EAT B-Sharp Manual Belt Drive Turntable w/ Ortofon 2M Red Cartridge – Black

$1,413.29

GTIN: 9120071655792 SKU: 9120071655792 Category: Tags: , ,

Description

The B-Sharp sheds all of the non-essential cosmetic adornments of the C-Major without compromising performance or mechanical integrity, providing vinyl enthusiasts with a superb playback option at a more affordable price.
  • Features the new B-Note tonearm, made from a carbon fiber alloy that is light yet rigid with a black anodized aluminum headshell. The B-Note tonearm provides all of the key features for cartridge alignment and adjustability: VTA (Vertical Tracking Angle), SRA (Stylus Rake Angle), VTF (Vertical Tracking Force), azimuth and a slotted headshell for overhang / offset angle.
  • The anti-skate mechanism has been engineered for more intuitive calibration, making setup of the B-Sharp notably easier than competitive products.
  • A proprietary low noise motor, floating chassis, aluminum platter and a high-density MDF low profile base are included as standard features of the B-Sharp. Like the C-Major, the B-Sharp uses a high-tech TPE (thermoplastic elastomers) suspension system that works in concert with adjustable feet that provide levelling ability for the table.
  • Comes equipped with a factory installed Ortofon 2M Blue Cartridge, hinged dustcover, low mass aluminum record clamp, and a felt platter mat-all included.

Reviews

There are no reviews yet.

Be the first to review “EAT B-Sharp Manual Belt Drive Turntable w/ Ortofon 2M Red Cartridge – Black”

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Quick Comparison

SettingsEAT B-Sharp Manual Belt Drive Turntable w/ Ortofon 2M Red Cartridge - Black removeRega Planar 10 Manual Belt Drive Turntable removeEAT C-Sharp Manual Belt Drive Turntable removeVPI Prime Manual Belt Drive Turntable - Walnut removeEAT C-Major Manual Belt Drive Turntable - No Cartridge removeVPI Prime Manual Belt Drive Turntable remove
Image
SKU912007165579291200651802799120065188381
Rating
Price$1,413.29$4,485.92$2,968.69$2,828.00$2,120.29$2,800.00
Stock
Availability
Add to cart

