Analogue Heaven in Paris - My Visit to Ana Mighty Sound

dcc

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François, the owner of Ana Mighty Sound, is a close friend. Due to the pandemic, I was unable to cross the border to pay him a visit we both had been expecting for a very long time. Having been fully vaccinated over the summer, it was about time to go to Paris.

Ana Mighty Sound’ showroom is located in a very quiet street of the 20th arrondissement where you can still feel the true Parisian spirit. Having lived myself in Paris for several years, I had a sense of being projected back 25 years ago whereas the neighbourhood where I lived has suffered from the gentrification and has lost some its charm.

François’ showroom is solely dedicated to analogue and operates by appointment only to provide the best customer experience.

IMG_0881.JPG

There are no less than 9 turntables on direct display and ready to be played: PTP, Thrax, AMG, Reed, Döhmann and CS Port with multiple tonearms from AMG, Reed, Schröder, Glanz and CS Port. The choice of cartridges is commensurate: Sculpture A - the inhouse brand, Allaerts, Phasemation, My Sonic Lab, Mutech and many others as well as a large choice of step up transformers among others Sculpture A, Phasemation, Thrax and Consolidated Audio.

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There are two STST turntables and a Garrard 301 in the backroom ready to be set up if need be.

Phono stages are from Sculpture A, Phasemation, CS Port and Thrax.

The main loudspeakers are the Thrax Lyra SE with the active subwoofer Bassus. These high-resolution loudspeakers are driven either by a DarTZeel preamp/power amp combo or a Thrax preamp/mono power amps combo comprising among others the Libra preamp which I am rather familiar with as I own one.

IMG_0881.JPG

There are several integrated from DarTZeel and Thrax should you wish to go for a more compact system. The new bookshelf loudspeakers from Thrax, the Sirens, just landed should you want to listen to a more diminutive but not less impressive setup.

François distributes Stacore platforms, Elpispandora and Black Cat cables. He has also developed his own phono cables.

Ana Mighty Sound will soon represent the Steinheim loudspeakers and Hervé Deletraz will ship him a pair of DarTZeel NHB 468. I would have loved listening to the Thrax Spartacus 300B but they were not in the showroom during my visit.

Ana Mighty Sound has a tree tier analogue offering articulated around the following turntables:

- Top: AMG Viola Forte, Döhmman Helix 1, CS Port TAT2 and LFT1

- Middle: Thrax Yatrus, AMG Viella and Reed Muse 3C

- Entry: PTP and AMG Giro

I spent almost three days at François’ place and he complied with all my wishes.

I listened to all turntables and none of the setups were disappointing. Each of them has its idiosyncrasies. It is a matter of personal taste and budget. Even the « Entry” level offer provides limitless pleasure.

I am currently building a small « office system » which will incorporate a basic turntable hence I wanted to compare some entry level gear namely tonearms and cartridges. In a matter of minutes, the AMG Giro and the PTP turntables were set up with Phasemation PP 200 cartridges so I could make a direct comparison.

The highlights of my visits were:

Top: CS Port LFT1 turntable with the new Sculpture A cartridge connected to a full Thrax system via a Consolidated Audio Silver SUT

Middle: The Reed Muse 3C turntable set up in idler mode with a Reed tonearm and connected to the DarTZeel preamp/power amp combo via a Phasemation EA550 phono stage and a SUT from the same brand

Entry: PTP with a Schröder tonearm and Phasemation PP 200 cart connected to an integrated Thrax via a Phasemation EA350 phono stage and a Sculpture A SUT

If you are in Paris, do not hesitate to call François for an appointment. You won’t be disappointed.
 

Addicted to hifi

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François, the owner of Ana Mighty Sound, is a close friend. Due to the pandemic, I was unable to cross the border to pay him a visit we both had been expecting for a very long time. Having been fully vaccinated over the summer, it was about time to go to Paris.

Ana Mighty Sound’ showroom is located in a very quiet street of the 20th arrondissement where you can still feel the true Parisian spirit. Having lived myself in Paris for several years, I had a sense of being projected back 25 years ago whereas the neighbourhood where I lived has suffered from the gentrification and has lost some its charm.

François’ showroom is solely dedicated to analogue and operates by appointment only to provide the best customer experience.

View attachment 82257

There are no less than 9 turntables on direct display and ready to be played: PTP, Thrax, AMG, Reed, Döhmann and CS Port with multiple tonearms from AMG, Reed, Schröder, Glanz and CS Port. The choice of cartridges is commensurate: Sculpture A - the inhouse brand, Allaerts, Phasemation, My Sonic Lab, Mutech and many others as well as a large choice of step up transformers among others Sculpture A, Phasemation, Thrax and Consolidated Audio.

View attachment 82258

View attachment 82259

View attachment 82260

There are two STST turntables and a Garrard 301 in the backroom ready to be set up if need be.

Phono stages are from Sculpture A, Phasemation, CS Port and Thrax.

