Phono Cartridge Reviews

Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment

The system I use for audition of components is one which has given me much listening pleasure over the years and has not stressed my rather limited budget. The front end consists of the Systemdek IIX turntable to which is attached a vintage Infinity Black Widow II tonearm. This unit sits on Tiptoes, which, in turn, rest upon a solid birch shelf. The preamplifier is the much admired PS Audio Model 4.5, used in its Straightwire mode with the MM/MC switch set to MC. This configuration gave me more than enough gain to listen at realistic volume levels, even with the relatively low output of the Talisman. Indeed, the volume pot of the 4.5 was rarely set above 2 o'clock.

Feeding my Acoustat Model 2 loudspeakers are a pair of Kenwood L-07M monoblock amplifiers. Speaker cable is Fulton Brown, terminated with Monster Cable X-Terminators at the amps and Pamona bananas at the speakers. Records are routinely cleaned with a VPI Model HW-16 record-cleaning machine, and an AudioQuest electronic stylus cleaner is used to keep the "gunk" off the diamond.

The listening room, set in a 130-year-old frame house, measures 15' x 17'. The ceiling is 11' high and the room is blessed (!) with hardwood floors. Listening is done 7' away from the toed-in Acoustats. The room is quite "live"; I hope, in the near future, to install some sound-absorbing material on the walls or place Tube Traps in the corners. —Guy Lemcoe