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Review 1 of 2 Summary:
It took a year of careful auditioning before I settled on the Wilson-Benesch with an ACT 1 tonearm. Generally, I find that British turntables time and swing far, far better than American ones, with the only exception being the Immedia. The WB, the Linn, the Rega all have a way with timing that's hard to deny. Early on in my search, I pretty much struck the American models off my list. While they tended to have more depth and sounstage, I felt these weren't, and aren't, musically relevant parameters.
So, on my shortlist were the Linn, Rega, Immedia and WB. I struck the Linn off because I felt that its warmth which was initially so seductive might actually be a coloration. It also lacked that final measure of transparancy. Next to go was the Rega. As much as I liked its timing (it was, to my ears, the best of the lot), it fell behind the others in all other areas (midrange bloom, quickness, versatility in taking other arms,lack of VTA adjustment). The Immedia might have actually gone slightly lower in the bass than the Wilson Benesch, and it timed just as well, but the WB was faster, being the perfect match for electrostatics, more airy, more subtle in the midrange, smoother, and less expensive.
For anyone thinking of vinyl, the WB is a must-audition. It is a well thought out turntable with an extensive repertoire of strenghts.
My system:
WB turntable with ACT 1 tone and Grado Reference
Audio Research PH2 Phono stage
Audio Research LS 3
Audio Research VTM 120
Martin Logan Sequel 2
Strengths:
Lightning fast signal retrieval, fleet-footed bass, very rhythmic, lovely midrange bloom, well-balanced, lots of air around the voices and instruments, times perfectly, very, very accurate timbre. Weaknesses:
For some, may not have the depth and soundstage of some American models. Similar Products Used:
Rega Planar 9, Linn Sondek LP 12 with Linn ARO tonearm, Immedia RPM 2, Rockport Capella were all auditioned.
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