My New Turntable : PrimaryControl Kinea & Arrow

Hi!

After working together with Bernd Hemmen of PrimaryControl on several High End fairs and getting to know his superb craftsmanship and knowledge it was just a matter of time until his creations found their way into my system.

My trusty Scheu turntable got replaced by Bernd's Kinea which completed development this year and served as source in our system at the High End.

As tonearm I picked the Arrow which appealed to me for the easy set up and adjustment.

The turntable is completed with the Atlas cartridge from Lyra.

Bernd personally delivered the turntable and set it up for me.

Here we see him unpacking everything which comes in a huge box.

The base still without platter and arm:

Hooking up the turntable to the external control unit:

This unit drives the motor which is a direct drive system. Besides speed selection it allows for different settings of torque.

Bernd mounts the tonearm:

And meticulously cleans the platter before it is put on the table:

Everything set up...

... and ready for a first critical listening...

... and re-adjusting.

The final result.

The turntable works as I got to know it during our joint exhibition at the High End. It simply performs without any trace of tracking errors or distortion. It enables the cartridge to pick up every detail out of the grooves. A very solid and steady performer. No unnecessary bells and whistles. Just the way I like it.

The perfect source to demo my amps and preamps. And for my private listening joy as well.

And I love the simplistic and very pure styling. The turntable is extremely heavy and solid. Yet Bernd managed to give it a very elegant appearance.

With the white base and black glass surface with the company logo beautifully embedded this table is a joy to look at. And to listen to of course. Every detail is crafted to very high standards. Avoiding the flashy look many modern chrome laden turntables in the size of an oil platform have nowadays. It perfectly fits to my taste.

And a great combination with the stunning Atlas.

I am also very happy to announce that I am acting as a representative for PrimaryControl. If you are interested in these products, you can listen to them at my place and also get them through me.

I'd like to thank Bernd for this beautiful turntable. Keep up the good work!

Best regards

Thomas

Cool Links : www.scheu-analog.de

Hi!

I am often asked about the analogue front end I am using. After the European Triode Festival (ETF) I stayed for another day in Berlin and visited the manufacturer of my turntables: Scheu Analog

The picture above shows the main page of their web site : scheu-analog.de This gives a nice overview of all their products.

In October I had the pleasure to meet Ulla Scheu at the Cool Gales Bath Audio Fest where we demoed our equipment together. Ulla continued to run the business after the tragic death of her husband Thomas Scheu who founded the company. She maintained the legacy of her husband and further established the brand which is well known throughout the world in the audio community. I met a warm hearted woman in Ulla who is passionate about her products. During the event in Bath we agreed to meet up again soon. So I took the opportunity while I was in Berlin and visited her company.


Upon entering the workshop I saw many objects of beauty either in the assembly or testing stage or in preparation for shipment. Here a Cello Classic, the entry level turntable:

A Scheu Diamond with a base made from slate,being prepared for shipment:

The storage room has rows and rows of shelves with parts waiting to be used for one of Ulla's music making machines:

Of course there are also shelves full of records in the listening room:

In the listening room there is a picture showing Ulla with the musician Katie Melua:

Katie is using a Scheu turntable. She has good taste!

One of the work desks at which motor units are assembled:

Note the cloth gloves which are always in reach to handle the motor units with shiny chrome finish.

I got my first Scheu turntable almost 15 years ago when the brand was only known to insiders and the turntables were sold as kits. That turntable has been continuously in use since then. I took to several events for demos and moved it around a lot. It is still playing robustly and sounds like when it was new. That's what I admire about the Scheu products, their robustness and longevity. This holds true as well for the second turntable which I got about 8 or 9 years ago, the Premier Mk2. In the meantime The product line is considerable enhanced and not only contains several lines of turntables but also three tonearms and a range of cartridges which are made for Scheu by Benz Micro.
Ulla brought an awesome pink coloured Diamond to the event in Bath, which I couldn't get off my mind since then. So I had to get one and while I stayed in Berlin we discussed the details of my pink Diamond. While I visited a friend in Berlin, I had the chance to listen to some Shellac recordings which caught my interest (this will be covered in another story). So my new turntable will have to have two tonearm bases one for a tonearm equipped with a stereo cartridge and the other for a mono cartridge for shellacs. Ulla also committed to make a custom motor unit which will allow 78rpm which is needed for shellac playback besides the usual 45 and 33 1/3.

Some photos of a pink Diamond:

The base with the platter taken off:

The bearing:

I can't wait to get my third Scheu turntable which will be used in my workshop.

It has been a great experience to finally visit the creator of my turntables. Thanks a lot to Ulla for the hospitality and for showing her company.

Best regards

Thomas