Continuum Caliburn - really the best TT on earth?
Sam, you mean the VTA tower of the Cobra I suppose. They tested the Cobra arm seperately in a German magazine with very good results - but in German magazines you´ll find only positive statements - no balanced comments or suggestions for improvements, tss. I am leaving now Vegas heading towards my next stop on this Continuum journey - Singapore. |
Mike and Kipdent, thanks for your valuable reports and insights. That`s fantastic. How small the world can be !! The small Wilsons are different to the big ones - but the Sasha is the new model - hmm Halcro, this is a fantastically designed living room. The High-End equipment is integrated in a very special way. Your pictures enable views of the Caliburn I did not have so far. Nevertheless what is your friend cooking on the table? :-) |
Tuchan, I wouldn't recommend using any stand other than the Castellon for the Caliburn as that is the only floor-mounted stand that equals a good wall-mounted shelf and this was told to me by the Caliburn Designer Mark Doehmann. This link will show you how the Caliburn can look in an apartment I designed for my friend Richard CALIBURN |
Dear Mike: I don't ignore nothing coming from you, as is I ask you. I'm interested too in what you and othet people post about the Caliburn and certainly not because I want to buy it ( I don't have than kind of money. ) but I want to figure ( at least ) what the Caliburns really is. I will try to have the opportunity to hear it. I think that even that many of us can't buy it the experience to hear it is something that ( if we can. ) we can't miss. Regards and enjoy the music, Raul. |
i'm on the way home to Seattle from CES, sitting in the Sacramento airport on the wifi, with 3 hours to kill (the flight is delayed till 8pm). Raul, true, the CES system the Caliburn was in was not familiar to me, but added to my previous experiences i am comfortable offering my opinion. as a long time Rockport owner i feel there might be an interest in my viewpoint relative to the thread subject. nothing i said was any sort of revelation or bombshell. anyone can ignore or consider my comments as they see fit. my comments were prefenced by 'i think'. no statements, no proclamations. i'm not likely to hear these tt's side by side anytime soon, or even in the same or similar system. we do what we can. btw, your point is not unreasonable to make. |
Mikelavigne and Thuchan-- I too spent some time listening (with my own vinyl I brought with me) to the Continuum at CES yesterday. I fully agree with Mike--I was hearing subtleties and cues I've never heard before, and with an absolutely rock-solid pitch and soundstage. Very impressive. However (and satisfying Thucan's curiosity), the system was playing through Wilson loudspeakers (Sashas, I think?) and for me, this was a great disappointment. I'm just not a Wilson sort of guy. Nonetheless, one could still tell the 'table was doing all the right things. |
Dear Mike: Do you already listen your Rockport over the same " environment " like the one you heard the Caliburn?. Maybe the Caliburn is the best TT's out there and I'm not questioning this but what I'm wondering is how you arrive to that Caliburn statement when you heard it in a totally different audio system than the one you own. Do you think that if you hear your Rockport in that same system can the differences still/be the same? Regards and enjoy the music, Raul. |
Dear halcro: Certainly a 100K+ TT has to perform different ( for the better I hope. ) " per se " but certainly too the Cobra has a weight on that performance, obviously in a lower way that the TT it self. Maybe could be interesting to test the Caliburn with out its dedicated rack-stand and with out the Cobra to find out or to be nearest to the stand alone real TT quality performance. I know that the Caliburn quality performance comes as a package, I just wondering. Regards and enjoy the music, Raul. |
yesterday i spent 30 minutes or so at CES listening to the Caliburn. it had an Air Tight Supreme mounted, playing thru ARC electronics. i've listened to the Caliburn 3 other times at shows but never had a true sense of what it's character was compared to my impression of my Rockport. it seemed in the past that i was always listening thru other gear and so could not get a handle on things. anyone who thinks that the Caliburn is the best tt is certainlly justified. i think it does dig more information from the gooves than the Rockport. there is a remarkable amount of musical (not just stuff) info that is easy to hear. OTOH i think the Rockport has more forward propulsion and continousness, has a greater feeling of solidity and ease, and maybe, just maybe, darker backgrounds. all these differences between the 2 tt's are not huge, but it's easy to hear when both speak so clearly. i can think of a few potential reasons for the differences but the 'why' is not really important. i don't have a hankering to sell the Rockport to buy a Caliburn. but i'd love to own both if i could possibly afford it. since it is a current product it's nice to know that at least it's a choice. the Caliburn is a fantastic tt and all us vinyl lovers are better off that it exists. |
