Getting a sense of sKale

[Warren]

"In Xanadu did Kubla Khan, an arty pleasure disc decree."

Executive Summary:

Khan: Yes
sKale: OH YES!!
XV-1t: oh no?!
Philbo's speaker wiring: interesting?


Firstly let's quickly cover my bias/background: a few years after I started gradually evolving my hifi in the direction of Linn, I went round a hifi show only to find everything sounded unengaging, until I got to the Linn rooms. So I've just bought Linn ever since and haven't looked at any non-Linn upgrades.

The Khan, and now the sKale, has been getting lots of great coverage here, so I'd thought I'd demo them as in what I've read I've not seen the phrases "tune-dem" or "active listening" used.


In summary, there is a reason for this, these upgrades are mostly sonic in nature: there's more information, instruments sound more real, natural, in the room, and the performance is more emotionally engaging. All while keeping, and refining, all of the LP12's music playing abilities. Like the Keel and similar subchassis, the Khan top-plate reveals more information, presumably by also absorbing vibrations that reaches the cartridge with the standard top-plate.

The biggest surprise was, after the Khan, how incredibly informative, in-the-room real and emotionally engaging the sKale arm weight was! All just by changing the way the weight touches, connects to, the arm; as well as lowering the weight's centre of gravity.

In short, for me, the sKale is a complete no-brainer - an absolute must have.

To put this into perspective, a couple of years ago Linn brought out new basses for my speakers and I immediately realised these were the next upgrade for me to do. The critical word being "were". The sKale I heard was a prototype. As soon as this product is released and I have a spare two hundred quid, I'm buying one. Want a better recommendation?

If these two products were the same price, and I got the Khan's required rebuild costs for free, I'd still go for the sKale first. That's how good it is.

The only arm upgrade I've ever done is from my Japanese-made (read very early) Akito to one of the last Ekos 2s made, which wasn't the huge upgrade predicted. So I wasn't expecting much from just changing the tonearm's counterweight, but boy is this upgrade big. I'm now wondering what other arms this counterweight is an upgrade for.

For those that know my system, the sKale is up there with quinwiring!, yes. Definitely hear a sKale.


So the Khan is a good improvement that is worth investing in. Off the top of my head I'd reckoned the Khan equates to about 10% to 30% more Keel. And the sKale is eye opening. I wouldn't be surprised if all future Linn arms are based upon this approach.


The sKale is easy to fit. On seeing photos I didn't initially like the recesses on this counterweight, however this is used to set up the asymmetrical weight, which hangs down. To fit, just put an Allen key (or something similar like a match) across the weight's top recess. Then rotate the weight so the key is parallel with the arm bearing housing, and thus the counterweight is vertical and perfectly balanced. So set up is one trivial extra step.


I've been curious about the XV-1t cartridge as it has mentioned here occasionally. This was an upgrade too far. There was something unsettling about the XV-1t. Clearly lots better in many respects, though this is perhaps my first experience of diminishing returns, also it seemed to lack the perfect balance of the Akiva.

For Peter's convenience the XV-1 demo was performed on a deck using two Naim Aro arms, as this arm takes only a minute or two to swap, not a rebuild. I first saw this arm years ago. It looks and wobbles around like a cheap hobbyist homemade arm, however this point bearing arm is incredibly musical, with perhaps a little lack of precision. It is also very naturally real sounding, and in someways that the Ekos SE isn't currently.


The Akurate 242 speakers were biwired via the tweeters on the arrays and then the basses. From having read Philbo's recommendation, at one point I played around with his "red to most-treble, black return to most bass". Wow, this was a big change in presentation. Lots more textural information that was actually overwhelming having become habituated to the original wiring setup for several hours by this point. I only did this quickly as I'm quinwired anyway. Definitely worth playing with. It might be interesting to play with red-tweeter rather than red-supertweeter too. Also based on my experience, separating off one driver is much better than halving strip lengths.


The above comparisons were done with Peter at Cymbiosis in Leicester. Naturally this was done using several LP12s and a replica of my hifi back-end. I was in the shop for almost 6 hours!! And most of that time was spent listening. We also did ABA and sometimes AaBbA comparisons: playing A, playing the first few bars of A again, before swapping to do the same with B, before going back to A.


