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| The London Reference Phono Cartridge |
 Based on the original Decca cartridge, the Reference is neither moving coil nor moving magnet. It has no cantilever, and its generating elements are just 2 mm above the elongated line contact stylus tip. The result is a level of direct contact with the music that is unmatched. We liked it so much when we reviewed it (read the review here in PDF) that we bought it.The Reference works well in most arms (except straight-line tracking arms that are very short). It tracks between 1.6 and 2 grams (we suggest 2 g), and in our tests it tracked even the most modulated test discs.. It has 5 mV output, suitable for a standard MM phono input. List price US$5295. ORDER LRC, London Reference cartridge, $4695  |
| The Goldring Elite Phono Cartridge |
 If you have limited funds for a cartridge, but you absolutely want a model with a line contact stylus that can play more of the groove, this is a good solution. The Elite is a detuned (and far less expensive) version of the Excel, which we used in our Omega system until we got our hands on the London Reference (above), and which we still use in our Alpha system). This is a low voltage (0.5 mV) moving coil cartridge, requiring a phono preamp with an MC input (it may work with some MM preamps, with increased noise). Recommended tracking pressure is 1.5 to 2 g. It is fitted with a factory-replaceable Gyger I line contact stylusORDER GEC, Goldring Elite cartridge, $745 |
| The Rega Fono |
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It's easy to find a pretty good phono stage for just a few hundred dollars, but "pretty good" is not what gets us excited. So we were delighted when we ran across the Rega Fono (UHF No. 65), offering wonderful musicality at an astonishing price. The only down side: it wouldn't take low-voltage MC pickups. Now there's a version that does.
And since a lot of dealers won't carry it because they've forgotten analog ever existed, the natural place to get it is The Audiophile Store.  The MM version is for moving magnet cartridges, and also for MC cartridges with high output (from about 1 volt on up). The MC version is for low-output moving coil cartridges (typically 2.5 to 5 microvolts). It has internal adjustments for both load resistance and capacitance, to match the recommendations of your cartridge manufacturer. In both versions, the power "brick" is a transformer only, with the rest of the power supply inside the main unit. You can read the comparative test with the Lehmann Black Cube in PDF format.ORDER RF-MM moving magnet Fono, SORRY, SOLD OUT ORDER RF-MC moving coil Fono, $499 |
The Atlas Quadstar phono cable |
Do even expensive tone arm come with the best cables? Generally not, but if your arm has a male five-pin DIN connector at the bottom, then changing the cable is plug-and-play. Just unplug the existing cable, and plug in this unit, with its astonishing gold DIN plug.. Screw the black box to the inside of the plinth, and use whatever cable you like. You can even compare them. The photo shows the version with the straight plug, which requires at least 7 cm of clear space below the arm. If your plinth is too shallow, just order the version with the angled DIN plug, which can get by with 2 cm clearance. To choose a suitable cable, visit our cable page. ORDER AQPS Quadstar phono box, straight DIN $248 ORDER AQPA Quadstar phono box, angled DIN $248 |
A CD to burn-in your phono stage |
| Phono Burn-In & RIAA Test CD Got a phono preamp, or an amp with a phono section? So how do you  break it in, short of playing deejay for the next 50 or 100 hours? The Phono Burn-In and RIAA Test CD from Granite Audio is the answer. Its signals are recorded on a CD at low level, with an inverse RIAA equalization applied. Just connect a CD player to the phono input, and put this CD in repeat mode. Separate sections for MM and MC inputs. Put an output meter on the amp, and see whether the equalization curve of your phono section is accurate.ORDER: CD-101 $46.50 ORDER: CD-101 at the same time as one of the phono stages above (one CD per purchase) $28.50 |
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For your turntable belt |
