Playback Accessory Reviews

Spirals machined into the 24K gold plated brass stabilizer catch a stiff length of monofilament loosely attached to a lifter device that affixes to the arm's head shell. The brass spiral weight spins freely on a ceramic and steel ball bearing system connected to a mounting base that rests securely on the record label so that when the monofilament engages the spiral and the arm lifts, the weight almost immediately stops spinning (the zenith angle issue in the photo is perspective created and not related to the mechanism). You'll find more details and specifications on this page of the company's website.

Affixing the lifter to the head shell is a pretty tricky deal involving elastic monofilament that you have to expand and place between the cartridge bottom and the top of the head shell. Plenty can go wrong there so you have to be extremely careful. If the elastic slips and snaps, could be bye-bye cantilever! Also, depending upon the shape of your cartridge, the elastic might slip before finding its grip, which can result in the lifter's position being less elegantly placed than you might desire, which in the video you can see on the SME 309 arm to which is fitted an Ortofon Windfeld Ti.

Another issue the company found after its initial design and its first run of Presslifts is that some (many actually) spindles are too tall to accommodate the Presslift, which results in the Presslift ending up perched atop the spindle instead of resting on the label. The company has addressed this issue with a newer version that can better accommodate taller spindles. Of course to be sure Presslift is compatible with your turntable, you should first check with Mind-Pop Revolution before purchasing a Presslift, .

In fact, I was only able to produce this video by putting multiple records on the platter so that the Presslift's base could rest on the label. What I don't understand is why the company doesn't make the lifter with cartridge screw holes so it can replace, for instance, the finger lift visible in the video. It could make a combination lifter mechanism/finger lift to produce a far more elegant looking system.

Because of the mis-match with available turntables at home, all of which had spindles that were too tall (Continuum, SME and an AVM, the latter two in for review) I was unable to compare the Pressfit's record damping abilities compared to, for instance the SME's clamping system, though I think when Mind-Pop designed the Presslift it didn't expect people with screw on clamp mechanisms to replace them with the "drop on" Presslift. The company says it was "surprised" by the demand from VPI owners, among others that have threaded spindle clamping mechanisms.

The Presslift, available in both gold and nickel plated versions, costs $399 (359 Euro, 315 British pounds). I think it's a very cool product, though it definitely will have compatibility issues in some systems.