It’s not often one begins a review by denigrating the
product ‘type’ to start with…..
But I don’t like ‘modern’ LOMC cartridges.
I don’t like their exaggerated high frequencies…
I don’t like their recessed unnatural midrange timidity…
I don’t like their pseudo-impressive but unrealistic bass
thump…
And I particularly don’t like their near ability to suck the
emotional content out of the music…..
I know that the above is a generalisation and that most of
the high-end audio fraternity strongly disagree with that sweeping analysis,
but after owning a dozen of the respected ‘modern’ LOMCs over the last 25
years, I have embraced the delights of vintage MM cartridges in their place.
Vintage LOMCs on the other hand (like vintage MMs) are a
different kettle of fish in my book….
The SPUs, EMTs, Neumann DST, FR-7 series, Sony XL-55 etc. project a soundstage
and musical presentation seemingly at odds with the ‘modern’ sound.
How did this state come to be?
Is it the quest for seemingly greater detail retrieval
demanded by aging audiophile ears and the ‘rational’ that higher pricing is
synonymous with ‘revealing’ (I hate that word) cartridges?
Dietrich Brakemeier has been a devotee of vintage LOMC
cartridge and tonearm design for decades.
I believe he started off in audio re-wiring the great
Fidelity Research tonearms, the FR-64s and FR-66s with pure silver Litz.
His admiration for the FR-7 series cartridges (particularly
the FR-7f and FR-7Fz) is well known through his contributions to various Audio
Forums.
The fact that he has, only fairly recently, been able to
launch a new audio company successfully manufacturing only analogue equipment
(including the incredible Apolyt turntable) is an encouraging sign for all who
love vinyl.
The latest and greatest of his four cartridge designs (Archon,
Astron, Aiwon are the others), the Palladian advances on the design of the
Aiwon. As Dietrich explains:-
“When we
introduced the aiwon in early winter 2014 we were amazed by its
subtle detail, by its ability to recreate tiny, tantalizing details –
minor details which so immensely support the emotional impact and the
sense of reality in a sonic picture.
Over the
next 18 months we experimented with a few samples of the aiwon
trying to further fine tune for even more impact in performance.
But it was
not before we made subtle changes in some key inherent design parameters
that we entered new ground.
This was
the birth of the design which then evolved in the spring of 2016 into
the palladian.
The palladian
features a hand hammered Timet 1100 Titanium body of unequalled
strength and with an unparalleled ability to transfer energy.
In the palladian
we find a strong heart with more energy (coil windings), a body more agile
with less inertia (reduced moving mass), featuring further a very special, subtle
mix of small measures taken to fine tune each and every parameter
of performance allowing for a sonic explosion beyond our expectations and
hopes.
The hand
hammered body, the quicksilverish shine like a dragon’s skin - The palladian Timet 1100 body expresses visually
its agility, vital dynamic and live-likeness.
The palladian
brings that spark of life back into the sonic presentation of
each and every
recording.
That spark
of life – independent whether large or small – that was there
when the performance
was once captured.
The palladian
is fast, life-like dynamic and breathtaking direct in its color, immediateness
and agility.
An
incredible agile, dynamic dancer – a reminiscent of Misha Baryshnikov in his prime.
It is
subtle, tender and sublime – yet frightening dynamic, with a sonic punch both wall-shaking
and stunning physical in its impact.
The palladian
is.. live ….. in the very best sense and in the true spirit of
the music.
And with
the palladian the true spirit of the music is there.
Our
statement in phono cartridges ….. our best.”
Wow……hyperbole?
Marketing speak? Or just plain B.S…..?
I mounted
the Palladian in the Yamamoto HS-4 carbon fiber headshell (which I had
discovered elevates the performance of every cartridge I have tried) fitted to one
of my FR-66s tonearms on the Raven AC-2 turntable running through the Kondo
KSL-sFz SUT into the MM input of the Halcro DM-10 phonostage.
Straight
out of the box, the sound of the Palladian stunned me……
Those who
know what an SPU-Ae Gold or FR-7fz can sound like in the right system will know
how rare an experience this can be.
