TONEAudio Magazine

— Jeff Dorgay, Publisher

2018 Analog Product of the Year

“The Singer Porsche of turntables. When listening to acoustic instruments, especially the violin and flute, their delicacy and sustain floats in mid, air captivating you. If you have been considering the ultimate expression of the idler drive platform we can’t recommend the Artisan Fidelity Statement highly enough.”

Dagogo Magazine

- Jack Roberts, reviewer

 

"Alive, Energetic, Dynamic" 

 

"Bowed strings are a big test for any system. With the Statement my
system played bowed strings with the sweetness and air of real life."

 

"Is the Artisan Fidelity even in the same league with tables like a Shindo, AMG, Clearaudio and other world class turntables?  The answer is simple, yes indeed.  It matches or surpasses any of these tables in build quality, beauty and most of all the way it plays music."

 

"Plucked strings like guitars, basses and harps sounded very natural
and full. On these instruments, the Statement allowed me to first hear
the leading edge that sounded fast, quick, and dynamic. After that I
could hear the decay and air inside and around the instrument. This
table allowed my system to reproduce both acoustical and electric bass
instruments with incredible impact as well as a fundamental rightness."

Garrard 301 Statement by Artisan Fidelity 

Designed strictly for the ultimate analog playback capability derived from the renowned English engineered classic idler drive platform beginning with a comprehensive mechanical rebuild, motor restoration, alignment and optimization.  Featuring the world’s first inverted modular bearing and platter based architecture.  A fundamental approach in lowering center of gravity, achieving increased resolution in addition to drastic reductions in noise and friction is achievable through an inverted type hydrodynamic bearing and tiered platter design. Modern echelon level analog playback front ends routinely feature such bearing topologies for similar reasons. Additionally, the heavier platter flywheel affect drastically improves speed consistency throughout the entire 33/45/78 rpm range.  Although our previous conventional Garrard 301 Statement bearing design was a radical departure and subsequent drastic improvement from stock offerings, the inverted bearing and modular platter design takes the resolution, noise floor and channel separation to a whole other level. Each set of inverted bearing and modular platters are cnc milled using solely state of the art milling machines, designed in collaboration with tribology and hydrodynamics consultants from Purdue University Department of Engineering.

By employing a heavy modular platter architecture, the user may contour the playback characteristics of the Garrard 301 Statement to a degree as each upper material selection will allow for a slightly different presentation. Material selections available: Copper alloy, Magnesium, 7075 Aluminum, Inox Stainless Steel. Please consult me directly for an explanation of unique playback differences between the various alloy selections.

Elimination of stock factory Garrard idler wheel constitutes another engineered design model enhancement.  We have developed a state of the art, precision cnc machined austenitic steel idler wheel with cnc ground center pin measuring zero run-out, physical surface running edge consists of a molded rubber composite.  The diameter of the Statement idler wheel matched factory English Garrard specifications to within "0.002.  The result translates immediately during first listen, increased clarity, focus and inner resolution across the audible frequency spectrum.  In addition to a modern idler wheel design, we have also opted to replace the factory motor spindle pulley with precision cnc machined Marine Brass and Austentic Steel motor pulley variants.  Again, through the application of computer aided design, drafting and automation in conjunction with superior metal alloy selections, we were able to achieve superior playback results over stock pulleys.  The magnificent Garrard 301 Statement models (*) additionally feature state of the art, cnc machined balanced Eddy Current Brake Discs fabricated from a solid billet of heat treated, aircraft grade 6061-T651 aluminum.  The precision tolerances allow a sheer, slip fit over existing factory Garrard 301 motor spindles with no additional slop, or play.  The design ensures accuracy during playback, minimizing any residual wobble and consequential vibrations from propagating through the flywheel, motor and mechanical facilities.  

During the 11 + year production cycle of the English Garrard 301 Transcription turntable, the company opted to employ a cast type aluminum based alloy primary chassis plate featuring many physical coves and recesses.  From the manufactures standpoint, this design proved both a cost effective and fairly consistent part to reproduce in quantity.  However, using a plain variable casting process such as this means certain structural inconsistencies are simply unavoidable.  Over time, these chassis plates may exhibit structural cracking and were known for notorious inconsistencies, primary weak spots in many cases resulting in severe degradation of playback.  To remedy this critical engineering weakness and design compromise, we have developed a state-of-the-art heat treated, solid aircraft aluminum alloy based chassis plate possessing tremendous structural rigidity, zero internal structural voids and ultra high precision measured tolerances (* Link).  To accompany the improved billet chassis plates, we have designed proprietary motor mounts and ancillary linkage parts, tested and tuned for optimal playback characteristics and integrity.  The superior audible playback characteristics gained through the precision chassis plates results in clarity never before imagined with this legendary transcription design.  (*) Denotes V.2 version.  Instrument net weight 34kgs. ~ 74lbs / 35kgs. ~ 78lbs.
 

Artisan Fidelity Statement series plinths exhibit natural tonality in conjunction with superb timbre, coupled with a weighty, rich musical presentation.  In short, the most musical, natural sound we have yet to hear.  Aside from sharing base design architecture and remaining factory parts restoration procedures, this platform employs proprietary, resonant tuned by ear premium, hand selected tone wood and layered hardwood and composite material based high mass plinths in conjunction with numerous proprietary, state-of-the-art computerized numerical control machined precision critical high tolerance parts and premium internal wiring which represent a vast upgrade in both playback capabilities, lower noise floor, increased resolution, technical quality and integrity over stock vintage factory components.  Integrated Stillpoints isolation devices are employed in Statement models for further resonance control and for management of undesirable system based acoustic feedback and environmental based airborne vibrations including equipment related intermodulation distortion.  Single and dual tonearm plinths remain nine to twelve inch tonearm effective length compatible

Using solely the fundamental mechanical design architecture and re engineering a classic transcription turntable like the Garrard 301 requires extraordinary skill, dedication, painstaking attention to details and a level of passion few will ever realize. Our level of commitment is unsurpassed in the area of transforming classic analog playback instruments which have easily stood the test of time into analog record playback devices for the modern era designed to perform at a reference level, in any arena. A small, highly skilled and dedicated team of mechanical engineers, master woodworkers, designers, finishers, visionaries and artisans are who we are, producing the worlds finest modern classics, hand crafted, individually tuned by ear and precision engineered to last a lifetime. The word masterpiece truly defines the quality and musicality of our reference Garrard plinth, which is a feast for both the eyes and the ears. After over a year in the Garrard 301 plinth prototyping phases, we arrived at the place we are today which once not far in the past, was only several hand drawn sketches, a concept and a dream. Our small, highly skilled team of third generation master woodworkers, precision machinists and my own individual creative design concepts made the dream possible and the results, well, the results are nothing short of magnificent.

Individually hand and precision machined analog playback masterpieces

Designed with passion, engineered with precision