High End Vinyl Replay Equipment

TW-Acustic • Verdier • Graham Phantom • Schröder • Breuer • ZYX • Allaerts

TW Acustic

Black Night Turntable

The Raven Black Night is our reference turntable. Naturally, the experience gained over the last few years stood us in good stead for developing the Black Night, yet despite drawing on these experiences, the Black Night also incorporates many innovative features not seen before in this form. The Raven Black Night is a truly monumental turntable, as its sheer size and weight testify. Despite this, thanks to the proportions, colour and choice of materials, the design remains pleasing and harmonious.

In developing the Black Night, our aim was to build a turntable that could top even our own Raven AC in terms of subtlety, ease and silence. In this we have succeeded, and the results are seriously impressive. The Black Night portrays the music's every detail with subtlety and stereo depth, whether it be human voice or instruments. Everywhere, you'll discover nuances that had previously remained hidden. Attack and decay of transient notes are reproduced impressively. Thanks to the three-motor drive and the battery power supply, the Raven Black Night does its job with poise, serenity and composure, yet just like the other TW-Acustic turntables, it is highly dynamic, involving and rich in timbre. The Raven Black Night is incredibly musical, its spatial presentation is so three-dimensional and tangible that the music is always reproduced with the utmost authenticity. As with the Raven AC, the Black Night also provides for the use of up to four tonearms. As an additional feature, we have developed an armboard that allows VTA to be safely and accurately adjusted during operation. This is achieved via a knurled thumbwheel, which allows adjustment to be precisely carried out without float.

Product description: Raven Black Night
High mass turntable.
Weight: Chassis 30kg
Platter: 20kg
Motor unit: 10kg
Motor control unit: 5kg

Dimensions: 470mm x 420mm (wxd), motor 270mm x 270mm
Total footprint: 790mm x 420mm (wxd)

Chassis construction:
Material: 60mm aluminium, ceramic bead blasted and silk matt black anodised.
Inlet: 25mm of TW-Acustic's proprietary composite-based compound, rigidly screwed to chassis.
Feet and all other attachments are also ceramic bead blasted and silk matt black anodised aluminium.
Feet: four, ceramic bead blasted and silk matt black anodised aluminium, designed and built by TW-Acustic featuring ball and spring suspension.

Platter construction:
Material: 40mm copper in combination with 20mm of our special compound let into and screwed together with the copper platter.

Bearing:
Bronze bearing, 16mm hard metal shaft with large ground radius running on a thrust washer of 'Material S ® (green)'. This is a special low-pressure PE based material with a very low coefficient of friction and very high wear resistance, giving a long maintenance free life without the need for additional lubrication. Bushing is machined exactly to fit the bearing with zero float, yet remains replaceable.

Motor:
60mm aluminium, ceramic bead blasted and silk matt black anodised, in identical shape to the Raven Black Night but 60% smaller. 4 height-adjustable feet on the outer corners. 3 motors arranged in an arrow formation, pointing towards the platter. Drive belt is guided through the drive pulleys and around the circumference of the platter.

Motor control unit:
Two built-in power supplies - one is exclusively used to charge the batteries. In normal operation the motors run from the battery supply alone, controlled by a microcontroller. Switching between battery and mains supplies occurs automatically without interrupting operation, as does battery charging. A remaining charge indicator is included on the front panel.
Battery complement: 20 x rechargeable AA cells.
Run time on battery operation only: Approx. 20 hours.

Armboard:
Up to four tonearms may be fitted. Armboards are equipped with an on-the-fly VTA riser, offering an adjustment range of up to 10mm with zero float.

Raven AC Turntable

Designed by Thomas Woschnick, the Raven AC is a true high end turntable benefiting from the finest German engineering, build quality and attention to detail. Consisting of a solid base machined from a specially developed high density polymer, a one-piece bearing and a heavy composite platter together with pure copper, this turntable ensures the ultimate in stability and control. Drive is provided by a microprocessor controlled DC motor employing quartz crystal referencing to ensure accurate speed to within 0.000000002 seconds per minute. This high torque motor enables the 10kg platter to reach operating speed within one second, via a maintenance free belt. The tonearm is fitted to the turntable via a bronze armboard. It is possible to fit up to four tonearms to the Raven at once. The result of this no-compromise approach is an effortlessly natural sound throughout the entire frequency range, extremely high resolution coupled with ultra-precise timing and a tightly controlled bass that retains all its detail.

