CS Port LFT1 turntable added to the system

[Mike Lavigne]

just amazing! Bach at his best!

listening to this box set of Brandenburg Concreto's on the CS Port -> GFS -> CS Port phono. i've played this before, and liked it. but it never sounded like this. i can't imagine a more perfect presentation for this music. it is ultra smooth and ultra detailed, but with an effervescent exuberance and sparkle, a fire. it glows like molten embers. the sound-stage is wrap around and just so natural, effortless and flowing.

texture and timbre is off the charts, with zero glare or edge, and superb density of color and nuance. perfect balance. excites every molecule in the room with energy.

i'm not qualified to judge classical music performance; but i like the flow and pace of this recording, it's open and clear, with low noise floors. and it seems enthusiastic compared to some others. i differ to any that really know for a higher viewpoint.

side C, #6, then start of #5.......right now.

Telefunken SWAT 9456/60-A

https://www.discogs.com/Johann-Seba...Brandenburgische-Konzerte-1-6/release/3038415

 

[NorthStar]

Can it be in big part attributed to the linear tracking arm?

 

[Mike Lavigne]

Can it be in big part attributed to the linear tracking arm?

Bob,

maybe?

but i can't really confidently break it down like that. there are many parts in harmony to get the result. likely the linear tracking arm contributes a touch less phase distortion than most pivoted arm alternatives so that might be significant in terms of cutting down typical Baroque music high frequency glare, and turning it to sounds that are music to our ears. that is just a hunch and don't really know if that is how it works.

i'm sure the speed solidity of the CS Port design has it's part in the lack of grain and congestion typical for this type of music. i hear such a natural flow without any sort of congealing of parts. just natural music.

i've not heard quite this degree of nuance and subtle textures before. so this is new ground for me. and maybe this particular style of music plays to the overall balance of the CS Port.

lots of conjecture and dot connecting there......who really knows? like peeling an onion we just have to venture forth and see where we go. i'm trying to just listen to music and not be thinking critically about gear. then i'm startled and try to rationalize why.

 

[108CY]

The Cs port tonearm is a mighty fine affair, I have tried the Fidelity research fr66, ikeda 407 and the glanz so far on the CS port. While they have been enjoyable none of them have come close to the effortless naturalness that the cs port arm has rendered the most interesting thing is that it also has a real sense of weight. The tonearm has a huge billowing soundstage with and extremely plush and liquid midrange without sounding fat and overly dark. There is a sense of speed that I have not heard with any other low pressure tonearm combined with the nice qualities in the midrange of say the fr66 but with far more freedom and lack of artificial grain.

It is quite a trick I would certainly put it amongst the finest tonearms out there. It is certainly Unique, as it is the only low pressure low flow tonearm I have encountered. Air bearing tonearms usually come into two categories either high pressure low flow like the rockport and air tangent, kuzma etc where the air enters at high pressure in the moving assembly through a single hole restricting the flow of air. The second is Low pressure high flow like the early air tangents or the 2002 air tangent, for sell and bergman odin all work in this way, this design has many holes entering the air pipe at low pressure.

I generally can hear the difference in this approach but then also has to factor the implantation of different materials. The cs prt arm has on the other hand a single hole in the air pipe that allows a half machined moving assembly to glide at very low pressure its quite a trick. If feel the lack of grain and the sense of naturalness and evenness is coming from this design together with the choice of materials.

 

[spiritofmusic]

Fascinating Mik, I had wondered where my Terminator fell into this category, my arm obviously low pressure/high flow, w it's multiple airholes.

Quite a feat to have just the one hole and low pressure. My current LT arm is designed to utilise lower pressure and more managed even flow than my previous one, and the difference is startling. The CS P arm is obviously going way beyond this.

A proper engineering breakthru for the CS P arm, and great sounding to boot. I'm sure a lot of this grain-free, smooth and hugely musical sound that Mike is achieving can be laid at the arm.

 

[Tango]

The Cs port tonearm is a mighty fine affair, I have tried the Fidelity research fr66, ikeda 407 and the glanz so far on the CS port. While they have been enjoyable none of them have come close to the effortless naturalness that the cs port arm has rendered the most interesting thing is that it also has a real sense of weight. The tonearm has a huge billowing soundstage with and extremely plush and liquid midrange without sounding fat and overly dark. There is a sense of speed that I have not heard with any other low pressure tonearm combined with the nice qualities in the midrange of say the fr66 but with far more freedom and lack of artificial grain.

