THE HI–FI HEADLINES
The resurgence of Vinyl has given a new lease of life to many turntable manufacturers of yesteryear, with companies such as Rega, Thorens and Linn experiencing a return to the good old days.
The company that has reaped the greatest benefit is a relative newcomer, Pro-Ject Audio. Beginning in the 1990s the philosophy behind Pro-Ject was to bring high-end vinyl performance to the midrange market. A good example of this is the Pro-Ject ‘Classic’ turntable (shown above), which we currently have on special for $995 plus cartridge. This turntable, which retails for $1,695, offers great performance for an achievable price. This approach is obviously working, as Pro-Ject is now the biggest selling turntable brand in the world.
Pro-Ject offers a formidable range of turntables, and most of them have just been upgraded. We carry models ranging from the Primary E selling for $349 including cartridge through to the Signature 10 at $8,800 – plus cartridge.
One of the highlights of the range is the Debut Carbon Endurance (below left), which has been fitted with an Ortofon 2M Red cartridge. This combination sells for $750, and at the moment comes with a free replacement stylus valued at $130. This is an exceptionally good turntable for the money, and the offer of the free stylus makes it a very attractive buy.
Another standout is the 2Xperience ($2,000rrp) which is available with the Ortofon 2M Bronze cartridge ($600rrp) for $2,200 complete.
Drop in and have a look at what Pro-Ject has to offer. I am sure we can cater for almost any budget or requirements that you have. As this resurgence of vinyl continues, old records are being pulled out of storage and put on the platter only to cake up the stylus with years of gunk and mould. The Kirmuss KA-RCM-01 record cleaner is fast being accepted as an essential addition to any serious vinyl collection, and Len Wallis Audio has been appointed the exclusive retail outlet in NSW. Ultrasonic cleaning technology has proven to be one of the most effective forms of restoring a record to its best possible performance. The Kirmuss has three strategically located ultrasonic generators in the base of a large water basin, generating three ultrasonic waves oscillating at 35kHz. This creates ‘cavitation’; microscopically small bubbles which burst on contact with the record. This collapsing action dislodges then pushes the contaminants away from the surface of the material being cleaned.
Designed and built in the US, this unit can clean both sides of two 33.3rpm LPs, one 78rpm and one 45rpm single at the same time. It uses no chemicals other than a capful of isopropanol alcohol, and at $1,799 is priced well under most other quality cleaners.
Mark Dohmann, arguably the most respected turntable expert in Australia, is the importer of the KA-RCM-01 and believes “The Kirmuss outperforms other cleaners on the market that cost three times as much, while it has fewer moving parts and is significantly more reliable.”