Specifications:
• Solid turntable - total weight 50kg. Platter weight 10kg
• Materials - custom high density polymer, stainless steel
• Inverted one-piece bearing with capillary lubrication
• Tightest manufacturing tolerances
• High-torque DC motor, quartz referenced and microprocessor controlled
• Speed accurate to 2 nanoseconds per minute
• Motor controller is fully adjustable and programmable
• Spin-up time - 1 second
• Extremely smooth and quiet in operation
• Stillpoint feet
• New Motor Controller
• Optional extra bronze armboards

Please note: Armboards now available for all tonearms.

For prices please call or email sales@gtaudio.com

Raven AC

Raven AC with Schröder SQ arm

Raven-One Turntable

The Raven-One turntable is a true high end turntable at an unbelievable price. Made to the same exacting standards as its bigger brother the Raven AC, it benefits from the finest engineering, build quality and attention to detail that we have come to expect from the Germans. Consisting of a solid base machined from a specially developed high density polymer, a one-piece bearing and a heavy composite platter, this turntable ensures the ultimate in stability and control. Drive is provided by a microprocessor controlled DC motor employing quartz crystal referencing to ensure accurate speed to within 2 nano seconds per minute. This high torque motor enables the 6kg platter to reach operating speed within one second, via a maintenance free belt. The tonearm is fitted to the turntable via a armboard made from the same high density polymer as the base. It is possible to fit two tonearms to the Raven-One and in this configuration the motor is moved to the left side of the turntable a la Raven AC. The result is quite astonishing, the Raven-One produces an effortlessly natural sound throughout the entire frequency range, with extremely high resolution, coupled with ultra-precise timing and effortless bass that retains all its detail. Having owned most of the top tables in the world, I would say that it is almost impossible to achieve this level of performance for the price.

Specifications:
• Solid turntable - total weight 21kg. Platter weight 6kg
• Materials - custom high density polymer, stainless steel
• Inverted one-piece bearing with capillary lubrication
• Tightest manufacturing tolerances
• High-torque DC motor, quartz referenced and microprocessor controlled
• Speed accurate to 2 nanoseconds per minute
• Motor controller is fully adjustable and programmable
• Spin-up time - 1 second
• Extremely smooth and quiet in operation
• Millennium feet
• Optional extra armboards

Please note: Armboards now available for all tonearms including the Naim Aro - see right.

For further enquiries and prices please call or email sales@gtaudio.com

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Raven-One with Vivid 2 tonearm

Raven-One with Naim Aro

J. C. Verdier - Nouvelle and Platine Verdier Turntables

The Nouvelle Platine is a very new turntable from J.C. Verdier. It is based on the Platine Verdier and has most of its endearing qualities but is more affordable and like the Platine Verdier is now becoming recognised as a milestone in turntable design. Here are some of its unique features: The plinth is pneumatically decoupled via air bellows and damped like a car shock absorber. The deck is levelled by rotating the three feet under the plinth. The platter which weights 16kgs (35lbs) of non-magnetic alloy is supported on a bed of oil. This principle is similar to the Platine Verdier's magnetic repulsion and removes the need for a thrust bearing. This principle significantly reduces bearing noise and in practice it also reduces record surface noise. Dissimilar metals are used between the record spindle and the platter, which further helps to decouple the record from the platter and bearing. There are two ways of driving the platter e.g. rubber belt or linen thread. It is down to the customer to choose which one they prefer. I have found the linen is superior to the rubber belt. A low inertia high torque motor is used to drive the platter and this is fitted in a separate housing to reduce the amount of motor vibration from getting into the platter. The motor has two speeds: 33 & 45rpm and is fully adjustable so speed can be adjusted +/- 5% The Nouvelle Platine has the capability for mounting two tone arms. It comes with two arm boards, one pre-drilled for an SME and one blank for an alternative tonearm. The sound of the Nouvelle Platine is very similar to that of its bigger brother. It has the same tone and character and if you consider its price, it is an audiophile bargain.

