After a difficult start I have a turntable and base, no arm as yet, but it’s now been made in Switzerland and is on its way, hopefully in the next 2 weeks I should have it.
Also being sent an exquisite st cartridge to mount on the end of the Simplicity 11 arm.
But lots have happened on the turntable side the last few weeks, but I won’t bother you all with that, just waiting to try this out now.
Been told to expect wonderful things from this set up, let’s hope it can live up to these.
Well couldn’t resist to see what it would look like, well it fits on the fraim fine, well that’s a bonus.
The build quality of this is just on a different level to another hifi stuff I have had or seen.
It’s quite heavy and about the same as my sme, you can tell that the manufacturer comes from the watch industry.
The pictures don’t really do it justice, but if it only sounds as good as its build quality, then it’s going to be fantastic.
But really looking forward to getting the Simplicity 11 arm on it now, as that’s apparently very special as well and with the way it tracks, it should offer just about no distortion across the record unlike ever other normal pivot tonearm.
Looks intriguing!
Yes very different, battery powered, they are built into the main structure, just plug in the charger and once charged it gives about 16 hours before you need to plug it back in and charger again.
Also the platform that it sits on is specifically tuned, but wait to you see the tonearm.
Very nice, and fits perfectly on the Fraim. Let see in 2 weeks. Very curious.
It certainly looks nice sitting on the top of the fraim, much nicer than the sme to be honest.
Thales have made a simplicity 11 tonearm to go on this, as they build them to order more or less and didn’t have one in stock.
With the xquisite st cartridge on it, I am expecting very big things, should easily be better than my sme 20 with the dynavector drt xv-1t cartridge, but I will try that on it as well and see how it goes.
I hope you have still your SME, in the case you would prefer it. We never know.
Interesting choice in the Thales. I have never heard one but have seen them in the flesh and admired the outwardly simple design and beautiful finish. Of course there is a lot more to it and the arm design is very interesting. I will be curious to hear how you like it compared to the SME. That cartridge is fairly new to the high end game- please let us know how it all comes together and how well it pairs with the Tron. Should be a killer deck 
Well I am certainly interested in how it will all sound, once all the bits are here.
I do like what the sme and dynavector cartridge can do, it isn’t a supper fast sound, but it does have a nice tone, great weight and nice detail, i guess I do miss the speed slightly that my rega set up had, but that just didn’t get close to the low end weight and tone the sme has.
I hope the thales set up, can bring the speed, even more details and get close or match in the weight department, it certainly should be an entertaining set up and looking at reviews, it does very well indeed, but that doesn’t mean I will like it, if not then it goes, simple
This is looking very promising
Well all installed and playing vinyl once again
Obviously got to run the cartridge in, but it’s sounding nice, with only a sight bit of bright notes right at the top now and again. But sure it’s going to change as the hours get put on it.
Also need to fully set the arm up as right now I have just got it about, well apart from the cartridge alignment as that is as good as my eyes can see with a magnifying glass etc.
But set to 2.03 and arm is level to a normal record for now
A thing of great joy and delight, I hope it gives you many hours of pleasure
There’s a detailed review of the Xquisite cartridge in Mono and Stereo.
Trying to figure out, from the pictures, how that lot pivots. Don’t want to look it up…want to figure it out!
I won’t tell you then lol
Yes I think the gt one is doing the rounds right now or is it this one I have the st ?
There is a great video you can watch of the arm doing its thing, they use a special record with a grove cut in it that makes the arm move massively as it rotating. This makes the 2 arms move and the head shell/cartridge move as to keep straight in the grove, it’s very interesting watching it do its thing
…well, I found a video showing the pivoting at both ends of the arm…that’s got to be some ultra-precision engineering to minimise friction(s).
Hope it sounds great!
That’s a very elegant design solution to tracking error. It must bring it’s own challenges in respect of retaining rigidity at the headshell pivots. Out of my price range sadly but would love to hear that full set up one day. Must be pretty special.
