Recently, when Mark Gomez, head of Swedish Analog Technologies (SAT, footnote 1), announced two new tonearms to replace his original SAT arm, some readers were indignant or deluded: “Why did he do it wrong? once?”
Products evolve over time and then release on schedule (cars tend to be in the fall), or when design makers think they’re “ready” – scary quotes because some dreamers never thought they were. to their public, or release V2 a month after V1, tag the customer instead of letting improvements and improvements build up over time, and release V2 in a year or two.
As for the SAT, the tonearm I reviewed, fell in love with, and bought didn’t suddenly appear in its final form. Gomez showed me an early version at High End in Munich and a year ago he was ready to send me a review. After the comment was posted, in Issue 1 July 2015, to my surprise I found an earlier review from 2013 online about a much more complex SAT arm made entirely of carbon fiber, including the bearing bracket. (In my review unit, the bearing bracket was made of stainless steel.) At the time, Gomez only made custom SATs, not yet what I would call a manufacturer.
When I looked at the SAT hand, it was worth $28,000. Despite the high price, which continued to rise over time, Gomez eventually sold about 70 SAT weapons before halting production. Is it “The Best Arm in the World?” as the title of this column says? The question mark is important: how do I know it’s “best”? I haven’t heard of any other contenders including Vertere Acoustics Reference and Acoustical Systems Axiom).
After the review was published and the dust settled, I received many messages from readers who had just bought a hand based on my review. Their enthusiasm and satisfaction was constant, which was a relief to me. No customer has emailed me to complain about the SAT.
Gomez learned some hard lessons during the production of the original hand, including the fact that no matter how carefully he packaged it, the shipper found ways to break it. He made some operational changes during production, including refining the counterweight system and separately packaging the upper horizontal bearing for field installation to avoid vibration damage (although Gomez tells me this only happened once). The latter is easier said than done: it requires a new, partially split bearing bracket and a tool to accurately preload bearings in the field.
But he’s been making other improvements all the time, so late last year, Gomez discontinued production of the original SAT arm and replaced it with two new arms, each 9″ and 12″ long. Gomez, not a potchkier (footnote 2), has a master’s degree in mechanical and materials science and does not retract his claim that, all other things being equal, a 9-inch arm allows the stylus to behave in the groove better, producing better sound. results Sounds better than 12-inch turntables (footnote 3). However, some customers need 12″ turntables, and in some cases (such as rear mounts for Air Force turntables), only a 12″ turntable is sufficient. What? buy two SAT weapons? Yes.
Two (or four) new models are the LM-09 (and LM-12) and CF1-09 (and CF1-12) shown here. I hate to call $25,400 (LM-09) or $29,000 (LM-12) tonearms “affordable”, but considering the CF1-09 sells for $48,000, the CF1-12 sells for $53,000, and I’m happy with it. Maybe you’re thinking, “Going from manufacturing one arm to four is a huge shift for a one-man company. Maybe Gomez values ​​CF1 so highly that he doesn’t need to do much or none of it.”
I wouldn’t count on it. I’m pretty sure that anyone who can afford to spend $30,000 on a tonearm can also spend $50,000 if it performs significantly and even gets better. (Please don’t write “Hungry Child” letters!)
The new SAT hands are very similar to the original SATs because they are very similar: the original hand itself is well designed and well executed. In fact, both new 9″ levers are replacements for the original SAT.
By designing a stronger bearing system that is less prone to shipping damage, Gomez also improves system performance by increasing overall stiffness and reducing static friction in the bearing. In both new levers, the fork supporting the vertical bearings has become larger.
The new arms feature redesigned carbon fiber and aluminum detachable head housings that are different for each arm, with higher joint stiffness and smoother rotational action for finer azimuth adjustments. The armrests are also new. The polymer bushings of the original arm tubes are missing, and the carbon fiber underneath is visible. Gomez didn’t explain why he did it, but it could be because the armrest can leave unsightly marks over time – or, more likely, it improves the sound. Either way, it will give each hand a unique look.
You can learn more about the new weapon structure at AnalogPlanet.com. Here’s what Gomez told me in an email:
“The performance level of the new weapon is not an accident or a by-product of the work done to improve reliability, but is the result of a deliberate and demanding development iteration that seamlessly integrates with the original reliability-focused goals.
“Again, I want to be clear that I am not deliberately downgrading the performance of one model in favor of others to fit within the price/performance range – this is not my style and may make me feel uncomfortable. Instead, I’m trying to find a way to improve the performance of the top model. In this case, the CF1 series has a premium balance of performance, exclusivity and price tag.
