Turntables, Arms & Cartridges

Armed with a stack of LPs, I dipped into 'Sweet Wine' on Side 3 of Cream's 3LP set Live Royal Albert Hall London [Reprise 49416-1]. And even without resorting to the addition of a clamp or weight, the impact of Baker's pounding percussion exhibited sufficient quantities of that controlled, extended plumbing-of-the-depths to which I was accustomed, spoiled as I was by a TechDAS Air Force III Premium [HFN Jun '19] and the Continuum Obsidian.

What adds to the sensations that only ferociously played live drums can impart, what makes the hairs stand up on the back of your neck or adds to the feeling of pressure on your ribs are the subtle impressions of air moving around the drum kit itself. While not quite as hypnotically convincing nor as room-filling as the TechDAS or Continuum turntables' recreations of Baker's juggernaut-effect, the PD-151 was still wholly satisfying – even through the wide-open windows of the ultra-revealing Wilson Sasha DAW loudspeakers [HFN Mar '19].

As anticipated, turning to the new Rogers LS3/5As [HFN Jul '19] felt, as it should, like inserting a high-pass filter, but that didn't make any difference to the sheer pleasure of listening to the PD-151. And you will understand why if you are willing to acknowledge just how experienced a listener you've become through living with decent gear.

Rich With Character
All of us know what to expect when moving from a massive, full-range system to a small two-way, unlike novices unfamiliar with what a given sound system can or cannot do and who may register disappointment.

Such a move can cause a huge, indeed, gross truncation of the sound, but what remains from large speaker to small, or massive turntable to lighter model, can and should be regarded as wholly satisfying – just on another level. You do not expect the same visual delight from an A5-sized tablet as you would a 55in LCD, but that doesn't stop you from catching up with the latest episode of Legion on the train. And the Luxman PD-151 is to some gargantuan LP spinner what the LS3/5As are to Sasha DAWs. You just have to be mature enough to put them into context.

Another form of trial resided in the grooves of James Taylor's Sweet Baby James in The Warner Brothers Albums 1970-1976 [Rhino R1 587550]. If Cream provided the measure of the PD-151 as far as power and mass are concerned, Taylor would show how it dealt with subtlety, lush acoustic instruments and a voice rich with character. Taylor possessed a tone so instantly familiar that it could even cut through a so-so PA system in Bangor, Maine back in 1970, and I can hear him to this day.

Was the Luxman PD-151 as adept at tapping my memory bank as the Continuum Obsidian? Was the veracity as total, as palpable? Even though the debate about whether turntables (and arms) – as opposed to cartridges, which are part of the signal chain – can influence the sound beyond speed stability and resistance to feedback will soon hit its 50th birthday, it is a tough concept to grasp. The deck doesn't appear between the groove and the speaker. And yet it was evident that background quietness, the dynamic contrast and other aspects of the entire sonic experience were affected by degrees.

Red Alert
Rather than approach the glass as half-empty, I would describe the Luxman PD-151 as vastly better than half-full. With a price less than 40% of just Continuum's Viper tonearm – yes, the entire PD-151 – it demonstrated how the Law of Diminishing Returns is alive and well. It delivered so much of the ambience and anguish of 'Fire And Rain' that I could have been back in my dorm room in Orono in '71, pining over Trisha Knoch.

Silences, contrasts, hints of space – I needed something more specifically 'of the music', but light in spirit, gutsy in sound. So I fired up Bravo Brasso's cover of The Beatles' 'When I'm 64', from Ultimate Stereo Presentation [EMI Studio 2 Stereo STWO 3] and it was like a hit of Red Bull. The sound sparkled – more so with the Decca cartridge in place – and it demonstrated the PD-151's way with crisp transients, fat tuba braaaappps and banjo that was perfectly twangy.

Up-and-down: I wanted the molasses of Gregg Allman's 'Midnight Rider', on a 45rpm 12in single from Analogue Productions [APP 123-45]. In direct contrast to the all-up-front, trebly Bravo Brasso sound, this was a massive whiff of Eau de Swamp Rock, languid and tilted toward the lower registers. Cutting through it is the gravel of Gregg's voice, and all textures and nuances were present and correct. When compared to the wildly more expensive decks, it proved – again – to be a matter of degrees.

Whatever you might glean from the above, the idea is neither to disparage affordable decks, damn with faint praise nor laud unnecessarily those that few can afford. Rather, it is to praise this wonderful LP spinner for both its honesty and integrity. The Luxman PD-151 is neither 'budget' nor bankrupting, but it is a serious purchase whatever your means.

Hi-Fi News Verdict
A word that you rarely hear in high-end audio is 'fun'. But that's exactly what the PD-151 offers instead of audiophile angst. It does exactly what it promises, so painlessly that it will make you question the hoops through which most hardware makes us leap. It's like a Pioneer PL-12D for the 21st century: nicely made, a delight to set up and operate, with a coherent, consistent sound – and so easy to recommend.