LATEST ADDITIONS

From the Japanese founder of the Zoot Sims Fan Club comes a range of artisan moving-coils, all joining distributor Absolute Sounds’ TEN collection. Entry starts with the EX300

If the closure of Japanese cartridge manufacturer, Koetsu, in 2024 left a gap in the lives of analogue fans the world over, it also left a gap in the portfolio of its UK distributor, Absolute Sounds. In this case, the door led to cartridge brand Analog Relax, and the EX300 under consideration here is its entry level model, retailing in the UK for £2698.

If anyone doubts we are treated to as much, if not more novelty than back in the day when LPs ruled, EAT’s Fortissimo turntable and F-Note tonearm will put paid to that. Like TechDAS’s vacuum hold-down and air bearing [HFN Jun ’19], or the Reed deck [HFN Apr ’24] available in idler- and belt-drive versions, this EAT combination bursts with clever features.

This month we review: Pat Metheny, Cornelia Nilsson, Antonio Faraò, and Sam Braysher