Analog Gear News

After a more than 30 year absence SAEC's double knife-edged bearing tone arm is once again in production and will be available through DS Exports, DS Audio's new export division. DS Audio, of course manufactures a line of "optical" cartridges and dedicated phono preamplifiers.

About a dozen years ago at a used record store in San Francisco I bought a “mint” original German pressing of The Beatles (“The White Album”). It was up on the store wall at $75.00. The laminated “top loader” jacket was mint, all of the head shots the poster and the black sleeves were inside looking as if none of it had been touched and the records appeared as minty as advertised.

Merrill-Williams Audio LLC of Memphis, Tennesseejust introduced the latest version of its celebrated R.E.A.L. turntable, the model 101.3. The R.E.A.L. 101.3 retains the essential elements of the 101 and 101.2 models while adding fundamental improvements.

Shortly after the conclusion of the 2018 International Consumer Electronics Show, Technics CTO/Chief Engineer Tetsuya (Tony) Itan, Yoshiyuki Sumida, Assistant Manager Technics Team, and Technics Business Development Manager Bill Voss brought over and installed the new Technics SL-1000R turntable and tone arm for a week's stay. While this was a pre-production sample and not suitable for a full review, I thought you would be interested in first impressions that is not a review.

Sempersonus, a new audio company based in Lisbon, Portugal just announced its first product: a turntable based upon an idler wheel-type drive it calls "Epicyclic Drive", because the motor and pulley directly drive the platter's inner rim.

That new record you just unboxed probably came shrink-wrapped or in a perforated sealed bag. Maybe it has a sticker or two on it or it's a numbered limited edition. Watch how all of this happens in this just produced video shot at Furnace Manufacturing with founder Eric Astor. And then go to Furnace's brand new, soon to be operational vinyl pressing plant that will also incorporate the packaging facility, which has outgrown its current location. Furnace began in the 1990s as a production and packaging agent for indie and major labels—perhaps you’re unsure about what that exactly means. After watching the video you will—and perhaps you'll come to appreciate an LP production cost you've not before considered.