A Review of Hafler’s PH50 and PH60 Phono Preamps and the PH44 Moving Coil Step-Up Transformer

To understand more about the Hafler revival, we delve into some of Hafler’s history and the companies associated with it. In this article, Gary Galo reviews the new Hafler PH50 (designed for moving magnet cartridges) and the PH60 (moving coil) Phono Preamps, as well as the Hafler PH44 Moving Coil Step-Up Transformer. All products come from Radial Engineering, the owner of Jensen Transformers and the Hafler and Dynaco brands, which it bought in 2014. This article was originally published in audioXpress, April 2017.

Responding to the exponential growth in turntable sales, Audio-Technica introduced its VM-Type moving magnet phono cartridges, employing the company’s patented V-shaped Dual Magnet design along with a host of modern improvements. The nine models in the VM lineup include three different cartridge bodies and three different stylus shapes, to deliver optimized playback of all types of stereo, mono and 78 RPM records.

Audio-Technica announced the introduction of its new flagship phono cartridge, the AT-ART1000 Direct Power Stereo Moving Coil Cartridge. The AT-ART1000 is an innovative design that has been refined over the years to culminate in an exceptional hand crafted high-end cartridge. The ART1000’s Direct Power System places its dual moving coils directly on top of the stylus tip, enabling the cartridge to deliver extraordinary fidelity, musical detail and transient response.

Setup tables are OK, and alignment protractors have their place. But there comes a time when a vinyl hound can’t quite abide them anymore. Maybe you’re working on an 80s-era direct drive table and find the factory setup is suspect or even way off. Maybe you’re an archivist setting up a spare unit for 45s or 78s. The fundamentals are easy, or rather, they are once you look at them from the proper perspective. This article was originally published in audioXpress, April 2011.

The Audio Engineering Society mourns the loss of Norman C. Pickering, noted inventor of the Pickering phono cartridge, and one of the founding fathers of the AES, dearly remembered by the audio community. In 1948, Pickering discussed the need for a professional organization to foster the growth of audio engineering.