It is quite a trick I would certainly put it amongst the finest tonearms out there. It is certainly Unique, as it is the only low pressure low flow tonearm I have encountered. Air bearing tonearms usually come into two categories either high pressure low flow like the rockport and air tangent, kuzma etc where the air enters at high pressure in the moving assembly through a single hole restricting the flow of air. The second is Low pressure high flow like the early air tangents or the 2002 air tangent, for sell and bergman odin all work in this way, this design has many holes entering the air pipe at low pressure.

I generally can hear the difference in this approach but then also has to factor the implantation of different materials. The cs prt arm has on the other hand a single hole in the air pipe that allows a half machined moving assembly to glide at very low pressure its quite a trick. If feel the lack of grain and the sense of naturalness and evenness is coming from this design together with the choice of materials.

Damn Mik. You describe it as if I hear it in Thai. You have one hell of a "flow" sir.

 

[spiritofmusic]

Tang, you know you want Vyger. And you now know you want CS Port. What's a poor boy to do?

 

[bonzo75]

Damn Mik. You describe it as if I hear it in Thai. You have one hell of a "flow" sir.

I am not sure I want to know what flow means in Bangkok

 

[Mike Lavigne]

The Cs port tonearm is a mighty fine affair, I have tried the Fidelity research fr66, ikeda 407 and the glanz so far on the CS port. While they have been enjoyable none of them have come close to the effortless naturalness that the cs port arm has rendered the most interesting thing is that it also has a real sense of weight. The tonearm has a huge billowing soundstage with and extremely plush and liquid midrange without sounding fat and overly dark. There is a sense of speed that I have not heard with any other low pressure tonearm combined with the nice qualities in the midrange of say the fr66 but with far more freedom and lack of artificial grain.

It is quite a trick I would certainly put it amongst the finest tonearms out there. It is certainly Unique, as it is the only low pressure low flow tonearm I have encountered. Air bearing tonearms usually come into two categories either high pressure low flow like the rockport and air tangent, kuzma etc where the air enters at high pressure in the moving assembly through a single hole restricting the flow of air. The second is Low pressure high flow like the early air tangents or the 2002 air tangent, for sell and bergman odin all work in this way, this design has many holes entering the air pipe at low pressure.

I generally can hear the difference in this approach but then also has to factor the implantation of different materials. The cs prt arm has on the other hand a single hole in the air pipe that allows a half machined moving assembly to glide at very low pressure its quite a trick. If feel the lack of grain and the sense of naturalness and evenness is coming from this design together with the choice of materials.

thank you Mik, for explaining what is going on. i will note the location of this post, as i'm sure over time i will refer back to it instead of me stumbling and bumbling trying to explain it.

 

[Hi-FiGuy]

Hmm. Everyone knows that free range, 489 million year old granite really is the sweet spot for audiophile granite....

Steroid free at that!
Congratulations Mike, the evolution continues.

 

[howiebrou]

The Cs port tonearm is a mighty fine affair, I have tried the Fidelity research fr66, ikeda 407 and the glanz so far on the CS port. While they have been enjoyable none of them have come close to the effortless naturalness that the cs port arm has rendered the most interesting thing is that it also has a real sense of weight. The tonearm has a huge billowing soundstage with and extremely plush and liquid midrange without sounding fat and overly dark. There is a sense of speed that I have not heard with any other low pressure tonearm combined with the nice qualities in the midrange of say the fr66 but with far more freedom and lack of artificial grain.

It is quite a trick I would certainly put it amongst the finest tonearms out there. It is certainly Unique, as it is the only low pressure low flow tonearm I have encountered. Air bearing tonearms usually come into two categories either high pressure low flow like the rockport and air tangent, kuzma etc where the air enters at high pressure in the moving assembly through a single hole restricting the flow of air. The second is Low pressure high flow like the early air tangents or the 2002 air tangent, for sell and bergman odin all work in this way, this design has many holes entering the air pipe at low pressure.

