Turntables, Arms & Cartridges

There is a particular section on the track that adds an extra half beat to the drums which can unsettle even some very talented sources, but the Chroma 400 not only took this in its stride but revelled in it. This engaging presentation ensures you are less overtly aware of some of the turntable's limitations. And, make no mistake, it does have its limitations, even if their subjective severity will depend to an extent on the partnering equipment and your personal preferences.

The most noticeable is its bass extension which, frankly, is not especially deep. The pounding opening to 'Swamp Thing' from post-punk band The Chameleons' Strange Times [Geffen Records 924 119-1] should offer a proper thwack to the sternum, but the Chroma 400 never really mustered that force. Instead, it delivered a rhythmically inviting sound that made a surprisingly good fist of masking this limited heft. In fact, the agility – the lightness of foot – this deck demonstrated with bass and percussion was consistently impressive.

Right Track
Other aspects of the deck's behaviour might be attributed to the partnering Ortofon OM10 cartridge. I'm something of a fan of the OM Series, frequently finding them to be less aggressive in their overall presentation than the 2M models that notionally sit above them in the Ortofon range. In practice, the OM10 lends the Chroma 400 a fundamentally forgiving edge and even fairly hot pressings don't unsettle it. It does mean that if you have a phono stage that is also a little on the gentle side, you might find that upper registers feel somewhat recessed, but that wasn't an issue with the hardware used for the listening. The arm/cartridge also faithfully tracked all the records I played during its period under test.

Major Scale
Where the Ortofon OM10 has a more direct effect on the deck – regardless of partnering equipment – is that fine detail I know to be present in a recording can at times be absent. The interplay between ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons and the recently departed Dusty Hill during their extended instrumental on 'I'm Bad, I'm Nationwide' [Degüello; Warner Bros K56701] was certainly not placed with its customary authority.

Nevertheless, the tone of both the guitar and bass – and indeed the track as a whole – was still engaging, beefed-up by the hearty-sounding vocals. It's easier to differentiate between Hill and Gibbons singing than their playing, but both enjoyed a believable presence and scale.

In fact, scale is one of this deck's calling cards. While understanding this will never be the most seismic-sounding sub-£500 turntable you'll encounter, it's still unfazed by material having multiple performers recorded in large acoustic spaces. The fabulous live version of 'San Jacinto' on the remastered version of Peter Gabriel's Plays Live [Real World Records PGDLPR1] was faithfully reproduced with a real feeling of both the ambience of the venue and the size of the audience within.

What's more, the Chroma 400 doesn't achieve this by sounding diffuse. Gabriel and his supporting musicians appeared at the centre of the soundstage and were presented in a well marshalled manner, even if the last traces of detail were omitted. It also ensured the space around the performers was conveyed correctly, creating an immersive listening experience.

It's also worth noting that using the Chroma 400 with a more price-compatible duo of Rega Brio integrated amp and Spendor A1 speakers brought out the positive aspects of the deck's performance while being less focused on its shortcomings. Crucially, the easiness and fluidity that's arguably the Chroma 400's true strength really came to the fore in this system.

All Right On The Night
The lovely 'All Said And Done' that acts as a sort of palate cleanser on Sturgill Simpson's otherwise cheerfully demented Sound & Fury [Elektra 0075678651786] was a genuine delight here. Simpson's distinctive vocal style was faithfully reproduced and the whole piece felt fundamentally right in the way it flowed. Even when the album picked up pace again with its more typical bombast, the Chroma 400's virtues of rhythmic coherence and engagement still entertained.

Hi-Fi News Verdict
While Elipson's Chroma 400 might not upset the affordable turntable market, it still possesses virtues that will appeal to many vinyl starters. It offers an engaging rhythmic flow and reveals a compelling sense of acoustic space – enough, perhaps, to win over some enthusiasts who will look past the idiosyncratic design and operation and slight lack of heft that can bedevil its performance.