Kuzma 4Point-9 (Kondo Silver) - $$$ Sold $$$

This is our personal 4Point-9.  It's wired with Kondo Silver with 5-pin DIN termination.

This barely used arm has been in service for 3 months and it's time to move on to a lucky owner.  Current retail price is $9,390.  Refer to our Kuzma page for details.

Please note:  this is the 5-pin DIN terminated version (you'll need a tonearm cable).  

Cartridge shown is not included.  Inquire about package deals with cartridges and tonearm cables.  

Click photos to enlarge

Koetsu and Etsuro

A good customer of ours is making his Koetsu Urush Tsugaru and Etsuro Bordeaux available.

The Urushi is availble for $3,000 and the nearly new Etsuro Bordeaux is $4,000 (new price is $7,500).

The Urushi was purchased used, and failed to unseat his beloved Koetsu Onyx.

He recently purchased the Bordeaux (new) about 4 months ago, and it too came close, but sits in its box with very low hours on it.

We received the cartridges, mounted them, took USB microscope photos, set them up and auditioned them.  They're both in the shape as represented to me.

Click the images to expand them ...

Flash! Jelco Clearance !!

$1,495 (with our "hot rod" mod & Cardas Cable)

($1,295 without cable)

We've been turning down requests, saving our remaining stock of Jelcos for turntable packages.

It's time to set them free!

Our remaining batch of Jelco SA-250s (branded with Artisan Audio logo) are now available.

• These arms have all been upgraded with our arm stub and counterweight mod (a $369 value).  This isn't your typical counterweight mod.  We provide 4 different weights, to ensure a match with any cartridge.  Refer to the "kit" photo, below.  Full details on the modification are here.
• Also included is a Cardas Iridium tonearm cable ($210).  Upgrade to any tonearm cable we sell by paying the price difference.
• Of course, these arms and cables will be burned in for 72 ours on our Cable Cooker.

What about VTA on the Fly?

Having established an accurate setting, we view the simple set screw adjustable VTA to be more than adequate to the task, without introducing added expense.  

Whether it's on a Jelco, the $7K Ikeda tonearms, or their legendary predecessors (the Fidelity Research tonearms), they work nicely.

Having said that, many insist on this feature, and we recently came across a British company named Easy VTA.  We have no affiliation with them, and present this link for information purposes only.  Their designs give all indications of being well thought out, however.

Click on thumbnails to enlarge ...

Audio Technica AT-12P Tonearm

Make an Offer

Sold "as is" (headshell not included).  Make an offer.

GAVIA Mk 1.5 (restored)

$$$ sold $$$

Our most recent restoration has sold, and we're leaving this placeholder ad in place.  On average, we see one or two trade-ins per year, and they all receive the same treatment - a full restoration, including our new finishing process.

These restored Gavias are complete:

Drive System:  

• Current drive system specification (v1.03).  
• Upgrade linear supply.

Bearing

• Rebuilt to current specification with ceramic thrust ball interface.

Mk 1.5 Upgrade

• Tonearm cavity machined to accommodate Mk 1.5 armboard
• Mk 1.5 Armboard - drilled for your tonearm

TPI © Top Plate 

• This turntable has the earlier graphite version, it has been refinished using our new process, bringing the cosmetics to match the later carbon fiber version.
• Performance differences between the two versions are indistinguishable.  
• The carbon fiber revision was a cosmetic change.  This occurred before we developed the new finishing process for the graphite plates.  We're circulating these refinished graphite plates to our beta test group and will likely return to the graphite version in the near future.

Finish:

• This turntable served as a proof of concept for our new Teridium Texture Powder Coat.  We like it so much, that we're discontinuing our Stelvio auto paint finsh in place of this process. 

The Mk 1.5 Upgrade:

This is not trivial.  This brings  parity with our Mk II designs to the Mk I architecture.

In developing the Mk II chassis, we replaced the pivoting armboard design of the Mk I with a more stable and adjustable arm mounting architecture.

With a bit of post-manufacture machining, we retrofit this upgrade to our Mk I chassis.

The only feature it is missing from the Mk II is dual arm capability.

A detailed comparison of Mk I and Mk 1.5 armboards can be viewed here.  You can view photos of the various armboard options in our museum. 

Previous Gavia Restorations

It’s the rare individual who “requires” an upgrade from a Gavia to a Stelvio turntable, and on average, we’ll see perhaps one Gavia come our way in a calendar year.

The three Gavias shown here are examples different finishes for for turntables received in trade (click photos to expand).  

The fourth  photo shows the machined conversion cavity for compatibility with the Mk 1.5 armboards.  This modification brings the Mk I turntable's performance to match the Mk-II turntables.

