How much Better / How Different does Continuum Caliburn sound than today's Top Turntables?

caesar

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May 30, 2010
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Looks like Fremer has inserted himself in the "Great" Peter Breuninger - "Sterile" Jon Valin "Best" turntable feud. I guess he got jealous about some pedestrian guys talking about the best turntable - when his personal brand is synonymous with analog.

Now I like Fremer. Because of his strong personal brand, he is one of the few guys who has the beitzim to call things as they are, compared to most of the other smegma who pretend to be audio journalists, but because of misaligned incentives just serve as marketing representatives for the brands they review. (and they review what they like, praise it as "best", so they get discounts or free loans on their favorite gear, in perpetuity...)

But where Fremer is off base is when he says that Valin and Breuninger are wrong because they haven't heard every table in the world. What Fremer seems to be missing is this is a subjective hobby! Even if they heard every table in the world, along with 250 other "experts", it doesn't mean anyone would agree. We are, of course, talking about guys' imagination of what sounds real to them inside their mind! (And like other feuds that involve imagination in this world, thank God those 2 guys did not carry knives, guns, or small nuclear weapons! :)

Anyways, how good is Fremer's favorite table? What does it do well and where does it come up short against other highly regarded tables?
 

bonzo75

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Feb 26, 2014
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Thuchan sold his Continuum for microseiki 8000 and preferred that and now has EMT 927. I think his forum name is airbearing.
 

cjfrbw

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Apr 20, 2010
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Isn't the Continuum discontinuumed?
 

bonzo75

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Isn't the Continuum discontinuumed?

No they had it at Munich last year with Neolith. And their designer mark doehman had one of his own
 

Loheswaran

Well-Known Member
Dec 19, 2014
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Looks like Fremer has inserted himself in the "Great" Peter Breuninger - "Sterile" Jon Valin "Best" turntable feud. I guess he got jealous about some pedestrian guys talking about the best turntable - when his personal brand is synonymous with analog.

Now I like Fremer. Because of his strong personal brand, he is one of the few guys who has the beitzim to call things as they are, compared to most of the other smegma who pretend to be audio journalists, but because of misaligned incentives just serve as marketing representatives for the brands they review. (and they review what they like, praise it as "best", so they get discounts or free loans on their favorite gear, in perpetuity...)

But where Fremer is off base is when he says that Valin and Breuninger are wrong because they haven't heard every table in the world. What Fremer seems to be missing is this is a subjective hobby! Even if they heard every table in the world, along with 250 other "experts", it doesn't mean anyone would agree. We are, of course, talking about guys' imagination of what sounds real to them inside their mind! (And like other feuds that involve imagination in this world, thank God those 2 guys did not carry knives, guns, or small nuclear weapons! :)

Anyways, how good is Fremer's favorite table? What does it do well and where does it come up short against other highly regarded tables?

The most honest reviewer is without doubt Martin Colloms - maybe a tad Naim/Linn flavoured - but his magazine has no advertising and he's one of the few reviewers to genuinely call something rubbish.

Fremer lost my respect over the Whest 0.20 phono stage review - read the 2 reviews - the first was utterly flattering bettering the Manley Steelhead - next review (post Manley chats regarding adverts in Stereophile mag) - it was a pile of crap...

Roy Gregory was superb until he fell in love with Audiofreaks - sadly HiFi plus has gone a bit naff with the current main reviewer who says everything is great.

Hi fi is all about taste - it ain't like a car review where one can evaluate MPH/Torque. Lets be honest more bass/treble/speed - is not gonna make x better than y. So a totally subjective evaluation then. I just hope for honesty, and I am convinced there are more authentic reviewers than Fremer - in fact Art dudley is a better reviewer at Stereophile
 

Halcro

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Dec 25, 2012
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Thuchan sold his Continuum for microseiki 8000 and preferred that and now has EMT 927. I think his forum name is airbearing.

Thuchan had his EMT R80 long before his Continuum Criterion....which he still has and loves.
It is the SX 8000 that he in fact sold.
 

Halcro

Well-Known Member
Dec 25, 2012
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No they had it at Munich last year with Neolith. And their designer mark doehman had one of his own

The Caliburn and Criterion (both designed by Mark Doehmann) are no longer made by Continuum and Mark hasn't been with the company for over seven years.
He has designed a new table reviewed by Fremer in Stereophile and as a sad indictment of the industry.....Mark could never afford to own the Caliburn that he designed...:confused:
 

bonzo75

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Thuchan had his EMT R80 long before his Continuum Criterion....which he still has and loves.
It is the SX 8000 that he in fact sold.

I thought he sold the 8000 for emt 927
 

bonzo75

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Feb 26, 2014
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The Caliburn and Criterion (both designed by Mark Doehmann) are no longer made by Continuum and Mark hasn't been with the company for over seven years.
He has designed a new table reviewed by Fremer in Stereophile and as a sad indictment of the industry.....Mark could never afford to own the Caliburn that he designed...:confused:

Hi these played at Munich last year. The Doehmann was in an Ypsilon (with Wilson, I think) and Continuum was with Neolith. Possibly the latter want a current make, maybe the distributor got his own, can't say
 

squasher

Well-Known Member
Apr 7, 2016
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Does Thuchan participate in any online forums or, better yet, respond to questions from other audiophiles?

I've owned a Continuum Criterion for over 6 months now and would like to get another owner's perspective on how to get the best sound out of it. Frankly, I'm too busy enjoying tape to spend much time with it but I KNOW I haven't optimized it yet.
 

microstrip

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May 30, 2010
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Portugal
Does Thuchan participate in any online forums or, better yet, respond to questions from other audiophiles?

I've owned a Continuum Criterion for over 6 months now and would like to get another owner's perspective on how to get the best sound out of it. Frankly, I'm too busy enjoying tape to spend much time with it but I KNOW I haven't optimized it yet.

Thuchan has a very interesting online forum https://audiocirc.com/category/various/
 

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