The Pioneer PL-514 belt-drive turntable is an absolute classic. Let’s find out why. The Pioneer PL-514 is a high-quality, great-sounding belt-drive deck from one of the big Japanese manufacturers. In terms of build and performance, like so much other Japanese gear, it puts many other belt-drive decks to shame. The motor alone is far better […]
In this second of my Quad 405 series, I review the legendary Quad 405-2. Find out why there is so much love for these amazing little amplifiers and why you should buy one. The Quad 405 and Quad 405-2 are incredible amplifiers, even now, some 40+ years after they were introduced to the world. This
I just serviced this lovely Denon DP-30L direct-drive turntable and want to spread the word about this great deck. The Denon DP-30L is an excellent turntable with a good feature set, quality motor, solid chassis and excellent speed control circuitry. The DP-30L weighs in at just under 10kg, much more than today’s lightweight decks. This
The Technics SL-23 is an affordable, loveable belt-drive turntable that I highly recommend to anyone looking for their first ‘proper’ deck. Updated March 2024! Technics is perhaps best known for the SL-1200 series of direct-drive turntables and the lovely SL-10 linear tracker. They manufactured a huge range of machines at varying price points, many of
The legendary Yamaha NS-1000M loudspeaker is an iconic design that, in many ways has almost no peers even today, 50 years on. Yamaha’s NS-1000M is lauded by those who have heard them and loved by many thousands of owners, who, like me, appreciate their unique attributes. I own the pair of NS-1000s featured in this article,
Legendary Yamaha NS-1000M Loudspeaker Review & Upgrades Read More »
Looking for one of the best affordable tonearms? The Jelco SA-750D is a quality tonearm, at a sensible price, designed to fit a variety of turntables. UPDATE, 2018: The Jelco SA-750D is now superseded by the TK-850S. UPDATE 2020: I’m very sad to announce that, as of mid-2020, Jelco is no longer in business. A
The phenomenal Fidelity Research XF-1 moving coil step-up transformer is the best way to get the most out of a good MC cartridge. Fidelity Research is one of the most iconic and revered names in vinyl. No other brand has quite the same status and FR cartridges and step-up transformers have become legendary in audio
Fidelity Research XF-1 Moving Coil Step-up Transformer Review Read More »
