizations to both the DG-1 and the Sabre cartridge were made possible by Vertere Acoustics’ close relationship with the recording industry. The creation of the Vertere Records label is an illustration of this symbiosis that the brand has taken care to cultivate within these two worlds.
THE SET UP Setting up the Vertere DG-1 is a simple operation because the manufacturer has had the good idea to design a small, illustrated booklet that will guide you step by step in the installation of your new turntable. All the tools are provided, so no need to rack your brains. The most inexperienced of you will only need 20 minutes at the most. What is important to know is that, as with any turntable worthy of the name, a stable, perfectly rigid and, above all, totally horizontal support is required. Make sure that there are no loudspeakers near your turntable, especially on its right side. And of course, never on the same stand. If you can, choose a preamp of the same brand, otherwise a more affordable model from Atoll or Lehmann (non-exhaustive list) will be just right.
THE SOUND Where to start? There is an undeniable urgency in purely analogue sound transcription. A feeling of physical incarnation. As if the musical notes were being recomposed in our intimate space in a surprisingly materialized way. There is hardly a word for it, presence. It is for this reason and for no other that we still listen to black records. That we still listen to black records. That one listens more than ever to black records… One fully grasps the thickness of the line that separates the inside from the outside of each of the multitude of small sound cells. To achieve all this in the best conditions, a turntable like the Vertere DG-1 is a precious ally. It reminds us that no two records sound the same. It allows us to approach with total virginity the immense diversity that reigns in the world of black records, within the community of artists who have recorded their works, the labels who have committed themselves to it, the producers who have wished to shape a style. The Vertere DG-1 does not seek to impose itself by any “marked” sonic identity. It is rather the messenger of the signal that it strives to transcribe with the greatest acuity. It cannot be classified as a “romantic” or “baroque” turntable. No, the Vertere DG-1 is clearly a radical punk turntable, in the noble sense of the term of course. By this we mean that its purpose is to reach for the essential. It has no equal when it comes to reproducing a bass line with clarity and energy. She has an obvious ease in transcribing rhythms. Try an old Police album, or the Clash, or why not the excellent reissue of the Bauhaus EP ‘Bela Lugosi’s dead’ on Stones Throw Records, a splendid record by the way. On messages like these, you’ll feel the dark side of the new wave period, the percussive velocity of punk, with an energy that teases your plexus. As the Vertere DG-1 offers a clear and serene playback, which is not at all antinomic to the beautiful ardor it can display, you will not lose a crumb of this analog rage, nor of its beautiful quality of impact. So of course, if your installation allows it, you’ll have to turn up the volume, because the distortion will only be felt very late! And oops, you’re no longer aware that you’re listening at a completely unreasonable level. This is the magic of a turntable that tracks down distortion and compression phenomena, to offer you pure modulation that is guaranteed not to be adulterated! The Vertere DG-1 is not a consensual turntable. It cannot be denied that it has a bias towards physical rather than intellectual listening. But since it has excellent resolution, the listener is always provided with a precise and exhaustive panorama that prevents him or her from jumping to hasty and erroneous conclusions. And it does this with a consummate science of balance. With the Vertere DG-1, you’ll enjoy all your black pearls with intensity and emotion. The harmonic gradation is very successful, just as the wide range of tonal balance allows the most diverse messages to be reproduced with equal ease, but always with a penchant for voluptuousness. In this respect, we strongly suspect the very positive influence of the new Sabre, which, contrary to its name, does not cut the music into slices, but offers it a surprisingly strong bond and homogeneity.
OUR CONCLUSION Analogue playback is an eternally renewed source of pleasure. The Vertere DG-1 seems to us to be one of its fine defenders, capable of digging deep into the groove to extract wonders, but also of providing powerful and full-bodied physical sensations. We particularly like its assertive character and its ability to be open and universal to the musical styles it will be given the opportunity to play. The Vertere DG-1 will be the ideal companion for eclectic music lovers who like to vibrate to their precious black discs. We warmly recommend the configuration we were able to test, i.e., in company with the Sabre, the Phono 1 preamp and the Red Line modulation cable from the Vertere Acoustics catalogue. It is a fact that the British manufacturer has taken care to develop a complete ecosystem of great homogeneity and total complementarity to guarantee a coherent and faultless operation of its analog retranscription system. It is a great pleasure for us to see that one of the historical tenors of British audio is still at the helm and seems to create products according to its heart.
TECHNICAL SHEET
PRICE € 5.160 DG1 Red Line Pack + Sabre DIMENSIONS 469 x 384 x 130 mm WEIGHT 8 kg
From the 1970s onwards, tube audio products and associated components experienced a huge revival. A thousand or so brands on the world market were enriched by the revival of a whole range of old tubes. This opportunity has given vintage equipment a new lease of life. But let’s be careful: the replacement of tubes by recent equivalents must be accompanied by multiple precautions.
Mythical brands: an almost irreplaceable know-how A large number of brands, mainly American and European, have forged the history of the electronic tube in the world since the early 1900s. In each country, each brand has been able to develop and preserve its activities and its market share based on know-how that can be appreciated today in the form of “NOS” (New Old Stock), in other words, vintage tubes that are still new. Their visual inspection, their passage through the measuring bench, the lamp meter, as well as long comparative listening tests of models intended for high-fidelity applications, leave jealously guarded manufacturing recipes unseen. This remark applies as much to the famous ECC83 of Telefunken origin and the EL34 pentodes of the English firm Mullard as to the mythical WE300B of the American firm Western Electric.
Some technical parameters to remember The main technical parameters generally retained by users for audio tubes can be summarized as follows
1 – Their specifications “in the field” and the differences noted in relation to the official specifications. Remember that tolerances of ±15% or more are common.
