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Phono stages.

Don't know if you can still buy one but the Arkless Turbo thing has to be up there.

The Arkless Turbo is an excellent phono stage at the price. However, valve phono stage costs considerably more to produce than a SS unit, particularly as you have to minimise circuit noise to optimise the S:N ratio - harder to do in a valve circuit. In terms of build quality though, the TRON Convergence is in a different league to the CA based Arkless chassis.

- CNC machined case
- Custom PCB
- Shipped not in a standard cardboard box, but in A FLIGHT CASE
- Let alone the quality of the parts inside

All budget and mid-fi units (i.e. in the sub £1k price range) come in folded mild steel cases. whereas this is CNC machined aluminium and delrin. Screen printing logos etc properly onto the front and back isn't cheap either - just ask Jez at Arkless. The metalwork alone probably costs more to source than a base CA phono stage, particularly if you factor in the costs of low volume production.
 
The Arkless Turbo is an excellent phono stage at the price. However, valve phono stage costs considerably more to produce than a SS unit, particularly as you have to minimise circuit noise to optimise the S:N ratio - harder to do in a valve circuit. In terms of build quality though, the TRON Convergence is in a different league to the CA based Arkless chassis.

- CNC machined case
- Custom PCB
- Shipped not in a standard cardboard box, but in A FLIGHT CASE
- Let alone the quality of the parts inside

All budget and mid-fi units (i.e. in the sub £1k price range) come in folded mild steel cases. whereas this is CNC machined aluminium and delrin. Screen printing logos etc properly onto the front and back isn't cheap either - just ask Jez at Arkless. The metalwork alone probably costs more to source than a base CA phono stage, particularly if you factor in the costs of low volume production.

It makes you wonder why they bother. There can't be a lot of margin. Anyhow very interesting nontheless.
 
It makes you wonder why they bother. There can't be a lot of margin. Anyhow very interesting nontheless.

I'd tend to agree - I don't want my £1k phonostage in a 'flight case', just in packaging which provides decent, cost-effective protection whilst in transit.
 
It sounded negative which wasn't my intention. I'm just puzzled. It's not as if they sell very many. It seems hardly worth getting out of bed.
 
It sounded negative which wasn't my intention. I'm just puzzled. It's not as if they sell very many.

Maybe it's a form of 'introduction' product? That's to say one which will entice buyers into Tron's stuff further up the range.

Despite my negative comment (purely about the posh packaging) it's something I'd be interested in having a listen to. :)
 
I did have an Icon PS3 once, whilst it was quite seductive for a bit then that smooth limpid valve thing began to irritate and I returned to SS.
 
It makes you wonder why they bother. There can't be a lot of margin. Anyhow very interesting nontheless.


Because if you're going to do something you might as well do it to the best of your ability and companies like GT Audio set themselves high standards. I do believe those high standards set the bar for other manufacturers too so that not everything produced looks like it was made in someone's shed.
 
Reminds me of when a dealer brought down a Linn CD1 (? the top one) with Naim CDS3 and another (valved) CDP for home dem. in the nineties. The Linn flight case outshone the CDP, aesthetically if not sonically. At £12K then it might have been justified, but expensive and flamboyant packing is not v.f.m.

Similarly, cartridges can come in totally unadorned balsa boxes with nothing else (Koetsu) or flashy wooden boxes with enough kit to set up a t/t dealership (Benz?)

Quality is in the design and componentry; not packaging.
 
I have the 906, it's very good indeed though we are about to trial the new Vertere Phono 1 which is reputedly breaking new ground at the £1K price point, I will report back in due course.

The Vertere Phono 1 is very interesting. I'm looking forward to your report.
 
Reminds me of when a dealer brought down a Linn CD1 (? the top one) with Naim CDS3 and another (valved) CDP for home dem. in the nineties. The Linn flight case outshone the CDP, aesthetically if not sonically. At £12K then it might have been justified, but expensive and flamboyant packing is not v.f.m.

