I couldn't resist posting this photo, not of a product, but of
photos of a product, just to get Mikey Fremer all riled up about the fact that the Continuum Caliburn turntable, for which he forked out mucho dinero, is no longer the Big Dog of LP playback.
The Goldmund Reference II celebrates 25 years since the introduction of the original Reference. Just five will be made each year, according to Goldmund's Michel Reverchon when I spoke with him at the company's Bellagio suite, and 2007's production has already been spoken for. And yes, it will cost $300,000.
The Reference II, which, like its illustrious ancestor, includes a high-mass plinth, will accommodate three conventional tonearms. However, Goldmund is working on an optical pickup/arm, which will incorporate a high-performance A/D converter at the headshell. This will not be available for some time, probably not until 2008.
