J.Sikora Standard Max Turntable
$21,000
The J.Sikora ‘table immediately goes to the head of the class. Its fit ’n’ finish can only be termed exemplary; the sound it produces, captivating. The Sikora, which accepts up to two tonearms and employs two motors and rubber belts, is impressive when it comes to speed stability, creating a deep and wide soundstage allied with excellent pitch accuracy. A more expensive reference power supply ($4625) kicks overall performance up another notch. Throughout, the Standard Max displays an enviable certitude in navigating treacherously dynamic vinyl passages that makes for hours of blissful reproduction, whether the genre is rock or classical or jazz. Perhaps its most notable feature is that like far more expensive ’tables, the Max produces the jet-black backgrounds that were once thought to be the sole province of digital recordings. Not so. With the Sikora, many of the irritants that were once part and parcel of listening to LPs are simply relegated to yesteryear, at a price tag that until recently would have been considered inconceivable. Anyone searching for a ’table that will deliver the musical goods with panache and power, solidity, and punch, need look no further.
By Jacob Heilbrunn
The trumpet has influenced my approach to high-end audio. Like not a few audiophiles, I want it all—coherence, definition, transparency, dynamics, and fine detail.
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