2 – To the life span. It is important to remember that the life of a tube varies according to each brand while remaining linked to each condition of use. The life of a tube depends as much on the degree of vacuum as on the possibilities of the emissive power of the cathodes, of the filaments with direct heating. A phenomenon known as “exhaustion” of their emissive power depends on the values of current and plate voltage in relation to the maximum values allowed by the specifications. The quality of the vacuum when a tube is new and during its use is an essential parameter. It is still linked to the metal degassing techniques, the sealing processes at the outlet connections and the bulbs. The latter use different glass with lower expansion at the bottom. Deficiencies in all three areas can significantly shorten the life of a tube. The final inter-electrode ignition is generally preceded by a generalized glow.
3 – To how well the specifications hold up over time. This depends as much on the origin of the tube used as on the conditions of use. Some tubes are known to be more robust than others. In each brand, depending on the type of use, an electron tube goes through three life periods: a break-in period spread over a few hundred hours, a so-called “cruising” period of between 500 and about 4,000 hours (this is only an approximate value). Then comes a period of more or less rapid decline in performance. Taking the example of the original WE300B triode, this tube, when properly used, is capable of operating perfectly for about 20 years. The same tube, when fully loaded, for example with a plate voltage of 450 V and a quiescent current of 80 mA, will have a life expectancy of no more than two or three years. In an audio application, it is advisable to replace the tubes after a certain number of hours of use without waiting for their filament to cut out. This time limit is not easy to determine. It would require either the use of an hour meter (rare on/off switches are equipped with one), or a visit to the audio measurement bench (measurement of the nominal power, bandwidth, distortion rate).
4 – The level of hum, background noise and the microphonic effect. These three parameters are of major importance on the phono stage of a preamplifier. It should be remembered, however, that the optimum sound qualities desired by the user do not necessarily go hand in hand with the tube model offering the best noise reduction. This is the case with the Noval ECC83 tube, which, in the original Philips and Telefunken brands (they differ from the others by their smooth surface plates), have great musical qualities without being the best in terms of residual noise. It also happens that, for simple questions of electrical insulation between the cathode and the filament, a specific tube model is more prone than another to noise phenomena, small hissing noises mixed with the background noise. A small hiss often occurs on the “SRPP”, a set-up in which the cathode of one of the double triode elements is raised to a high potential with respect to ground.
5 – The sound and musical qualities. Be careful because these parameters are often distorted due to the dispersal of tube characteristics. In most cases, the user does not have the possibility of sorting the tubes beforehand on the parameters of current and slope. On the same appliance, the replacement of a used tube by another, new but unsorted one. This may lead to different operating points than the original ones, to different measurement and listening results. On a preamplifier, an optimal plate voltage of 200 V for a quiescent current of 1.2 mA may thus change to 190 V and 1.8 mA on an unsorted tube of another origin. Under these conditions, the change in operating point depending on the tube used will make it impossible to compare listening performance. This also applies to power tubes. They are subject to tolerances that easily reach ±10% while working in much higher current ranges. The sound quality, the musical performance of the tubes remains unclear as it tends to vary over time, over months, in different contexts. The tubes belonging to the “SQ” (Special Quality) or professional series, those whose reference is usually accompanied by the suffix W or WA, have the advantage of a longer life. Their rather timid cathode emissivity during their break-in phase produces a sound that may lack depth and breadth. These subjective effects are misleading because they can disappear completely after a few weeks of use. Moreover, it is impossible to distinguish between tubes that sound “warmer” or more refined than others when tested on a bench. You must take into account your own experience and the opinions of other users.
A very popular Noval tube, the ECC83 double triode. It can be found in different versions, from the Telefunken, with smooth plates in its original version, to the famous ECC803S with frame grid from the same manufacturer or from Philips. The current ECC83S from JJ has gold pins, the ECC83EH from Electro-Harmonix (photo) is also an excellent choice.
The ECC83 tube from the Slovakian company JJ, which markets other equivalents, including the classic ECC83 and the professional version ECC803S with a classic grid.
The 6SN7 is a double triode with a moderate amplification coefficient. It is often found on driver stages. Noval versions with similar characteristics exist, such as the E80CC, the 6CG7 or the 12BH7. The 6SN7 is quite easy to find in original version, in brands like RCA or Sylvania. The period Sylvania version, screen printed in green, with non-parallel plates is an excellent choice.
The legendary KT 88EH tetrode, originally designed by the English firm GEC, exists in many replicas. One of the important points to remember is its actual specifications, in particular the plate and screen dissipation, originally given for 35 W and 6 W. These values often drop to lower values such as 30 W and 3 W in real use.
