Brinkmann Balance Turntable
The Balance turntable ($23,700 base price) aims to meet the challenge with its signature 3.25-inch-thick, 44-pound platter, which is made of aluminum, lead, and copper and capped with an elastomer-bonded crystal plate. A brushless, dual-phase AC motor turns the platter via an O-ring and, in an unusual twist, the platter bearing is electrically heated to deliver optimum performance. No warmup period required. An all-new solid-state power supply comes standard, or you can upgrade to the newly redesigned vacuum-tube power supply ($4,300), which is said to remove outside line noise and contribute subtle enhancements to the overall sound. Brinkmann recommends the EMT-Ti moving-coil cartridge ($4,300), which has been carefully optimized for the Balance, and the turntable can accommodate most tonearms, including Brinkmann’s own 10.5 ($6,300) and 12.1 ($7,500). The final piece of this extravagant audiophile puzzle is a platform to support the massive platter, which will add another $1,200 to $3,500 to the tab, depending on the model. Bases made by Harmonic Resolution Systems (HRS) come highly recommended. The upshot: If you go for the works, you’re looking at well over forty grand. No one said a world-class turntable would come cheap.
Brinkmann Audio (distributed by On a Higher Note LLC) • (949) 488-3004 • brinkmann-audio.com
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