The Wand tonearms and the ’14-4’ turntable from New Zealand, have been relaunched into the UK market with distributor, Whole Note Distribution, who have acquired UK Distribution rights.
The 14-4 turntable, so called due to the 14” platter made up of 4 acrylic layers, designed to damp vibration and noise transfer. The platter is complete with a screw down record clamp machined from acrylic to match the platter allowing the record label to be seen while playing.
The main structure of the 14-4 Turntable is made from German plywood, asymmetric in shape, hand oiled and fitted with a Zentroidal three point suspension system. The centroid of suspension, the stillest point, is close to the playing arc to maximise shock and vibration rejection.
Fitted with a DC Motor offering superb electronic speed control. 33 / 45rpm (78rpm factory option) and completed by a stylish lid:
- Lid is mechanically outside the playing system
- Designed for cueing the record to the beginning when the lid is down.
- The lid stands upright on its back edge.
The Wand 14-4 will accommodate 9.5in / 10.3in or 12in Wand tonearms (or other brands) UK Audiophiles will be able to fit their own favourite arm, or opt for one of Design, Build, Listen’s own Wand tonearms which are hand built, from high tech components, and available in three specification levels. Upgrades between the models include better wiring, plugs and vibration control.
Simon Brown, designer of the radical, multi award winning Wand tonearm told us “I’m passionate about what a good tonearm can bring to an audio system. Cartridges may set the flavour of a system, but it is the tonearm that sets the resolution of the vinyl playback system as most tonearms are a jumble of resonances which result in noise obscuring fine detail and raising the noise floor. When a ‘Wand’ is coupled to The 14-4 Turntable the results, are well, magical. I’m delighted to relaunch into the UK with Whole Note Distribution.”
David Graham, MD of Whole Note Distribution commented “Data tells us Vinyl will overtake CDs as the dominant form of physical media in 2022, and there’s no doubting the magic of removing a record from its sleeve, cueing the arm and then settling down with the sleeve notes – pure audio theatre that’s here to stay. The Wand range is very well regarded and I’m delighted to be working with Simon to make these fantastic products more accessible to retailers and customers alike.”
By Hi-Fi+ Staff
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