Basis Audio Inspiration Turntable (price TBA)
     

In the late summer of 2008, I had the good pleasure of visiting Basis Audio’s facility in Hollis, New Hampshire in order to hear their statement achievement “Work of Art” [aka WOA] turntable system. That journey was reported here at ST in my commentary piece of September 8, 2008 and I shall not repeat most of those observations today. Let it be noted, however, that this was a remarkable listening experience, which still resonates for me in a powerful and joyous fashion. A.J. Conti, the main man at Basis Audio, assembled those world-class components in a truly synergistic fashion, but the main focus was his exquisite WOA turntable system. At that point in time, I was already the happy and proud owner of a Basis 2800 Signature System/Vector 4 Arm combination, so some familial sensibility was known to me prior to crossing the door of the Basis listening space.

That summer’s day ended in exhilaration and frustration. The beauty of the music, the naturalness of the sound and the ease of looking beyond the equipment contributed to the exhilaration. The price tag associated with the WOA was where the frustration came in. Only a few fortunate beings own, or, will ever own the WOA. After all, it is a statement product that stands at the highest level. Nevertheless, as in all things, there can be silver linings to most clouds.

A few months ago Basis Audio announced the release of their “Inspiration” turntable system. This may be the answer to the frustration issue. Mr. Conti has discovered a way to capture much of the excellence found in the performance of the WOA, now, however, in a more affordable and accessible form.

If the planets align properly and I continue eating enough fiber, I hope to have direct evidence of how the “Inspiration” behaves at chez Turoczi in the near future. Wish me luck and stay tuned.
[Les Turoczi]

Whest Audio PS.30RDT Phono Preamplifier ($3,995 USD)
Whest’s dual-mono PS.30RDT phono preamp is an excellent, low noise solid-state phono stage that has a wide range of user-adjustable gain and load settings. In my recent review I found the unit to be extremely dynamic and detailed while presenting superbly stable instrumental images within a very deep soundstage. If you think your present cartridge may not be your last, why not purchase this premium quality phono preamp that can accommodate just about any MM or MC cartridge currently available? Hot tip: upgrade the power cord! [Frank Alles]