$125,000 USD for a phonostage ? Come on !!! I guess the manufacturer is trying very hard to fund his retirement...lol
I know and i am very friend with Mr Imai,that visit me in my home 4/5 times and every Christmas,Birthday,new year always write to me.
When need to find some distributor in Italy,or need some,always ask suggestion to me.
He is very simple and i never listen him speaking bad of some other brands.
15 years ago one my friend went to Japan to visit him and he listen Imaisan talking with another italian guy that want to buy and ask discount.
He replay to come another time because is not ready for his sound.
So he is not a businessman
I had his system since 1993 to 2012 and i can tell are the most natural sound i listen.I put in comparison,Mactone M8 V otl,Sakuma,Shindo petrous with WE 300 B limited and Shinonia,and all top ANJ Gakuon,M10,Kegon,Ongaku,M7 ksl and Souga,but no comparison,AT was the most transparent and natural
I know well this TT and listen many many times because Italian distributor has,is very good but i always listen it a little dark,could be there is too much Carbon block,but is really very good.
I had same model made from Be Yamamura in 1992 and was amazing
I love AT,then for some reason i change since 2012
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Very peculiar turntable. For more images see: https://www.facebook.com/fonolab.lounge/posts/1138273899529921
You have right,
is TT and his cartridges on dark side with a weak bass
The pre 9501 and mono amp 9502 are incredible natural and transparent
What an incredible looking machine that turntable is. I'm just now getting into Audio Tekne and for me it's been a true revelation. I'm surprised you say the Audio Tekne cartridge is boring. On my 4Point this is the best cartridge I have heard (when using a matching Audio Tekne phono pre). I also wouldn't call the Audio Tekne house sound "dark", but it is quite a bit different for sure. If you need that artificial high end sizzle then it's probably not for you. Extremely natural and live sounding in my opinion.
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I am wondering why (almost) know body doesn't know the Audio Tekne ACP 8801MKII Turntable Made Fully from Carbon :
- Separate Power Supply Whit 2 input tubes and 2x300B Tubes (!)
- Separate Turntable Motor
- Turntable whit Air Bearing
- Turntable Arm from Carbon.
- Air Pump
I have heard this TT at Distributors Studio side to side to Vertere s Beautiful Reference TT and Arm and i am very much shocked why the Techdas Airforce one,Walker Audio,Kronos pro and even Micro Seiki SX8000MKII or American Sound boys do not talk and did not discovered this Master Work of Mr Kiyoaki Imai..?
Its truly a Stradivarius in the Hype and also not Hype TT world it is the most undiscovered probably therefor also most underrated Maestro...
Since few days i am very happy and proud owner and it is not burned inn and also not fine tuned i didn't listened to different combinations of Power-cables, Phono-cables yet...
It sounds yet after even only 15 hours of Burninn very promising and wonderful.
I will keep posting and will be glad answering your questions.
Can you make a video of your system playing an LP and share it with us for a taste of the sound?I think this table looks very cool and I like the design concept. I am not so sure about the closed system and all of that carbon material though. I would love to learn more. Perhaps the reason people who like high mass belt drive air bearing tables don't talk about this much is that so few people seem to have heard it.
Can you make a video of your system playing an LP and share it with us for a taste of the sound?
One with your wonderful CS Port LFT 1 would also be very welcome and most enjoyable. Many thanksCan you make a video of your system playing an LP and share it with us for a taste of the sound?
I will soon!
Looks great congratulations!Some pictures of my Audio Tekne ACP-8801. This is a new version that Imai made for me called the “simple drive system”. There is no 300B drive unit. It’s a new drive system that is integrated into the motor box.
Yes, the Audio Tekne cartridge.Looks great congratulations!
What Cartridge are you using the Audio Tekne?
So as i understand the powersuply is integrated in the motor drive system and it is not a Tube Power Suply?
So is it built only to fit the audiotekne cartridge?Trying out a Fuuga cartridge… Works surprisingly well given the arm has no adjustments other than VTF and there is no slotted headshell.
So is it built only to fit the audiotekne cartridge?
Trying out a Fuuga cartridge… Works surprisingly well given the arm has no adjustments other than VTF and there is no slotted headshell.
Which cartridge do you use on the 3012R?It’s designed for their cartridge, yes. You can use others though with success. Audio Tekne makes an optional slotted headshell for their arm. I may get it just to see if there is a difference. As far as I can tell the current geometry does not follow any standard and Imai seemed to imply it doesn't really matter. It's a unique turntable system for sure, which breaks some rules, but works extremely well. Clearly superior to my CSPort TAT2 3012R combo.
The SME looks like a toy in comparison.
What do you think of the Fuuga? My experience with a single cartridge is that it comes out of the box requiring little adjustment other than VTF if you can start with the headshell parallel to the platter in both dimensions.
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