Dear Mr Popeck, Please excuse my blunt approach. My wife and I are looking for a top-class turntable and tonearm and are considering a Brinkmann LaGrange. You reviewed the 10.5 arm and EMT cartridge most enthusiastically in HiFi News a while ago but recently sold them through HiFiForSale. If it was due to the performance of the product would you mind telling me why?
Thank you.
Sonically, the LaGrange with the modified 10.5/EMT was the finest combination I have ever owned. I found dealing with the UK importer to be an unacceptable pain though and so I resigned the agency.
My Pink Triangle with Breuer 8 and Van Den Hul MC1 came a close second.
However, despite the magnificence of the sound, I just wasn't playing enough vinyl to justify the cost. On top of this, I have seen the design for a new turntable from Germany with an accompanying arm which, knowing the pedigree (I can say no more than this) might be equally fine as the LaGrange for far less money. In fact I have ordered one for myself. Delivery early next year. In your position, for the time being, I would buy a Funk with a cheap Rega arm and an even cheaper Goldring magnetic. All of this for around £750.
Sincerely
Howard Popeck
