Lyrec AG-40 (1951)

 

Lyrec AG 40

 Lyrec AG 40-2: Coming around 1951

It has a huge, heavy-duty motor and requires a unique sense of operation (ritual) such as turning the platter lightly with your hand when starting and then flipping the switch.

Featured use as a turntable: It was designed primarily for transcription (playback for broadcast) in broadcast stations and studios, and for sending out during disc cutting. Motor driven: Equipped with a powerful synchronous motor (synchronous electric motor), it boasts extremely stable rotation accuracy. A special elastic mounting structure is adopted to avoid transmitting the vibration of this motor to the platter (rotary board). 

Structure: Combining a very solid chassis with a heavy duty platter to minimize wow flutter (rotating murmur). 2. Historical Background Manufacturing Time: Appeared around 1951. Manufacturer's Appreciation: Lyrec was a manufacturer with the world's finest technology in the field of professional tape recorders and disc cutting lathe alongside Studer and Ampex from the 1950s and 70s. 3. 

Notice of confusion between same name and similar number Lyrec is well known as a manufacturer of tape recorders, but the following points should be careful: TR series: Tape recorders at the same time used model numbers such as "TR1" and "TR2" Multitracks in later years: A precision machine from the early analogue era completely different from the 16/24 track tape recorders such as the later "Frida". If you currently have this product, or are considering acquiring it, its scarcity and historical value can be said to be quite high, but it is a vintage piece of equipment that requires specialized maintenance (especially rubber mounts and oil on the motor). ”

Thanks to Takeshi Makami-san for sharing.

A new 300B is in town…

 

… and reportedly - as per Ciro Marzio’s impeccable good taste - very, very good sounding.

It’s proudly China-made (not OEM) and accurately manufactured.

Soon landing in my studio, as well.

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Sharp 💫

 

Robert Fripp will be 80, soon 💫

Happy 50th birthday to Pick Up records shop 💫

 

One of my most beloved records shop, in lovely Bassano del Grappa, Italy.

Marco, Antonio e Gino are always kind and supportive to all and every music-related requests.

Thanks, folks.

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L’Impitoyable 💫

 

This (apparently) simple audio rig allows a special, deep introspection into the grooves of vinyl discs, as played by the Garrardzilla through Misho Myronov’s Audio Antiquary Phono Stage > Luxman AT3000 Ultimate passive line stage and Kaufmann 5998 power amp.

Ruthlessly like a true “impitoyable” magnifying tool, yet still extremely pleasing to ears and soul.

The Quad II/22/ESL’s combo, which I only very recently put on pause, was very musical and forgiving, in a sense: superb recordings were unbelievably good and average ones still quite enjoyable!

The Gotorama 2.0 is more selective and fussy - toffee-nosed, I’d dare - clearly “showing” any recording flaws… right or not, I find this ruthlessly intriguing, pushing me to search even more for the ultimate recordings and most carefully executed fine-tuning, as truly everything matters.

This amazing, awesome ECM’s - with its combination of extremely low-end, shimmering highs and church-like ambience - is paramount in better understanding the “direction” and - for example - the most correct ✅ crossover levels, for best overall results.

I’m very, VERY satisfied!

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Happy 100th birthday to Sir David Attenborough

 

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Cat Stevens’ “Mona Bone Jackon” mastertapes 💫

 

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If Barbie was an audiophile…

 

… this would be her turntable of choice.

Thanks to my pal Roberto for sharing this… weirdo.

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Keith Jarrett at home 💫

 

Keith Jarrett at the piano in his detached studio at home, part of a rural New Jersey farmhouse, a few years ago.

Such a lovely picture.

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Viole da Gamba 💫

 

A viola da gamba built by Jean-Baptiste Salomon in Paris in 1741, and its cousin, built in 1746 by Boivin.

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Using an old iPhone as a cheap music source 💫

 

My previous iPhone is on duty with Spotify Lossless Premium and ain’t bad for background music.

Instead of sadly staying - unused - in a closet.

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Wilson Audio “Autobiography”

Autobiography is the top of Wilson's line, although the WAMM remains available until the limited run has finished. Sensitivity is 89dB, and the modulus of impedance suggests that it is easier to drive than the WAMM or XVX. The speaker stands 83.5" tall.

Retail price is USD 788,000.00.

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Happy birthday, Maestro 💫

 

Keith Jarrett is 81, today 🥂🍀🥂

Exploring 💫

 

Yesterday I swapped the passive line-stage after recently swapping the power double triode from my little amp: so, to recap from Audio Consulting “Silver Rock” and ‘65 Telefunken 6080 to Luxman AT-3000 Ultimate and ‘40s Kauffman 5998 and the Gotorama is performing like a magnifying lens… better: a telescope!

The 5998’s 4,5W p.c. (instead of the 6080’s 2W per side) gives more mojo and cojones to overall result, fortunately without loosing the 6080 heavenly sound character.

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A quite promising and utterly prophetic title, indeed 😉

Every little, also the tiniest adjustment in tilting single drivers/horns and whole arrays is easily perceptible, a dream!

Tubes, cables, SACD or vinyl records, using this or that clamp on Garrardzilla… every little variation is immediately recognizable.

Enjoying!

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Sylvia Courvoisier & Mary Halvorson - Bone Bells (2026)

 

What a wonderful disk!

I’m quite partial to Mrs. Halvorson’s music, but this freshly published CD is on a class of its own: not jazz, not classical but a bit of both, the angular soundscapes transmit a sense of “old world”, like two young, gifted musicians at a Conservatory of Music that duet secretly from the professor who left the classroom to drink a coffee. 

Cleverly composed and played, it’s a joy for the ears.

Looking forward to meeting Mrs. Halvorson in a few days after a concert she’ll perform at the Vicenza Jazz Festival.

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A one of a kind crossover from Japan 💫

 

Seldom seen outside Japan… I remember I spotted a sampler of this at HiFiDo Akihabara, Tokyo, exactly nine years ago.

Thanks to Alex for sharing and congratulations: your Onken horn system will fully blossom with this laboratory-grade piece of gear.

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Late Franco Cerri’s Gibsons’ (and my humble one) 💫

 

On his sofà, a picture of his instruments taken by his son.

… and here below, here is my 1976 Gibson L5CES

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