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JA Michell Turntable: Orbe SE MKII
Double chassis, suspended pendulum subchassis
Damped subchassis
60 mm thick massive acrylic/vinyl platter of high inertia
Screw-down record clamp, compatible with standard and 180g audiophile pressings
Inverted oil-pumping bearing
Custom armboards available for most tonearms
High-quality standalone DC motor with tacho feedback speed control
Orbe Controller motor power supply
Finished in clear or black acrylic with black or aluminium metal parts
Five year warranty
Specify which color option you would like, all Black, Black and Silver, or Black and Gold.
J.A. Michell Reviews
Michell Orbe SE and VC power supply -By Andrew Harrison, Hi-Fi News, March 2003
Timing, the sense that musicians are playing rhythmically and in time with each other, was as excellent as before, but overall pace was slowed subjectively. Coupled with this was a lower noise floor, allowing, for example, the slow decay of a held piano chord to be heard for longer, and very quiet background sounds such as the squeaks of instruments and seating were now apparent.
Stereo stability was also first-class, perhaps better than the older version, letting images lock into space convincingly. But the biggest change after 'speed difference' was the tonal character, which has changed quite markedly. Treble hash, manifest as a low-level glossy sheen added to female vocals and cymbals, for instance, was never a big problem for the Michell Orbe, and so I was surprised when this was removed altogether. Instead I sensed a darker, more 'analogue' mood, particularly in the upper presence region. A Clearaudio Victory m-c cartridge mounted on a Rega RB300 Incognito arm was now giving a performance closer to the sublime and far costlier Transfiguration Temper V [HFN Dec '02].
In conclusion, the latest Michell Orbe introduces real improvement in most areas, but beware of a change in character which might require a little system tweaking, especially if you're upgrading from the previous version and are wedded to its tonal balance. The difference might not warrant too much concern, and I believe that the positive benefits of the upgraded motor are just too good to miss.
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