The Willi Bauer DPS3 Turntable

Listening started with the dps arm carrying a van den Hul Condor cartridge and a comparison between the single-phase and three-phase supplies, the larger, more expensive box delivering greater resolution of acoustic space, more subtlety and higher levels of detail alongside a calmness that allowed higher volumes without discomfort. But as the listening progressed other qualities became apparent, not least phenomenal dynamic range thanks to an incredibly low noise floor. The acoustic signature of the Pointer Sisters’ backing vocals on Taj Mahal’s Sweet Home Chicago is so utterly different to that on the lead vocal that one wonders whether the same studio was used on this 1972 recording (Recycling The Blues & Other Related Stuff). On Richard Thompson’s more up to date but not entirely dissimilar Old Kit Bag the higher recording quality has a visceral solidity and presence that is so real it could be in the room. But there is also a hint of hardness to the sound which I disc decided to counter with a plastic bodied van den Hul Colibri cartridge. This went a long way to providing a better balanced result, the sound being less incisive but more relaxed, tonally richer and even more enjoyable.

Bringing the SME V and matching plinth components into play not only improved the appearance of the dps but also took the bass in particular into another league. Whether it was over £1,500 of extra league depends on the resolution of the accompanying system but in the context of a Trichord Delphini phono stage, Russ Andrews HP-1 pre-amplifier and ATC SCM150A active speakers it seemed a fair price for the increase in analysis offered. That said, the dps RB250 is remarkably good and if budget limits you to the choice between a dps2/SME V and a dps3/dps RB250, the latter would be my choice. Having said that I do love the way that the Series V produces such richness of detail and solidity of sound, especially in the all important nether regions, an underpinning which affects everything you play. Take Newport Rebels on Candid from the early sixties. There’s no real, deep bass on this superb recording but there is a heck of a lot of life and energy coming from instruments that have grittily real timbre.

I also listened to the dps 3 in the more neutral environs of an Audio Zone Pre-T1, Gamut D200 power amp and B&W 802D speaker system. This set-up suggested that any hardness encountered previously was not coming from the turntable and perhaps that the RA pre-amp is not as well matched to the ATCs as I’d hoped. It also revealed more of the space that the dps 3 finds around acoustic instruments on virtually any recording. So much so that Tom Waits’ Troubles Braids expanded every which way and delivered dynamics that were surprising in their vivacity, the double bass and percussion being unusually unfettered for a commercial recording.

This is a supremely analytical record player. It has an almost master tape like calm and precision that allows every nook and cranny of each recording to be heard. Some might find this approach a little short on thrills, speed or whatever you want to call it but they should really be looking to their record collection for these qualities. A lot of that excitement comes from colorations introduced by less sophisticated turntables, noise on the power supply, vibrations in the turntable etc. The dps 3 cuts out more of that hash than most designs I’ve heard and to be frank I’d be intrigued to hear what its power supply and motor could do for my SME Model 20. But I found plenty of thrills in my record collection thanks to the remarkable transient response of the plattenspieler.

As with all the turntables I’ve tried that have low compliance (stiff) suspension the dps 3 was improved by placement on one of Max Townshend’s highly isolating equipment supports. Willi recommends solid stands or wall brackets but he clearly doesn’t have his turntable less than a metre from a 150 litre active loudspeaker! The move to the Townshend stand brought about an increase in bass weight and a drastic improvement in three-dimensionality. Even the background seemed to get quieter, allowing Gidon Kremer’s violin on Arvo Pärt’s Fratres to create unnerving tension as it builds in volume toward the point where the piano joins in. The dps3 has an almost digital noise floor; I say almost though because it has all the beauty, depth and vibrancy of analogue, so in truth it probably sounds more like analogue tape but I’ve not heard enough of that (outside of cassette) to say for sure.

If you go to Willi’s Bauer Audio shop in Munich you are more likely to find his turntable equipped with a Schröder, Graham or Tri-Planar pickup arm and it would be fascinating to try any or all of those. I don’t think however, that you would change the innately calm and resolute character of the turntable. You would just get a more or less neutral or revealing result depending on the quality of the arm used. The fact that such revealing results can be achieved with a revamped Rega is testament to the intrinsic quality of der plattenspieler. It’s perhaps a little inconvenient that changing the arm Type: Constrained plinth record player with standalone motor Bearing Type: Inverted with ruby ball Speeds: 33/45 Power Supply: Single-phase or three-phase AC Dimensions (HxWxD): 180x450x350mm Weight: 23kg Finishes: Maple, cherry, walnut Number Of UK Dealers: 1 Guarantee: 5yrs Prices – dps 2: £4,800 Lid: £150 dps3 upgrade: £2,050 dps RB250 tonearm: £450 UK Distributor: Andy Craig Tel. (44)(0)1252 328936 Net. www.transcendencesystems.com Manufacturer: Bauer Audio www.bauer-audio.de