Selecting sorted tubes as a priority The replacement of a used tube with either a new vintage tube or a new tube should be pre-selected, sorted to ensure small tolerances from the original tube specifications. The method of sorting with the help of a lamp meter, with measurement of the slope, is fairly well suited to Noval or miniature voltage amplifier tubes, such as ECC81, 82 or 83 (preamplifiers, input stages of power amplifiers). On the other hand, this sorting can lead to significant dispersions when it comes to power tubes. Indeed, several lamp meters use a relatively low plate voltage, for example 180 V, for the measurement of the slope, the transconductance. However, it is important to remember that a true pair of tubes means the superposition of all families of Ip/Up curves for different grid polarizations, for plate voltages up to the maximum limits allowed by the specifications. In an audio application, the operating points vary on a case-by-case basis, from stage to stage, from device to device. The operating points are very rarely identical to those used on a given model of lamp meter. For example, two KT88 tetrodes considered “identical” on one lamp meter may, under real conditions of use, for example on the famous McIntosh MC275, in class B and under 450 V plate voltage, give glaring disparities. The use of a curve tracer is not within the reach of everyone, so a practical solution is to measure and adjust the quiescent current. However, these adjustments are not always easily accessible. They should preferably be entrusted to a specialist who is used to measuring high voltages, and who should therefore take the necessary precautions. One trick is to make your own plugs, male-female sockets, which are inserted between each tube and the instrument. In this way, the grid polarization, plate voltage and quiescent current values of each tube can be measured without having to dismantle the device. These external measurements require a milliammeter and a voltmeter. This test is complicated by the fact that you must make not one, but several plugs adapted to each type of tube. Not easy! As for the current and voltage values measured in this way, they only provide useful information when the specifications and curves of each tube are available. These considerations make us understand that the “quick and dirty” replacement of a tube by another to “boost” the performance of a device involves a certain amount of risk. This risk is increased on circuits combining direct links and stabilized power supplies, like certain models from Audio Research. Let’s take the example of two ECC83 tubes connected directly, without a link capacitor. An inadequate change of tube can modify in a very sensitive way the operating point, the cathode-grid bias of the following stage. For example, the plate voltage of the first tube, 200 V, can determine very precisely the grid bias value of the following tube: for example – 1.5 V. However, the direct link between the two stages requires that the cathode of the second tube does not have to be around 200 V, but exactly 201.5 V. That’s precise!
The mains voltage is important Most tube devices, preamplifiers and power amplifiers use unstabilized power supply circuits. The high voltage values are therefore dependent on the mains voltage. It is therefore essential to check that the mains voltage for which the device was designed is observed. An amplifier designed for 220 V mains but connected to a 230 V mains will lead to an increase in the high voltage value. In the power stages of tube amplifiers, a higher plate voltage than originally intended, e.g., 430 V instead of 400 V, may force the output tubes to operate at abnormally high plate dissipations. This can lead to risks to the life of the tubes as well as to the reliability of the device. The beginning of reddening of the plates of power tubes, such as KT88, 6550 or EL34, is sometimes only visible in a dimly lit room. This is a clear sign that the plate dissipation is too high and therefore dangerous (risk of inter-electrode ignition, shortened tube life). It should be added that the good matching of power tubes used in push-pull mode can be recognized by the fact that, on a square signal of about 50 hertz at a moderate output power, the output transformer emits almost no parasitic vibration. This is a sign that the currents in the two branches of the push-pull output stage are well balanced.
A legendary pentode, the EL34, in the Electro-Harmonix EH version.
The EL84 pentode has the great merit of having been originally designed by Philips for an audio application. It can work wonders on small amplifier setups used as a pentode or pseudo triode. The EL84 EH version is an excellent choice, as is the one offered by JJ.
The 6L6GC is another power tetrode legend. Here in the Groove Tubes version, GT 6L6GE. Formerly popular under the American brand GE, it exists today in many replicas.
Beware of vintage tube copies Over the years, the demand for vintage tubes has grown steadily. The fact that they have not been manufactured since the 1960s, 1970s or 1980s has made them obsolete. This situation has prompted several brands and companies involved in the tube market to manufacture copies. Be careful because the best copies look like the original models. Again, this is a matter for the specialist. Let’s not forget to mention that this is nothing new. We all know that tube manufacturers in the USA and Europe have overcome shortages of certain tube references by using other suppliers. A typical case is that of Siemens who, because of their reputation, were forced to market ECC81, ECC82, ECC83 (and many others) from a source other than their own at the end of the 1970s, while retaining the Siemens logo and packaging. More recent examples include the EL34 version, a coveted pentode when it comes to the best of the British Mullard brand. The original Mullard versions can be recognized by their blue box with the Mullard logo printed in pink (not red), their tubes with a brown baseplate, other baseplate details and the presence of a double getter (an internal cup used to collect titanium-based metals used to perfect the vacuum when the tube is ‘flashed’ during manufacture. The real vintage Mullard EL34 tubes can be recognized mainly because of a unit price that can reach several hundred euros in the “NOS” version (new vintage tube). However, it should be noted that a copy of a tube bearing the logo of a mythical brand does not necessarily mean a poor-quality product. It’s just a replica of the original version, the rest is history.
Contemporary tubes From the end of the 1970s onwards, the gradual disappearance of audio tubes was clearly felt. For a few years, this shortage was partially made up for by various wholesalers around the world. However, the renewed interest in tube audio assemblies increased the demand, prompting Russian tube manufacturers to offer equivalents. The advantage of attractive prices was often offset by the impossibility of having tubes made that were identical to European or American models, as well as obsolete versions such as direct-heated triodes. The inflexibility of the Russian manufacturers made Chinese companies think twice and take advantage of this shortcoming. This led to the creation of many tube manufacturers. Some of them had the great merit of responding very quickly to the demands of the market, which was becoming increasingly demanding in terms of reliability, technical and subjective performance. Between the beginning of the 1980s and today, let us recall that a good fifty replicas of the famous Western Electric WE300B direct-heating triode were marketed in China and elsewhere. To list them one by one in this article would require too much space. Let’s just mention in passing some brands and tube manufacturers that deserve attention:
– Electro-Harmonix: The history of this company, founded in 1968 by Mike Mathews, can be found in the online dictionary wikipedia.org/wiki/Electro-Harmonix. Thanks to a significant investment, this company has succeeded in creating a catalogue of tubes that is highly coveted by audio tube enthusiasts.
– JJ Electronic: This company was founded in 1994 in Slovakia and inherited a great deal of know-how from the Tesla company. Today it offers a catalogue of around forty models, all with an excellent performance/price ratio. On the company’s website (www.jjtubes.eu), you will find both very competitive prices and models that are impossible to find elsewhere. This is the case of the ECC 83S, a version with gold pins, the ECC99 (both unique and precious when used as a floor driver), the Noval versions with a frame grille or the more classic 300B, mounted on a ceramic base and offered for direct sale at a unit price of less than € 100. Website: www.jjtubes.eu.
