Oxford Acoustics Crystal Reference

[geetee1972]

My first experience of high end audio was via a friend of the family who, back in the mid to late 80s, had a phenomenal set up built using Audio Research amps and Maggies, with a front end TT by Oxford Acoustics called the Crystal Reference. I've tried to find information on this TT on here and else where on the web, but cannot find anything other than pictures on pintrest. I'm interested to learn more about it as I seem to recall that the family friend (who was a wealthy industrialist based in Duxford) was in some way involved in the design or funding but could be wrong. We're no longer in touch with the family friend or else I'd ask him.

 

[Shuggie]

A friend used to have one of these - he replaced it many years ago with a TW Raven which is still in use, I believe

 

[XCop5089]

I don't know how I missed this thread!

I am the friend, referred to above, by Hugo (Shuggie).

The Oxford Acoustics Crystal reference turntable was designed by a surgeon, Fraser Shaw and together with his business partner, Jonathan Harker (later and currently, proprietor of Oxford Audio Consultants, UK), was sold through a select group of dealers, between 1987 and 1990.

I was introduced to the turntable (being an Oracle Delphi owner at the time) by my dealer and friend, the late Howard Popeck, of Subjective Audio, Palmers Green, N. London, with whom I had had an association with, since 1980.

Howard offered to bring the turntable (set up with Air Tangent tonearm and Koetsu cartridge), to my home, together with Fraser and Jonathan, to demonstrate in my system.

Following a curry supper with these three gentlemen and an extended listen, I placed an order, to be fitted with an SME V and Koetsu Red cartridge.

As you will see from my photos, the sub-chassis and two-part phosphor bronze/acrylic platter, rested atop a pedestal structure, which also housed the motor control (Papst) in a compartment with DIN plugs, accessible from the rear. Although there were plans to add a phono stage to this compartment at a later date, I'm not sure whether this was achieved.

The sound from this belt-drive turntable/arm/cartridge combination was near state of the art at the time, when the Goldmund Reference turntable was acknowledged as "King!"

At the time and following a very impressive 1988 review in Hi Fi News magazine, the Goldmund distributors, UK-based Absolute Sounds, were seriously interested in distributing the Oxford Acoustics turntable.

It did take up a lot of room though, and weighed 60Kg.

When I moved house in 1988, Jonathan Harker, being the all-round nice guy, that he is, visited me to disassemble my Oxford turntable and re-built it for me, when I was settled in my new home.

Like so many hifi companies, sadly, Oxford Acoustics ceased to be, Fraser returning to medicine and Jonathan founding Oxford Audio Consultants in 1990, which is still thriving, 34 years later!

I bought a Koetsu Red Signature cartridge from Jon in 1991 and I lived with the same vinyl front end until 2010, when I sold it, in favour of a turntable with a small footprint, that could be sited on the top shelf of a rack, digital replay having overtaken vinyl as my primary source by then.

 

[dctom]

Very interesting bit of audio history there. Sad to hear of Howard's passing I bought some Isobariks from him and talked to him about further developing a tone arm I had built back in the 1980s.

 

[XCop5089]

Very interesting bit of audio history there. Sad to hear of Howard's passing I bought some Isobariks from him and talked to him about further developing a tone arm I had built back in the 1980s.

Howard left us in March 2023. He was 72.

My first introduction to Howard Popeck and Subjective Audio, was in early 1981, when I purchased a pair of Linn Isobarik PMS active speakers from him, powered by a six-pack of Boothroyd-Stuart Meridian 105S power amps, with electronic crossovers, tailored to the Isobariks. This was a collaboration between Linn and Meridian, when Naim started to produce their own active speakers.

 

[geetee1972]

I don't know how I missed this thread!

I am the friend, referred to above, by Hugo (Shuggie).

The Oxford Acoustics Crystal reference turntable was designed by a surgeon, Fraser Shaw and together with his business partner, Jonathan Harker (later and currently, proprietor of Oxford Audio Consultants, UK), was sold through a select group of dealers, between 1987 and 1990.

I was introduced to the turntable (being an Oracle Delphi owner at the time) by my dealer and friend, the late Howard Popeck, of Subjective Audio, Palmers Green, N. London, with whom I had had an association with, since 1980.

Howard offered to bring the turntable (set up with Air Tangent tonearm and Koetsu cartridge), to my home, together with Fraser and Jonathan, to demonstrate in my system.

Following a curry supper with these three gentlemen and an extended listen, I placed an order, to be fitted with an SME V and Koetsu Red cartridge.

As you will see from my photos, the sub-chassis and two-part phosphor bronze/acrylic platter, rested atop a pedestal structure, which also housed the motor control (Papst) in a compartment with DIN plugs, accessible from the rear. Although there were plans to add a phono stage to this compartment at a later date, I'm not sure whether this was achieved.

The sound from this belt-drive turntable/arm/cartridge combination was near state of the art at the time, when the Goldmund Reference turntable was acknowledged as "King!"

At the time and following a very impressive 1988 review in Hi Fi News magazine, the Goldmund distributors, UK-based Absolute Sounds, were seriously interested in distributing the Oxford Acoustics turntable.

It did take up a lot of room though, and weighed 60Kg.

When I moved house in 1988, Jonathan Harker, being the all-round nice guy, that he is, visited me to disassemble my Oxford turntable and re-built it for me, when I was settled in my new home.

Like so many hifi companies, sadly, Oxford Acoustics ceased to be, Fraser returning to medicine and Jonathan founding Oxford Audio Consultants in 1990, which is still thriving, 34 years later!

I bought a Koetsu Red Signature cartridge from Jon in 1991 and I lived with the same vinyl front end until 2010, when I sold it, in favour of a turntable with a small footprint, that could be sited on the top shelf of a rack, digital replay having overtaken vinyl as my primary source by then.

Fascinating response, thank you for this.

The family friend is not referenced above; although ironically, the first name of that person is the same, the surname is different.

Did you know anyone else at the time who owned one? They would have been living in Duxford, Cambridge at the time. Just curious really.

 

[XCop5089]

Unfortunately, not!

My Crystal Reference was serial number CR-051, so obviously a few were sold, although probably not all in the UK.

I have a mate, who now lives near me, who has one in Black Ash finish.