VPI Aries 2 Black Knight Turntable

My iPod sounds like listening to music in a tin can. This is a device of convenience (a role which it plays extremely well) rather than a music maker. For anyone that thinks that their iPod sounds fantastic, come on over to the Cheekyliving studios and get a taste of vinyl. You heard it right moFo, vinyl is coming back in a big way and for one simple reason – it does the business.

Funny thing: music is analog. Records are pressed in analog form so there is no remanufacture of the signal to muck it up, as occurs with the digital-to-analog converters in both CD players and iPods. More troubling is that the ubiquitous digital format used by compact discs was devised in the early 80’s. It should not surprise people that a computer-based encoding format developed when Apple’s main seller was the IIe (google this if you like) has some kinks to work out.

If you’re in agreement that vinyl done right should sound better than digital, then you may be ready to step up to the VPI Black Knight. The solid plinth in cheeky laquered black looks the business. As the enemy of all turntables is extraneous vibration, the Knight decouples the motor from the main body to cut down on the shakes. The tonearm, onto which the needle housing (cartridge) is mounted, has an almost jewel-like construction and ultra smooth bearings.

The sound is instantly recognizable as analog with its ease of presentation, tonal purity, and percussive impact. Digital, even with most 20 grand CD players, sounds edgy and almost broken by comparison. Cartridge recommendations to come…

Find one here