When the sKale comes out it will be in black as well as silver.

[Tony Tune-age]

Very good report Warren, and well written also. I was curious about the new counter weight, and will now look into getting one for my Linn tonearm.

[Black Johnny]

Interesting report Warren

(2012-07-09 10:01)Warren Wrote:  I've been curious about the XV-1t cartridge as it has mentioned here occasionally. This was an upgrade too far. There was something unsettling about the XV-1t. Clearly lots better in many respects, though this is perhaps my first experience of diminishing returns, also it seemed to lack the perfect balance of the Akiva.

For Peter's convenience the XV-1 demo was performed on a deck using two Naim Aro arms, as this arm takes only a minute or two to swap, not a rebuild. I first saw this arm years ago. It looks and wobbles around like a cheap hobbyist homemade arm, however this point bearing arm is incredibly musical, with perhaps a little lack of precision. It is also very naturally real sounding, and in someways that the Ekos SE isn't currently.

<THREAD DIVERT ON>

This is a good description of what the ARO does IMO. I find it more of a scalpel to the EkosSE's Stanley knife, but I agree, the XV-1t can be unsettling

<THREAD DIVERT OFF>

[pdcman]

Have you moved back to blighty Warren?

Btw, are Linn manufacturing the skale or someone else?

Phil

[Mr Onion]

Its made by TigerPaw

Great writeup Warren.

Me thinks my LVIII will want one

[Warren]

(2012-07-09 18:12)pdcman Wrote:  Have you moved back to blighty Warren?

No, I was just in the area to hear my favourite singer.

http://forums.linn.co.uk/bb/showthread.p...#pid202980

[pdcman]

(2012-07-12 12:35)Warren Wrote:  

(2012-07-09 18:12)pdcman Wrote:  Have you moved back to blighty Warren?

No, I was just in the area to hear my favourite singer.

http://forums.linn.co.uk/bb/showthread.p...#pid202980

Thats what I call a dedicated fan. Half way around the world to listen to a diva.

[Warren]

(2012-07-09 10:01)Warren Wrote:  If the [Khan and the sKale] were the same price, and I got the Khan's required rebuild costs for free, I'd still go for the sKale first. That's how good it is.

These comparisons were done on Radikaled decks. I've since read that (apparently) the Khan makes less of a difference, but still a big one, on a Radikal deck than it does on a AC motor deck.

[Dr_Eddie]

I'd say it was still big enough to be classed as " Universal " on a Radikaled deck Warren.

[Cymbiosis Expert Linn Retailer]

(2012-07-09 10:01)Warren Wrote:  The above comparisons were done with Peter at Cymbiosis in Leicester. Naturally this was done using several LP12s and a replica of my hifi back-end. I was in the shop for almost 6 hours!! And most of that time was spent listening. We also did ABA and sometimes AaBbA comparisons: playing A, playing the first few bars of A again, before swapping to do the same with B, before going back to A.

Hello Warren,

You were most welcome as always and sorry I have not spotted this thread before. I think you must have posted it in July when I was on holiday in Croatia without any internet

My XV-1t is currently mounted in the fab new Ekos Se/1 with the bigger headshell. So A/Bs are even better to make for Ekos users.

I also now have managed to find two more Aro tops for my two demo Aro arms so making a total of four tops. This makes multi cartridge demos are easier for me to make too!

A few updates:

The new Linn heavy counterweight is available now too BTW which is fab and Skales for Ekos are available in black and silver. The Skale for Aro is very new and hence in very short supply and is finished in chrome , just like the Naim original.

A Skale for the Roksan Nima is under consideration ATM as it's a very good arm for just £499.00 and if there is sufficient interest it could go ahead..... So please speak up here if it effects you.

BTW. I've just persuaded Roksan to re-orientate the SME plug fitting 180 degrees round for me, so the original plastic Linn right angled plug should now be able to be used for the first time, as before the plug exit direction was straight into the RHS of the plinth. This will allow the far easier fitting of this arm to the LP12.

I hope to test all is now well within the next week or so when my latest Nimas arrive.

I have a few other projects I'm working on too ATM - Just trying to make life easier for LP12 owners

KR

Peter