Turntables, Arms & Cartridges

The basic design of the G.E.C. model is a conventional reflex-loaded speaker, but several important features are incorporated which materially improve its performance.

Calling Thorens a storied brand might be one of the biggest understatements in hi-fi history. Founded in 1882, it was most recently acquired by former ELAC director Gunter Kürten in 2018, since when it’s been inventing modernised versions of Thorens classics. The TD 404 DD seen here doesn’t have an immediately recognisable ancestor, as was the case with the TD 1600 – which is a modern retread of the iconic TD 160. That said, it does leverage a fair bit of technology from the flagship TD 124 DD [HFN Jul ’21] while also adopting a user-friendly auto arm-lift mechanism.

There is always some kind of surprise in store when reviewing vintage Philips products. Whether a new way of doing things or an extra feature you never knew you needed, Philips always had a knack for this sort of thing. The GA 209S seen here was an attempt to completely automate a high-quality turntable. Introduced in 1973, it entered a market where the grinding gears, clicking cams and greasy levers found in the mechanisms of some BSR and Garrard decks were still very much the norm. The Philips approach was quite different; it made extensive use of electronics to control and sequence the mechanism.

For a brand that’s a relatively new name to the hi-fi industry, Hana is already making big waves in the vinyl community. With four distinct cartridge ranges (moving-coil only) comprising the E, S and M models in both high- and low-output versions and topping out in the Umami series, it previously had options covering a price range of £419 to £3399. However, that selection has now been crowned by a no-compromise flagship, the £7995 Umami Black.

It can be difficult for a manufacturer to successfully span a wide price range. History reveals a handful that have come unstuck by either trying to move upmarket from affordable roots, or attempting to develop trickle-down versions of expensive designs. However, those companies that get it right across the board tend to find themselves very popular, and Pro-Ject’s new £10,599 Signature 12.2 is the latest offering from a brand that is a master of the art.

Fans of affordable vinyl reproduction are somewhat spoilt in Europe as the continent is home to the titan that is Pro-Ject Audio Systems, responsible for half the turntables sold above €200 or so. It becomes easy to understand why some manufacturers might take the route of ordering an OEM model from this Austrian powerhouse and labelling it as their own.

To some hi-fi enthusiasts, European Audio Team (EAT) is the classy sister company of turntable giant Pro-Ject. That’s not entirely the case, though, as owner/CEO Jozefina Lichtenegger categorically puts her own spin on turntable designs – all invariably luxurious, high performance and upmarket. The F-Dur is the firm’s latest creation, based upon the pricier, chunkier and notably senior Forte S [HFN Dec ’10].