Acoustic Signature Double Neo X Turntable Review | RT Reports...
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- Опубліковано 15 вер 2024
- Robert Taylor returns with his review of the Acoustic Signature Double Neo X Turntable, detailing its lively sound, excellent bass, and surprising dynamics...
Robert's Reference System:
-Turntable: VPI Classic Signature with the 10 inch gimbal tone arm and Nordost wiring.
-Cartridge: DS Audio 003 with matching energizer.
-DAC: DCS Bartok( currently out to get the Apex upgrade).
-Pre-amp: McIntosh C2700 tube preamp
-Power amp: McIntosh MC 462
-Speakers: Magico S1 Mk 2 with ISO acoustics Gaia 2 feet.
-Power conditioner: Shunyata Gemini-8 with the grounding system.
-AC outlets: PS Audio.
-Cables: Synergistic Research and Audioquest
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Great review. Now, I'm considering this combo for my next table purchase. Yes, it's about time for the Sade, Earth,Wind, and Fire audiophile treatment.
Agree 100% on Sade's "Diamond Life" - I bought the album the first time I heard Diamond Life on the radio. I didn't even know the artist's name at the time, but I just had a "have-to-have-it-now" moment. It's one of the most underrated albums of all time!
Great review, makes me want to go out and purchase the same setup. If only I could afford that.
I like your selection of music and I could totally relate to that.
I guess I’ll have to throw another record on my modded Goldring lenco GL75 and I’m very happy with that.
Thank you for this review.
Good review, I have 98 percent of the music that you showed and I agree that Earth Wind and Fire album is over due for a great Kevin Gray reissue.
Lady Blackbird is an up and coming star she’s an incredible singer that I believe will go down in history as one of the greats in music.
We need a review of the Acoustic Solid 311.
It seems to me that objectively reviewing a turntable / tonearm system is probably the most difficult task to properly address.
Reason being - you need to isolate the assessment as much as possible from all the other components that make up the entire vinyl playback "system" and ultimately influence the sound being delivered. This include the chosen cartridge, platter mat, external cabling, phonostage, any additional isolation devices / feet or platforms, etc.
IMHO - specific criteria that focus solely on the TT / Tonearm combination (and thereby independent of the other components that must also be used,) would include speed accuracy, noise generated by the motor, any perceived rumble / hum, vibration isolation, overall fit and finish, the tonearm's ability to address all the main cartridge setup parameters to minimize tracking distortion, (VTF, VTA, SRA, Azimuth, Anti-Skate,) etc, etc.
Once that 1st step is out of the way, comments regarding synergy as demonstrated with certain combinations of the "companion" components (for lack of a better word,) would also be helpful in respect to influencing the final or "Absolute" sound.
As you can imagine, this 2nd step of the process can get quite complex taking into account all of the possible combinations. The reviewer therefore would need to narrow things down to what he or she deem most important. For example the cartridge / phonostage. A 2nd example - the chosen cartridge might present compliance issues or harmony with the tonearm.
My .00002 cents.
Nice
Looks beautiful - how does it compare with reviewer’s reference VPI?
Can you tell me how many belts are on the Double Neo XX?
It seems to me that everything said about the "sound" of this table and this arm (and frankly, any minimally competent table/arm- a basic Rega P3 for example) can be mostly attributed to the cartridge. It would have been more informative had you run the cartridge on your VPI reference and also on this turntable and compared them on a blind basis. I suspect you'd hear virtually no difference, but to the extent you did, its only way to determine how the table/cart "sound" exclusive of the cartridge, versus a table/arm you know well already.
Actually you make a compelling point. I have a Hana ML and will this week move to either a Hana Umami Blue or take the next step up and get into an Audio Technica Art at-20. With the Hana I did exactly what you suggested because I wanted to know, so I moved that cartridge from a VPI Classic to a Technics SL1200 GR to a Denon DP-3000ne, because I had to know.
I even went further and went from a Parasound JC3+ to an Audio Research Ref 2 phono stage, both balanced out. What I found out is there is a difference between tables with the VPI having more inner detail based on that unipivot arm. The Technics, while good, was brighter, not necessarily in a bad way, but the mids and highs were detailed , but brighter.
The Denon made 70s and 80s music sound like it was suppose to with detail and rhythmic drive, it was in a word more neutral, detailed, but neutral by comparison to the other two. The bottom line is if you are a detail freak, the arm on the VPI will get you there as it was more detailed than the other two. The Technics is good, but the Denon, which almost has the build quality of the VPI, just for the sake of it makes music sound, especially 70’s and 80’s stuff sound like music.
Both the Technics and the Denon have more rhythmic drive than the VPI due to the or direct drive motor, but the VPI, when set up well is no slouch and beats them both in the Detail department. I had to know for myself either how good or how bad Direct drive has gotten and it’s not bad, but I will tell you I have heard a lot better at my dealer’s shop.
I have had over 10 tables and still own 4, so 14 total, with some being Rega and I love Rega, but there is much, much better out there and even better than I own and because I have an outstanding relationship with my dealer, I’m able to try them for a home visit at will. More money doesn’t always get you more, but it doesn’t necessarily get you less either, a turntable is the sum of its parts.
Tonearms, and tables themselves have a large impact on sound. I’ve compared 3 arms on one table, and similarly, the same Hana Umami cartridge on several tables, from a SL1200GR to an Avid Acutus w/a Kuzma 4 point 9”. Everything matters.
@@ChrisMag100 exactly!!!
@@ChrisMag100 Indeed. Quite possibly so. But unless you did all that on a blind basis, you’ll never know if the placebo effect, confirmation bias, or other psycho-acoustic forces were impacting your conclusions. If you did, good on you. And no, I’m not saying categorically that arms and tables in and of themselves cannot make a difference, but I do suspect it’s diminimus on a blind basis in the majority of cases using a basic , competent table like a P3 (or a VPI traveler or what-have-you in the realm of (say) $3k tables). And with due respect to this reviewer, using all those lavish and detailed adjectives to describe the “ sound” of the table and arm without even a passing reference to what the cart is bringing to the table (IMO 99% of it) just seems to be in the realm of fantasy. . They way to discern the “sound” of the arm and table is do as I described: blind compare with the same cart and a table/arm he knows well.
@@edd2771 I’m going to disagree with you there. I have the means to do listening tests and measurements of resonance. It’s audible and measurable. If you’re genuinely interested in the topic, and aren’t just crying “snake oil!” as is so common on the internet, I’d encourage you to read the Korf blog where they did extensive measurements of the resonant behavior of arms, headshells, etc. Remember, a stylus is tracking micron sized perturbations in a groove, which is amplified hundreds or thousands of times (log scale of db gain). Everything matters when it comes to turntables.
At $11,000dollars, Acoustic Signature should throw-in drive belts for 4 years from purchase date, and I’d
c e r t a i n l y need them, because that platter would NEVER stop spinning, from raking Every Thin Dime of that $11grand!
O U T of IT!
c o n t i n u o u s l y !
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