– KR Audio: A famous brand. A large choice of triode tubes. Website: www.kraudio.com
Other brands can be found on many distributor websites. Here are a few chosen at random: www.passion-audio-tube.com www.dbtubes.com www.audiophonics.fr/fr/tubes-lampes-c-533.html http://bjl.audioconcept.free.fr/Fournisseurs_composants_01.htm www.audiotriodes.com www.ciel-electronique.com http://ampliatubes.fr http://www.hifiatubes.com www.look-audio.com/contents/fr/d4.html http://diafan.free.fr/PageBas08.htm.
The CV 4004, which also exists in the M 4004 version. This double triode of English origin (Mullard, Brimar) is an equivalent of the very classic ECC83. Its price in new “NOS” version is nowadays around 700 € each.
Between 1980 and today, about 50 replicas of the WE300B have been released. Both the sound quality and the reliability of the 300B replicas have improved significantly over the years, in response to the demands of a demanding customer base. Versions with a finely tuned plate, like some of the WE252A’s, have been marketed by firms such as Full Music (300B/n) or Cayin (300B-98).
The famous PSVane 211power triode is designed to work with plate voltages in the range of 1000 to 1200 V. Formerly known under the GE brand, many replicas of this tube exist, notably from Psvane / Shuguang.
Elrog (website www.elrog.com) is a German company which manufactures in small series various power triodes, notably the 211, the 845 and the more recent 300B, with an atypical bulb.
Quality of electrical contacts and reliability of tube appliances It is rarely mentioned that failure and reliability problems observed on tube devices, whatever their price, are often caused by imperfect contacts between the chassis supports and the tube pins. The tube spindles must logically comply with an international standard relating to their diameter, angular positioning, and dimensional tolerances. Details can be found at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tube_socket. The diameter of each of the pins of a tube of the type ECC83/12AX7 must be exactly 1.016 mm, that of an EL34 pentode pin 2.36 mm and that of the pins of a 300B triode 3.2 and 4 mm. The surface oxidation of the metals, the temperature variations to which the tube pins are exposed before, during and after start-up generate problems of expansion, oxidation, and resistivity of the contact points, of which one must be aware. Rods terminated with jigs, each with an exact diameter of 1.016mm, 2.36mm, 3.2mm and 4mm, highlight these electrical contact problems. In a conventional push-pull tube amplifier, it should be borne in mind that the number of contacts between the pins and the tube supports is of the order of a hundred. The jigs mentioned, inserted delicately into each of these tube supports, make it easy to see that, among a hundred or so contacts, several are far from perfect: insufficient mechanical tightening, electrical contacts that are too resistive or unstable. When the tubes are removed, a magnifying glass examination of the pins of the tube holders on the chassis allows to see the biggest defects. It is easy to spot pins where the upper part of the pin is too far apart and no longer capable of making reliable electrical contact. It is unfortunate to mention in this connection that the templates mentioned (four models would suffice) are not available on the market, at least to our knowledge. However, it is easy to make them yourself by using pins from defective tubes welded to the end of a smaller diameter rod. The quality of the electrical contacts at this point is of vital importance. As a result of these imperfect contacts, a tube can become “depolarized” by accidentally blowing out one of its pins. Poor electrical contacts over a period of one or two seconds are enough to cause a cascade of problems. It is easy to understand why specialists have put high-quality tube holders on the market. Examples can be found on the JAC Music website (www.jacmusic.com/sockets/Socket-Yamamoto.htm).
The LP12 is to hi-fi what the 911 is to sports cars or the Oyster to watchmaking: a product with such performance that it not only becomes unavoidable, but acquires the status of an icon “in its lifetime”. This enviable position is not the result of a misunderstanding or deception, but based on tangible and measurable facts. These three objects are all the more exceptional because they are the best in their category, and because they have been in uninterrupted production for several decades, having been regularly improved by their respective progenitors, to stay on top. Today we are looking at the case of the Sondek, because it is as much an object of desire and pleasure as it is a subject of controversy. In short, we are passionate about it…
Officially launched in 1973 by Ivor Tiefenbrun, the Sondek LP12 turntable uses a suspended platter and a patented bearing. The LP12 has evolved considerably since its introduction, but its basic design has remained since then. This philosophy was implemented in the Thorens TD150, itself influenced by the Acoustic Research XA introduced in 1961 by the famous audio pioneer Edgar Villchur. The XA’s three-point suspended counter-platter used a compression spring system, which was improved and popularized by the LP12. But where all suspended counterplates sought to combat vibration pollution, the Linn was a radical departure from that, seeking to emancipate itself from acoustic pollution, resulting in a very different suspension optimization. Indeed, at the time, the prevailing theory was that the crucial link in the hi-fi system was the speakers. Ivor had already conducted a series of successful tests in which he took the turntable out of the listening room and found that the room was no longer polluted by the sound pressure from the speakers. His goal was to develop a turntable that was immune to this inconvenience and sufficiently modular to support all the innovations that he would not fail to develop later. This was a major challenge for Linn, who claimed that the source was the most important part of the system, contrary to the generally accepted idea.
In February 1973, Ivor formed Linn Products Ltd. to market the turntables manufactured by Castle Precision Engineering, the company of Jack Tiefenbrun, his father. Castle provided Ivor with the logistics to develop his turntable.
“Linn did not invent the turntable. We were simply the first to understand that there was infinitely more information on a black disc than was previously available. So we applied our engineering expertise to extract it.”