Add to cart

Add to cart

Add to cart

Add to cart

Add to cart

Select options

Description
Content
The B-Sharp sheds all of the non-essential cosmetic adornments of the C-Major without compromising performance or mechanical integrity, providing vinyl enthusiasts with a superb playback option at a more affordable price.
  • Features the new B-Note tonearm, made from a carbon fiber alloy that is light yet rigid with a black anodized aluminum headshell. The B-Note tonearm provides all of the key features for cartridge alignment and adjustability: VTA (Vertical Tracking Angle), SRA (Stylus Rake Angle), VTF (Vertical Tracking Force), azimuth and a slotted headshell for overhang / offset angle.
  • The anti-skate mechanism has been engineered for more intuitive calibration, making setup of the B-Sharp notably easier than competitive products.
  • A proprietary low noise motor, floating chassis, aluminum platter and a high-density MDF low profile base are included as standard features of the B-Sharp. Like the C-Major, the B-Sharp uses a high-tech TPE (thermoplastic elastomers) suspension system that works in concert with adjustable feet that provide levelling ability for the table.
  • Comes equipped with a factory installed Ortofon 2M Blue Cartridge, hinged dustcover, low mass aluminum record clamp, and a felt platter mat-all included.
The Planar 10 features the new RB3000 tonearm fitted with an improved, low mass, precision bias housing. Rega has pioneered a completely new low mass, central hub bearing assembly with improved mechanical integrity. For the first time on a Rega production turntable, a ceramic top brace delivers ultimate rigidity and accuracy whilst creating the perfect platform between tonearm and central bearing. Finally, this entirely new player is controlled by their most advanced electronic power supply housed in a brand-new, full metal custom case designed to match the latest range of Rega electronics. Ultra-lightweight plinth The Planar 10 is the third Rega turntable constructed using their latest technology the ultra-lightweight Tancast 8 polyurethane foam core (a material developed for the aerospace industry). This material is sandwiched between two layers of HPL (high-pressure laminate). HPL is exceptionally thin and extremely rigid. This new construction makes the new Planar 10 skeletal plinth 30% lighter than the original RP10 while offering increased rigidity over the previous model. DB Technology (Double Brace Technology) A super lightweight plinth combined with a ceramic top brace and phenolic resin bottom brace mounted specifically where the increased rigidity is required (between the tonearm mounting and the main hub bearing) forms a structurally sound, “stressed beam,” assembly. This rigid plinth design prevents energy absorption and unwanted resonances which will add unnatural distortions to the music. Equally, heavier mass can transfer more unwanted energy such as motor or bearing noise directly into the rotating record.  The tonearm and cartridge must be able to read accurately, directly from the platter. This unique Rega double brace solution enables this. The use of braces instead of the complete skin allows increased thickness in these key areas while providing further weight reduction to the plinth which directly addresses the issue of mass absorption and unwanted energy transmission. RB3000 tonearm Rega is renowned for the quality of its tonearm bearing assemblies. In particular the accurate manufacturing of their bearing housing and bearing spindles.  Technical characteristics such as "roundness" and "parallelity" are critical.  Over the past three years, Rega has found a new manufacturing process that improves on all these characteristics resulting in a micron perfect bearing fit. The RB3000 is the first Rega arm to benefit from these improvements. The entire tonearm structure is designed to have the minimum of mechanical joints while using the stiffest materials in all critical areas. The tolerance of the RB3000 tonearm is so tight that no adhesive is used at any point throughout the construction. Their latest low mass, precision-engineered, the vertical bearing assembly has been manufactured to further complement the inherent design philosophy of the Planar 10 turntable. The RB3000 tonearm uses Rega's advanced, preloaded zero tolerance bearing assembly adjusted to less than 1000th of a mm. This gives friction-free movement and zero levels of unwanted play. Simply put, friction-free bearings with no play enable ridges in the record groove of less than a micron to be read. The RB3000 also uses