The LM-09 is manufactured using a newly developed, low-cost structural technology where the yoke and other metal parts are made of aluminum instead of stainless steel like the original lever. The reduced weight should make the LM-09 more compatible with outboard turntables.
Packaging, appearance and fit are the same as the original SAT arm. The smooth surface of aluminum is very attractive.
It only took a few minutes to pop it in and listen to how to swap hands on my Continuum Caliburn turntable and reproduce the settings. However, remove the shield from the lower horizontal bearing, during transport, separate the bearing tip from the sapphire cup, and replace the virtual upper bearing cup with the actual upper bearing cup, fix it on the tip and set the preload, best at the dealer. I did this, but it was not very convenient.
I used an Ortofon MC Century Moving Coil Cartridge that I installed for review in the September 2018 issue and I knew the cartridge well by then. But before that, I listened to Davy Spillane’s title track “Atlantic Bridge” (LP, Tara 3019) and recorded it in 24bit/96kHz. It features Spillane on bagpipes and Willean bass, Bela Fleck on acoustic guitar and banjo, Jerry Douglas on Dobro, Eoghan O’Neill on fretless electric bass guitar, bodran Mustache Christy Moore, etc. Recorded and brilliantly mixed at Lansdowne Studios Studios in Dublin, the album has amazing, deep, punchy basses, well-drawn transients on the strings – the banjos are perfectly conveyed – and other sound processing, all distributed over a huge stage. Someone should repost this!
The combination of the original SAT and the Ortofon MC Century is one of the best reproductions of the 1987 recording I have ever heard, especially in terms of bass power and control. I put on a new SAT LM-09 and played and recorded the track again.
I understand what you mean. To put it another way: “many old LP suppressors sound better than many new ones”, then I completely agree with you.
Yes, my tarnished ears tell me that many old old plate presses sound pretty good compared to new ones.
I think the problem is with the master recording and not with the pressure itself. In the past, vacuum tubes were the only electronics available, and now there is a plethora of digital/solid state technology used in mic/mixer/master recording.
Sonically, I find those old stereo/mono classical music LPs I got (some 1,000+), olders sound better (of 1960 era), in term of OPENness, airy & lifelike. Sonically, I find those old stereo/mono classical music LPs I got (some 1,000+), olders sound better (of 1960 era), in term of OPENness, airy & lifelike. In terms of sound, I find the old stereo/mono records of classical music that I have (about 1000+) the older ones sound better (1960s era) in terms of OPENNESS, airiness and realism. In terms of sound, I find that the old stereo/mono classical music records I have (about 1000+) sound better on the old ones (1960s) in terms of OPENNESS, airiness and realism. None of my 30+ digital mastered LPs sound as good, just like confined in a box despite they all sound clear, clean, punchy & digitally ‘correct’. None of my 30+ digital mastered LPs sound as good, just like confined in a box despite they all sound clear, clean, punchy & digitally ‘correct’. None of my 30+ digitally mastered albums sound as good as if they were boxed, despite the fact that they all sound digitally clear, clean, punchy and “correct”. None of my more than 30 digitally mastered recordings sounded as good as if I were in a box, although they all sounded clear, clean, punchy and digitally “correct”.
As I just wrote here on the Phono Forum, when I first played a record of Richard Tucker’s old Columbia University masterpiece with the Vienna State Opera Orchestra under Pierre Deveaux, I was very pleasantly surprised. (1960s?) I actually sat in the center of the first 3 rows of the era house (my favorite seat: rows 10-13 in the center). The performance sounds so live, open, powerful & engaging. The performance sounds so live, open, powerful & engaging. The performance sounds so lively, open, powerful and exciting. The performance sounds very lively, open, powerful and exciting. Wow! For example, Turner (born in Brooklyn, New York) sings right above me on the podium. I have never enjoyed playing live at home like this before.
I haven’t bought vinyl records in decades, but still I have to say that the old press was never that good. (There are, of course, exceptions, which is probably why the old HPs were limited to Vintage Living Presence).
Mr. Qasim appears to have purchased the existing printing press and is refurbishing it as much as possible. He sells his fresh vinyl records for $30 to $100 each.
Vinyl is now a very expensive hobby! (My 1980s Koetsus was never cheap, originally sold for $1,000).
I used my ears and head to enjoy vinyl without ruining my bank account!
Perhaps this is the expected link: “https://swedishat.com/SAT%209%22%20vs%2012%22%20paper.pdf”.