Similarly, cartridges can come in totally unadorned balsa boxes with nothing else (Koetsu) or flashy wooden boxes with enough kit to set up a t/t dealership (Benz?)

Quality is in the design and componentry; not packaging.
Quite true.

However - in these days when products are often all 'quite good' going the extra mile shows the thoroughness with which the company has approached the product as an overall service. A few years ago you could tell what was crappy and what was brilliant, and ignore the casework and packaging and how they picked up the phone and dealt wit you as a customer. These days less so because few of the obvious candidates make actually bad products IMHO.
 
What I rather like about the Arkless is all the money is in the components and labour. My Turbo plus is in a black case and you literally can't see it when its on it's shelf. I seem to be getting a bit 'hair shirt' in my attitude to audio these days.

Incidentally it replaced a both the Icon and a TEAD Microgroove plus.
 
^^^ Having had both the 906 and the bigger 907, both most excellent stages, the 906 runs the 907 remarkably close.
 
Maybe it's a form of 'introduction' product? That's to say one which will entice buyers into Tron's stuff further up the range.

Buying a Whest Two did that for me, have just ordered a nice new PS.30 rdt Special Edition from him and going by the Two it should be stonkingly good.
 
I got hold of a 906 just before Christmas and it's been a bit of a revelation, even with a humble project deck/2M blue as source. Vinyl has gone from being a very secondary source to trying to find more time to sit down and listen.
 
Tried loads. Ended up with an early model Arkless Turbo "+" when (for one reason or another) Mr A threw in some thoughts from his ground up design.

Works very well and measures in a top drawer league
 
Because if you're going to do something you might as well do it to the best of your ability and companies like GT Audio set themselves high standards. I do believe those high standards set the bar for other manufacturers too so that not everything produced looks like it was made in someone's shed.

Absolutely right.

Graham does things right. The TRON, imho, represents fabulous vfm and I do wish people would stop and use their grey matter before posting critical remarks over packaging. I know what custom packaging costs, as I've had to commission it for some of my own products, and trust me, just having a small handful of bespoke cardboard boxes with foam inserts made up, then the outside printed costs MORE than buying in cheap aluminium foam lined cases from China, then cutting the foam to suit your product. I was amazed at the costs of custom boxes. Unless you buy in bulk, it is not a cheap option.

The flight case is a nice touch, and actually reinforces the quality aspect with GT products and the VFM that, actually, they represent compared with anything in a similar league. You can pick up a nice Aluminium flight case for under £20. I can't have custom foam lined boxes supplied for that. They also make a very handy transport device for attending bake-offs and are as easily stored in the loft if you don't want them around.

Inside the product, there is no "Foo", just sensibly engineered circuitry laid down on very high quality Custom PCBs, beautifully screen printed and laid out. Add to that, the CONVERGENCE MC phonostage uses a proper, very high quality shielded and choked power supply and you soon build a picture of a designer that cares about quality. There are no overtly "Foo" bits unless you specify them, other than the very high quality power supply and the hand selected and matched valves. The wiring and build quality are nothing short of exemplary.

The end product sounds as you might expect such a nicely engineered product to sound, very good indeed. I know, because after listening to a load of market-hyped mass produced mediochrity, I commissioned a TRON. Add to this that the costs reflect the fact that Graham does not use dealerships or distributors for that particular product, and the price is HALF of what it would cost you at any dealership.

Those are the facts, so perhaps those who initially speculated with a few critical remarks over vfm might like to revise their opinions with the above in mind ;)
 
Those are the facts, so perhaps those who initially speculated with a few critical remarks over vfm might like to revise their opinions with the above in mind ;)

How very dare you! I was enjoying a proper, good moan. :D

The Convergence does look a lovely bit of kit, would be extremely interested to have a listen to one although it's a tad heavy in the £ dept for me at the moment.
 


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