their latest award-winning, aluminum, Rega arm tube (each one of which is meticulously hand polished, keeping mass to an absolute minimum) which was redesigned to redistribute mass and further reduce stresses and resonances. This advanced design tube increases the stiffness and rigidity of the overall assembly whilst reducing stress on the bearings even further. Hub Bearing assembly The Planar 10 uses a new low mass central bearing assembly. A single piece of machined aluminum sub-platter and hardened tool steel spindle run inside a custom brass housing designed with improved mechanical integrity. The complete assembly is cleverly mounted within the chassis to eradicate unwanted potential energy being transferred or stored in the plinth. Cutaway cross-section of Planar 10 bearing assembly. Ceramic Platter The P10 uses a custom ceramic, flywheel effect platter. The platter is produced from ceramic oxide powder which is compressed, fired and diamond cut to ensure perfect accuracy and flatness across the surface. The latest platter features a modified construction with improved coupling to the sub-platter. 24v Low noise motor assembly The Planar 10 uses Rega's latest generation, 24v, synchronous, low vibration motor technology. Uniquely mounted using the highest level of coupling while retaining higher vibration isolation than any previous model, this new motor mounting technique (mounted from the bottom) has been taken directly from the ultimate Rega turntable, the Naiad. This unique mounting method removes all stress from the motor body whilst holding the drive pulley perfectly still. This enables better speed stability and accuracy from the turntable. The reduced vibration and more rigid mounting delivers superior drive from the new EBLT drive belts. Each motor is hand-tuned to match its own custom-matched PL10 PSU power supply before fitting to the turntable to optimize the anti-vibration circuit. EBLT Drive Belts For three years Rega has been researching and developing with chemists the use of a bespoke new rubber compound for drive belts. Using a specialized curing system, the new drive belt offers superior consistency of modulus (a constant representing the degree to which a substance has a particular property, especially elasticity). These new belts are manufactured on Rega designed, state of the art, super-accurate tools (inspired by working with the manufacturer of high-tech Formula 1 engine parts) which produce 'perfectly round' and 'dimensionally accurate' belts, critical for perfect speed stability. PL10 PSU custom-matched advanced power supply. The PL10 PSU offers the ultimate in motor control stability, convenient electronic speed change, advanced anti-vibration control, and user-adjustable electronic fine speed adjustment to ensure total accuracy and control over the life of the motor. Housed in Rega's latest custom-designed case, the PL10 PSU is dedicated to running our 24v, low noise motor as quietly and as accurately as possible. The speed and control of the motor is achieved by using a new DSP (Digital Signal Processing) generator built upon a high stability crystal. This device will divide the accurate square wave from the crystal to the exact frequency required to turn the platter at the selected speed. The DSP core will also generate a near perfect sinusoidal waveform to power the motor. Factory set vibration removal and fine speed adjustments are then made to the power supply to tune each motor for optimal performance. Dust Cover The outer frame of the previous model has now been removed and a new stylish, removable, single piece dustcover has been introduced further reducing the overall mass of the turntable.
  • Mains voltage:
    • 230 V 50/60 Hz
    • 220 V 50/60Hz
    • 115 V 50/60Hz
    • 100 V 50/60Hz
  • Power consumption: 17 W
  • Fuse rating: T250 mA L (230 V / 220 V)T500 mA L (115 V / 100 V)
  • Output to motor: 24 V AC bi-phase ~ 350 mA
  • Speed control step size: 0.01 rpm
The C-Sharp packs one heck of a lot of technology into its price tag. First of all, the package price includes the $1000 Ortofon Quintet Black cartridge, praised by audiophiles all over the world for its natural sound. The heavy platter with a ceramic bearing, 10" carbon tonearm, and external speed control unit give you an amazing combination. EAT's special damping technology will keep both external noise and motor noise away from your records. Plus it will look like a true work of art sitting on your audio rack with its striking European styling. Just do some stretching before you set it up because this jewel weighs in at 30 pounds!