For prices please call or email sales@gtaudio.com

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J.C. Verdier has been manufacturing and exporting this turntable for over twenty years. It is now recognised all over the world as one of the finest, if not the finest sounding turntable available today. This is even more remarkable when you consider how little it has changed in those 20 years. Here are some of the unique features which have lead to its cult status: The plinth is pneumatically decoupled via air bellows and damped like a car shock absorber. The top of the bellows has an adjuster for levelling the turntable. This is a very simple operation as the three knurled adjusters are on top of the plinth for ease of set-up. The platter which weights 16Kgs (35lbs) of non-magnetic alloy is supported by magnetic repulsion and removes the need for a thrust bearing. This principle significantly reduces bearing noise and in practice it also reduces record surface noise. Dissimilar metals are used between the record spindle and the platter, which helps to further decouple the record from the platter and bearing. There are two ways of driving the platter e.g. rubber belt or linen thread. It is down to the customer to choose which one they prefer. I have found the linen is superior to the rubber belt. A low inertia high torque motor is used to drive the platter and this is fitted in a separate housing to reduce the amount of motor vibration from getting into the platter. The motor now has three speeds: 33, 45 & 78rpm and is fully adjustable so speed can be adjusted +/- 5% The Platine Verdier has the capability for mounting two tone arms. It comes with two arm boards, one pre-drilled for an SME and one blank for an alternative tonearm. If you want to own the classic combination of a 12 inch SME and Ortofon SPU then our own version of the SME 3012 is the one to have. However if you want to achieve the best possible results then the Platine Verdier with the Schroder Reference tonearm with an Allaerts cartridge is the ultimate. This combination will make the hairs stand up on the back of your neck.

For prices please call or email sales@gtaudio.com

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Breuer tonearm

This tonearm is highly recommnded by Thomas Woschnick of TW Acustic, and is now available to order in the UK with any TW Acustic turntable.

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ZYX

Sensational audiophile cartridges from Japan

Regarded as one, if not the top cartridge manufacturers in the world, ZYX (pronounced "ziks") is now establishing itself very well in the UK. The R1000 Airy now in version 3 status and using the exclusive "micro ridge" stylus makes for the quietest groove tracing ever! To hear what these cartridges can do why not call us for a demonstration.

Specification:
• 4D

• R1000 Airy 3

• R100 'Fuji'

• R100 'Yatra'

• R100H

• R50 'Bloom'

For prices please call or email sales@gtaudio.com

Please beware of "grey import" ZYX cartridges in the UK. Any cartridge that has not been imported by us will not be covered by ANY warranty. G T Audio is the official UK distributor for these cartridges so please call us if you are in any doubt and we will be only too happy to advise. We have serial number records to establish all official imported products.

UK approved dealers for ZYX cartridges are:

Audio Emotion (Scotland) tel: 01333 425 999
Avondale Audio (Derbyshire) tel: 01246 200096
Cool Gales (Wiltshire) tel: 01225 478400
Origin Live (Hampshire) tel: 02380 578877
Noteworthy Audio (Bucks) tel: 01296 422224
Radlett Audio (Essex) tel: 01799 599080
Ian Harrison Hi-Fi (Derbyshire) tel: 01283 702875
Retro Reproductions (Scotland) tel: 0131 558 9989
Trans-Fi (Hertfordshire) TransFiAudio@aol.com
Time Audio (Essex & Kent) tel 01277 627184
G T Audio (London) tel: 01895 833099

Any dealer not listed above will be selling grey import ZYX cartridges which will not be optimised for the UK climate.

For further details e-mail us at sales@gtaudio.com.

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4D

R-1000 Airy 3

R-100 Fuji

R-100 Yatra

R-100H

R-50 Bloom

Allaerts Cartridges

Jan Allaerts has been producing excellent hand made moving coil cartridges since 1987. Jan started repairing other manufacturer's cartridges and soon realised their limitations, so he decided to produce his own based on a no compromise design. Jan now produces 5 models starting with the MC1 ECO, MC1B, MC1B Mk II, MC2 Finish and finally the very latest MC2 Formula 1. Each cartridge takes anything form 30 to 60 hours to make therefore you, the customer is guaranteed to own something very special. The Formula 1 cartridge is certainly the finest in the world today and to obtain the most from its design we have made a special version of the TRON Seven phono stage with 80dB of gain to be able to cope with the F1's 100 microvolts output.

In every area of performance an Allaerts cartridge beats all competition, and these are by far the finest cartridges you can buy today, but above all they play music in the most natural way - just like the real thing!

Please note: that because all Allaerts cartridges are hand made in small numbers (exclusively by Jan himself), they are always in great demand and therefore you may experience a delay in getting your dream cartridge.

For prices please call or email sales@gtaudio.com

Read for yourself the Hi-Fi Choice review (June 2003) in which Jason Kennedy described the MC1B as "a cartridge that proved impossible to criticise".

For technical specifications or a copy of the Hi-Fi Choice review (June 2000) or Hi-Fi Plus review (2001) on the MC1B, please call or e-mail us at sales@gtaudio.com.

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