Transfiguration

With his groundbreaking utilization of the yokeless ring-magnet construction, Mr. Yoshioka presented the LP world with a new window into the music buried in the black grooves of the vinyl LP. His first product, the Transfiguration AF-1, set completely new standards of transparency, naturalness and neutrality for phono cartridges of its day. Since that time, he has constantly striven to bring the listener ever closer to the sounds and emotions of the live event. Constantly improving materials and construction techniques, he has since set the pace and defined the state-of-the-art for natural-sounding LP reproduction. His Transfiguration cartridges, using live, un-amplified music as their benchmark, do not take LP reproduction into the realm of the hyper-real, with sizzling technicolors, exaggerated leading-edge transients, "enormous soundstaging",  "pinpoint imaging",  or "lush warmth". Instead, they deliver a very natural and alive-sounding reproduction of what the recording engineer heard, as he or she sat in the recording booth, listening to the master tapes. Audiophile language does not seem to apply, rather, musical language seems more apt. "Rhythm, flow, emotion..." are the kinds of words that come to mind, as one notices a foot is tapping and the head is bobbing and maybe even a few goose bumps are rising...

...but, as always, the magic is in the midrange. Human voices take on a you-are-there sense of reality that raises those goose bumps. When you hear things you have never heard from your records before, you can be sure they will help to complete the musical picture, rather than distract with meaningless detail or artificial "air." The transparency of these cartridges extends from the deepest bass notes to the heights of inaudibility. More than ever, they are able to track the micro-dynamic ebb and flow of the music like no other cartridge. The result is a sense of musical anticipation and excitement one normally experiences only at the live event. Listening to jazz, you can almost smell the cigar smoke and single-malt whiskey in the air; a classical LP calls forth images of rich velvet curtains and wisps of fine perfume; rock and roll brings back the moisture of the grass seeping through your jeans and the smell of sweat and something sweet upon the breeze…
 

Proteus   £3,295.00 inc VAT

Transfiguration moves forward yet again with the introduction of their new flagship cartridge the “Proteus”

Transfiguration have worked hard to improve on the already stunning Orpheus L.


The Proteus is a major step closer to the ideal where the ultimate audio components will be those that simply don't seem to exist - so good that they add nothing and subtract nothing. The 'straight wire with gain' situation.

The biggest strength of the Proteus is its lack of character.

It is one of those audio components, where the better the system that it is used with (I.E. the faster, more tonally and transiently seamless, dynamically unlimited, with extended frequency range)

...the more it will reveal within the music and you will continue to discover previously hidden information on your records.

Specification
• Body: aluminium, resonance controlled
• Cantilever: 0.3mm solid boron
• Stylus: PA (3 x 30µm) solid diamond
• Core/coils: Ultra grade 3S - µ metal square core with 5N silver coils
• Magnet: neodymium – front & rear
• Weight: 7.8g
• Output voltage: 0.2mV (3.54cm/s, 1kHz)
• Internal impedance: 1 ohm
• Frequency response: 10Hz – 20kHz +1.5dB, 20kHz – 40kHz +2dB
• Channel separation: > 30dB (200Hz - 1kHz)
• Channel balance: < 0.5dB at 1kHz
• Tracking ability: > 70µm at tracking force 2.0g at 315Hz
• Dynamic compliance: 13 x 10-6 cm/dyne
• Recommended loading: > 10 ohms
• Recommend’ tracking force: 2.0 g
• Optimum working temperature: 23º Celsius
• Break in period: 30 hours

• Read the HiFi+ review by clicking here
• Read the Stereophile review by clicking here

 


 

Phoenix S  £2.195.00 inc VAT

Just as the Orpheus advanced the absolute state-of-the-art in what was possible with a phono cartridge in terms of musically natural reproduction of the analogue LP, the new Phoenix re-defines what is possible in its price class (and considerably far above it). The Phoenix is the new price/performance leader in the areas of transparency, timbre, bass-impact and articulation...oh, yes, and in the all important JPF factor (Just Plain Fun).

The huge gains in musical performance by both the Phoenix and the Orpheus over cartridges already recognized as world-leaders in their respective price ranges is both gratifying and encouraging at a time when analogue playback seems stronger and more healthy than ever, at a time when digital playback seems almost in search of an identity. At a time when the average listener to digital (the ubiquitous ipod listener) is accepting a significant reduction in sound quality from even redbook CD, LP lovers are discovering new worlds in the same old grooves they have been listening to for over half a century.

We are very grateful to Mr. Yoshioka and the other pioneers of the new analogue era, for bringing us closer to the emotion and experience of live music than we dreamed possible a few years back, when reports of the death of analogue circulated, apparently, prematurely…

Physical
• Body: Aluminium, resonance controlled
• Cantilever: 0.3mm diameter solid boron
• Stylus: PA (3 x 30um), solid diamond
• Core/coils: High grade permalloy square core with pure silver coils
• Magnet: Neodymium (rear) & Samarium cobalt (front)
• Weight: 7.8g
Electrical:
• Output voltage: 0.4mV (3.54cm/sec, 1kHz)
• Internal impedance: 7 ohms
• Frequency response: 10Hz - 20kHz +1.5dB / 20Hz - 40kHz +2dB
• Channel separation: > 27dB, 200Hz - 1kHz
• Channel balance: < 0.5dB, 1kHz
Dynamic:
• Tracking ability at 315Hz at the tracking force of 2g: > 70um
• Dynamic compliance: 12 x 10 to the minus 6cm/dyne

• Read the review from AnalogPlanet by clicking here

Axia S  £1,495.00 inc VAT

The Axia may well impress & surprise the music lovers first foray into the world of Transfiguration - moving coil cartridges. The design reveals a coherently musical and natural presentation, setting it apart from many exaggerated “Hi-Fi” interpreters.

Its excellent ability to recreate the correct timing in music facilitates the seamless rendering of explicit information, together with an effortless and flowing accuracy of timbre, convincing depth and correctness to the acoustic ebb of each note.

Physical
• Body Aluminium, resonance controlled
• Cantilever 0.3 mm diameter boron
• Stylus Ogura PA (3 x 30 μm) solid diamond
• Magnet Samarium cobalt
• Weight 7 g
• Output 0.4 mV (3.54 cm/s, 1 kHz)
• Internal impedance 4 Ohms
• Recommended load > 4 Ohms
• Recommended tracking force 2.0 g
• Optimum working temp 23° C
 

 

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All prices shown include UK VAT

  

10 August 2015

Sound Hi Fi

PO Box 2001  Dartmouth Devon  TQ6 9QN  Great Britain

Telephone 01803 833366  Fax 01803 839498  e-mail sales@SoundHiFi.com