The main loudspeakers are the Thrax Lyra SE with the active subwoofer Bassus. These high-resolution loudspeakers are driven either by a DarTZeel preamp/power amp combo or a Thrax preamp/mono power amps combo comprising among others the Libra preamp which I am rather familiar with as I own one.

View attachment 82261

There are several integrated from DarTZeel and Thrax should you wish to go for a more compact system. The new bookshelf loudspeakers from Thrax, the Sirens, just landed should you want to listen to a more diminutive but not less impressive setup.

François distributes Stacore platforms, Elpispandora and Black Cat cables. He has also developed his own phono cables.

Ana Mighty Sound will soon represent the Steinheim loudspeakers and Hervé Deletraz will ship him a pair of DarTZeel NHB 468. I would have loved listening to the Thrax Spartacus 300B but they were not in the showroom during my visit.

Ana Mighty Sound has a tree tier analogue offering articulated around the following turntables:

- Top: AMG Viola Forte, Döhmman Helix 1, CS Port TAT2 and LFT1

- Middle: Thrax Yatrus, AMG Viella and Reed Muse 3C

- Entry: PTP and AMG Giro

I spent almost three days at François’ place and he complied with all my wishes.

I listened to all turntables and none of the setups were disappointing. Each of them has its idiosyncrasies. It is a matter of personal taste and budget. Even the « Entry” level offer provides limitless pleasure.

I am currently building a small « office system » which will incorporate a basic turntable hence I wanted to compare some entry level gear namely tonearms and cartridges. In a matter of minutes, the AMG Giro and the PTP turntables were set up with Phasemation PP 200 cartridges so I could make a direct comparison.

The highlights of my visits were:

Top: CS Port LFT1 turntable with the new Sculpture A cartridge connected to a full Thrax system via a Consolidated Audio Silver SUT

Middle: The Reed Muse 3C turntable set up in idler mode with a Reed tonearm and connected to the DarTZeel preamp/power amp combo via a Phasemation EA550 phono stage and a SUT from the same brand

Entry: PTP with a Schröder tonearm and Phasemation PP 200 cart connected to an integrated Thrax via a Phasemation EA350 phono stage and a Sculpture A SUT

If you are in Paris, do not hesitate to call François for an appointment. You won’t be disappointed.
Awesome system.
 

spiritofmusic

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Jun 13, 2013
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I've heard the Thrax spkrs (sans Bassus), completely rewired internally, on Thrax monos. Hugely impressed.
 

djsina2

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May 30, 2019
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As I stayed for 3 days, I had plenty of time to listen to all turntables. The TAT2 is superb but the LFT1 is even better.
Do you have any experience with TechDAS? If so, how does the TAT2 compare with AF5, AF5P, AF3?
 

Mike Lavigne

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love it!!!! i've seen mentions of Ana Mighty Sound with the interesting brands he carries, and had been curious about it.

all those tt's and his focus on analog is admirable.

thank you for the report and pictures. as an owner of the CS Port LFT1 it's nice to hear that comparative feedback, that's what i hear too. i see he has the CS Port phono too (as do i); did you hear it? was it direct into the MC input or with an SUT?

like the darTZeel too obviously, and exciting he will be getting the 468's, which i love. hope to hear more about this place.
 
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dcc

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My experience with Techdas is limited to shows/exhibitions but I have listened to all of them with the exception of the Zero.

I found the TAT2 more engaging compared to the AF3 and AF3P. I listened to the TAT2 with 3 tonearms: the CSPort tangential, the Glanz and the Schröder. All of them gave a superb rendition.

I would take a LFT1 over an AF1P actually. My dream combo would be a TAT1 with the tangential tonearm and a second tonearm.
 
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dcc

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love it!!!! i've seen mentions of Ana Mighty Sound with the interesting brand he carries, and had been curious about it.

thank you for the report and pictures. as an owner of the CS Port LFT1 it's nice to hear that comparative feedback, that's what i hear too. i see he has the CS Port phono too (as do i); did you hear it? was it direct into the MC input or with an SUT?

like the darTZeel too obviously, and exciting he will be getting the 468's, which i love. hope to hear more about this place.
Hi Mike,

I listened to the CS Port phono stage direct into the MC input and with several SUTs (Consolidated Audio Silver, Sculpture A MC Step Up Silver which I know very well as I own both of them). My preference is definitely with a SUT in the setup.

I also compared the CS Port phono stage against the Thrax Orpheus. Both were equally impressive. At the end, it is a matter of personal preferences.
 

Mike Lavigne

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Apr 25, 2010
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I would take a LFT1 over an AF1P actually. My dream combo would be a TAT1 with the tangential tonearm and a second tonearm.
i've heard that preference from another person who owns both. i can understand why, but have not directly compared myself.

the LFT1 does delicacy and ease in a special way, very, very human sounding. absolutely zero sense of anything mechanical......which only manifests itself completely with comparative side by side listening. and it takes some serious listening and serious attention to all the details to get what it can give. but you are richly rewarded.

i think it's low flow, low pressure air bearing approach and linear tracker sets it up as singular.

it does not hurt that it's also a work of art. love to look at it and touch it. the TAT1 is also a beautiful work of turntable art IMHO.....but not heard it....yet.
 
