Summer Newsletter

Titanium Bolts

For many years most manufacturers have supplied, and we have fitted, stainless steel bolts to hold the cartridge firmly in the headshells of tonearms on turntables. These are excellent, strong, and reliable - and there has never been any discussion about their viability - until now.

It turns out that stainless steel is slightly affected by magnetism. We have confirmed this by checking all our spare cartridge bolts in the shop, all of which respond to a greater or lesser extent to a magnet. This effect may curtail the efficiency of any cartridge, whether it be Moving Magnet or Moving Coil, reducing the stylus’ ability to move exactly as it would choose to as it traces the groove.

We’ve also trialled alternative non-ferrous bolts, such as aluminium. Unfortunately, the bolt head of the aluminium bolts tends to distort when tightened to any degree, making them difficult to tighten or remove. Additionally, sonic results have proved both interesting and disappointing, as they're not as good as the normal stainless steel, despite weighing less and being non-magnetic.

In more recent times, strong alternatives which do not respond to a magnet have become available and leading the pack is titanium. Titanium has the advantage of being significantly lighter and stronger than stainless steel. Reducing mass at the headshell means that in balancing the tonearm, the counterweight is moved that much closer to the arm bearing, which in practice offers a further sonic advantage.

Whether it is because stainless steel is slightly prone to respond to magnetism or whether titanium is lighter (and also happens to be stronger) we are not certain - but sonic results consistently show that titanium is the best way to go and we have all found that replacing traditional bolts with this alternative gives a very engaging uplift in sound quality.

So we recommend that the next time you bring your turntable into the shop for a service ask us to fit some titanium bolts to your cartridge, and for a few pounds, you will have a very worthwhile upgrade. We think you will be both surprised and delighted by such a simple, cost-effective upgrade with a noticeable improvement in sound.

“Cartridges are micro generators, involving a waggling coil of wire in a magnetic field (or vice versa). The fixing bolts in any cartridge sandwich that magnetic field on either side and, if they are themselves magnetic, they exert a direct influence on performance by altering the relationship between the wire and the magnetic field. So fixings should be non-magnetic – and many aren’t”.
Read Roy Gregory's full review here.

Supatrac Blackbird Tonearm

The Sound Organisation are now very pleased to be demonstrating the SUPATRAC Blackbird tonearm.

The "SUPA" in SUPATRAC tonearm stands for Sideways UniPivot Arm. The "TRAC" part refers to Torque-Reaction Assisted Contact. So, SUPATRAC describes a tonearm with a sideways unipivot bearing that utilises torque reaction to improve stylus contact with the record groove.

This highly original and unique tonearm is currently mounted on a Linn LP12 turntable in the shop and can be compared directly to Linn’s own tonearms on an identical deck. We are certain you will find the comparison interesting. The Blackbird has been fitted to many different turntables, including Rega, Garrard, and the exotic Dohmann Helix from Australia, to name but three.

Reviews of the Blackbird, originally launched in 2021, have been outstanding. Together with its bigger brother, the more recently introduced Nighthawk, both arms have gone on to garner enviable reputations when compared with much more expensive alternatives.

The well respected Michael Fremer from the USA describes the Blackbird as “A genuine and mechanical breakthrough” describing its virtues as “cleanliness, organisation, clarity, sense of musical flow, unrestrained dynamics, bass extension, control and freedom from 'overhang', transient delicacy, and especially a complete lack of mechanical artifacts and exceptional 'traceability' separate this arm from most others”. Finally, he notes: “I cannot get over it! I am totally addicted to the Blackbird's sonic performance”.

The full review can be found here, and should that be of interest, Michael Fremer has just released a review of its big brother - The Nighthawk - which can be read here.

The Blackbird and Nighthawk are both designed and manufactured in London by Richard Braine. Such is the demand for both arms that, not surprisingly, a long waiting list has developed so purchasers will need to be patient! 

Should you be tempted to have a listen, please contact the shop and arrange a demonstration.

Tangerine Audio Revolver

Machined from a single billet of high-grade austenitic (nonmagnetic) stainless steel, the Revolver outer platter is a simple but effective upgrade for your Linn LP12 turntable.

​​The primary benefit of Revolver is its even weight distribution which allows the stylus to track the groove at an optimum level. The inner diameter remains the same, ensuring compatibility with both Radikal and Lingo 4 sensors.

Chris Kelly from The Ear has written an excellent article about the Revolver, in which he concludes: "The Revolver outer platter deserves an audition on your LP12. If like me you are amazed at the way it improves the sound from your lovely Linn player you will, I suspect, find it almost impossible to resist."

If you'd like to arrange a demonstration, please feel free to contact us. It's a very simple A-B demonstration and has consistently impressed with how much difference it can make!

Ortofon MC X Series

The MC X Series combines advanced engineering and the finest materials to deliver a sound experience of remarkable clarity, depth, and precision. Designed for those who demand nothing less than excellence, it sets a new standard in high-end vinyl performance.

We're excited to be stocking the new Ortofon MC X series of moving coil cartridges, which consist of four different cartridges and range in price from £269.00 - £875.00. Each cartridge shares the same fundamental design but with different stylus profiles, from elliptical to nude Shibata, and even a lightweight boron cantilever in the flagship X40 model.

All cartridges in the range have at their core an advanced honeycomb-structured stainless-steel frame, shown below, which is created using Metal Injection Molding (MIM) technology. This lightweight construction ensures superior mechanical stability, providing an ideal foundation for precise and accurate sound reproduction.

We currently have the X20 and X40 available to demonstrate, if you'd like to discuss this please contact us for more information.