The first versions were just a platform for mounting other brands of arms. They had only a basic power system and played only LPs. As Linn developed its research and development department, the LP12 benefited from numerous improvements to the bearing, the feet, the base, the frame, the suspension springs, the screws, the motor power supplies… In short, everything was improved!
At the same time, Linn started to develop its own tonearms and cartridges, in order to fully control its ecosystem.
In 1978, Linn launched its first moving coil cartridge, the Asak, followed by the Ittok LVII arm and its first moving magnet, the Basik. A continuous series of innovations and upgrades for the LP12 turntable were released over the years, including its first electronic power supply, the Valhalla and a metal-bodied cartridge called the Karma. In 1986, Linn modified its Ittok arm to directly support a new metal-body cartridge with a three-point mounting, the Troika. With the additional strength and rigidity provided to the cartridge by this mounting system, Linn sought to eliminate signal distortion caused by unwanted mechanical movement and vibration. In 1988 Linn introduced the Ekos, its first arm built entirely in situ. In 1990, Linn introduced an external power supply for the LP12 called Lingo, providing more accurate motor speed control and eliminating the distortion effects of placing a power supply in the turntable body.
The different evolutions between 1973 and 2013
1973: introduction of the LP12.
1974: the bearing cover was changed. The counterplate was reinforced by adding a bar welded at several points. The motor control circuit was changed from a terminal block to a small printed circuit board. The main switch was changed from two buttons to a single one with an indicator light.
1978: the top plate was modified adding two holes for 6 x 0.5 self-drilling screws in the wood block.
1979: removal of the lid hinges changed to springs.
1981: Nirvana mechanical components.
1982: Valhalla electronic power supply controlled by quartz as standard.
1984: reinforcement of the corners of the base. Reinforcement of the counterplate bar glued with epoxy instead of spot welding.
1985: hollow head screw on the bearing housing. Modification of the diode of the Valhalla board. Reinforcement of the blocks on the corners of the base.
1986: new transparent cover. Improved suspension springs.
1987: new bearing housing. New arm plate in formica and MDF. New springs. Improved bearing with better coating material and tighter tolerances. Switch to black oil. Suspension springs brought to a tighter tolerance. Improved arm plate composition.
1989: change of the motor thrust pad. Modification of the Valhalla surge protection. PCB power cable (UK).
1989: new arm plate in MDF, laminated top and bottom.
1989: Stronger suspension mounts.
1990: Lingo external power supply available as an option.
1991: Engine thrust pad cap added to Lingo models.
1991: Engine thrust pad cap added to Valhalla models.
1991: Rigid base plate replaces the isorel base panel.
1991: Trampolin base plate with optional insulated feet available.
1992: 4th bolt added near the engine on the top plate, fitted as standard.
1993: Cirkus upgrade kit (larger and better machined inner counterplate and new bearing, new springs, armplate, belt) fitted as standard.
1997: A commemorative limited edition LP12 was created to mark the 25th anniversary of the LP12. Among other features, it bears an engraved plate with the signature of founder Linn Ivor Tiefenbrun.
2001: New engine used (first new engine since the original in 1972).
2002: maple baseboard introduced to complement existing black, walnut, rosewood options. Afromosia finish discontinued.
2013: limited edition (40 in all) 40th anniversary LP12, base made from Highland Park Distillery oak barrels, priced at £25,000.
2014: introduction of the three new “finished” models, Majik LP12, Akurate LP12 and Klimax LP12.
The LP12 is popular with many audiophiles around the world for its excellent ability to reproduce music with rhythm, and timing. It is often used by hi-fi critics as a reference turntable. It was particularly popular from the 1970s to the 1990s. The British magazine Hi-Fi Review embodied the quintessential national audio promotion based on Linn/Naim combinations, but also the brands Ion, Arcam, Heybrook, Roksan, Exposure, Rega, Royd, Mission, Cyrus, Onix…
The LP12 is a turntable with an assertive character that has its requirements. It hates heavy audiophile supports, hates mains filters, does not support pucks or exotic tunings, in short everything that does not come from Glasgow, except the Aro and the Armageddon.
During its heyday, the LP12 had almost no competitors, first because it offered an enviable level of musicality, but also because its aficionados were totally committed to its cause. Among the historical challengers, we can mention the Michell Gyrodec, the Pink Triangle PT Too, but especially the Roksan Xerxes. Outside of “Britannia”, it is with Thorens, VPI and the American manufacturers that we must look for competitors. That said, for a long time, high-end analog playback in the UK was essentially dominated by the LP12, and to a lesser extent by the Xerxes.
As the excellent American magazine Stereophile aptly put it, the LP12 quickly became a classic. This is evidenced by the fact that it is the number one audio product in the UK and the second best turntable of all time in the USA. Excellent marketing and the strong personality of Ivor Tiefenbrun did the rest.
The LP12 and me…
My first encounter with the LP12 was in 1988, at Audio Synthèse, rue du Cherche-midi. It was associated for the occasion with a Naim Nait amp and a pair of tiny Linn Kan speakers. The sound that emanated from this system left a lasting impression on me by its velocity, its amplitude and the incredible physical sensation that it was capable of generating. It was at that moment that I understood that an excellent system must have an excellent source. As a student, I couldn’t afford to covet this beautiful turntable, so I was content to attend all the Linn demonstrations I could imagine! At that time I was using a Thorens TD 320 mk2 with a Denon DL160 cartridge, a very musical turntable, but not of the same caliber. Time passed, the TD 320 gave way to a TD 321 mk2 with a very nice Helius Scorpio Black arm and a Coral MC82, a very nice combination that I liked a lot, and certainly was wrong to sell… Then came, according to the more or less intense periods in terms of analog consumption, a Rega Planar 3, then a 9, a Nottingham Spacedeck, and a Fletcher Omega Point One, all of them excellent decks.
