Are there other Artisan Fidelity TT owners aorund?


So after being an audio hobbyist since my uncle got me going down this demented path some 17 years ago I finally purchased a TT. I had flirted with the idea for a very long time but honestly I've heard a number of TT's at shows and at buddies homes and none of them moved me. Now obviously many many variables are involved. Lets start with, was their TT setup correctly (superlatively).., I don't know. Was the arm/cartridge combination simpatico.., again, I don't know. Was the phono preamp just so-so or great and if it was great was the cartridge loaded correctly.., you get my drift.

So with my digital down through the years easily besting (to my ears) the analog I'd been privy to, I found no reason to spend the money required to involve myself with analog. My former Bidat easily dispatched a SOTA Cosmos Vacuum TT in a head to head listening session. Ditto for my former Dynavox Dynastation.., same with my AMR DP777...etc.

At Axpona last year I listened to the $170K Clearaudio TT along with about $85K worth of Pass Amplification and perhaps $200K worth of JM Labs speaker and cabling only to be more moved by the sound from the Playback Design MPD-5 in the same room.

Finally I realized the only way I would ever find out for myself would be to purchase my OWN TT and make sure it was expertly setup and dialed-in. I had a rare chance to purchase a latest-revision-pristine example of a Graaf GM70 Phono Preamplifier. I have a soft spot for Graaf as Mr. Mariani simply builds the finest gear I have laid ears on. So now I have this phono pre sitting in the box for a few months when I see a SP 10 MK III come up for sale in Agon. So, I threw caution to the wind and contacted Chris at Artisan Fidelity; after some conversation I hung up having just commissioned the building of a SP10 MKIII Next Gen TT.

I was happy for about a month then the fear started to creep in, "what have I done?". What if this thing SUCKS!!!! and my digital system which is very very very good if I do say so myself stomps it!

During the build I researched and read tons of user reviews (I don't really pay attention to so-called pro reviewers) on arms and cartridges. I finally settled (with a lot of talking to Chris and other friends and a lot of late night web searching) on the Kuzma 4 Point and the Ortofon MC Anna.

So, here we are today and I have had my TT for a little over 3 weeks now and I have about 150 - 160 hours on the rig. Early on it sounded ok, you know.., good but nothing special. I liked it but my digital was fully up to the task and in some cases much better :) (now I'm scared)

Ok, so fast forward to 100 hours.., ok, I think I'm starting to understand all this analog hype :) better and better. now we are at 150 hours.., the word SUBLIME comes to mind. The spaciousness, openness and natural continuity of the analog is addictive. The dynamics seem to go on forever along with a naturalness that is very difficult to put into words. I did purchase the Furutech Demag, the Destat II, a scale..., all the toys to go along with it :) Again, I wanted to know for myself and the only way to do that was to take the plunge.

So how does my digital hold up? Well, my well run-in long time AMR DP777 has NOTHING to be ashamed of. It sounds great and I can easily go from the TT to the DP without too much shock (the AMR guys are big vinyl heads and use vinyl as a reference when designing) BUT... when I have two equally well recorded pieces of music (Best of Eva Cassidy comes to mind or Diana Krall Live in Paris 24/96 vs 180g/45) as good as my digital sounds the SP10MK III simply walks away. Again the digital is not trodden underfoot and indeed 20 seconds of the digital and you will be into it fully, but the analog rig beguiles with its effervescent ease and infinite continuity of musical flow.

Ok, so to end this long synopses.., I am now deeply into analog and have been going to local used record stores and burning up my cc on Music Direct and Acoustic Sounds...etc.

The folks at Artisan Fidelity are the real deal and they built me a museum quality +180 pound Porsche Basalt Black TT/piece of art that sounds AMAZING!!!!

I also ordered a Bassocontinuo Apogeo rack for the table which should arrive in about 2 weeks. I am enjoying my foray into the land of analog!!!

THANKS CHRIS!!!!!!!
audiofun
I have worked with Chris in the past and will again in the future, most likely on an NG MKlll very similar to yours. His work is gorgeous. The MKlll has great flexibility and in my opinion, when well implemented, there really is no better table. Reliable, simple to operate and reference quality playback. Congratulations on your table. You're very lucky to have one.
Audiofun,
Since I already have a Mk3, can you give me some idea about the cost of the plinth-ing? (I would not need any of their rebuilding services; my unit was NOS when I bought it and then Bill Thalmann massaged it thoroughly in all the same ways that yours has been serviced. It only lacks the Krebs mods.) Thx.
Hi and thank you all for the compliments on the table. It is absolutely what I wanted and yes it sounds beautiful with my Graaf GM70 phono pre :)

Yes Lewm, I did fail to mention the fact that the motor unit was completed extricated from the aluminum stock housing. Lewm I would totally tell you the cost of the plinth if I could but I purchased my deck as a package, meaning that I purchased the SP10 MK3 unit and arm ...etc together as a package :) Give Chris a call, he is a very easy person to deal with.., I have never heard him talk badly about other people or their products. I think it is awesome that you have a MK3!!!!!!

Thanks Sonofjim, yes I do feel very fortunate to have this set-up and I am even more fortunate that I love the sounds it makes after parting with my money :)
A beautifully restored and replinthed Artisan Fidelity Garrard 401 owner checking in.

I've sought Christopher Thornton's (Artisan Fidelity) audio advice regularly over the last 15 years. Christopher has always been helpful as well as knowledgeable when I ask him for system advice, even if I was not purchasing anything from Artisan Fidelity.

After some serious research on my own and after multiple consultations with Christopher regarding his latest upgrade offerings for the idler drive based turntables, we proceeded with Artisan Fidelity's new inverted bearing and platter upgrade on my already upgraded and replinthed Garrard 401.

I was not prepared for the sonic improvements the inverted bearing and platter brought to my analog presentation. My 401 sounded excellent to begin with but I now truly understand (and can hear) what Christopher meant when he suggested that these upgrades would result in a true reference level analog source. Clarity, precision, drive, extension and a new level of refinement are what I now hear. Everything has a wholeness to it that was not present before, and again, I thought the table sounded great before! These latest upgrades have made a 40% to 50% improvement in my system overall and I could not be more pleased. A true return on my investment (which to me is saying a lot in this hobby!).

A truly satisfied Artisan Fidelity repeat customer,

Tim