Brinkmann Balance
Brinkmann Audio has produced the BALANCE turntable for over 15 years
and has continuously worked to optimize it. Our aim was to combine timeless
beauty, high sound quality and perfection in workmanship. The turntable
is available in a design of black and stainless steel.
The ‘Analog Package’ includes turntable chassis, Brinkmann
tonearm base machined specially for the Brinkmann tonearm, platter, record
clamp, motor, switch unit and the transistorized power supply for oil
platter bearing temperature control and motor as well as tools for adjustment
and all cables.
Additionally available are: separate tonearm bases for many other tonearms,
the vacuum tube power supply and a platform support made from aluminum
/ granite. We recommend the HRS (Harmonic Resolution Systems) isolation
platform.
The chassis is milled from a 40mm strong dural-plate and is equipped
with attachments for the bearing and the tonearm base. The tonearm base
has a special clamping technique to enable the customer to change between
various tonearms; each one installed on a separate base, within a few
moments and adjusts each one precisely.
The Brinkmann Balance turntable features an attachment for the tonearm
base that fits with a machined culet and can be fixed or loosened via
a single screw. This enables the user to adjust the effective length
of the tonearm while the base is being allowed to be moved freely.
Surely the most precise element of the turntable is the bearing, especially
with the BALANCE it was most important to drive the 20kg weighing plate
without any reeling. We reduced the temperature dependence of the material
with the help of an electronic temperature control to nearly nothing
to guarantee a smooth turning of the table. A power mosfet, installed
beneath the bearing, produces with the help of a control circuit power
dissipation that is needed to create a stable temperature.
The tonearm base can be equipped with various different arm boards,
according to the needs of the customer, for tonearms with a length of
9 to 10.5 inches or a second arm board for arm lengths up to 12 inches.
It is possible to lead the connection wiring of the tonearm directly
out of the base or to mount two RCA cable sockets.
The turntable platter is made from a massive block of a special aluminum
that has low resonance because of a mixture of lead and copper. Supported
by the 90mm strength of the plate and the firmly inserted crystal glass
plate follows a total absence of resonance.
The crystal glass platter gives a very smooth and even surface; therefore
the record clamp for a safe placement of the records is included and
suggested to be used. A plastic ring in the middle of the plate lifts
the crystal glass minimally and is pressed back onto the plate by the
record clamp at the outer rim of the label. That way, there is a good
contact between record and platter, minimizing the resonance quickly
from the record to the platter.
The motor with its switch unit is placed separately beside the turntable.
A motor control constructed specially for this turntable drives the Pabst
motor electronically to the speeds 33 and 45, both speeds can be fine
adjusted separately with two rotary switches. A precisely cut round belt
transfers the drive from the motor to the plate.
The turntable is delivered with its own transistorized power supply,
but is optimally driven by our vacuum tube power supply additionally
giving the motor the purest source.
The TONEARM 10.5 is ideally suited for this turntable.
Review
"The Brinkmann Balance presents music the way you hear it live: as an
organic whole, not as disconnected parts. Nevertheless, no information
has gone missing and a listener intent on following particular musical
parts is surely free to do so. It is all there as every aspect of the music
on an LP is available for those inclined to listen analytically or as through
a microscope. Still, the Brinkmann discourages detached, analytic listening.
It invites the listener to embrace and be moved by the music, not to study
or scope it.
The Brinkmann Balance is one of the very few turntables I have heard that
pretty much gets the timing right. Because it gets the timing right, it
plays music and invites the listener to see deeply into the music, to embrace
and be moved by it: to experience its meaning while avoiding any tendency
to parse it into component elements.
As with other high mass designs, the Balance has a deep, full and authoritative
bottom end. Unlike some others I have heard, however, it stops and starts
on a dime. It is much more agile in this regard than are some of its competitors.
I like to put this in terms of recovery rate. After big, powerful moments
in large orchestral pieces, there is no sense that the piece is starting
back up too slowly or too quickly. There is a breath, a pause, a gathering
of thoughts, and off we go again - all in order. I cannot tell you how
often tables get this wrong.
The midrange is extremely detailed but natural. Improperly isolated high
mass tables can be unnaturally edgy on top, but no doubt thanks in part
to its HRS isolation platform, the Brinkmann is extended, airy and edgeless
on top.
But is there anything to complain about sonically?
Not really. After listening for two months, I had the sense that
Helmut Brinkmann likely voiced the table around classical music and small
Jazz combos. I had gotten this impression from the fact that no matter
how I tried, I couldn't get the table to play dirty or nasty.
The Chemical Brothers' "Hey Boy, Hey Girl" never fully came
across as the ode to the Club Ecstasy scene that it is. Even Roy Buchanan's
ear-piercing Telecaster on his signature "The Messiah Will Come Again" [Roy
Buchanan, Polydor, PD5033, 1972] comes across somewhat tamer than
it is in life. I couldn't get the Brinkmann to display bad manners - no
matter how hard I tried". - Jules Coleman extract Six Moons
MICHELL
TecnoDec Michell's new TecnoDec is essentially a latest-spec
GyroDec with the expensive bits stripped off. To wit, it has
no suspension to speak of, and lacks its bigger brother's beautiful
suspended weights, in all their gold-plated splendour. Frankly
though, if I was going to strip bits off the Gyro to slash cash,
these are precisely what I'd bin. The advent of the new DC motor
(its source still a well kept secret!) has made the new TecnoDec
even more speed-stable than the old, QC-aspired AC Orbe complete
with that massive massloaded acrylic platter. In the new DC powered
world, weighty platters would appear less essential. |
Michell GyroDec
SE Once you hear the Gyrodec SE Mk.II (or rather, don't hear
it), you know it’s going to be in your system for the long
haul. With a naturally balanced cartridge, I have not heard reproduced
music sounding closer to live than through the Gyrodec. I don't
see the need to spend more on a turntable, even after hearing
the big boys at various high end shows. This turntable is designed
to provide long-term satisfaction, and is most highly recommended. Brad
Morrical - Positive Feedback |
SME
Model 10 The SME Model 10 is a welcome addition to a very
fine range, handling all sorts of material with an open and persuasive
balance that encourages you to keep on listening and hunting
for more vinyl (it is out there by the way). As well as being
stylish it's ridiculously well made - so forget your BMWs and
your Lexii. This is Rolls-Royce Aerospace grade hi-fi and it's
a bargain at the price. - JK, Hifi Choice |
Brinkmann LaGrange The
Brinkmann LaGrange turntable is without a doubt the best source
component I have ever had the chance to enjoy over an extended
period of time. It represents a level of perfection and emotional
connection to music that I have never heard before. - Danny Kaey
extract from Positive Feedback |
Origin
Live Resolution “In fact, this arm-table
combo is one of the finest performers I’ve heard at any
price....I could make a case for preferring this $4465 spread
to the $20,000+ version .....“The Resolution Modern works
brilliantly, is well-built, and its price is right. But regardless
of price, this is one of the truly special products I’ve
reviewed in the past 18 years.”
($4,465 is for Encounter tonearm & Resolution. $20,000 reference
is Michael’s Simon Yorke S7, Kuzma Air Tracking Arm, Sounds
of Silence platform).
- Michael Fremer, Stereophile July 2004 |
SME Model 20/2A If
I have appeared to be too uncritical of this player, then I apologise
but it is one of the few truly great components to come my way
in recent years. As an evaluation and demonstration tool the 20/2A
is unsurpassed. On occasions I have tried to set up top class systems
only to be frustrated when, despite hours of setting up and fine
adjustment, the system simply fails to gel. This never happened
with an SME player at the front end! - HiFi Choice David
Wiley |
