Outboard motor

The outboard motor is a pretty hefty affair, and showed no obvious evidence of vibration while it was running. It's a synchronous type with electronically synthesised drive (to effect 33/45 rpm speed change), and it's certainly significantly larger than those usually used, though that may just be down to substantial casing, or indeed the speed control electronics that are presumably housed inside. It takes its power via a very modest plug-top transformer, and a grooved pulley drives the platter's outside edge using a clear polymer elastic belt.

This separately sited motor is spaced by about 10mm from a scallop-shaped cutout in the main structure. This approach should reduce motor vibration reaching the turntable chassis, especially when both motor and turntable are mounted on something as solid as the Vertex AQ Kinabalu granite platform used for this review.

The down side, of course, is that it's impossible to control belt tension precisely. The Satisfy tonearm seems to have good quality bearings and plenty of opportunity for adjusting alignment in various planes, albeit at some expense in mechanical integrity. The Unison-badged cartridge could be any one of a several similar satin-wood-bodied, aluminium cantilever models in ClearAudio's Aurum range; no specific information was provided.

The build

Set up is relatively simple, though a little more information – for example a recommended bias compensation setting for the supplied cartridge – would have been welcome.

Start-up is initially a bit of a surprise. Switch the front-left lever from 'off' to '33' and, for a while, nothing much happens. You wonder: does it need a little push to get it going? No: just a little patience. After a second or five (it varies), it swings into action and gets up to speed quite quickly. Although there's plenty of inertia to keep it turning without drive, the motor acts as a brake, so it also stops quickly. This is handy, since there's no separate platter mat, the record resting directly on the relatively hard acrylic, so it's best to turn it off when changing or turning over discs.

Because the (fixed) cartridge cantilever protrudes from the front of the cartridge, cueing (and, for that matter, initial alignment) was greatly facilitated, though this does make it vulnerable to accidental damage.

Sound matters

Most listening was done with the complete Giro package, plus supplied phono stages. From the phono stage's line outputs, signals were fed to Naim NAC552/NAP500 amplification and thence to PMC iB2i loudspeakers. Brief checks were also carried out by substituting a Rega Apheta low output moving-coil cartridge via a Naim Superline phono stage.

The sound quality is rather good, with fine timing, wide dynamic range and a notably lively and dynamic midband. This vinyl spinner is an immediate reminder of the reasons why this ancient format has stubbornly refused to die and is currently making a comeback.

While the broad midband is handled with enthusiasm and gusto and the music as a whole drives along with good pace and momentum, definition and detail does start to ebb away as one moves towards both frequency extremes.

Lead instruments and voices are confidently projected – perhaps a little too confidently – as these main components of the mix could become a little too strong. Here, the presence zone verging on the aggressive as it becomes more complex when extra instrumental layers are progressively added. On the late Lowell George's splendid solo album Thanks I'll Eat it Here, several tracks start very simply and gradually build up, steadily adding layers of backing female vocals and brass sections as the track evolves.

The Giro player seemed happier when the track was relatively simple and the brass, in particular, began to sound a little uncomfortable and congested as complexity increased. A similar effect was also found on the Maazel/VPo Sibelius fifth Symphony, where again stereo depth perspectives seemed somewhat constrained and both the brass and violin desks seemed to become a little edgy and uncomfortable when approaching the loudest passages.