Design & Build Quality

When we first looked at the EAT turntables, two things really impressed us -- the great looking design and the superb build quality. They just exude European precision. Like many of our favorite turntables, the C-Sharp is a fully manual turntable. This means to operate it you’ll turn it on, manually lower the tonearm using the damped cueing lever, then at the end of your record, use the cueing lever again to raise the arm. At Audio Advice we prefer manual tables for their simplicity. There’s an argument to be made that the lack of mechanical parts also prevents issues such as resonance from affecting the tables great sound. The look of the C-Sharp is quite stunning. Unlike many high-end turntables, the C-Sharp is elegant and relatively low-profile. The carbon fiber plinth sits in a high-gloss black base with a thin edge. The platter is much larger than a 12” record and tapers up to the high tech mat. A substantial record clamp is included in the box. The tonearm is also a work of art, constructed from carbon fiber and highly-polished aluminum components. The whole thing looks like something you would expect to find under the hood of a $1m race car! As soon as you begin to interact with the C-Sharp it quickly becomes clear that build quality it is second to none. This is to be expected for it’s nearly $3,500 price point, but it’s just an incredibly well put together table.

Features & Technology

The low profile base of the C-Sharp is made out of the highest density MDF available. The ultra-low-noise motor is mounted to the base along with 10 cone-shaped damping feet made out of a new high tech energy absorbing material called TPE (Thermoplastic Elastomer). The plinth constructed from a sandwich design of carbon fiber over MDF. The base has three adjustable feet, which allow you to get things perfectly leveled. The main platter bearing sits on the carbon fiber plinth which is supported by the TPE columns. This makes for a great isolation system. If you gently push down on the plinth, you can even feel the spring of these columns. The combination of these features limits the amount of noise able to get back into the system, maximizing the sound quality. The turntable bearing is one of the most unique designs we have seen. It is an oversized inverted design with a resonance-free ceramic ball bearing on top. The larger inner platter has a massive brass bearing which sits on top of the ball bearing and also extends above the inner platter to provide a perfect fit for the substantial outer platter. Everything fits together with incredible precision! Any vibration noise that does make its wait though is just transferred out to the TPE columns. Quite a brilliant design. The main outer platter is very heavy, coming in just an ounce shy of 11 pounds! When you flip it over, see why they made it larger than an LP. The outer perimeter is a weighted ring to give it a flywheel effect. The main platter itself is another sandwich-type design, this time with a very inert aluminum sandwiching some more TPE material. The part of the platter that contacts the record is constructed from recycled records! Topping the platter is a threaded spindle for the included heavy-duty machined record clamp. To be honest, it’s a little scary during the setup process, trying to center an 11-pound platter on the inner platter. It’s a precision fit, so you’ve got to get it line up just right. Be careful not to mash your fingers as you lower it. The good news is that it fits perfectly and you should really only have to do this the first time you set it up. We recommend you attach the clamp, screw it on firmly, and then gently lower it down while holding it by the clamp. Even the belt is a bit exotic. It’s constructed from a special antistatic rub, is round like many ultra-high-end turntable belts, and is polished for uniformity. Like the rest of the turntable, the tonearm also has a ton of great technology buried inside of it. It’s a combination of a unipivot tonearm and traditional pivot design with the middle bearing being a unipivot. When you move it around, you can’t feel any play at all, which is something we look for. It also is virtually friction-free. The arm tube is made of carbon filled with a special silicone grease to damp out any resonances. This arm can fully support just about any type of high-end cartridge you would want to use, which our customers love. The tonearm has fully adjustable vertical tracking height. You’ll need a stylus pressure gauge to set the tracking force as it is all gravity and there are no markings on the counterweight. Fortunately, a very nice one is included with the table. The anti-skating is a very clever gravity design as well, but you’ll need some pretty good eyesight to get it all set up properly. It has to screw into the side of the tonearm base, then wrap around. Once it's set up, there is no risk of it getting changed, like some gravity designs, but is just a little trickier to start with. Of course, if you purchase your C-Sharp from Audio Advice, we will do all of this for you. The external power supply is fully isolated and easily allows you to switch between 33 and 45. It has an AC generator built in for totally clean and stable power to the motor. Finally, the package we are testing comes fitted with an Ortofon Quintet Black. When you consider the C-Sharp without a cartridge is $2,995 and with the $1,000 Quintet Black, it's $3,495, you get a $500 savings buying the package -- an incredible value.

