It’s Time to Upgrade Your Turntable Game with Brinkmann

Vinyl record fans, have you had the same turntable since college? It might be time for you to consider an upgrade. HiFi Buys’ Guys’ Night Out event on April 28th is the perfect time to give a listen to what many hi-fi aficionados and audio publications call the “Rolls-Royce” of turntables – a Brinkmann.

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We chatted with Anthony Chiarella, sales rep for Brinkmann, about the company’s products, their commitment to high quality, and what customers can expect from Brinkmann at Guys’ Night Out.

 

For over 35 years, Brinkmann has been making turntables, tone arms, amps, pre-amps, and other digital products to the exacting standards of Helmut Brinkmann, the company’s namesake, inventor and engineer. Anthony says,  “We’re probably best known for the Balance belt-drive turntable—it’s our flagship product that’s been in production for over 30 years. It’s constantly improved and evolved, which keeps the product state-of-the-art.” It’s one of the turntables that will be on demo at Guy’s Night Out.

 

Another popular product is the Bardo direct-drive turntable, which Anthony owns. “It’s a Bespoke Brinkmann design, and the direct-drive motor is superb. It’s completely hassle-free set up and listening, with no start-up time. It comes up to speed and works.”

 

The Balance and the Bardo are high-end products that raise a common question for many audio buyers: If he or she is going to invest in a turntable, should it be a belt drive or direct drive model?

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While Anthony owns the direct-drive Bardo, he states that he “wouldn’t dissuade anyone that thinks belt drive is the only way to go. In fact, I don’t think that sways most of our customers. They’re making an investment in sound quality. The best way to decide on a turntable is to listen. Once they hear the difference, they realize there are no better turntables than ours at any price. They’re manufactured for a lifetime of use.”

 

Brinkmann’s commitment to quality is exemplified by the details in their products. For example, the Spyder turntable is outfitted with multi-layered aluminum screws. The company’s early turntables were all aluminum; later, they added a soft plastic mat in the center (still standard for other company’s turntables) that sounded better but held dust and dirt. Today, Brinkmann uses a crystal insert mat in the platter for optimum sound and an easy-to-clean surface.

 

The same quality can be found in Brinkmann’s tone arms. The design was based on Breuer tone arms (considered to be finest in the world), which were hard to find, so Helmut Brinkmann engineered one for his company.

 

“Materials make the difference,” says Anthony. “The aluminum arms are ceramic coated with Swiss ball bearings, and the arm is completely adjustable–many arms don’t have that flexibility. Brinkmann has a sound that is extremely accurate, neutral and dynamic. Notice the punch and drive and rhythm in the music. Many equipment manufacturers use Brinkmanns when they design their own components.”

 

Anthony has good news for audio fans. “One of the recent developments with Brinkmann is that they have lowered all their prices. For example, a Bardo with a 10” tone arm was around $14K; as of March, the price lowered to $9,999.00. Why? First, the Euro is weaker against the dollar where they are built, and second, Brinkmann had used a 3rd party distributor/importer who sold them to dealers; now Brinkmann is directly distributing their own product in the USA, so they were able to substantially lower price of all their turntables.”

 

We think events like Guys’ Night Out are the perfect way to bring upscale products together for the enjoyment and education of the consumer, and Anthony agrees.

 

“Everyone wants to enjoy their time off, because they work hard. The connoisseur who appreciates fine wines, cars, and watches will also appreciate a state of the art turntable or hifi system. But unlike a car, where you can stay with the same automaker, an audio system upgrade means looking for a different brand. That’s why what HiFi Buys is doing is so important. They can lead buyers looking for an upgrade to another brand, and that leads them to us. A Brinkmann turntable may not be your first turntable, but it will be your last.” 

 

Hear, hear, Anthony! We’re looking forward to bringing Brinkmann turntables and tone arms to this party. Get more details on Brinkmann and the other great brands you’ll see at Guys’ Night Out on our Facebook page, and on Twitter.

chris

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