#Pear note records manual

A quick phone call to staffer Jerold O’Brien brings that LP-12 back, amidst curses that “it will take a week to get this damn thing sounding the way it did.” The KH’s unipivot tonearm is enclosed, so it won’t pop off in your hands the way a VPI arm wand does, but if you are used to more traditional tonearms, you will need to get used to the slightly floppy nature of this arm. The KH has more sheer bass drive than that LP-12 did. This table does not require the constant fiddling that my Linn always seemed to need. On many levels it reminds me of a mid to late 80s Linn LP-12, and that’s not a bad thing by any means. The KH definitely has a somewhat warm, relaxed feel. The choices that every designer makes positively effect the overall sound of a turntable, or perhaps more accurately, the way the turntable’s platter and motor (or suspension if applicable) interact with everything else in the record playing system to have a sonic signature. Just like so many love to argue about the “sound” of an amplifier, DAC or any other component. Pear’s approach results in a lower noise floor and a larger sound field. Mezek prefers to use a drive belt to isolate a motor with extremely low torque minimizing the vibration transmitted to that delicate stylus assembly. Of course, everyone claims their way is the best, with some even insisting that the others have it all wrong. In essence, the stylus is merely tracking that delicate groove perfectly, unaffected by anything else. There are a great many ways to design a turntable, but the ultimate goal is to spin the platter at as perfectly close to 33.33 r.p.m., and isolate the record on that platter from any vibration either from the drive system and the surrounding environment. I’ll warn you now the proof is in the listening with this table. The olive green wooden plinth almost looks like it is hand carved and stained.

In the days of manufacturers applying Formula 1 machining techniques to their aesthetic design, as well as the goings-on under the hood, the Kid Howard looks somewhat primitive, mechanically at first glance. This no-frills approach sets you back $4,995 with the Cornet 2 tonearm, which is a derivative of the Nottingham Ace arm, no slouch to be sure. But then again, so do I, so I won’t be too hard on this little turntable that can.

#Pear note records manual

The Kid Howard is as manual as it gets too there is no power switch and because of the very low torque motor involved, KH needs a little push to get moving in the morning. These tables are hand built by Mezek in his factory in Slovenia, so these are as close to bespoke as it gets. The home page of the Pear Audio Analogue website says that they are “turntables with pedigree.” If you’re relatively new to the vinyl game, it’s possible that you haven’t heard about the Nottingham or Well Tempered turntables, but the man behind Pear, Peter Mezek had a profound involvement with both of these legendary tables.