I posted about Supertrac on the Bristol Show thread yesterday, mentioning that I might elaborate on the Ekos killer thread, but I’m now doing that here instead.
In Richard’s intro to his demo on Sunday, he also mentioned the interest and earlier presence in the room of (the great – my words!) Roy Gandy to listen to the Blackbird now installed on two of his top of the range Rega decks. A rock album was requested by the audience and as that turned out to be not what I wanted to hear I left part way through vaguely thinking maybe I’d return later. However, as I mulled over what to me was the solidity and scale of the sound I’d heard, the conviction to return grew, and so I did.
Second visit and Richard was out of the room as I sat through two more rock tracks put on by his colleague, one of which I’d selected, both sounding great. Then, when the only other two guys in the room with me left at about 4.30, I asked for some opera to be played. My goodness, I was totally not anticipating the quality of what I heard, a palpable sense of reality from voice and emotion along with the previously said solidity and scale. These are my words and impressions – I haven’t read any Blackbird reviews yet.
I did read a few days or so ago, a comment to the effect that if Blackbird had been available back in the eighties then CDs would not have ‘won’! At the time I thought yeah but, even were that so, CDs are the clearly better option for classical music which I now mainly listen to having left vinyl behind as my interest in that music developed. However, after hearing that opera in the Supertrac room, maybe there was something in that comment! The few surface clicks I heard were so way, way, back, below the music floor/sound stage that I found them not in any way detrimental - merely a gentle reminder that this music I was being seduced by was coming off vinyl.
I realise one has to remember and factor in the quality of the decks being used, but high quality decks are always in use in other rooms at the show so that’s a given. Some other rooms also use ‘audiophile’ pressings in their demos, but the Supertrac room was using ordinary LPs emerging from sleeves which suggested they’d seen a lot of use.
While the opera was playing Richard came back in the room and we had a brief chat. It was a pleasure to meet such a friendly, affable bloke, very much coming across as a music lover and enthusiast for the sound quality produced by the Blackbird.
I know that in this ‘hobby’ of ours we can be susceptible to the next new rave product, the ‘game changer’, the marketing, the hype etc. So, what I would say is don’t take my word for any of the above (no, I know you won’t anyway!) but do, if you have the opportunity, get along to a demo of the Blackbird to hear for yourself. I’d say that if you’re a vinyl enthusiast you owe it to yourself; even if you aren’t going to buy a new pick-up/tone arm, it’s interesting to check it out.
I myself am very unlikely to buy a Blackbird, because I now listen to my considerable CD collection, but in addition to the above, I appreciated and admired the clever design, and the quality of the product. Different appearance from the norm, but I’d say the finish is up there with competitors. I wish Richard (SUPATRAC) continuing success with the Blackbird.
(Oh, and this has inspired me to fettle my LP12 to hear what vinyl sounds like again on my system.)
PS I am not being paid anything for this post!!