An
enveloping soundstage filled the entire volume of my lofted-ceiling listening
space with shimmering translucent midrange realism…..
No
strain…..no brittle edginess….no drone to the nether regions, only a sense of
wonder.
A sense of
‘the live event’ Brakemeier had written about.
This was no
marketing hyperbole…..
This was
what we dreamed it could be like when we listened to music in our homes.
This was
the fulfillment of 60 years of promises…..
I find it
meaningless to delve into detailed descriptions of how particular tracks on
particular albums sounded (as most Reviewers now seem to do) for no-one knows
what they sounded like before
the item under review…?
What I do
find illuminating is how a cartridge handles the ‘worst’ of recorded music.
The
challenging, poorly recorded or poorly engineered tracks, which normally make
you want to stop listening.
For it’s
almost certain that these tracks sounded ‘listenable’ on the original master
tape, but the distortions introduced in the mastering, pressing and playback
stages has pushed the sound past a coherent point.
Only a few
cartridges can ‘retrieve’ enough, and distort minimally enough, to render these
‘horror’ tracks listenable and sometimes even enjoyable.
Harvest by
Neil Young on Reprise (7599-27239-1) has some nicely recorded tracks (Out On
The Weekend, Harvest, Heart Of Gold) as well as 2 tracks (Alabama, Words),
which have confounded me with their leanness, lack of real bass, vocal
distortion and complete lack of depth. The album was recorded at four different
venues with three different Producers and those two tracks share the same
Producers and venues.
With the
Palladian, I was actually able to listen to these tracks without flinching, and
could now clearly ascertain the 'out-of-key' harmonies of Stephen Stills
together with the clearly over-dubbed lead guitar boosted above the general
sound level on the right channel and the completely flat soundstage.
So clear
and cleanly illuminated were all the artifacts of the recording engineer
displayed…that it became, for the first time listening to these….an enjoyable
and intriguing experience.
Respighi
Pines of Rome (Reiner on the Classic Records re-issue of the RCA LSC-2436) had
always brought my wife storming down the hallway at the 'screeching' Finale
whilst I scrambled for the volume control to save my bleeding ears.
Now with
the Palladian….the wife actually sits and listens!
The shrill
distortions of the complex massed strings and horns previously heard with
lesser cartridges, became transparently effortless just as they are in a
concert hall for yes…..live music CAN be shrill, complex and congested but also
understood and transparent at the same time.
George
Harrison’s box set ‘All Things Must Pass’ produced by Harrison and Phil Spector
and digitally remastered in 2001 has some wonderful music but some dubious
sound quality (probably caused by the digital remastering).
‘Wah-Wah’
in particular on side 1…..symptomatic of Spector’s ‘Wall-of-Sound’ signature,
is so congested, frequency-limited and distorted that no matter which turntable
I use or which arm I use or which cartridge I use (even MMs)….NOTHING can make
this track anything but a chore to listen to till its end.
Now I’m not
going to say that the Palladian transforms this track into a sonic wonder….but
it’s the only cartridge that allows me to listen till the end without reducing
the volume or hitting the mute switch…..
Of course
it’s a given that the Palladian does justice to all your favourite
well-recorded albums.
What is NOT
a given is how the Palladian projects a force-field into your listening space.
A force-field so like the ‘real’ thing that you sit there literally
open-mouthed, not quite believing what you’re hearing but transfixed by the
majesty of the illusion.
Brakemeier
has managed to create a cartridge which builds upon the knowledge of the past
great LOMC cartridges like the SPUs and FR-7 series whilst pushing the
technology envelope to allow even further possibilities.
This is
truly as close to live sound as I have yet heard produced in my listening room.
This is a
cartridge that Art Dudley would love and understand….
I suspect
that even Michael Fremer (who admits to impatience with vintage sound and
products) might appreciate the breakthrough the Palladian presents?
Everyone
who is serious about the information still buried within the humble vinyl
record, needs to hear the Palladian even if he can’t afford the steep sticker
price, for sound like this unfortunately….does not come cheaply.