Performance

We had recently set up a nice system to run our new Golden Ear Triton Reference using a PrimaLuna Dialogue integrated amp and the Sutherland Duo phono stage. We decided that this would be a fun rig to use to test out the EAT C-Sharp. First off, that combo sounds just amazing! The Tritons have a powered sub built in and the Prima Luna had no trouble driving them. The system provided an incredibly warm, rich sound -- just as we would expect. We set up the Sutherland for 100 ohms and set the gain to 60db and started spinning some vinyl. The first thing we noticed was the great deep bass extension. We had on a Norah Jones record with some acoustic bass. Not only was it deep and full, but you could hear all of the harmonics of the instruments. The way her voice floated dead center with such a great sense of effortlessness. Dynamics were also outstanding, especially on an old Judds album, Why Not Me. This one was really fun to listen to. Changing over to some Miles Davis Kind of Blue was just stunning. Every instrument stood out in a huge soundstage, yet each one was the right size and precisely located, never wavering. We finally cued up one of our favorite LP’s for rhythm and pacing, John Cougar’s “Pink Houses” cut from his Uh-Huh album. The C-Sharp passed this test with flying colors as we had our feet tapping within the first few bars! Using the C-Sharp is a great experience as well. You drop the weight on the center spindle and give the center portion a spin to lock it in. Push 33 or 45 on the speed control box, wait until the light stops flashing to indicate things are up to speed and then lower the tonearm. The Quintet makes cueing up songs very easy as its square body makes it easy to line up the groove you want to land in. We just loved using the C-Sharp!
Now it’s time for the heavy lifting. The motor alone weighs in at over 5lbs. This massive AC motor sits to the side of the table, providing complete isolation, and has a pulley for the belt that is machined to .0005% tolerance to achieve perfect speed. If you find the motor heavy, wait until you pick up the platter. This 20lb. beast is made out of aluminum and damping materials. It’s 39” circumference is machined to a +/- .001” tolerance. Coupled to the hardened steel bearing, this system spins at a perfectly constant speed. We believe this characteristic is essential when trying to achieve the “live” feeling from music. If the speed is off, the music does not sound realistic. VPI’s method of mass is one of the best ways to accomplish this since the heavy platter will maintain consistency once it gets up to speed. The first time you flip the switch on the motor, you’ll hear it squelch as it torques up, but don’t let this worry you. While it sounds a bit odd, it’s normal. The Prime’s 10” 3D tonearm is quite a feat. Ideally, a tonearm would be one single piece of material, yet until 3D printing, this has been almost impossible to manufacture. VPI was able to use anti-resonant materials, and the end result is an elegant one-piece tonearm. The tonearm is a unipivot type, meaning it’s free to move around in all directions and only has one bearing. Many in the audio industry believe this is the most friction-free bearing around, allowing your phono cartridge to do its job. The unipivot bearing even has two side outriggers to fine tune its level position. VPI includes a 6” lightweight rod you rest in a groove on the top of the headshell section, allowing you to easily determine whether its level. Another impressive tonearm feature is its fully adjustable VTA (vertical tracking angle), which allows you to move the tonearm in order to align the top of the phono cartridge parallel to the record surface in order to achieve the best possible sound. With most tonearms, this is done by loosening screws in the side or base to raise or lower the arm, which makes it difficult to fine-tune the height. With the VPI arm, however, you simply loosen up two large screws, then use a large round knob to move the height up or down in small increments. Just as coffee fanatics experiment with achieving the perfect grind, VTA allows audio fanatics to experiment with achieving the perfect sound. There is even the option to make minor adjustments based on the thickness of your vinyl records, and the arm has a scale so you can record the exact setting for each record. Finally, to couple the record better to the damped platter, VTA includes a stainless steel and delrin record clamp, which simply drops down over the center spindle to hold down the record. At Audio Advice, we’re very particular about cables included with turntables. Since the signal coming out of your phono cartridge is extremely low in output, it’s necessary to use a higher-end set of cables so nothing is lost in the transfer of the signal from your turntable to the phono preamp. The Prime does not come with cables, which we actually prefer, since it allows you to choose from any of the aftermarket cables on the market today. Your choices are unlimited and whatever model you select will fit firmly onto the high-end RCA jacks found on the back of your Prime table. One final word of advice: you must ensure your Prime is set up by a professional. They can mount and align the cartridge perfectly, and should also preset the VTA to the right height for an average record. From there, all you need to do is put it back together and set the recommended tracking force.

Performance

To check out the Prime, we used it with the Soundsmith Zephyr MIMC cartridge. Like VPI, Soundsmith has been around for over 30 years and is actually made in the USA right down the road from VPI in Peekskill, NY. This is a $1,749 low output moving iron cartridge. The Zephyr was very easy to get setup properly with it’s square body. It also has very good channel separation. One of our favorite test LPs is Cat Stevens Tea for the Tillerman and the Prime perfectly captures his somewhat gravelly voice. The first cut, “Where Do the Children Play,” has a variety of sounds and rhythm changes that are a noteworthy test for a high-end turntable. In the first 5 seconds, you can tell the Prime is special. we’ve never heard bass notes reach down so low while maintaining such a realistic tonal quality. This same track has some very close mic’d guitar lines throughout the song. There are actually two guitars playing which on some rigs is hard to distinguish. Not so on the Prime! They each stand out alone even when things really build up towards the end of the track. The 3D arm really lets your phono cartridge do its job, too. Once everything was set up we were not able to detect a shred of cartridge mistracking. In terms of dynamics, the percussion sounds explode to life with the Prime. After critically listening to a few more tracks, we ended up turning off the lights and putting on an old favorite, the first Chicago Album, CTA. We were instantly immersed in the music. The 3D representation afforded by the Prime is almost spooky. As we played more records, we found the presentation of the music on almost every recording was extending wider left to right than our speakers. We believe part of this is the outstanding audio quality of the Zephyr MIMC, but if the table and tonearm are not going a great job, you would never get that type of soundstage. The Zephyr is certainly a great match for this outstanding turntable. The combination produced deep rich bass, with a high-end extension that was never harsh -- always smooth and liquid.

