Groovin' to the Beat

By Dayna B, The Hi-Fi Hussy

(From The Audio Adventure, October 1995, Volume 2, Issue 10. Reprinted with permission.)

Dammit, Jim! I'm a turntable, not a record player!

It's true that the name is deceptive, because this baby ain't no record player. Thing of beauty; functional art in audio components; superb example of well-executed engineering (no way! It's physics, dude!); well . . . turntable. You see, the $1,494 Well Tempered Record Player doesn't just play records, it makes music!

When you first clap eyes on this baby, you'll wonder what the hell that strange contraption is on the top. It's the Well Tempered Tonearm. This slim, straight-tubed arm is suspended from two monofilaments that dangle below a "hangman's post." A round paddle sits in a viscous silicone fluid bath attached to the underside of the arm by a tube. Immersing the paddle in the silicone fluid has the effect of stabilizing the tonearm as well as damping arm resonances that would otherwise cause image smear and decrease resolution of the music.

The next thing you notice about the Well Tempered Record Player (WTRP) is its passive base: one solid piece with the exception of the motor, which is mechanically isolated by its seat within a round cutout in the base. The WTRP makes use of mass and solidity rather than a spring suspension to isolate the stylus from external vibrations. Therefore, this table, even more than most, requires -- no, deserves -- a stable platform from which to operate. Doesn't your system need a good, solid rack?

There is a slight curvature to the cool-looking translucent acrylic platter which, in conjunction with the record clamp, will make the record more mechanically intimate with the platter. So it will flatten your warped records and allow you to actually play them. Oh joy! Still, its main function is to allow the record's microvibrations, caused by the stylus zipping down the groove, to be grounded in the platter and base. Much better than the stylus's picking up these microvibrations and playing them right along with your music, don't you think? Talk about "grunge" rock!

Before we go any further, I want to dispel a couple of misconceptions. First, setup was not difficult. I had no trouble with the viscous silicone fluid that goes in the tonearm bearing cup. Setting the tonearm up is actually fairly easy, provided you are patient. Give yourself about an hour and you won't feel pressured.

The other misconception is that the WTRP lacks bass. Not! While it may lack the impact of some of the "big boys," it can most certainly produce the music in the lower octaves. With my system, the bass was, in fact, truly impressive. It is, perhaps, not sufficient for a true head banger, but it can and does provide those deep, pure low frequencies. Try Michael Manring's Toward the Center of the Night (Windham Hill Records WH-1083). When Manring plucks the strings of his bass guitar, there is depth, speed of attack, and a natural, extended decay of notes. When he hammers the strings, there is a deep percussive sound, quickly followed by the notes. And the sound of the bass is always musical.

The Well Tempered Record Player can paint a well-defined soundstage. Image clarity is superb, without wavering or wandering. On Handel's Water Musick (Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra; Nicholas McGegan; Harmonia Mundi HMU 7010), the instruments take their positions with excellent "presence." They have "air" about them; the empty spaces are silent. Soundstage depth is presented in a pleasant, natural form. There's even silence between the empty regions from front to rear. This wonderful quietness makes audible minute details that I have missed. And it's surprising how much the little details add to the musically emotional experience.

Yet another strength of the WTRP is its speed stability; thus, timbral accuracy and timing are spot on. Why should I mention timbre and timing in one breath? Remember that time affects all aspects of music. In stereo reproduction, imaging and timbre are greatly affected by time and phase coherence. And so the importance of speed stability.

You know by now that I like this table. But what about those warped records? Well, I have an LP, Winds of War and Peace (National Symphonic Winds/Lowell Graham, Wilson Audio W-8823), that's so warped I can't play the first ten minutes on either side. On WTRP, for the first time, I was able to hear this glorious recording in its entirety. The dynamics are stunning, with the bass drum startling in its impact. The quickness of the snare drum's leading attack is equally wonderful. The Well-Tempered Record Player stays in control of the music under even demanding conditions.

But, some of you ask -- you got the hint about some loss of bass impact -- can WTRP -- can it possibly rock? Hell, yeah, it rocks! Just take a quick listen to Van Halen's Balance (Warner Bros. 9 45760-1). Throughout "Feelin'," the bass riffs strike out with excellent depth and clarity. The bass output is very well controlled, well damped, and well . . . tempered. If the paddle of the tonearm isn't immersed too deeply in the fluid, you really can get some rockin' lows.

The more LPs I spin, the more I love this table.

A final note. I said the set-up was easy. I was fibbing. It ain't exactly turnkey. But have patience. And remember to let that paddle settle down in the fluid whenever you make an arm adjustment -- wait, no! Oh well, time to call your trusty dealer. Ask nicely and maybe he (or she) will set it up, tweak it out and even -- save the mark -- deliver it.

So what are waiting for? You're an analog lover, aren't you? Give the Well Tempered Record Player a good listen. Kick out the jams! You can thank me later!

TONALITY	82	Tonal qualities are very realistic in spite of an "apparent" softening of the bass. The speed accuracy and stability of the turntable allow for these qualities.
DYNAMICS	84	Silent passages are extremely quiet. Dynamic shading is excellent and imparts a great deal of the music's emotion. Impact is superb all the way down to the lower mid-bass. The deep bass does lack a little dynamic punch, but the music is still there.
RESOLUTION	85	Timbral shading lets you really feel the emotion the musician or vocalist imparted at the time of the recording. Fine details are drawn out of each LP like magic!
IMAGING	85	Very solid imaging with an uncanny three-dimensionality to the soundstage. Images remain relatively stable during difficult passages.
TIMING	84	This turntable can remain as stable as some of the "super decks." It really rocks!
OVERALL	85	The Well Tempered Record Player is a solid performer. One could hardly go wrong with this baby. A true reference turntable!