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I have heard this table on several occasions and have always loved the immediacy of the sound. The first time I heard it was about 15 years ago. It was in prototype and sounded exceptionally good until it encountered some dust. Most of us ducked. It was difficult to keep it running for very long.
It then dropped off the radar, but resurfaced at CES, 2004 when Smart was distributing it. As others have said the associated equipment in the demo was not first rate, but I was very impressed. They are also the distributors for the Loricraft cleaner and had purchased several used record in Las Vegas. After a thorough cleaning with the Loricraft, they were playing these records. I don't think there was a pop and click filter in the circuit, but there clearly was no problem with noise. The Sheffield record was quite immediate and an old Peggy Lee was better than I had ever heard it.
I had heard of dependability problems and learned at this CES that the manufacturer was no good at warranty claims. He is now distributing the Loricraft/Garrard 501 turntable and has no kind words about the ELP company. |
I think this turntable may be a technological tour de force ruined by mismanagement by the company. This would be too bad, as I always thought it had great potential.
Eldartford, I think you are probably right about the benefits of the digital approach, but this idea predates digital. |
Opalchip, I guess my behavior would suggest I entirely agree with you, but I did go back several time at CES2004 to listen to it. After perfecting the concept but failing in quality control, it is too bad the company basically walks away from purchasers. |
Useridchallenged, what you depict is what I heard in several listens at CES 2004. It is good to hear from someone with no axe to grind.
I assume that you have had no problems with your unit, but are you concerned about the apparent lack of support from the factory?
Although you don't say, have you kept your other tt? Which do you use more? |
Essentialaudio, while I agree that the demo of the ELP was in a less than ideal system in CES 2004, I thought you could hear much of what was going on. I have no idea whether the ELP can reach the level of the best tables, such as the Loricraft 501, the Walker, or the Shindo Labs, but it certainly had a sound stage and detail that gave a realism to the recording that I found exceptional.
I also well remember the first prototype that I heard of the turntable probably 15 years ago. It had a magic about it but also had many breakdowns, and when it hit dust on the record, it tore your head off. I also am greatly concerned about the quality control and the manufacturer's indifference to customer service. The tale that Smart tells is very troublesome. |
Useridchallenged, I think this is the sophisticated controlled spring isolation base. Versus the acoustic feedback unit as the Stereophile show. It was from Halcyonics. Do you know if this is correct? |
Userchallenged and Albert, initially the Walker used Valid Points. I imagine that you could go back to them.
Eldartford, how good is the Halcyonic? Ideally, it would be nice to try both. |
The Halcyonics page has changed. I can no longer find the nice looking low box that could support 220 pounds. All I can find now is the 40 and the 60 which differ only in the size of the platform. I do not know why the new model is no longer mentioned. |
User, the 17.6" x 16" Micro 40 is $7890. I cannot imagine that anything like a .5 inch vertical or .75 horizontal travel could ever happen with the Halcyonics. The correction would have done whatever it could with even a fraction of this.
I am not in the least surprised that the Minus K outperforms air, such presumably as the Vibraplane and the Townsend Sink. |
Eldartford, just think if the unit could keep the record playing in an earthquake!
What seems to be an interesting difference between the unit is that with the Halcyonic there might not be a resonant frequency. This may make no difference. At any rate I hope to get to try one in August on returning from Alaska. |
The Loricraft record cleaner seems up to the task of cleaning even old dirty records for use with the ELP. At CES2004, SMART bought old records in Vegas. They were terrible initially, but after a cleaning they worked great, especially the Peggy Lee. The ability to raise or lower the lasar allowed getting to a clean portion of the track. |
TAS reviews the ELP in the new issue. Valin finds all records sound the same on it and sound dull. This is totally at odds with what I heard at CES2004. I would characterize it as sounding quite different from other vinyl systems. I thought records sounded less romantic and more master tape like, but not digital like. Had it not been for the difficulties SMART had had, I might have bought one.
Valin compares the ELP with the Walker Prosideum which I once owned and which is excellent. I did not have this comparison at hand, of course. |
Since the ELP dates back probably 20 years, it is most dated technology.
Maybe on the profits from the Intelligent Chip, Golden Sound might be a prospect. |
Eldartford, I got a Halcyonics base to experiment with. If you can take one home, I highly recommend that you do so. I have tried it under my Exemplar 5910 as well as the Shindo Labs turntable. In both instance I was able to realize the best sound I have ever heard. I have the Acapella isolation bases which have been the best I had experienced. They are toys compared with the Halcyonics.
The clarity of the image, the sharp leading edge, the dynamics, and the incredible bass are among its strong points. |
Theloveman, thanks for your comments. I have not lived with the ELP but rather have twice heard good demonstrations of it versus other tables and once master tapes. I have a very excellent Shindo Labs 301 vinyl system that outperforms everything I have ever heard save that it is quite different in sound than the ELP. Once at a June CES , Harry Weisfeld demonstrated his excellent turntable and then took a few of us to another room where he played master tapes and dryly noted that he was no where near the master tapes. I guess that is also my impression of tables other than the ELP.
I probably would not sell my Shindo, but I might buy a ELP because critic's views of it are so at odds with what I hear. I well know the dirt problem having some 20 years ago heard the first prototype of the ELP which nearly tore everyone's head off when it encountered a speck of dust. Even then, however, it was exceptional until it hit that dust. |
Theloveman, what you suggest is what I would hope to do. This would cause me several problems, however, mainly space and isolation support for the ELP.
Having know Joe Grado and having asked him why he held the patient on the moving coil but did not make them, I can assure you that the ringing on the leading edge is exactly why he did not do moving coils.
Thanks again for your informative posts.
Norm |
Cjsmithmd, thanks for a cogent review. Your findings go along with the several auditions I have had with the ELP. I still remember vividly the Peggy Lee old recording that SMART played at the CES several years ago, which had been purchased in Vegas and cleaned with the Loricraft. It had the immediacy of a master tape and where we focused the laser in the groove greatly affected the sound. Were it not for having the Shindo Labs/Garrard 301 system and having heard the criticism and faint praise of the reviews, I would no doubt have one today.
Perhaps tomorrow I will. |