And by a curious parable of fate, almost 30 years later, the LP12 caught up with me! A few months ago, I inherited a very old Linn. I bring it to Audio Synthèse for a check-up. Frédéric and Vincent confirm me that there will be a big work of restoration, but that the base is healthy, and that it is worth it. One week later, it is ready. The old original arm has been replaced by an Akito of almost the last generation in perfect condition, on which my Dynavector DV20 X2 L is placed. On the plate, Vincent changed the screws, the springs, the arm plate, the switch, the belt, the felt, many things… Mine is from 1978, but it looks brand new. It was a first hand, so I am the second and last owner. Needless to say, it will never leave me. I had the great privilege to listen to dozens of different turntables in excellent conditions. Many go much less than a Linn on some parameters, it is obvious. But few make as much music, or more precisely give as much desire to listen to music with it. In fact, since she’s been here, I haven’t stopped buying records. A sign that does not deceive…
The third of its generation, the Nico EVOlution bookshelf speaker, presented for the first time in Europe at the High-End Munich 2019, is the new entry-level model from EgglestonWorks. Consisting of a large, highly rigid cabinet and supported by an optional but highly recommended sanded stand, the smallest piece from the Memphis-based brand benefits from all the know-how of its creators. It competes with much larger and more expensive loudspeakers, without ever playing the big sound card or going overboard, for the benefit of passionate and fatigue-free listening for hours on end.
Born in 1997 in the United States with the Andra loudspeakers, the EgglestonWorks manufacturer has since become global, without yet reaching in Europe the notoriety of its older or better marketed competitors. However, the brand benefits from very serious advantages to make the greatest recordings speak with a naturalness and an ease drawn from the unalterable mass of its resonance boxes, above all developed to annihilate any vibration and any parasitic noise. The third generation of the Nico range, the Nico EVO or EVOlution replaces Nico SE, a monitor speaker that was already very promising, but much less than its younger sibling in the low register. For its latest evolution, the brand from Memphis, an American city famous for its musical bands and Gibson guitars, has increased the dimensions of its speaker, taking it out of the compact format, since it measures now 47.6 cm in height and especially 40.6 cm in depth, for a more conventional width of 21 cm. Resulting from the developments that first appeared on the Viginti Limited Edition and then on the imposing Kiva, Nico EVO is a two-way speaker weighing 12.7 kg, of a rigidity that is further reinforced by its stand, filled with sand to reach more than 20 kg each on the scale. The stand are also designed to fit perfectly and deeply under the speaker, without to be screwed down to ensure stability.
The cabinet is a combination of medium (MDF) to high (HDF) density fiberboard manufactured on-site at the Memphis factory, ranging from 19 to 32 mm, which look a bit like some Wilson Audio loudspeakers in their strength and coating. Two drivers, appeared on the Emma EVO series, still come from the Israeli manufacturer Morel, but are now made specifically to EgglestonWorks’ specifications. The 25 mm silk dome tweeter is crossed with a 152 mm polypropylene mid-bass at 2.3 kHz, the latter being reinforced at the rear by a large laminar bass-reflex port that advantageously replaces the older, smaller and round on the Nico SE, and contributes amply to the gain in low-frequency. The front is reinforced by a wonderful screwed aluminum plate and a metal tripod to protect the tweeter. At the back are only two copper cardas terminals, that will make you forget about the possibility of bi-amping. Both are perfectly adjusted to an unpolished carbon panel, also with visible screws. Available in Piano Black, Silver Gray and White Gloss, Nico EVO can be customized with the lacquer color you want (900 €) thanks to the use of methods applied in automotive design. In addition to the extensive palette available for the body, it is also possible to order the aluminum plate in dark rather than gray, for a particularly refined result on the full black version. Grilles made of very thin acoustic fabric and with magnetic fastenings (neodymium magnets) are also available, very easy to handle and not very restrictive for the sound, even if we preferred to not use them for our tests.
THE SET UP Well placed on their stands, an essential option (900 €) to take full advantage of their potential, the Nico EVO need some space around them to breathe, but are perfectly adapted to a very close listening. We therefore adjusted them in several places in an 18 m² room, without feeling the need to place them at a precise distance from the wall to benefit from full bass. Far from imposing an oversized amplification, they express themselves fully when they are no longer limited by the energy deployed upstream, and can then take on very high levels of power and volume. Listened to on an Accuphase E-600 class A amplifier, the Nico EVO were then, thanks to Laurent’s help, tested again at Concert Home auditorium, in Paris, close to Alma-Marceau. Luxman L-590 AXII and Accuphase E-650 amplifiers, each with 2 x 30 W in class A, were compared with the oversized E-800 (2 x 50 W in class A) and a very powerful E-480 (2 x 180 W under 8 ohms in class AB), with surprising results as far as the reactivity of the loudspeakers is concerned. Esprit cables from Beta to Lumina ranges for power, network, speakers and interconnect were then able to alternate with a listening first realized with Nordost power cables, while the high definition sources allowed us to check the capacity to transcribe all the details. First, by freely enjoying the new Mark Levinson 5101 SACD player and network in situ, then at Concert Home with the B.Audio DAC and the magnificent Clearaudio Innovation vinyl turntable, associated with a Stradivari cell and multiplied tenfold by the luxurious Luxman EQ-500 tube phono preamp. To verify agilities and tonalities of the Nico EVO on the whole bandwidth and to push the dynamics, the roundness and the extreme highs and lows, the listening were carried out on all types of music, on vinyl with MoFi or Music Matters mastering, on CD, Japanese SHM-CD, SACD and Qobuz Hi-Res dematerialized files streamed, thanks to the Audirvana software; a necessary quality to highlight all the capacities of our two big toys.
