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Analog Gear News
SME Debuts New "Flagship" Model 60 Turntable With New Model VA Polymer Tonearm
Michael Fremer  |  Mar 29, 2022  |  22 comments
SME debuted a new "Flagship" turntable at an event held March 25th, 2022 at the company's Steyning, West Sussex U.K. headquarters and in the legendary listening room of the company's founder, the late Alastair Robertson-Aikman. When I asked CEO Stuart McNeilis if yet another factory tour was necessary, he said "you be the judge". The answer was "yes" as new owner Ajay Shirke has made considerable investments in SME including new CNC machines, a brand new state of the art plating facility and a new tolerance measuring system that produces even greater machining tolerances than the already legendary SME precision.
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Analog Gear NewsRecord Cleaning Machine Reviews
SME Updates Loricraft's Record Cleaning Machines
Michael Fremer  |  Mar 18, 2022  |  18 comments
When SME purchased Garrard it also bought the Loricraft brand of "string type" record cleaning machines. SME then upgraded both models. This video shows how they work and accompany a write-up in the April 2022 issue of Stereophile magazine that will shortly be available on newsstands, mailed to subscribers and available as part of a digital subscription.
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KUZMA Announces New SAFIR 9 Tonearm
Michael Fremer  |  Mar 17, 2022  |  26 comments
Following 5 years of R&D Franc Kuzma today introduced his latest creation, the SAFIR 9 tonearm. The conical arm tube is fabricated from sapphire— "the first implementation of the precious stone" for this application.

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Luxman LMC-5 MC Is The Company's First New Cartridge In 40 Years
Michael Fremer  |  Mar 10, 2022  |  46 comments
Luxman today announced the introduction of the new LMC-5 moving coil the company's first new cartridge in 40 years.

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Sumiko Debuts Wellfleet Moving Magnet Cartridge
Michael Fremer  |  Feb 14, 2022  |  7 comments
Sumiko today debuted the Wellfleet, a new high performance moving magnet cartridge featuring a nude elliptical stylus.

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Analog Gear NewsRecord Handling and Storage Tips
A New "On the Wall" Way to Store and Display Records from Toneoptic
Michael Fremer  |  Jan 31, 2022  |  83 comments
Toneoptic founder and graphic arts designer Fabian Geyrhalter decided "It is time to rethink how we store and select records". He's come up with a unique, patent pending design and hired "the best designer, engineer and advisors (from Frank Gehry Partners, Boeing Aircraft and Cambridge Audio amongst others)" to execute the concept.

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Analog Gear News
Pro-Ject Debuts The Fully Automatic $499 AUTOMAT A1 Turntable
Michael Fremer  |  Jan 31, 2022  |  18 comments
Pro-Ject today introduced the $499.00 AUTOMAT A1 its first fully automatic turntable.

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At C.E.S. 2022 Cambridge Audio Introduces Two New Turntables
Michael Fremer  |  Jan 06, 2022  |  4 comments
January 5, 2022, Las Vegas, NV, USA – "British hi-fi specialist Cambridge Audio has announced two new additions to its Alva turntable range: Alva TT V2 and Alva ST. Unveiled for the first time at CES 2022 in Las Vegas, the new Alva turntables build on the success of the highly acclaimed and innovative Alva TT – launched in 2019 as the world’s first aptX HD Bluetooth turntable – and are backed by over 50 years of Cambridge Audio’s expertise and experience in making great hi-fi for music lovers to enjoy. "

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Analog Gear News
Nagra Debuts its New Reference Anniversary Turntable/Tonearm Record Playback System
Michael Fremer  |  Nov 24, 2021  |  26 comments
Romanel, Switzerland – Wednesday 24th November 2021—Nagra celebrates 70 years with a limited edition Reference Anniversary Turntable. According to the press release, the new turntable is the result of four year’s worth of R&D by a team of designers and engineers in the fields of applied physics, mechanical and electronic engineering and material science.

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Analog Gear News
Ortofon Introduces New MC Verismo Moving Coil Cartridge
Michael Fremer  |  Sep 30, 2021  |  5 comments
Ortofon today in a Facebook video announced a new moving coil cartridge called Verismo. I've had it here for a few days and tomorrow will post an exclusive video interview I conducted with Ortofon's Chief Officer of Acoustics and Technology Leif Johannsen, who is responsible for the design.

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Analog Gear News
Fender Partners With Mo-Fi To Produce This Limited Edition Beauty
Michael Fremer  |  Sep 24, 2021  |  16 comments
Fender the guitar company announced on September 21st the release of this limited edition "The Fender x Mo-Fi PrecisionDeck" turntable created in association with Mo-Fi. The Fender Custom Shop's principal Master Builder Yuriy Shiskov crafted the shape using the same swamp ash wood used in the iconic Fender Precision Bass guitar.
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Analog Gear News
Zesto Audio Introduces Andros Téssera Reference Phono Stage
Michael Fremer  |  Sep 16, 2021  |  11 comments
Zesto Audio recently announced this new super-deluxe Andros Téssera phono stage, which features a new 100% tube analog circuit design featuring "optimized" components and a wide variety of performance and convenience upgrades from its previous reference phono preamp.

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Thorens Introduces New TD 1500 and TD 403 DD Turntables
Michael Fremer  |  Sep 15, 2021  |  9 comments
Thorens today announced two new turntables: the TD1500 and the TD403. The 1500 takes its design cues from the iconic TD 150 introduced in 1965 that according to Thorens's press release featured for the first time in a mass produced turntable a spring suspended sub-chassis with a flat belt driven inner platter. However, the AR-XA introduced in 1961 had this design feature and sold 100s of 1000s so must be considered "mass produced". The TD403 is the "big brother" of the recently introduced TD 402.

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EMT Debuts New "Novel" Moving Coil Cartridge Line
Michael Fremer  |  Aug 03, 2021  |  9 comments
Based upon six years of electro-mechanical analysis EMT's new "Novel" moving coil cartridge line features a new multi-layer core transducer that includes a sapphire cantilever inserted within a coated high-strength titanium structure and a double-layer core designed to reduce eddy current loss. The stylus is a "multi-radial diamond.

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SME Loricraft Introduces Upgraded "Thread Type" Vacuum Record Cleaning Machines
Michael Fremer  |  Aug 03, 2021  |  18 comments
SME Loricraft recently announced upgraded versions of its PRC4i and PRC6i "thread type" vacuum record cleaning machines.

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