Halcro, yes it is a really time consuming expedition. I know it from Chris (& Steve) in Atlanta, who really knows how to build it up. But in any case I would not do it without the support of Continuum people. It is a bit easier with the Criterion. You are right one may use other stands like the Castellan. Maybe I am going to use a Copulare Grand Porto in black & silver... have to think about it... enjoy your excellent system - Eckart |
Thuchan, I'm not sure what you mean by...."it is not a plug & play table"? The table comes with the Cobra arm mounted so all you need to do is plug in the vacuum module and the speed controller, install your cartridge and play. Two days to build it up?.....they must be thinking of the Walker. In any case the Continuum retailer or distributor will be setting it up for you initially. If you have a sturdy wall mounted shelf, this is as good as using the floor-mounted Castellan stand if you don't like the look of the stand? Have fun in your quest. |
it is of course an extreme hobby and maybe we all are not judged by average parameters as it is the case of other extreme hobbies too - also regarding prices and money! I just had a book in hands called "Toys For Boys", the Caliburn is displayed carrying a not connected Lyra Olympos... as we are human beings living together with humans & good friends our hobby does have a certain impact on their life too. My dog loves the music but not all of my family members regard the TTs of "that afficinado" as a sane issue. When it comes to buying the next TT this could become not only a matter of pleasure as Breuninger described it (agree completely!!!) but we are responsible to define the conditions how it may become a joyful enterprise. Raul, I was going the path you followed and considered bying the Cobra tonearm or maybe the Copperhead as Halcro did. Then I thought why should I add another arm without having the mounting space. Of course I could dismount one of my arms. I am currently so happy with this armada (sorry!) I would not like to change anything. Lewm, I am also very happy with the sound. The Wilsons are matched with the Omegas and the ML-32 using Stealth Dream and Crystal Cable Dreamline silver cables. It sounds warm but with a punchy background especially when you are using a FR-7fz in a FR-66s. Nevertheless the Caliburn is a big instrument incoporating very interesting technolgies in TT-building. Michael Fremer has described this very well in his two articles on the Caliburn and Criterion. What I don`t like is the old fashioned looking Castellan stand. It is not a plug & play table. Some people say you need two days to build it up. So maybe looking for a smaller solution? |
but seems to me by its designs that maybe the most important " weight " in the overall Caliburn performance comes/culprit by the Cobra tonearm, who knows?I know......having heard the Caliburn/Cobra extensively and having the Continuum Copperhead mounted on my Raven AC-3. The Caliburn's performance owes far more to its DNA design innovations than simply to the tonearm mounted to it. Ask Mikey Fremmer. he has the Graham Phantom mounted on his Caliburn as well as the Cobra? |
For me, yes. I am happy when I see, touch and experience all the great pieces of audio art that grace my home. I truly relish in it all. I collect art as well and feel the same way. It brings me happiness. I've been smitten by audio equipment since being a boy and I make no apologies about it. My Bozaks bring me the same joy as my MBLs... they don't argue, they don't talk back, they don't divorce me, they don't sue me. I challenge you to tell me what can bring such pure joy notwithstanding breathtaking sunsets, love making, financial success and family? |
To me, a turntable is part art, part performance. I too collect and I love the pursuit of the acquisition as much as I do the day to day enjoyment of it. Why do I need four simultaneous working tables in the main system? Why do I need five classic tables in other rooms? No reason except for the enjoyment of ownership of what the audio artist created. Jay Lenoism... it you can indulge in it why not? What is better than enjoyment, happiness and fulfillment? Peter |
Downunder, I would re-phrase your opening statement: "What the heck, if you can afford to buy the most expensive- why the hell not?" After looking at Thuchan's collection of gear, I can only think that the addition of another megabuck turntable will not stave off boredom for very long. Thuchan, In my opinion, the factor most responsible for whatever you may not like about your present "sound" is likely to be those speakers, not any of those great turntables. I am not saying this in criticism of the Wilson speakers per se, but I am suggesting that the Wilson's have a certain strong "flavor" that I expect might dominate the sonic signature. I admit this reflects my own personal bias against large, inefficient, low impedance, multi-driver arrays that require lots of amplifier power. |
