UK Audio Show 2024 Show Report
Discovering many glorious new companies and equipment too!
UK Audio 2024 Show Report By Clive Meakins

  Alphason has been back in the market for a while now. They sell their HR-200S Reference Tonearm, which is pictured on an original (dare I say vintage?) Alphason Sonata deck.

The arm is available in 9-inch, 10.5-inch and 12-inch configurations. The arm is derived from the revered and innovative HR-100S which was introduced in 1981.

Mike Knowles from Alphason Specialist Audio gave a presentation about cartridge vibration, effective mass and the resonant frequency of tonearms. It's clear that Mike has done a lot of research into the topic over many years, this started a few decades ago when he designed the HR-100S. Mike states he finds the accepted equation for calculating resonant frequency unreliable.

The upshot is that often effective mass needs to be increased so Alphason have introduced their Cartridge Stabiliser with weights of 2, 8 and 12 gram, to be used in combination if required. The materials used do not feature “squashy decoupling” as this Mike says kills dynamics.

Alphason used during the UK Audio Show 2024 a 1990s system with the Alphason Sonata deck to demo their latest HR-200S arm and Cartridge Stabilizer.

Turntable Haven builds and restores complete turntables based on fully restored Garrard, Golring Lenco and Thorens decks. Their plinths are very well made from solid blocks of ply... and most certainly these plinths are far, far better than any of my DIY attempts. If you want a complete ready-to-go idler turntable then Turntable Haven can do all the work for you.

Meridian brought some serious kit including their DSP 9 active speakers. These are bristling with DACs, DSP, and amplifiers. A pair will set you back £60,000 – there are a lot of electronics inside, completely hidden from view.

The lovely Clipaudio Dolomite / Nine-Wave vinyl LP turntable and tonearm system is £5000, it does and includes UK installation and set-up with the client's own choice of cartridge.

Clipaudio designs and manufactures individual turntables, the one shown is the Dolomite, the turntable and arm are manufactured in-house. Of course, the cartridge is from Ortofon.

The Russell K Red 120 Se (£6,949) and Red 50Se (£1,499) were of display with a cutaway example of the 120Se.

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