Overall Recommendation

Listening to vinyl is a hobby full of fun and experimentation. If you want to dive deeper into this fun arena or are looking for a great table to jump in with, we think the VPI Prime is an amazing choice. To set it up right, you’ll probably be in the $5,500+ price range by the time you get an appropriate cartridge and set of phono cables, but we don’t know of another table offering more for the money. If you enjoy tinkering, you will absolutely love the adjustable vertical tracking angle.
Details & Specs
  • 10-inch 3D Tonearm
  • VTA Tower included
  • Classic 20-pound platter and bearing
  • Four solid Delrin corner assemblies designed for isolation and mechanical grounding
The C-Major is EAT's best value turntable, incorporating many of the design features of the more expensive C-Sharp. You'll get a heavy platter for great speed stability, a solid record clamp, and the C-Note 9" tonearm, which uses very precision bearings. Combine this with the included $500 Ortofon Quintet Blue cartridge and fitted dustcover, and you will be getting a real value. This package will bring all your vinyl to life and give you many years of listening pleasure.

Design & Build Quality

The first time that we had a chance to play with the EAT turntables there were a couple of things that really impressed us right off the bat. Their striking appearance will obviously catch your attention. We’ve even had several happy EAT customers tell us that when they first got their table out of the box they just stared at it in awe. Once you start to put the table together, however, you will immediately get a great sense of the superb craftsmanship. The EAT C-Major has a very similar look to the C-Sharp -- the same low slung body and mix of high gloss black, carbon fiber, and brushed aluminum which make many of the other tables on the market look chunky in comparison. The plinth is made of carbon fiber and is nestled on some floating isolators inside a thin, high-gloss black base. The C-Major’s 9” tonearm features a carbon fiber arm tube and the heavy platter supports a special mat that is made from recycled LPs. It’s then topped off with a substantial record clamp. The whole combination just looks fantastic! Like all great turntables, the C-Major is a fully manual turntable. You might think that a high-end table like this would be difficult to use, but we were pleasantly surprised to discover that it’s just the opposite! You simply turn it on, move the tonearm over the record, lower it down, and enjoy the tunes!