Thuchan, it's not a trifling thing to consider a product like a Caliburn. your comment that certain tt's "do not push my emotions very much" tells all. looking at your already formidable array of analog beauties which i'm sure you highly enjoy, what will it take to go to the 'next' level?......"to push my emotions"? you already have excellent tt's, but how to get to the top of the heap? i can relate. although 7 years ago when i purchased my Sirius III there was less a question about 'top dog'. not that there was or ever will be universal agreement on performance with tt's. cars, or most anything. what will be interesting will be to come back a year or so after your purchase decision and see how you then view things in terms of your other tt's. did it 'push your emotions?' it's fun to see people who clearly are 'all-in' on the hobby pursue the best. enjoy. |
"The problem is, that words have nothing to do with reality." This is the truth of the matter. There are those of us here who design turntables, and while we can expound on their merits endlessly, the best any of us can hope for is to find those who agree with our vision. There are many different techniques used to reach our goals, of course, but everything is subject to opinion. The best advice is to seek out and audition those turntables which interest you because we have all been down that path to audio nirvana, only to feel the need to continue it a bit latter. Talk is cheap, so your ears need to make the decision, not some salesman or overly enthusiastic fa |
Dear Thuchan: I name it only to say that there is no reason to buy one. +++++ " but what is so special regarding technological inventions? " +++++ I read (m maybe I'm wrong or not read all about. ) what the manufacturer of the Caliburn has to say and I don't find nothing " special regarding technological inventions " either. IMHO a technological invention ( any kind. ) is not always a synonymous of better quality performance but sometimes only " different " quality perfromance. I'm a little confuse: what are you looking at: true better quality performance above/over what you own or a new technological TT invention? Maybe the Cobra alone could give you a better performance that any of the good tonearms you own with any of your TTs and in the other side the Mónaco ( in many ways ) has " technologicals inventions " even that " dono push my emotions very much ". Now, if what you move are more " emotions " than facts then IMHO you must go for what are pushing your " emotions ". At the end of the day it does not matters what any one of us think or try to help you but that you be happy and certainly our each one emotions and the way to achieve them is perhaps the most critical an important subject/target for you enjoy and be happy!!! Regards and enjoy the music, Raul. |
Dear Lewm: I agree in part with Syntax. I always try to hear as many audio systems I can, every kind of audio system no matters its price and I do it for many reasons. Money was/is made to spend and if you are " insane " wealthy then you can spend that money even in a not to rational way. One " advantage " of people like you and me that don't have enough money ( I wish I have. ) to spare everywhere is that we take audio item decisions/choices with more in deep " investigation " due that we can't give us the " luxury " to make mistake$$$ about. If I was Thuchan ( and other than to have the fun on trips to hear it ) what I do first is to buy or borrow from the TT manufacturer the Cobra tonearm and test in my system with different cartridges and see what differences against other set ups in my system. No one here yet address the fact that the Cobra tonearm has a " weight " in the Continuum overall performance, more than what we can imagine. Thuchan: +++++ " Is there any reason not to go for a Caliburn? " +++++ no one in the same manner that there is no reason to go for the Raven or SME or Mónaco. Regards and enjoy the music, Raul. |
The problem is, that words have nothing to do with reality. Ask a Rega owner what he thinks about his last purchase and he will tell you, that this thing is unbelievable good. Or a Raven 1, LP12, Dual...or whatever When you want to know what is going on, the best way is to travel and to listen to other Systems you are interested. Some will be awful and some can be a surprise, That's the normal way. Sooner or later you will be able to hear something which is unique when you meet the interesting tables. They have a different kind of presentation. The holographic picture is different, the "view" into the soundstage is different, the dynamic impact based on vibration control is much sharper and more clear than usual. But when you never heard it, it is hard to believe, because everyone writes about. Even a Rega P3 owner. |
After you guys finish trading bon mots, perhaps someone can tell me what unique sonic benefit one could possibly get from a $100,000 turntable that one cannot get from a $20,000 to $25,000 turntable, or even a $50,000 one? Surely there must be words to describe the wonderment. At the "six-figure" price level it's all about cosmetics and exclusivity, IMO. |
Thuchan would never spent so much money on just one table. So maybe when I have finished my suggested show-schedule prices have melted down as well - Australia is the country of dreams I learned... Stringreen, my friends at Porsche always try to sell a Panamera to me which is not a bad car at all. It comes with a Burmester-system. I had to finish the discussion when I was offered only the Bumester system as a first installment of my services for Porsche... |
