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The CA Electronics Heavyweight puck under the microscope

Introduction

Queen, what will you do? You can go to Amsterdam to Radio538 festival. You can buy old junk at a flea market or other. Or, this year in Weert and Thorn, our highness standing wave, or one of the countless other activities visit. Whether you're doing something very different and will again actively involved in your hobby.

On 17 april in Rotterdam at the English Café show, I came to the state of Crusade Audio and saw an old friend. Rogier van Hoof, owner of Audio Crusade stood there, right at the beginning, top of the stairs with his new stuff from the state to promote its range. A series of ceramic accessories, from cones to pucks.
Now enjoy analog or my preference, so that new pucks were right my attention. At trial, I received a "heavy" copy it to test. "Heavy" in quotes, because 476g is not really a heavyweight. The puck weighs 835g that I normally use.
What is striking is the design. I've rarely seen a puck that more associations with any other object than this. If you are the thing do you see as the first in a jar of ointment of the apothecary. Not as an eyecatcher so.
The Lightweight version looks slightly better. That is because flatter, making the "cans" look-there is hardly. Maybe there is another color to be given instead of the current infectious white, but I do not know if that in turn can affect the operation.Now I do not so much with eye-catchers, apparently, because a friend of mine recently remarked that no hair on his head but also a moment would think his stuff ever so would put together as I do, because "it looks nowhere to go. " Where, because to me, all appliances and things together, not "sorted" in width, color or brand. It will ultimately improve the performance and I'm really not all day staring at my stuff.
Incidentally, according to Rogier van Hoof possible for the puck with a waterborne paint itself a simple color. He knows of people who have done with India ink, but the audio itself Crusade sometimes with water based paint from a can made, that remains a good seat. Also see the puck at the right picture is painted by an artist.

Listen, the first round.

Then the first experiences. In this session, the CA Electronics puck compared to the standard Transrotor puck 400g thick stainless steel and a "disk" without damping 835g. This comparison is done in my own set, which consists of a Fatbob S, Benz Wood L2. Ayre K-3 RP (with phono) preamp, Bryston 4B-ST power amplifier and a pair of Sonus Faber Guarneri Homage, tied together with wire work of Crimson (phono), Audio Quest (vv-ev) and Sign Audio (ls).
With respect to the puck Transrotor sounds with a piece of the CA coherent. Get more votes and contours are better defined. The positioning is further forward, although it is slightly smaller holographic image. At first you think performs better than the Transrotor, because a larger "bubble" put down, but he does give an annoying "fraying" of the whole. Only when you listen more you notice that the CA is significantly better than it does. In a direct comparison with the stainless steel puck puck that which is not good. That beats everything flat, no depth, no internship, no emotion. It seems as if 'he with his whole weight like a roller over the image.

And the second round ...

Because I do not want to take chances and sometimes Paul wanted to know what the CA puck does, we have a listening session held at Paul. In that comparison, there are 2 pucks included, namely a heavy Transrotor puck 760g Audio Callas and a wooden puck just under 400gram.

Paul has summarized what the findings of this session were:

"Because apart from the Crusade puck also Callas Puck to me for review was the Callas puck in the review included. The two Transrotor pucks to have been on the Transrotor Orion FMD and Leonardo 25 / 50M TMD used and are also in the test question ..
The pucks are tested with the Transrotor Orion FMD, more information about the set you will find here.

My findings of the five pucks puck with the CA as a starting point:

1. CA Electronics Ceramic LP puck Heavyweight - ceramics - task: 510 grams / weighted 487 grams: character: quiet, sometimes a bit boring, clearly placed image with almost gepinpointe voice, space is ok, voice sometimes has little body and is directed more toward front. For the money an excellent puck, especially suitable for turntables with a more lively character. (Price € 69, -)

2. Transrotor-puck - aluminum - 450 grams: something restless stereo image, something spacious and generous figure but also somewhat less clear installation, also sounds a bit clearer / more aggressive than the CA. (RRP € 100, -)

3. Callas puck - African blackwood (Mpingo) - 370 grams: Holographic three-dimensional, spacious, quiet, beautiful loose placement on a generous stage, detail-rich and a colorless solid lows. Voice is clearer, with more body and sounds more natural. The Callas puck for me is the overall winner in all respects compared to the other pucks but ends on this list in third place because of the much higher price (price 494, -)

4. Heavy steel Transrotor-puck (760 grams) with damping (rubber ring bottom, plastic sleeve, stereo image slightly better as the 835 gram steel puck but a complete picture gives the puck a little restless and flat stage image. Sounds are less aggressive when 450 grams TR puck. (RRP € 150, -)

5. Very heavy steel puck (835 grams) without any damping: the stereo stores completely dead, lifeless matte display. (Price n.a) "


The pucks on the Transrotor Orion

Conclusion

In conclusion I can say that the CA Electronics puck is doing well and price / performance thick 9 deserves. Another conclusion is that a puck with more mass is not everything. Far from it, because both were too many heavyweights stabbing attack. It also appears that there is something exotic with pucks that is going on sale, and that in a positive way. The Callas Audio puck you drag it a bit further into the music. The question is whether such an amount as a user you want to put down for a "piece of wood" and you have to decide for yourself.
It appears that a puck still does more than just the plate firmly. A good puck really shows more music to hear and involve you in further. And it's apparently not easy to make a good puck. A piece of "centered mass" does not therefore ..

So we have the puck Heavyweight CA Electronics in this test / review subject. However, there is also a Light Weight model, as explained above. Which is flatter and lighter. This is more suitable for subchassisloopwerken, and also has a slightly less damping effect, because it is built up from the less active ingredient. This will probably sound a little livelier. The CA heavyweight puck has now gained a place in my set and that despite his appearance.

Roger Poulussen

Information:

Crusade-Audio
www.crusade-audio.nl
www.ca-electronics.com
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. JavaScript must be enabled to view it.

Callas Audio
www.callas-audio.nl
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. JavaScript must be enabled to view it.

Transrotor
www.monitoraudio.nl
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. JavaScript must be enabled to view it.

Notes to the operation of platenpucks:

- Benefits

A record puck down the plate firmly against the platform by his heavy weight. The improved contact between the plate and the platform reduces / prevents resonance and reduces unwanted movements. The elimination of resonances which in turn creates a more relaxed view. A heavier puck from about 400 grams, is especially suitable for non-suspended mass drives. For drives with such Thorens subchassis is not too heavy puck or record clamp is recommended.

Another advantage of a heavy puck 'flywheel effect'. Due to the increased weight of the platform with a heavy puck leading to a better synchronization of the plateau. In a Transrotor turntable on the external power supply is connected Fein can connect a strobe lamp. With the aid of the, in the power-supplied Fein, MES strobe disk is then easy to see that the turntable has no problem with the high weight of the puck, and even a small fraction remains more stable at the correct speed.

- Disadvantages

The disadvantage of using a heavy puck at some turntables that can not be calculated on the bearing heavily taxed and that can lead to excessive wear and rumble lead. Tell the dealer always puck which is suitable for your drive. The mass of such course work Transrotor have no problems with a heavy puck, the bearings are geared. For years, using a Transrotor 760 grams heavy puck on a Leonardo did not lead to visible wear of the ceramic bearing guided.

- Measurement

The effect of a heavy puck is well visible with the aid of a scoop, the last fraying in the sine wave by a heavy puck pulled completely smooth. For example: in a test without the puck on track 8 Hifi News test LP to see a clear distortion. With the heavy Transrotor puck out, that deformation almost completely disappeared.

Paul Geerlings