Features & Technology

We’ll start from the bottom of the table and work our way up. The sleek and slim base is made out of a super dense MDF material. Inside, the low-noise motor is mounted to the lower sub-chassis which is isolated from the upper plinth with eight cone-shaped pieces of a high tech damping material called Thermoplastic Elastomer, or TPE. These provide great isolation from the motor and really do a great job damping out external vibrations. If you want to feel the damping effect, simply push down gently on the plinth. The plinth is made from an outer shell of carbon fiber sandwiched over MDF. The C-Major has three adjustable feet which make leveling everything a snap. The feet are also internally damped to reduce any external noise from getting up to the table. The EAT also includes a low profile dust cover with the C-Major, which not only protects it, but also matches up with its sleek appearance. The bearing for the inner platter is pretty similar to what you find in most turntables in this category. The inner platter has a shaft that drops into a bronze bearing well where its tip spins on a special plate made of a near friction-free, teflon-like material. The outer platter weighs in at a stout 4 lbs and has a great design. The top part that touches the record is made out of recycled vinyl, while the rest of the platter is a sandwich design of an aluminum/magnesium alloy with TPE in the center. EAT puts more mass on the outer edge of the platter, which helps to give it a great flywheel effect. This combination of bearing and platter is one reason the EAT tables all have great speed consistency. Like the more expensive C-Sharp, the C-major also comes with an aluminum record clamp. While there are lots of things we love about this table, one of our favorite aspects is the carbon fiber tonearm that we mentioned earlier. It’s incredibly adjustable, allowing you to use a wide range of phono cartridges on it. These adjustments exude European precision. The design of the tonearm is a combination of a uni-pivot and a more conventional Carden type. Uni-pivot arms can move freely, not only across the record and up and down, but also rotating on the horizontal plane. Imagine an airplane coming in for a landing when you see the wings move up and down on each side in relation to the ground. The theory is there is some movement like this in the record grooves and being able to have freedom of movement allows the cartridge to track better. The downside of uni-pivots is they are a royal pain to adjust. EAT came up with a brilliant solution that gives you the best of both worlds and we can attest to the fact that it works great! You get a small amount of movement where the arm can tip left to right, but it behaves more like a traditional pivoted arm. The rear counterweight has an additional weighted insert that you can install for cartridges that are heavier than normal. The counterweight doesn’t have any markings like a lot of high end tonearms, so you will need a stylus pressure gauge to set the right force, but luckily EAT includes one in the box. You also have azimuth adjustment which allows you to adjust the tonearm left and right. When you look at your tonearm from the front while sitting on a record, the headshell should be parallel to the record surface. EAT lets you really fine tune this if you desire. Finally, you can even adjust the height of the tonearm rest and the cueing cylinder, allowing you to really dial things in for your cartridge. For anti-skating, EAT uses a gravity-based system which we really like. It is a little bit of a pain to set up, but we’ve been able to help everyone through it, so if you purchase one and have any trouble, just give us a call. Finally, to change from 33 to 45, like a lot of tables out there, you simply lift off the outer platter and move the belt on the motor pulley. Please don’t let all of these adjustments make you think this table is finicky or hard to set up. The best way to buy it is with the deal EAT has on the Ortofon Blue, Black MC, or their own JO5. These all come preset up and you save quite a bit with the package -- $250 or $500, which makes the table an amazing deal!

Performance

To test out the EAT C-Major, we set up what we thought might be a typical rig. We used the Cambridge CXA80 integrated amp, a Sutherland KC Vibe phono stage and a pair of Paradigm’s new Premier 800F towers. The table used the Ortofon Blue, which we think is probably the best way to go for the money with the C-Major. First up was the classic Landside from Fleetwood Mac. When you have a great system that is well set up Stevie Nick’s voice should be dead center while the guitars float in between the speakers. This combo aced this test! Next up was Robbie Robertson’s Somewhere Down the Crazy River from his first solo album in 1987. We look for two things on this one. First, there are some very dynamic bass attacks as the track begins. Then later on, you can hear lots of emotion in his voice when he says "Why do you always end up down at Nick's Cafe?" , "I don't know, the wind just kind of pushed me this way." It’s in the first “why” and “pushed me this way” on a great system you’ll hear all kinds of subtle inflections in his voice. While we have heard more on much more expensive rigs, this combination once again, really drew us into the music. Plus, it nailed the bass attacks. After hearing this, we wanted to pull out our favorite cut for testing speed stability. This is Pink Houses from John Cougar's Uh-Huh album. If the table has great speed stability, you’ll be tapping your foot to the music. Once again, the EAT was very impressive. This is one very special table. It has the ability with its precision tonearm to track really well and its isolation system helps it provide that great bass impact. EAT designs are also winning us over for their speed purity. Finally, with its jewel of a tonearm, it's just fun to use!
  • The C-Note tonearm on the C-Major is 9" in length instead of 10" on the C-Sharp
  • There is no separate speed control
  • The main chassis has a more compact footprint
  • The platter clamp is smaller
  • The platter is smaller
The Prime is designed to offer hi-end sound while taking advantage in improvements in Turntable technology. The shape is designed to have a more aesthetic look, while having the footprint to accommodate the space needed for a 10 inch 3D arm.
  • 10-inch 3D Tonearm
  • VTA Tower included
  • Classic 20-pound platter and bearing
  • Four solid Delrin corner assemblies designed for isolation and mechanical grounding
Weight
DimensionsN/AN/AN/AN/AN/AN/A
Additional information
Color Options

Black, Walnut