UK loan programme

"Thank you but I would give credit to tg for his thorough how to with pictures"
Absolutely. All it needs now is a remote soldering control facility. I'm more at home with a big hammer!


Edited by oldagetraveller - 26 Nov 2011 at 8:41am

My loan Elevator (E) and Reflex M (R) were returned earlier this week. Not many, if any, manufacturers will provide this facility which is far better when when able to use the stuff in one's own system and home rather than in a dealer's listening room, which will be totally different and usually contain lots of other equipment.
I understand the R had approx. 300 hrs under it's belt when I received it and the E was unused. So the R will now have around 500 hrs and the E around 200.
Even at 500 hours I suspect the R still needs a few more hours to be at it's best. Last Sunday afternoon it appeared to have "lost the plot" for a time, sounding bright with a loss of bass, but Sunday evening had returned to it's old self again.
The E has improved consistently over the 200 hours. It did sound pretty grim initially but eventually started to improve as burn in progressed. I'm sure that, also, will improve further as the hours are added.
I would heartily recommend both these products, either as a connected pair for low output MC cartridges or individually. The R for MM and high output MC cartridges and the E used in conjunction with the R or dare I say even another manufacturers MM phono stage?
Having now returned to using my ERA Gold, as good as it is, I would hazard that the R is a superior product.
Not really relevant to the musicality of these two, but an indication of their excellence, at the start of a track of The Doors lp I detected the drummer picking up his sticks, one of those "never heard that before" moments!


Edited by oldagetraveller - 01 Dec 2011 at 1:34pm

Welcome Paul. I'm sure if you contact Fatmangolf (he's co-ordinating the U.K. loan programme) via the messaging system he'll advise of the approximate costs, availability and procedure.
I'm sure he'll be along soon to answer your post.
The items are sent Royal Mail Special Delivery and you would be responsible for costs involved sending the gear back by Special Delivery to Fatmangolf plus re-imbursing him the cost of sending the stuff to you. I just placed cash in an envelope inside the return parcel.
I've actually ordered an Elevator and Reflex M after having them loaned to me for two weeks.
I think you'll find a separate phono stage will be a revelation compared to that built in to your amp!


Edited by oldagetraveller - 13 Dec 2011 at 1:17pm