audio origami pu7 unipivot

i was very fortunate over the last few weeks to try audio origami's new pu7 unipivot'd arm, as well as his award winning pu7 gimbal, to see what they were really like. i wrote my review on wigwam, and i thought peeps here might be interested too, so i'll put the review here too.



time for the write up on the arms i've tried (bare with me, its my first ever!!)

kit used, (my reference ):-

tube tech prophet pre, genesis mono's, m.a.c. phonostage. na spacedeck/heavy kit/achromat/AOrb250/denon dl304, ear mc3, audio physic tempo jubilee, dnm and Q.E.D. reference cables.

first up the pu7 unipivot:-

on opening the box, one thing that you notice is that its unlike any other unipivot. its quite weighty in construction, and even tho its the prototype, it looks very nice indeed, not like an sme in build, more cottage industry, feels handmade rather than mass made, so shows care and the thought gone into the design. putting the cartridge on is easy enough (as with any arm) due to the bigger than i'm used to headshell, and once mounted to the spacedeck looks the part. set up is trickier than a gimbal arm, more movement in the arm tube which takes a bit of getting used to. azimuth adjustment is very easy, and once set stays put, as does the cartridge tracking force and anti skate.

I used Lyle Lovett's big band, Tracey Chapman (both self titled), The Christians-colour, and Roger Waters Amused To Death as i know these lp's inside out, have great dynamics, very well recorded, and have lots of detail.

with about 40 mins of setting the unipivot up (including removing the platter on the spacedeck and adjusting the armboard), i played the Christians. very breathy vocals, nice detail on the guitar, but the drums were slightly softer than the AOrb250. also, the soundstage, although wide, had less depth to it, more left to right and flatter on the front of the speakers. i put on Amused To Death next, as this has brilliant soundstage width, height and depth, and superb dynamics (esp the plane crash) bill hubbards voice was still nice and smooth, lots of warmth, and the piano was nicely detailed. the huge left to right imaging i have from the audio physics had gone softer, less pinpoint to the soundstage. on the plane crash, it soften things again, less dramatic and less dynamic, but the detail was there, just softer. the genies voice also was nice and smooth, lots of that smooth warmth, but instead of appearing to cross the ceiling front to back, left to right, it was hazy, no accuracy to it like a the gimbal'd 250. Lyle Lovett was put up next, the hi hats lost some of the air and crispness to them, and the piano which is usually tinkly again softened, but lyles voice was nice and smooth, again the pinpoint imaging had lessened, becoming more "one" than individual instruments. tracey chapmans album was next, and for me, she shows lots of power in her voice, along with nice breathy vocals and nice tight fast bass lines. with my AOrb250, the bass is fast, although not especially deep, and nice and tight, and again the unipivot softened things down, made it more relaxed.

now, before i go further, it sounds as if i didnt like the unipivot at all, i did, and is nice to listen to, but doesnt offer that "zing" or dynamics that a gimbal does. its musical, very nicely so (put on some classical) and was lovely in the respect that it was so easy to listen to, i'd go to say a uni is more musical in many ways than a gimbal, but doesnt have the pinpoint imaging and detailed soundstage to me. i had a few friends over when the unipivot was playing, and one comment i got was "safe, it doesnt do anything wrong, its inoffensive" and i suppose it was the right words. i've owned a unipivot before, (nottingham spacearm), and listened to quite a few and to me, they have that same sonic carachter, softer than a gimbal, less dynamic, but musical, smooth and "nice". horses for courses, some people prefer a gimbal, some a unipivot. a friend says the AOrb250 is "strident" but uses a unipivot. one mans meat etc....... pick up a book, put some toones on the old record player with a unipivot and you just listen.........



next up, the pu7 gimbal!
same cottage industry feel to it, feels like time is spent on it rather than "bang it out in there thousands, ala, rega etc......


well, totally different to set up than a unipivot. went on and was set up in around 10 mins. it was made very easy due to the adjustable arm tube to both for and aft, and azimuth was just a case of gripping the arm, holding the bearinghousing and twisting slightly. the antiskate again was simple, just a weight held with a small allen bolt. when the arm was set up and the arm installed, i had to re-thread the antiskate thread as it had snapped, easy enough, but a little fiddly.

once on, and the vta adjusted, i put the Christians on again. Gary christians vocal had that nice breathy sound to it, but more body. also, his vocal was brought forward more infront of the speakers, and the guitars had more definition in the soundstage left to right. the drums had a nice deep thump and was set back in the soundstage and imaging was pin point sharp.

lyle lovett was next, and whereas the unipivot had softened things slightly, the cymbols had that nice metallic zing back, and the double bass had a nice deep "thrum" to the strings. this is more like it, the pinpoint imaging and height to the soundstage was back, and had lots of front to back depth.

Amused To Death was put on next, and again, bill hubbards voice had that nice warmth and where the sound of the tv on the unipivot was centred for the left speaker, it was to the extream left, as though coming from the conservatory! the piano was nicely tinkly, and again whereas the unipivot'd pu7 had it coming from the right speaker, it was infront and to the extream right as i know it should be, and moves gradually to the centre, inbetween the speakers. the plane crash was fantastic, more so than with my AOrb250, had more drama to it, and the deep rumble rattled the lounge! also, the genies voice did what the gimbal'd 250 does, it starts almost behind me, and moves right, across the centre of the ceiling and then left, ending up in a kind of "swirl" around the room. it had more body than the AOrb250 too, almost bigger and louder, with more dynamics, very eerie stuff indeed

i've been listening to pu7 gimball for a while now, and to be honest, no wonder it won an award. has all the sound i'd ever want from a tonearm, is brilliantly easy to set up, looks fab and sounds superb. compared to the AOrb250, it has a tighter, deeper bass, but is smoother. it still has that nice detailed sound, and dynamics that i like, but more so. its like my arm on steriods, everything is bigger, drums are ballsier, it is a crackin' bit of kit. if i had 1300 quid to spend on one, i would definately have one no question, in black 'n' gold bling, of course.

 

pics of the arms:-

 

Nice write up - very interesting to see the differences between unipivot and gimbal in isolation!