Paul Leonard from YORKSHIRE, UK at the Steve Hoffman Music Forums
2016-03-13
Tangospinner Astor Subplatter review. "There have been many posts in recent months about the pros-and-cons of aftermarket sub-platters aimed at Rega turntable users. Having followed many of these and deliberated at length, I finally decided to take the plunge and order one of the fabled Tangospinner subs from Gustavo (Gus) Enriquez in Argentina. Being the proud owner of a humble though moderately modified Planar 3, I went for the 'Astor' model which, at £75.00 GBP including shipping, comes supplied with replacement bearing, butyl belt and oil and is substantially cheaper than several of it's competitors. As has been said already many times, Gustavo is a really nice and very helpful guy and the process of making the purchase was as smooth and pleasant as could be. The sub arrived safely and well-packed yesterday having taken just 10 days to make the journey over the Atlantic - very efficient! In its well-finished, mirror-polished aircraft-grade Aluminium and shiny stainless steel, it looks more like audiophile 'bling' than a vital component of a turntable which remains largely unseen after fitting. Impressed by the visual fit and finish of the sub I installed it today and took it for a trial run to get an idea of its audio qualities - could a replacement sub-platter really make much of an improvement to the sound of a TT? First onto the platter was 'Duke' by Genesis and, as I dropped the Goldring 1012GX into the groove I was both pleased - and dismayed! Surface noise was nicely suppressed and the noise floor lowered appreciably but the sound was disappointingly 'thin' and bass-shy. Also, for a given amp setting, the volume seemed distinctly lower? Despite being a little underwhelmed and thinking that I may have fallen foul of the dreaded upgrade-itis, I persisted. Sure enough, over the course of side one, the sound started to open up and fill out. Into the second side and the benefits of the sub-platter were beginning to show themselves with increased detail, more space around instruments which were locked into a wider soundstage; a better sense of the recording acoustic, much better vocal projection and separation and an overall increase in tightness and solidity. Thankfully, Mike Rutherford's bass and pedals also became much more satisfyingly evident and by 'Duke's End' I was well and truly hooked! These perceived improvements were not artificial or overblown but were all quite natural and 'in proportion' giving a feeling of 'rightness' to the musical presentation. Next up was 'Futurama' by BeBop Deluxe. This is quite a 'busy' album blessed - or maybe cursed? - by typically exuberant production at the hand of Roy Thomas Baker. Detail was again superb, particularly the drum- and cymbal work and vocals were clearly projected, nicely spotlighting Bill Nelson's lyrical skills. Densely layered, multi-tracked guitars were unravelled and individual lines rendered easy to follow. For once, the 'ghost' behind Nelson's vocals became a clearly audible - and identifiable - Charlie Tumahai on backing vox! After an hour of running in and settling down, the Astor proved itself to be well worth the - by hifi standards - modest financial outlay. Performance-wise, it has taken my trusty Rega several rungs up the ladder towards audio heaven! If, like I was, you are teetering on the edge of upgrading your sub-platter, hesitate no longer and buy one; going by my experience, you'll not regret it! " You can read all thread at : http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/new-rega-sub-mod-a-mini-review.372475/