It was some years I was exclusively using the mighty Tim de Paravicini’s TX-4 “The Head” MC SUT, always with Analogtechnik’s DST15 IceAge cartridge and The Peak 13” arm, while my (now-reduced-to-the-bone collection) other SUTs’ remained in a closet… BUT, the overwhelmingly radical changes I made in my system - i.e. the woofer-less Gotorama 2.0 - asked for further investigations.
Why?
Easy said: the level of introspection and overall tonal palette changed drastically… this augmented transparency brought my ears to re-consider TdP’s superb SUT, which was sometimes, with some dry-sounding ECMs’ discs, sort-of imposing a slight sense of leanness and “thinning” highs without improving air among instruments or imaging.
Mumbling, I today choose Western Electric 618B SUT, searching for that little, tiny quid of “musical warmth” (a naturaI, detailed, breathing smoothness) which I felt I was missing.
I know: some more technically inclined will suggest I could/would measure this or that and adjust here or there to (try to) find the best electric matching among Daniel Kim’s master built cartridge, Misho’s Phono Stage and SUT…
I’m such a stoopid romantic and I strongly believe in fractals and in - precisely - trial & error approach: the first attempt, after removing The Head, was with Peerless 4685 SUT, with a quite satisfactory sonic result, but I felt the need to further explore this fascinating audio niche.
The WE 618B - which I bought eons ago from late Koji-san at EIFL in Japan - immediately clicked with the sound I was looking for: drums skin became more true-to-life, trumpet remained dramatically and violently dynamic, but rounder… piano got some wood from soundboard without loosing the felt and strings, the tension and drama in a climax with increasing volume became more natural and impressive, surprising.
The strong wish to explore more and more records, both well-known and new, drastically increased but without any hurry to change a disc, enjoying what was actually playing.
Vinyl surface noises became more apparent yet less intrusive with music, like an annoying but very background blob, not interfering with musical flow.
I had to fiddle with three different clamps, because the overall sound quite impressively changed at different weights and materials!
A question arises: what would think the people, the engineers and artisans who designed and built these amazing 80+ years old transformers, about my enthusiastic words and - most of all - to the incredible intricacies and nuances they are able to resolve and make alive?
Were they aware of the care and quality they infused into these industrial parts which turned into musical instruments, almost a century after they built them?
Satori
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