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The Korf Blog
The inside story: our research,
development and opinions
development and opinions
Previous
Munich High End 2024
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17 October 2024
An Update, and Some Reviews
We are not blogging a lot this year. The reason for that is very simple—most of our effort goes into developing the turntable, and bulding the tonearms for our customers!
The turntable that we hinted about in our Munich High End recap will be somewhat delayed. The transition from prototype to small series production uncovered some inconsistencies. And, while they could be addressed by quality control, we decided to go back and redesign the motor for better manufacturability.
In the meantime, our new ceramic armtube TA-AF series is selling fast. Each and every TA-AF tonearm is hand built to order. If you want it for Christmas, the time to buy one is now. You can use the shop link, or I can enter the order for you if you write me an email at alex@korfaudio.com (or in the form below).
When you order any Korf tonearm in the EU, you can save yourself a lot of hassle by letting us install and properly align any new Ortofon or Audio-Technica cartridge for you. Our prices for these cartridges are very competitive, and the installation itself is free. To take advantage of this, simply write to us, mentioning the cartridge model that you want.
The turntable that we hinted about in our Munich High End recap will be somewhat delayed. The transition from prototype to small series production uncovered some inconsistencies. And, while they could be addressed by quality control, we decided to go back and redesign the motor for better manufacturability.
In the meantime, our new ceramic armtube TA-AF series is selling fast. Each and every TA-AF tonearm is hand built to order. If you want it for Christmas, the time to buy one is now. You can use the shop link, or I can enter the order for you if you write me an email at alex@korfaudio.com (or in the form below).
When you order any Korf tonearm in the EU, you can save yourself a lot of hassle by letting us install and properly align any new Ortofon or Audio-Technica cartridge for you. Our prices for these cartridges are very competitive, and the installation itself is free. To take advantage of this, simply write to us, mentioning the cartridge model that you want.
The Reviews
In the meantime, the reviews are coming in. There are a few that we would love to share with you. First, there's a beautifully photographed and written review of TA-AF9 in the German LP: Magazin, done by Holger Barske himself. LP even translated it into English for the international audience. The conclusion?
"Alexey Korf's new tonearm is a firework
of good ideas and a sonic masterpiece: the
cartridges used have hardly ever sounded
so direct, transparent and intense."
Thank you, LP: Magazin! The German-language reprint of the review is here.
Then there's a very in-depth review of our TA-SF9 in the latest issue of the German-language glossy audio magazine image hi fi. We can't share the full text yet (it's under the curfew until the 18th of November), but you can read it here if you pay a few Euros for this wonderfully produced and very informative issue. There's an interview with me there too, as a kind of bonus.
Here's what Heinz Gelking has to say:
"The hyper-precise bass reproduction may seem a bit slim at first, but it reaches deep down and can growl nasty (...) It's been a long time since the fragile voice was so clear, so focused, so direct between my speakers.
Conclusion: The arm sounds better than it costs, and plays much higher." (our translation)
Once the curfew is out, we will post the link to the review here.
Now for the reviews where Korf is not a headliner. First, there's Michael Trei in Stereophile, comparing two versions of Dynavector XX-2 cartridge (XX-2 MkII to XX-2a):
"Listening to the two XX-2s, I was immediately struck by just how clean and tidy both versions sounded. This is a confident-sounding cartridge. It handles even the most difficult-to-track records with ease. It plays records with very little surface noise, managing to make less-than-pristine records sound clean and quiet. This is usually a sign of excellent mechanical energy control from the cartridge and the arm, and it is something I noted in my review of the Korf tonearm."
"Listening to the two XX-2s, I was immediately struck by just how clean and tidy both versions sounded. This is a confident-sounding cartridge. It handles even the most difficult-to-track records with ease. It plays records with very little surface noise, managing to make less-than-pristine records sound clean and quiet. This is usually a sign of excellent mechanical energy control from the cartridge and the arm, and it is something I noted in my review of the Korf tonearm."
Positive Feedback's Juan C. Ayllon chose Korf HS-A02 headshell to accompany his review of our competitors' Groovemaster 3 tonearm:
"Then, the rich, resonant, and bright tone of Sanborn's alto sax's melodic wail cuts through the drums, bass, percussion, keys, and guitar to take the lead...(Furthermore), the vinyl's luscious, rounded, and full-fleshed waveforms, the balance of textural detail and tone....(with) a GrooveMaster 3 tonearm...(and) a Korf HS-A02 ceramic headshell—shine unencumbered."
"Then, the rich, resonant, and bright tone of Sanborn's alto sax's melodic wail cuts through the drums, bass, percussion, keys, and guitar to take the lead...(Furthermore), the vinyl's luscious, rounded, and full-fleshed waveforms, the balance of textural detail and tone....(with) a GrooveMaster 3 tonearm...(and) a Korf HS-A02 ceramic headshell—shine unencumbered."
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