Recently, when Marc Gomez, head of Swedish Analog Technologies (SAT, footnote 1), announced two new tonearms to replace his original SAT tonearm, some readers were outraged, or indulged in a hoax: “Why did he Didn’t do it right once? Time?”
Products evolve over time and then release according to a schedule (cars, usually in the fall) or when designer-manufacturers think they’re “ready” – scary quotes because some dreamers never thought they were The designs are ready and so never release them to the public, or release V2 a month after V1, tick off customers, instead of letting refinements and improvements build up over time and deliver V2 a year or two later .
As far as the SAT goes, the tonearm I reviewed, fell in love with, and bought didn’t suddenly appear in finalized form.Gomez showed me the early iteration at the High End in Munich, and a year ago he felt ready to send me a review.After the comment was published, in the July 2015 issue 1, to my surprise, I found an earlier 2013 comment online about a much more sophisticated SAT made entirely of carbon fiber Arm, including bearing bracket.(My review sample had a bearing bracket made of stainless steel.) At the time, Gomez was just making SAT to order, not yet what I would call a manufacturer.
When I looked at the SAT arm, it cost $28,000.Despite the high price — which continued to rise over time — Gomez eventually sold about 70 SAT weapons before suspending production.Is it the “Best Tonearm in the World?” as the title of that column asks?The question mark is important: how do I know it’s “the 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 got a lot of messages from readers who just bought the arm based on my review.Their enthusiasm and satisfaction were consistent – a relief to me.Not a single buyer emailed me complaining about the SAT.
Gomez learned some hard lessons during the production of the original arm, including the fact that no matter how carefully he packed it, the shipper went out of his way to break it.He made some operational changes during production, including improving the counterweight system, and packing the upper horizontal bearing separately for field installation to avoid damage from vibration (though Gomez tells me this has only happened once).The latter is easier said than done: it requires a new, partially split bearing bracket, and a tool for accurately preloading the 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 measuring 9 inches and 12 inches in length.Gomez, no potchkier (footnote 2), has a master’s degree in mechanical engineering and materials science, and has not relinquished his assertion that, other things being equal, a 9″ tonearm allows the cartridge’s stylus to behave in the groove Better, produces better results Sounds better than 12″ arms (footnote 3). However, some customers want 12″ arms, and in some cases (for example, rear mounts for Air Force turntables), only 12 An inch arm is fine. What? Did someone actually buy two SAT weapons? Yes.
The two (or four) new models are the LM-09 (and LM-12) and CF1-09 (and CF1-12) presented here.I hate to describe tonearms that sell for $25,400 (LM-09) or $29,000 (LM-12) as “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 making one tonearm to four is a huge shift for a one-man company. Maybe Gomez is pricing the CF1 so high that he doesn’t have to make many or any of them.”
I wouldn’t count on that.I’m fairly certain 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 Baby” letters!)
The new arms of the SAT look very similar to the original SAT because they are very similar: the original arm itself is well-designed and well-executed.In fact, both new 9″ arms are drop-in replacements for the original SAT.
While designing a stronger bearing system that is less susceptible to damage during transportation, Gomez also improves its performance by increasing overall stiffness and reducing the bearing’s static friction.In both new arms, the yoke that supports the vertical bearings has become larger.
The new arms feature redesigned, removable carbon fiber and aluminum head shells – which are different for each arm – with higher coupling stiffness and smoother rotational action for more precise azimuth setting.The arm tubes are also new.The polymer sleeves of the original arm tubes have been omitted, and the carbon fiber underneath is visible.Gomez didn’t explain why he did it, but maybe it’s because the armrest can leave unsightly marks over time — or, more likely, it makes for a better sound.Either way, it will give each arm a unique look.
You can read 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 accidental or a by-product of work done to improve robustness, but is the result of thoughtful and demanding development iterations that seamlessly integrate with the original robustness-driven goals.
“Again, I want to make it clear that I’m not intentionally reducing the performance of one model in favor of others to fit the price/performance range – that’s not my style, and doing so would make me uncomfortable. Instead, I Trying to find a way to improve the performance of the top model. In this case, the CF1 series has a premium in terms of performance, exclusivity and price tag.
The LM-09 is manufactured using a newly developed low-cost construction technique, with its yoke and other metal parts made of aluminum, rather than stainless steel like the original arm.The reduced mass should make the LM-09 more compatible with hanging turntables.
Packaging, presentation 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 put it in and listen to swap the arms on my Continuum Caliburn turntable and replicate the settings.However, remove a protective washer from the lower horizontal bearing, during shipping, separate the tip of the bearing from its sapphire cup and replace the virtual upper bearing cup with the actual upper bearing cup, fasten it to the tip and set the preload , is best done by the dealer.I did it, but it wasn’t very comfortable.
I used Ortofon’s MC Century Moving Coil Cartridge, which I had installed for review in the September 2018 issue, and I knew the cartridge well by then.But before that, I listened to the title track of Davy Spillane’s Atlantic Bridge (LP, Tara 3019) and made a 24-bit/96kHz recording.It features Spillane on uilleann pipe and bass whistle, Béla Fleck on acoustic guitar and banjo, Jerry Douglas on Dobro, Eoghan O’Neill on fretless electric bass, and bodhran Christy Moore, et al.Recorded and mixed brilliantly at Lansdowne Studios in Dublin, the album has amazing, deep, punchy bass, well-drawn transients on the strings – the banjos are perfectly captured – and more Sound enjoyment, all spread out over a huge stage.Someone should repost this!
The combination of the original SAT and Ortofon MC Century is one of the best reproductions of the 1987 recording I’ve ever heard, especially for its bass power and control.I put on a new SAT LM-09 and played and recorded the track again.
I understand what you mean.If you put it another way: “many old LP suppressions still sound better than many new ones”, then I totally agree with you.
Yes, my tarnished ears tell me that many old old LP presses still sound pretty good compared to new ones.
I think it’s a problem with the master recording, not the pressure itself.In the past, vacuum tubes were the only electronics available, and now there’s a lot of digital/solid-state technology used throughout the mic/mixing/master recording.
Sonically, I find that those old stereo/mono classical music LPs I get (around 1,000+) sound better on older ones (1960s) in terms of OPENness, airiness, and realism.None of my 30+ digitally mastered records sounded that good, like being confined to a box, even though they all sounded clear, clean, punchy and digitally “correct.”
As I just posted on the Phono Forum here, I played for the first time an old Colombian Masters label LP by Richard Tucker when I played the Vienna State Opera Orchestra conducted by Pierre Dervaux for the first time: French opera aria, I was pleasantly surprised.(1960s?) I actually found myself sitting in the center of the first 3 rows of the oera house (my favorite seat: rows 10-13 center).The performance sounds so vivid, open, powerful and engaging.Wow!Like Turner (a native from Brooklyn, NY) singing right above me on the podium.I’ve never had such a live performance enjoyment at home before.
I haven’t bought a vinyl record in decades, but I still have to say the old press was never that good.(There are exceptions, of course, which is probably why the old HP limited itself to Vintage Living Presence).
Mr. Kasim appears to have purchased the available printing press and is rebuilding 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 never came cheap, originally selling for $1,000).
I’ve used my ears and my head to enjoy vinyl without breaking my bank account!
Maybe this is the expected link: “https://swedishat.com/SAT%209%22%20vs%2012%22%20paper.pdf”