I generally can hear the difference in this approach but then also has to factor the implantation of different materials. The cs prt arm has on the other hand a single hole in the air pipe that allows a half machined moving assembly to glide at very low pressure its quite a trick. If feel the lack of grain and the sense of naturalness and evenness is coming from this design together with the choice of materials.

Which Glanz may i ask? The MH-124S? I have one sitting in a box waiting to be installed sometime...

 

[Mike Lavigne]

the CS Port really likes vocals. you hear the whole person and their energy in a deeper way. the CS Port adds a sense of weight and power to vocal textures that projects a realism that is entrancing. vocals are relaxed and there is zero stridency.

even modern pop vocals (likely mostly digitally sourced) benefit. i'm a Leonard Cohen fan and as you can imagine his voice really works for the CS Port. right now i'm listening to Popular Problems and i'm sucked into it more than i recall before.

 

[bazelio]

The CS Port sounds like a great find, Mike. Of your three tables, it's sounding like the one I'd pick if (I mean "since") I could only have one. The Brandenburg Concertos are among my absolute favorites as well. I'd never seen that particular record. I have the Karl Richter on Archiv which is very good. My favorite versions are performed on period instruments though. Many consider "historically accurate" performances to be lean and dry. I do not. Enjoy!

 

[spiritofmusic]

Mike, can you play some complex polyrhthmic late 60s/early 70s material? Electric Miles, late period free Coltrane, Herbie Hancock funk, Can, early Weather Report etc.

Report back how CS P holds up making sense of fuzz bass, Fender Rhodes, scaling sax etc.

There can be a tendency for "pretty", tidy, spacious analog rigs to sound a little jittery, or atomised, on busy, dense, sometimes atonal fusion-type music, all sizzle and no steak.

I'm not expecting the CS P to be this, but your description places it in ethereal terms. Can it get down and dirty?

 

[howiebrou]

The CS Port sounds like a great find, Mike. Of your three tables, it's sounding like the one I'd pick if (I mean "since") I could only have one. The Brandenburg Concertos are among my absolute favorites as well. I'd never seen that particular record. I have the Karl Richter on Archiv which is very good. My favorite versions are performed on period instruments though. Many consider "historically accurate" performances to be lean and dry. I do not. Enjoy!

One of my prized Cds is a set of Brandenburg Concertos by the Academy for Ancient Music signed by Christopher Hogwood.

 

[Mike Lavigne]

Mike, can you play some complex polyrhthmic late 60s/early 70s material? Electric Miles, late period free Coltrane, Herbie Hancock funk, Can, early Weather Report etc.

Report back how CS P holds up making sense of fuzz bass, Fender Rhodes, scaling sax etc.

There can be a tendency for "pretty", tidy, spacious analog rigs to sound a little jittery, or atomised, all sauce and no gander.

I'm not expecting the CS P to be this, but your description places it in ethereal terms. Can it get down and dirty?

sure Marc, i can do that. maybe Herbie Hancock's 'Watermelon Man' on 45rpm.

last night prior to turning in i played 2 sides from the Miles Davis Mosiac Box Set 'The Complete Plugged Nickle Sessions'. loved it. Miles at his peak! lot's of 'semi-funky turns from that group as this music is pretty free flow. the CS Port brought me to that venue.....and it was superb.

but i thought about how the Saskia might have done it. and i expect that the particular strengths of the Saskia might have slightly served the music better. but that's a guess......which i will check out soon.....it's a tough job but someone's got to do it.

this is not to say that the CS Port is not fantastic on this music; but the Saskia might be the very tip top bleeding edge for that music. so if i have a Saskia sitting there......it needs to do it's thing.

 

[bazelio]

One of my prized Cds is a set of Brandenburg Concertos by the Academy for Ancient Music signed by Christopher Hogwood.

Nice. Below is my personal favorite to date, though I haven't heard them all. This is only available on CD to my knowledge.

PS I just bought the 2xLP of that Academy for Ancient Music, factory sealed. You inspired me.

 

[108CY]

Which Glanz may i ask? The MH-124S? I have one sitting in a box waiting to be installed sometime...

Great arm, I have the 124s and the top 124SD have used both.

 

[gian60]

CS Port tonearm will be possible to put on AF3P?

 

[108CY]

CS Port tonearm will be possible to put on AF3P?

Gian I am shire it would be possible as the arm boards on the AF3P can be rotated, cannot see any problem.