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Solypsa

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I've been following these guys since they were Cala ;). When I decided to bring STST to the states I was watching their work with same closely.

It is very impressive to see Ana Mighty's recent growth, snagging top brands like Dart, Thrax and CS Port, all the while sticking to analog roots!
 

dcc

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My dream combo would be a TAT1 with the tangential tonearm and a second tonearm.
Well somehow my dream is materialising.

I ordered a CSPort TAT1 M2 turntable with the linear tracking tonearm and a SAT LM12 as well as the Phasemation EA-2000 phono stage. I will be keeping the Transfiguration Proteus Diamond cartridge. I count on François to help me finding the second cart.

I just need to wait a few months...
 

Ron Resnick

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Congratulations, dcc!
 

Fishfood

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I just need to wait a few months...
That what's not best about this hobby! No such thing as immediate satisfaction. So much waiting. I've been watching videos of my new turntable because the real thing still is a couple weeks away!

Can wait to see photos of your new table. Also my dream table.
 
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amadeus

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DCC thanks for sharing this journey whit us as user of CS Port LFT1 turntable whit Durand Tosca as second arm for 2 years know all i can say for the price and even for the double of the price the you cant find any other TT that comes close to LFT1 performance!Mr Machino San was so polite and helpful when i told him my wish to add a second arm to the LFT1 that he made a special granite top and arm wand so i was able to use Durand Tosca as second arm and what good choice it was....... LFT1 is so musical ,natural, fast ,dynamic and relaxed same time..... I know Tat2 which is also very musical and comes close of 90% of LFT1 performance.
Cs Port Phono is also great product when i compared it to Robert Koda Mc1 that costs 4x the price of Cs Port phono i sold the Robert Koda phono soon after, Cs Port phono was equal quality as RK Mc one phono in every aspect and even more liquid as bonus.... RK is 75K retail and CS Port phono 18K.....
 

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djsina2

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The only thing I don’t like about my TAT2 is there’s no auto standby like TechDAS has. Manually turning the table on and off from the rear is not ideal. I mentioned this to CSPort and they said they are thinking about adding this. Oh, and the slooow spin up time is also a downside. Other than that, sounds wonderful.
 

Bonesy Jonesy

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CSPort LFT1 vs Kuzma XL Air with Kuzma Airline Tonearm would be a great comparison (performance, use, maintenance, ownership etc.) with both being high mass and air bearing turntables. With both of these TT's being relatively new, maybe take a few years for people to own them !
 

dcc

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Nov 4, 2012
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DCC thanks for sharing this journey whit us as user of CS Port LFT1 turntable whit Durand Tosca as second arm for 2 years know all i can say for the price and even for the double of the price the you cant find any other TT that comes close to LFT1 performance!Mr Machino San was so polite and helpful when i told him my wish to add a second arm to the LFT1 that he made a special granite top and arm wand so i was able to use Durand Tosca as second arm and what good choice it was....... LFT1 is so musical ,natural, fast ,dynamic and relaxed same time..... I know Tat2 which is also very musical and comes close of 90% of LFT1 performance.
Cs Port Phono is also great product when i compared it to Robert Koda Mc1 that costs 4x the price of Cs Port phono i sold the Robert Koda phono soon after, Cs Port phono was equal quality as RK Mc one phono in every aspect and even more liquid as bonus.... RK is 75K retail and CS Port phono 18K.....
Hi Amadeus,

The LFT1 is the turntable that has impressed me the most among the high end turntables I had the chance to listen over the past years. I opted for the TAT1 M2 as it fits on my Stacore platform and rack whereas the LFT1 is too wide. It is basically the LFT1 without the separate tonearm module as the two tonearms are attached to the plinth via bespoke tonearm boards.

I also confirm that CSPort is highly responsive. As soon as they obtained via Ana Mighty Sound the technical drawings of the SAT tonearms, I received within a day, a highly detailed drawing of the turntable layout with the two tonearms.

I had the chance to listen to the CSPort phono stage in my main system https://www.whatsbestforum.com/thre...es-in-my-home-system.34341/page-2#post-807125. It is indeed a beautiful phono stage but IMHO the Phasemation EA-2000 is a league above (unfortunately not the same budget either).

Kind regards,

DCC
 

ashandger

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Jun 14, 2013
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Well somehow my dream is materialising.

I ordered a CSPort TAT1 M2 turntable with the linear tracking tonearm and a SAT LM12 as well as the Phasemation EA-2000 phono stage. I will be keeping the Transfiguration Proteus Diamond cartridge. I count on François to help me finding the second cart.

I just need to wait a few months...
Congrats on your new CSPort TAT1 M2 turntable. Is it possible for you to share your thought on how the TAT1 compares with your Brinkmann Balance? I appreciate that you don't have it in your own system yet so difficult to be exact but any initial thoughts you can share would be very helpful? For example, what characteristics really stood out during your demos? No worries if not possible. Many thanks
 

iaxel

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