| Rubber Renue belt treatment Sometimes you discover things accidentally.  We've often see those bottles of gunk that makes a drive belt sticky so that it works for a while even if it's stretched beyond recognition. Rubber Renue is not that. We first used it on a turntable belt that was starting to slip. Not only did it stop slipping, but we were surprised to hear that the turntable sounded better than it ever had before. Once we changed the belt, we tried an experiment: we used Rubber Renue on it before we installed it. The result was striking: a smoother, less "pebbly" sound that was closer to live music. This is a cheap tweak too, because a bottle of this stuff will most likely last you for life. We've used it long enough that we can say confidently that it doesn't reduce the belt's useful life. We've been recommending it for a while, but everyone tells us they don't know where to find it. Well, now you know...you can get it at The Audiophile Store.ORDER: RRU-100 $14.95 |
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The Zerostat Anti-Static Gun |
 Remember when Discwasher had a device just like this? Point it at a record, a computer printer--anything bothered by static--and pull the trigger. The air becomes momentarily conductive, and drains off the static charge! It's so useful we actually own two of them! It's $94.95, needs no batteries, and lasts for decades.ORDER Z-1 anti-static pistol |
The Super Exstatic record brush |
 We had never been keen on fancy record brushes, because we had never seen one that was worth the bother. Well, we've changed our mind! We are ecstatic about the Goldring Super Exstatic record brush, which does a fine job of getting litter off the disc. The brush centre is of very short nap velvet, so firm it feels almost like rubber. On each side is a row of fine carbon fibre tufts, to catch what the velvet picks up. And it picks up a lot! Now that we've tried it, we wouldn't be without it.ORDER GSX, $36 |
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Titan Oil for your stylus |
 There's some weird chemistry involved in high end hi-fi, but we heard the effect of this product with our own ears. Titan Oil is a lubricant for your stylus, and it audibly reduces harshness and high frequency distortion. Just use a small artist's brush (not included, though we wish it were) to put some on, and do it again every week or so...more if you play a lot of records. Caution: it does make the stylus slightly sticky, and for that reason it picks up more dust balls. But since we got our Exstatic brush (see above) that just isn't a problem.ORDER TSO-1, $39.95 |
The UHF Record Cleaning Fluid |
Our carefully-designed solvent is meant for the LP-cleaning machine whose plans are found in UHF No. 58. It is safe for both the machine and your records. We've gotten a lot of repeat orders for this product. NOTE: the manufacturers of some cleaning machines say they will void your warranty if you use any fluid but theirs. Our solvent is supplied as a concentrate, which can be used to make 4 liters of fluid (you must supply the demineralized or distilled water). Instructions are included. ORDER LPC fluid, $19.95 |
The Record Clamp |
 Did you know that a record clamped to the turntable plays for a slightly shorter time than one that isn't? It's easy to figure out the cause...record slippage. But a heavy clamp will change the action of your turntable suspension. Enter the J.A. Michell record clamp, which is light, but fastens by tightening a collet. It hardly adds anything to the weight. It is, by the way, what we use on our Audiomeca J-1 reference turntable and our Linn LP12. The current version is no longer gold, as shown, but black with a silver knob. We also have a special all-black version meant for turntables with very short posts, such as Regas.ORDER MRC clamp, $75 ORDER MRC-R clamp for Rega, $85 |
Nitty Gritty record sleeves |
 Even some new recordings seem to get noisier with each play. Why? Often it's the fault of the inner sleeve (if there even is one!), which traps dirt, and contains its own grit particles which get pressed into the grooves. The Nitty Gritty sleeves are soft plastic inside paperboard. Because the plastic is softer than vinyl, any grit particles will get pressed into the sleeve itself, not into the disc. This is where any disc should be placed once it's been cleaned. ORDER: PDI, 30 sleeves, $30 ORDER: PDI-V, box 500 sleeves, $375 |
ALL PRICES SHOWN IN CANADIAN DOLLARS. FOR ORDERING INFORMATION, IN CANADA OR ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD, GO BACK TO THE MAIN AUDIOPHILE STORE PAGE. |