THE SOUND As already mentioned above, the first impression given by the Nico EVO is their impressive solidity, immediately put to the test by large symphonic masses, from which a superb spatialization immediately stands out. Thus, despite a large orchestra, it is possible to identify the location of the instruments, especially the woodwinds, which are particularly crystal clear thanks to the precision of the tweeter. As the music progresses, it flows without ever causing the slightest fatigue; on the contrary, it creates numerous moments of surprise in recordings that are nevertheless perfectly familiar. Thus, we can sometimes guess the gestures or the intentions of the conductor on a counterpoint or a secondary phrase. In the Finale of the 9th of Beethoven (Karajan 63) with voices, the level of detail is again surprising: the notes drag and choir is both integrated and identified on a plane above that of the orchestra, just like the singers, almost possible to place thanks to the amplitude of the sound stage. Gundula Janowitz’s identifiable treble displays a splendid brilliance, perhaps slightly too timbred in the extremes. The live effects sought after, as much on rock concerts of the great years as on reduced formations in classical music, reinforce the impression of naturalness of the loudspeakers, putting just forward a light over-timbre of the high-medium then of the very high treble, as well as a very light imbalance on the dynamics at the time of the passage of the medium to the tweeter, perhaps due to our model of test, already largely used and potentially a little abused before arriving to us. On complicated, medium-quality recordings, such as Nirvana’s Live at Reading, the speakers manage to integrate the stage perfectly and draw the audience into the background, without detracting from its importance; they surprisingly enhance the concert rather than make it less audible. When tested with other complicated recordings, the Nico EVO confirmed the feeling that they almost always improve a recording, good or bad, without ever accentuating its flaws, unlike other speakers that require you to listen only to the best recordings.
Thanks to the extreme quality of details, every instrument of the great orchestras stands out, for example on jazz or blues albums the slightest spatula, the slightest noise of the tongue or mouth of the singers, and therefore obviously also in quiet public recordings, the slightest crumpled paper or tilted seat. However, the feeling of realism created by this level of accuracy only accentuates the listening pleasure, except when the sound engineer wanted to play with the balance, and placed too much on one side such artist or such instrument. Listening to R&B and electro music at a volume that is outrageous for the neighborhood, the Nico EVO, already perfectly balanced over the entire midrange and treble spectrum, impresses even more by bringing out the big game in the bass. They could then be compared to several columns of the same price, or even much more expensive, like the American Magico and Wilson Audio at twice the price, except that the EgglestonWorks avoid in addition any overrated effect of big sound. Bass and sub-bass, available up to 38 Hz, that is to say at a level very close to what the human ear can perceive, are perfectly integrated and prove with what quality the MDF body is prepared to take without ever creating parasitic noises, even on the most inflamed organs, by the dynamics of our test turntable.
OUR CONCLUSION As you can see, the Nico EVO deserve to be heard and are among the most interesting speakers in their category. At €5 890 or $5,345 to which you must add €900 for stands and €900 if you want a specific color, the smallest pair of EgglestonWorks requires an already substantial budget, which it nevertheless returns a hundredfold, with a quality-price ratio far superior to that of some competitors. Perfectly balanced and superbly neutral, yet agile across the entire bandwidth and on all types of music, Nico EVO easily fits into a small to medium-sized room, yet are not at all difficult to use in a larger listening room. Capable of handling a lot of power, they can be perfectly integrated into very high-end systems, especially for those who need to limit the sound volume of their listening.
TECHNICAL SHEET
ORIGIN USA PRICE € 5 980 / $ 5,345 DIMENSIONS 210 x 476 x 406 mm WEIGHT 12,7 kg SENSITIVITY 87 dB IMPEDANCE 8 ohms FREQUENCY RESPONSE 38 Hz-24 kHz OPTIONS Stands (900 €) & specific colors (900 €)
Without a drum or trumpet, Montauban’s young manufacturer, Diptyque Audio, is starting to make a name for itself all over the world. Gilles Douziech and Eric Poix developed and patented in 2017 a principle of diffusion by isodynamic, planar and dipole panel. From this creation, which takes up and improves on a design that appeared at the end of the 1960s, a range of three loudspeakers was born, whose future promises to be brilliant. The model we have tested for you, the DP140, is installed in the middle of the current range.
The history of Diptyque Audio is closely linked to the meeting of its two founders. Both have been passionate about high fidelity for years. During his studies, Gilles met Marcel Rochet, Mr Mulidine, who passed on some essential notions of acoustics and filtering to him. He made a career with the greats of electronics, then taught and began to make his own ribbon loudspeakers. He meets Eric whose outstanding mechanical and metalworking skills will be fundamental in the creation of the Diptyque speakers.
ISODYNAMICS «PLUS» Some loudspeaker manufacturers have made themselves famous in the past thanks to achievements based on direct diffusion principles other than the electrodynamic loudspeaker. The most historical and famous is probably the English Quad and its ESL57 wideband electrostatic panels. The panel has since evolved and is still in production. Others such as Martin Logan (hybrid electrostatics), Apogée (wideband aluminium ribbon, now manufactured by Clarisys Audio) or Magnepan (isodynamics) were subsequently created and are also still active. The concept patented by Diptyque Audio is called PPBM for push-pull bipolar magnet is a major evolution of the Magneplanar technology where the large surface membrane, flat, rectangular, without resonance box and very lightweight in Mylar covered with a Greek conductor is placed in front of a magnetic circuit of the same dimensions. We remain on the principle of the wide band electrodynamic loudspeaker free of a certain number of constraints, namely large emission surface, high speed over the entire bandwidth and suppression of the box sound. However, the directivity is pronounced with the increase in frequency and the sensitivity remains rather low. Diptyque has sought to improve the principle by placing magnets on both sides of the membrane, which strengthens the bass and accelerates the transient response, and by adding a tweeter of the same technology.
