Sound Quality
Having pointed out that this turntable’s
designer’s views on arm set-up are far from uncontested, along comes the
Versalex to show me with my own ears that it can work. Indeed it certainly
didn’t sound bad with a Dynavector DV-20X2L moving coil on the end – in fact it
sounded pretty damn marvelous in an unusually relaxed, yet timely and
informative fashion. The nature of the arm bearing is more than likely the
reason for the effortlessness encountered, it nullifies the sort of micro
vibrations that are difficult to eliminate in a metal ball race or gimbal, so
that movement in the stylus is not muddied by movements elsewhere on the
tonearm.
The Versalex has a knack for getting
music out of the groove in an effortless, yet gripping fashion…
This does not mean that the Versalex is a
laid back or mellow turntable, but merely that only the energy in the groove is
relayed to the output, and that my friends makes for some high octane musical
entertainment. Especially when you let Billy Gibbons, Dusty Hill and Frank
Beard strut their stuff in the style they had back in the day. I’m talking
about the album Tres Hombres and the track La Grange, seemingly simple, gritty
blues played in the down and dirty style that only ZZ Top could do. The timing
is locked down tight so that Gibbon’s righteous guitar playing can cut loose
and lay down the jam, so to speak.
It
sounded pretty damn marvelous in an unusually relaxed, yet timely and
informative fashion
It’s the sort of sound that encourages you
wind up the level and rifle through the record collection looking for your
favorite tracks, I lost a lot of time indulging in the open clear playing and
voice of Patrica Barber and the jazzy groove of the Grateful Dead’s Blues for
Allah. Things naturally get better with upgrades in the phono stage department,
I swapped out the rather good Dynavector P75 MkIII for a Trilogy 907 and got
more involved in the emotional side of the music. This turntable does
three-dimensionality and soul as well as it does timing and Rickie Lee Jones’s
voice sent tingle down my spine as the sang There Goes My Baby. That doesn’t
sound so hard, RLJ is difficult not to enjoy, but her voice can often get a
little edgy when she reaches for higher notes. But that doesn’t happen with the
Versalex, which makes me wonder if it’s not a distortion introduced by other
turntables.
This record player brings a fluency to
everything you listen to, almost as if other models introduce something which
undermines this quality. It certainly makes for very natural yet revealing
listening, you really appreciate the tone and dexterity of the musicians, but
this doesn’t get in the way of the music itself. The sinuous bass alongside Leo
Kottke’s dexterous guitar playing on the track Ice Cream (from Great Big Boy),
is an absolute delight, the bass is often obscured by the acoustic guitar, but
with the Versalex both instruments are easy to follow. It also delivers the
full depth of reverb creating a soundstage that’s deep and wide, the resolution
of low level detail is remarkably effective for the price being asked.
The latter is a reflection of the fact that
Well Tempered Labs are manufactured by Opera Audio in China, the company that’s
behind Consonance electronics. If this turntable were made in the US it would
probably double in price. And that would be a pity because the radical
technology it incorporates is probably slightly daunting for some buyers. I’ve
heard that silicone fluid is a tough sell, but having lived with a Townshend
Rock for many years I can assure you that it’s not messy. The sheer viscosity
means that nothing happens quickly and in the case of the LTD arm the only time
you’d need to get near it would if it had to be transported. It’s a very minor
inconvenience for the benefits accrued especially if you want to hear more of
the music and less of the hardware.
That just about sums up this turntable –
it’s one of the least ‘self-referential’ around. There’s little sense of the
stylus tracing the groove, or the arm putting in some real hard work. Rather,
the music just flows. This latest Well Tempered Labs turntable is the best
sounding I have personally encountered, and surely the best looking too.
Spinning an original zip front copy of Sticky Fingers, that’s really to worn
revealed pretty much all the Glory of Keith Richards’ spare, biting riff
alongside the richness of the Funky Swampy sound of the keyboards and sax at
the end. Delivering it in such a fashion that you can’t merely sit and listen,
as Mick drawls on the next track, you gotta move.
Conclusion
This new Well Tempered Labs Versalex has a
knack for getting music out of the groove in an effortless, yet gripping
fashion whether it be a well-played favorite or a pristine heavyweight
pressing. In fact, it gives you the job of vinyl without the puff and that is
quite an achievement. It’s expensive alright, but there really are very few
other things like it.
How it compares!
The Versalex, like other Well Tempered
designs is notably more effortless sounding than a lot of the competition, but
this doesn’t mean that it is short on dynamics or power when the music requires
it. it has a stability about it that is usually only found with high mass
designs, and a calmness that one associates with models from SME and Townshed
Audio. It doesn’t have the authority in the bass of a Rock 7 but is possibly
more fluent and equals that fine design for detail retrieval.
The Delrin platter has less character than
acrylic types which give it the edge over models like those from Clearaudio and
Pro-Ject, but in both cases those companies, can give you a rather more sexy
looking turntable for this sort of money.
The other competitor at around this price
is Michell’s very fine Orbe SE ($3,973.5), which looks great and has the
advantage of spring suspension, but whether it’s as revealing is open to
debate.
In sight
It’s fair to say that setting up the
Tonearm is something of a chore, especially if you haven’t done it before…
It’s
fair to say that setting up the Tonearm is something of a chore, especially if
you haven’t done it before…
With no way to vary the cartridge overhand,
tracking geometry is one thing you don’t need to worry about
With
no way to vary the cartridge overhand, tracking geometry is one thing you don’t
need to worry about
The oversized Delrin platter is nicely
finished and gives a nice insert support for your prized vinyl discs…
Threading the fine ‘fishing line’ drive
belt another fiddly moment on the long Versalex set-up road!
Threading
the fine ‘fishing line’ drive belt another fiddly moment on the long Versalex
set-up road!
In sight
In
sight
1.
Tonearm counterweight
2.
Tonearm support pillar
3.
Tonearm headshell
4.
Motor power switch
5.
Walnut veneered birch ply plinth
6.
325mm diameter Delrin Platter
7.
Motor drive pulley
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Specs
§ Product:
Well-Tempered Versalex
§ Origin:
USA/China
§ Type:
turntable and arm
§ Dimensions:
(W x H xD ) 480x160x410mm
§ Weight:
15.6kg
§ 33.3,
45rpm manual change
§ Zero
tolerance nylon main bearing
§ 325mm
Delrin Platter
§ Sand
and silicone damped 10.5inch Tonearm
§ RCA
socket outputs
§ Finish:
walnut veneered birch ply
§
Distributor: Pear Audio
Our verdict
§ Sound
quality: 5/5
§ Value
for money: 5/5
§ Build
quality: 4/5
§ Features:
4/5
§ Like:
Consummately natural, smooth, detailed, open, musical sound
§ Dislike:
Initial set-up is fiddly, and a dust cover option would be nice…
§ We
say: A musically enthralling performance makes this a great, charismatic
package
§
Overall: 5/5
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