Golden Ear Club
TAS #199: Audio Research Reference Phono 2
Call me a Luddite but I’m married to the sound of vinyl. No, it’s not because I enjoy the rituals and routines of analog playback. I don’t thrill to the agonies of setting up a new tonearm or cartridge, I don’t spend hours minutely dialing in VTA for each and every disc, I abhor disc-washing, and I’m not even wild about coaxing forty-to-fifty-year-old LPs out of plastic bags or paper sleeves, slipping them onto spindles, tightening down record clamps, and cueing up tonearms.
To read the rest of this article, please subscribe to the Golden Ear Club
Exclusive Offers from Elite Manufacturers
Lots of different ones, depending on the manufacturer, currently ranging from:
- Bonus “incentives” on retail purchases
- Special “Golden Ear” versions of gear
- Access to B Stock and “Close Out” units
- “Commentary Seed Units” (limited number)
- Product loaners (sorry-no loudspeakers or turntables)
Other GEC Member Benefits
These are still “evolving.” We anticipate:
- Quarterly updates from TAS Editors
- Special events
- Feature review previews
- Passes (limited) to industry shows
- Unique GEC merchandise (for purchase)
- GEC excursions (may require fee)
Participating Manufacturers
Some of the companies that have agreed to make special offers to GEC members include:
- Audio Space
- BG Radia Corp.
- Castle Acoustics
- Electrocompaniet, Inc.
- Esoteric
- GINI Systems
- Guru
- Holographic Audio
- Hyperion Sound Design
- JPS Labs
- MartinLogan
- MBL of America
- Meridian America
- Musical Surroundings
- Odyssey Audio
- Quad USA
- Rega Research
- Supra
- Symphonic Line
- TEAC Reference Series
- Teresonic
- Usher Audio (North America)
- Vincent Audio
- Von Schweikert Audio
- Wharfedale USA
- Etc.
(Note: Each manufacturer determines the specific GEC offers they will make, which may be limited to special incentives for retail purchases only, have other restrictions, etc.)