Our polisher has retired, and in recent years, the default finish has changed to a matte silver, anodized finish  shown below.

Serac Turntable for $500?

Yes!  When you purchase our Stelvio-class drive system for $2,745.

A new armboard is waiting to be drilled for your tonearm.

(this one just sold - this is a placeholder for future trade-ins)

Complete Serac Turntable: $3,245 (base price) includes:

• Serac turntable base converted to accept Mk 1.5 armboards
• Serac PVC platter
• Upgraded (re-manufactured) bearing with ceramic thrust interface (same as Gavia/Stelvio)
• New Mk I pivoting armboard with no front pillar
• New, current  specification Gavia/Stelvio drive module (v1.03) with Astron RS 7A Linear Power Supply

Putting this Into Perspective

We sell the exact drive module as a retrofit/upgrade for $2,745 (complete with an Astron RS 7A power supply.  With the Teddy Pardo supply upgrade, it sells for $3,245.

Click this link for a historical timeline of our drive systems (leading up to the current Gavia/Stelvio v1.03) and click this link to view drive system upgrade page.  

Not a bad deal, when you consider the price of the drive system alone, eh?

Optional Upgrades:

Photo above shows the following upgrades ("maxed out" Serac):

• Teddy Pardo Linear Power Supply Upgrade (order direct from Teddy Pardo  - approximately $500)
• Mk 1.5 armboard - add $275
• Front protective pillar - add $250

Kuzma 4Point-9 and cartridge is not included.  Inquire about tonearm and cartridge packages.

Background

On rare occasions, a Serac owner will upgrade their Serac platter to a Gavia. When they do, we trade the customer's base, platter and bearing in exchange for a new base, Gavia platter, and matching bearing (platters & bearings are delivered in matched sets). We then take the traded-in base, platter and bearing and do the following to build a new turntable:

• We modify the base to accept Mk 1.5 armboards.
• We rebuild the bearing to our current ceramic thrust interface standard
• We build a new drive system with an Astron linear supply
• In "Maxed Out" configuration, we include a front pillar, a Mk 1.5 Gavia armboard, and substitute a Teddy Pardo linear supply for the Astron.

Photos below are show various arms as well as one with a Mk I armboard.

Inquire about tonearm and cartridge package pricing.

Serac Background

The Serac may be our greatest technical achievement and biggest commercial flop.  We put all of our r&d into performance, and compromised on cosmetics to deliver it at its price point.

In retrospect, we realized that the market preferred a bit more cosmetics, but we could  have never delivered so much sound at this price point if we had done so.

Put this into perspective:  our customers currently pay $1,295 to upgrade to this drive system – the same one we specify for our 5-figure Stelvio and Gavia turntables – a drive system which competes against cost no object turntables.s

For a relatively small price difference, you’re getting an entire turntable with the same bearing and drive system we specify for the Gavia and Stelvio turntables.

Teres Verus II

The Verus has been spoken for, but folks have been known to give up on "rescue projects".

We're leaving this section up in case it once more comes available.

If you’re up to it, I have my customer’s permission to gift it to you for the price of shipping.

The unit came with manual dated 04-Mar-2015 (click here), along with a one page flyer titled "Verus Pod Upgrade Instructions” (click here).

This is everything I know about the unit, and needless to say, it comes with no technical support.

Be aware that two of the most critical machining operations in turntable manufacture are the bearing and any pulleys, idlers or rim drive parts.

You'll need competent machining to achieve a satisfactory runout, and no, we will not do this for you (that's why we're giving it away for our customer).

If you don’t have access to a competent machine shop this project is not for you.

Linn LP12

We’ve known Jon for over 20 years, and he’s in line for one of our new Savoie turntables.  There’s room on his shelf for only one turntable.

You can contact Jon directly at this e-mail address: ainums@spectrum.net.  Jon and I are researching what a fair price would be, and hence, the absence of an asking price at present.

Jon describes this LP12 as follows:

" Excellent+ condition – a few minor blemishes.  Original lacquer on platter in excellent condition.  Good belt.  Bearing drained and sealed.  Will wrap in brown paper."

•     Linn Sondek LP12
•     Valhalla power supply (single speed 33.3 rpm)
•     Armboard drilled for Ittok
•     Blank 6-point armboard
•     Cirkus bearing and chassis
•     120v/60Hz
•     Stainless top, original Linn wood base
•     New dust cover in bag with cloth cover
•     New dust cover hinges
•     New complete double box and packing
•     Includes online setup guide

Click the thumbnail photos for a larger view: