The evolution of a Champion (turntable, that is).

the_nines

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So, I finally reached my destination. It's a trip that had started out in 2008 when I bought my main turntable, a Clearaudio Champion (the base model) and took about ten years to complete. Throughout the past ten years, I always dreamed of having it sounding and looking like it does today.

The first two pics are from the net, this is not my actual deck, but the pics do show how it looked out of the box. Small acrylic feet. The platter is from polyoxymethylene/acrylic, surface CNC-precision milled 1.2 inches / 30 mm thick. Drive unit is a separately housed synchronous motor in a massive stainless steel case. The tonearm installed was the Clearaudio Unify, uni-pivot 9", one point saphire bearing, carbon fibre (black) /stainless steel construction, and Unify mount base.

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I remember within one year of my original purchase, the owner of the store received a big box of various accessories from Clearaudio, and I was given three massive stainless steel feet to try out. "It would add more mass to the plinth and refine the sound" he told me. "Keep them as long as you need, as far as I'm concerned, they are yours on a permanent trial period", he said. Nice! I replaced the stock feet with the massive stainless steel versions from Clearaudio and also added a stainless steel motor riser in order to raise the motor to be in-line with the platter. Something to be said about all that extra mass the plinth had taken on. He was right about the sound becoming more refined. It sounded great. Better bass, the mids became more open, soundstage more defined. Can actually place instruments and voices in front of you much more than before.

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Last month, he finally came across what I was looking for. He had told me back in 2008 to consider the platter and bearing upgrade and that it would make a big difference sonically. However, not only was the platter and bearing out of my league price-wise, but I would also have to raise the tonearm with a Clearaudio tonearm riser. More dollars! I just couldn't do it. I remember telling him to keep an eye out if anything came his way, second hand, part of a trade-in, of course. Stuff from this company is insanely expensive and I just couldn't justify upgrading with new parts. It's just nuts, plus I liked what my turntable sounded like as it was with the feet upgrade.

Fast-forward eight years later, I thought after all this time he may have probably forgotten. Well, it happens that he comes across the 70mm platter, appropriate (CMB) bearing and tonearm riser and gave me a shout a few weeks ago.

So, time to upgrade.

I removed the tonearm, removed the original platter and bearing:
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Installed the tonearm riser, mounted the tonearm and installed the bigger bearing:
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Added the platter:
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Back on the rack, with the riser for the motor which weighs a ton. Massive, stainless steel, it almost weighs as much as the motor:
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And we're done:
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I haven't had much time to really listen critically aside from the couple of hours I was alone at home last weekend, but from what little I managed to hear he was right. Big improvement, especially in the depth of the soundstage front to back, and a more robust and tighter sound. There's more cohesion with the instruments, especially with jazz trios and quartets. Vocals more refined, detailed and crisper sound. I managed to squeeze in one or two classical records, very nice indeed. Lastly, I had just enough time to put on "A Meeting By The River - Ry Cooder & VM Batt". The song Ganges Delta Blues was just sublime (especially the tabla and dumbek). Wow!

Looking forward to more listening sessions on this table, especially if I can manage to get rid of everyone in the house for a good part of an afternoon. And, after ten years, it was well worth the wait.
 
Nice photo documentation of your Champion journey. :thumbsup:

As to your observations about the soundstage and stereo image. The Source component has to be capable of 'teasing this apart' (where it exists on the record). If the Source falls at this hurdle and 'drops it's bundle', that classy preamp/monoblocks and ultra hi-rez speakers won't tell lies and offer an ersatz pseudo soundstage. Great components in great systems just won't do that. They will magnificently, but faithfully, handle the signal from the Source component. Faithfully reproducing both what the Source nails and just as faithfully conveying those aspects which either fall short of the mark, plus the stinkers.

In a competant system, a major upgrade to the Source can often leave one slackjawed at how much more competent one's amps and speakers are. How much more they had to convey when freed from the shackles of a compromised Source.
 
Nice photo documentation of your Champion journey. :thumbsup:

As to your observations about the soundstage and stereo image. The Source component has to be capable of 'teasing this apart' (where it exists on the record). If the Source falls at this hurdle and 'drops it's bundle', that classy preamp/monoblocks and ultra hi-rez speakers won't tell lies and offer an ersatz pseudo soundstage. Great components in great systems just won't do that. They will magnificently, but faithfully, handle the signal from the Source component. Faithfully reproducing both what the Source nails and just as faithfully conveying those aspects which either fall short of the mark, plus the stinkers.

In a competant system, a major upgrade to the Source can often leave one slackjawed at how much more competent one's amps and speakers are. How much more they had to convey when freed from the shackles of a compromised Source.
Thank you sir, and yes, I agree with this. The system chain is only as good as its weakest link, including the media being played.

Which element/amp/speakers are you using @the_nines ?

Ariel.
Here's my main system:

Amp: Leben CS600
Turntable: Clearaudio Champion (Magnum)
Tonearm: Clearaudio Unify (uni-pivot) carbon fiber
Cartridge: BENZ Ref3
Speakers: Devore Fidelity "Gibbon Nines”
CD Player: Accuphase DP80
CD Player DAC: Accuphase DC81
Phono stage: EAR 834P
DAC: Wavelength Cosecant
Cables & Inter-connects: Transparent Cabling


......
 
Congratulations!!! Great TT you´ve got! Enjoy your music....and thanks for sharing your journey with us.
 
Congratulations. I have not looked into ClearAudio. Starting to look closely at VPI as I’m thinking of adding a new modern TT to my system. Now I have more research to do.

You have excellent gear and it’s presented beautifully.
 
Beefy! Very nice. What's next, a thicker deck to support the platter? :D
Just kidding, very nice setup.
 
Thank you sir, and yes, I agree with this. The system chain is only as good as its weakest link, including the media being played.


Here's my main system:

Amp: Leben CS600
Turntable: Clearaudio Champion (Magnum)
Tonearm: Clearaudio Unify (uni-pivot) carbon fiber
Cartridge: BENZ Ref3
Speakers: Devore Fidelity "Gibbon Nines”
CD Player: Accuphase DP80
CD Player DAC: Accuphase DC81
Phono stage: EAR 834P
DAC: Wavelength Cosecant
Cables & Inter-connects: Transparent Cabling


......
Thought that was a Leben hiding in the background nice
Chris
 
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