Curve per third of an octave in the axis. Very wide frequency response. The resonance frequency of the bass cell is calibrated at 45 Hz.
Directivity curves 0, 15°, 30°, 45°. Horizontal directivity is well controlled here thanks to the horn driver of the ribbon tweeter. It is important to orientate the loudspeakers towards the listening point in order to take advantage of a perfect phasing due to the large transmission area of these loudspeakers.
Impedance curve as a function of frequency. The impedance is very linear and is not uneven at the bottom of the spectrum (unlike electrostatic technology), which will avoid significant current variations for the amplifier.
THE DP140 The height and width of the model give an overview of its emissive surface which is close to 0.2 m². The main membrane made of 12 micron thick Mylar film is covered with a 3 mm wide conductive aluminium film labyrinth. After being uniformly stretched and fixed on a sandwich frame of medium and felt, it is precisely placed between two perforated grids, each supporting a set of magnets. The assembly is then firmly held in a rigid steel frame. The tweeter was offset laterally, and asymmetrically left-right on each pair of speakers, within a machined bell primer at the top of a thick vertical blade decoupled from multi-ply wood. Protected by a grid, it operates from 1600 Hz through a first-order cut-off slope filter. The two neodymium magnets are positioned on either side of the Mylar tape. The DP140 is based on a decoupling point and the two ends of a steel «parenthesis». All the components used in the manufacture of Diptych panels in general and in these DP140 in particular come either from France, such as the medium of the structure supporting Mylar, poly-propylene and SCR tin capacitors, large section copper air inductors and non-inductive resistances of the filter, or from the European Community such as magnets. The loudspeakers are entirely manufactured in the manufacturer’s wor-shops, which also controls the entire production chain of the speakers. For music lovers and for a small fee, Diptyque Audio also offers you the opportunity to dress your panels either with a textile dress made by Christine Chauchefoin, interior designer, from the fabric collection of the Parisian house Houlès, or with a personalized sublimation printing made without any harmful product for your health.
THE SET UP Unlike many panels that require very precise placement, Diptychs are quite conciliatory in terms of installation. Of course, they must be positioned in such a way as to enjoy the wonderful panorama they know how to reproduce, so not too close to the side walls all the same… But the proximity to the rear wall is not too problematic. In some cases it can even provide a slight reinforcement of the low octaves that we will exploit to our advantage. Frankly, the DP140, like their little sisters, the DP77s, already tested in our columns, are extremely easy to live with. Ditto for the amplification. Tube or transistor, everything works. And quantity is not an imperative. With them, only quality prevails. And we can repeat this observation with sources and cables. Good, good, good, good…
THE SOUND After hours and hours of listening to boxes, the arrival of the DP140s provides us with a great breath of fresh air. It must be admitted that to witness the total emancipation of sound from its reproducers is very exciting. And it is all the more enjoyable because the emissive surface of two DP140s is infinitely larger than that of any pair of columns, even those with lot of woofers. Here, a large membrane produced in wide band, a push of fantastic homogeneity. The result is a reproduction of incredible consistency. Especially on acoustic music. Alfred Deller on Purcell’s «O solitude», Bach’s cantatas, the duet Chilly Gonzales / Jarvis Cocker, Rameau’s Symphonie Imaginaire, everything goes perfectly, in a large piece, at a realistic level, without any trace of hardness, brilliance or offset. The feeling of space is of course sovereign, correlated to a totally exhilarating feeling of freedom.
You can even move around the room and keep a real imprint of the performers’ placement. In terms of perception of space and ventilation, these DP140s are sovereign, and we hardly see any classical electrodynamic loudspeakers challenging them for any form of supremacy on the subject. In terms of tonal balance, the great Diptyque are just as successful. The key word is «natural». No style effect, no accentuated whistles, no drooling basses, everything is beautifully integrated and measured. The different registers are clearly articulated, and the notion of «rupture» is non-existent. The tones are therefore very realistic, never outraged, never watered down. On a female voice and a «simple» piano, a formidable test if ever there was one, the message was in no way attenuated, delivered in its entirety with an exceptional breadth and dynamic capacity. On a very busy passage in the bass, we have the extension, the level, and if the DP140 can sometimes give the impression of subtly marking the step, it is in terms of physical impact, and never on the realism of the message. But in a room, even a spacious one, there is no sense of lack. If necessary, a slightly more structured amplifier will easily reinforce these low shimmering waves. Because in terms of modulating the sound message, whatever it may be, the DP140s are simply unique and therefore precious, and we hope they are highly coveted.
OUR CONCLUSION Here is a test that was not difficult; a real moment of musical happiness. The DP140 are absolutely successful speakers. We are all the more proud of this young French brand, as it is working on a niche in electro-acoustics, that of isodynamic panels, totally abandoned by international manufacturers, with the exception of the American Magnepan. And in all sincerity, Diptyque has nothing to be ashamed of when compared to his distant cousin on the other side of the Atlantic. On the contrary, the succession is assured!
TECHNICAL SHEET
PRICE € 6.900 per pair DIMENSIONS 485 x 1425 x 46 mm WEIGHT 21 kg FREQUENCY RESPONSE 5 Hz – 20000 Hz POWER HANDLING 160 W RECOMMENDED POWEr 60 W minimum RATED IMPEDANCE 6 ohms SENSITIVITY 86 dB/W/m FINISH Black lacquer (main panel and base), Finnish birch multi-ply wood (tweeter baffle)
