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The Musical Whirlwind That Swept Me Away

Are you looking for a new turntable? There’s certainly no shortage of choices! Indeed, the high-fidelity market is brimming with beautiful and excellent products for all budgets and tastes. No matter the technology and type of turntable you choose — belt-drive, direct-drive, idler-wheel, new, or vintage — they will each offer a unique sound performance that you may or may not enjoy. For this review, I focused on the Michell TecnoDec model. This model isn’t brand new, but it offers a bouquet of qualities that are truly very interesting and deserves to be better known. For those who know me, I have been a staunch fan of classic direct-drive turntables for a long time. However, this small Michell turntable managed to catch my attention and make me reconsider some of my beliefs. Let’s see how and why

Michell Engineering is a British manufacturer of turntables, present in the audiophile landscape since the mid-1960s. Founded by John Michell, the company initially spent about ten years manufacturing parts for other manufacturers. At that time, John Michell was also involved in creating life-size models for films. He even contributed to the model of the Discovery spaceship seen in Stanley Kubrick’s film 2001: A Space Odyssey. This model inspired the design of the Michell Gyrodec turntable. It was with the launch of the Gyrodec turntable in the early 1980s that Michell finally took off. This iconic model, still available today, entered the market with numerous innovations, including the famous Michell clamp, the first of its kind. Around 1995, Michell launched the Orbe model, a greatly improved version of the Gyrodec, which remains Michell‘s flagship model to this day.
Le modèle TecnoDec, qui est l’objet du présent banc d’essai, fut quant à lui introduit au début des années 2000 et représente l’entrée de gamme du fabricant britannique. La platine est maintenant offerte avec le nouveau bras d’entrée de gamme T2. Outre ses performances musicales, ce qui la rend particulièrement intéressante, c’est que Michell offre plusieurs améliorations qui peuvent s’ajouter avec le temps. Par exemple, l’alimentation HR, qui offre un gain en qualité fort appréciable, se branchant en lieu et place de celle fournie avec la TecnoDec de Michell. Il y a aussi le fameux TecnoWeigth. Il s’agit d’un contrepoids optionnel se fixant sans modification sur le bras fourni avec la platine. Celui-ci permet d’abaisser le centre de gravité du bras de lecture et, par le fait même, d’améliorer le suivi de piste de l’aiguille. Et tant qu’à y être, il sera toujours possible de changer le bras de lecture, puisque Michell propose deux autres modèles plus performants, soit le T8 et le légendaire TecnoArm. Pour optimiser la TecnoDec, Michell présente aussi, dans son catalogue, quelques autres petits produits fort intéressants. Voici donc une platine vinyle qui est déjà très performante qui offre une belle capacité d’évolution. Prenons maintenant le temps de l’explorer plus en détail sur le plan technique.

Technical Description
The Michell TecnoDec turntable is a belt-driven turntable with a completely separate motor. It features a regulated DC motor controlled by a high-quality separate power supply, similar to the one found on the Michell Gyrodec. This motor is housed inside a very inert solid aluminum casing. It does not vibrate at all, and its reliability is legendary. The motor is so reliable that it could remain plugged in and running continuously without damage. It also has impressive torque and power, significantly contributing to the TecnoDec’s distinct sound signature.

The rotation transmission is done via a long, round, thin belt around the platter, which is made from the same vinyl used for pressing records. The idea is that by coupling the record to this platter, it becomes an approximately three-pound disc with no resonance. The Michell clamp is a must to achieve this optimal coupling. This clamp is probably one of the best currently available on the market. It is very light and adds no undesirable weight to the rotation axis. Moreover, its clamping mechanism automatically adapts to the size of the main axis, which is simply brilliant!

The platter rotation is ensured by a fairly wide self-lubricating rotation axis, thanks to a worm screw located at its center. This absolutely unique and ingenious technique allows constant lubrication from top to bottom by pushing the oil up the axis, ensuring perfectly silent operation and nearly endless longevity for the moving mechanical parts.

The turntable rests on a very simple and minimalist acrylic base. Only the motor guide and the arm mounting plate are visible. The entire turntable rests on three adjustable aluminum feet, which are very chic and equipped with small sorbothane pads for effective decoupling from the furniture.

The supplied tonearm with the Michell TecnoDec is the T2 model. This entry-level arm is actually a Rega RB-220 optimized by the Michell team for the TecnoDec. It is made from a single molded aluminum tube to offer maximum rigidity. The bearings in both rotation axes are of excellent quality with nearly perfect tightness. For a tonearm in this category, the Michell T2 inspires confidence with its good build and assembly quality.

Here is a turntable designed brilliantly with clever choices maximizing performance, all achieved with intelligent simplicity.

Unboxing and Installation
The Michell TecnoDec turntable lacks any suspension and must therefore be installed on a non-vibrating piece of furniture. The TecnoDec requires minimal assembly, a relatively easy task that took just over half an hour, including cartridge installation. However, I still recommend relying on your Michell dealer, who will gladly assemble and calibrate your turntable for you. Michell offers a simple cover called the Michell Unicover, included with the TecnoDec. It simply covers the important parts to protect from dust.

Regarding the optional Michell clamp, I believe it is indispensable for fully enjoying the TecnoDec’s performance. I had the opportunity to test a few moving magnet cartridges that offered good results, including the Goldring E3, which pairs particularly well with the Michell TecnoDec. However, it was with the Denon DL-103R — a long-time personal favorite — that I found my joy and conducted most of my listening.

When the Power of the Motor is Felt
It took only a few seconds to realize I was dealing with a very different belt-driven turntable. This turntable has a very dynamic sound with solid bass. In fact, it feels like listening to a professional direct-drive turntable. With the Michell TecnoDec, there’s no hesitation or lingering notes struggling to keep up. Listening to Who’s Next by The Who, the rhythm section immediately stands out, reminding us how energetic the drummer was. The playback has nerve and confidence, transforming the listening experience of this iconic album. The TecnoDec’s motor, which seems never to tire, greatly contributes to the pleasure this turntable provides. The combination with the surprising and excellent T2 tonearm is a total success. I had to listen to the track Bargain about ten times before convincing myself that it was enough. This way of delivering the energy of music is precisely what I seek when listening to vinyl. The Michell TecnoDec is a magnificent little machine for waking up your music. Once you’ve tasted it, it’s hard to let go.

Transmitting the Energy of Silence
Thanks to its self-lubricating rotation axis, the Michell TecnoDec reads records with impressive silence. For a turntable in this price range, the total absence of noise, allowing for a wealth of detail in recordings, is a significant surprise. Like a much more expensive and ambitious turntable, the TecnoDec offers a completely transparent rendition of Yo-Yo Ma’s album. The artist’s instrument, playing Bach suites solo, literally floats in space. It’s transparent, articulate, and incredibly credible. This record is a true transparency trap. If the turntable reading it cannot capture all the micro-details in the reverberations, the music loses its appeal and quickly becomes boring. The TecnoDec passed this test honorably.
It proves that one does not need to invest a fortune in a turntable to retrieve all the information present in a record. Not only is transparency there, but also the instrument’s timbre, rendered with much body, warmth, and authenticity. A good part of this achievement is due to the T2 tonearm’s performance. This small tonearm, which has no high-end pretensions, still manages the feat of ensuring quiet trackability, omitting much of the surface noise present on records. Its tracking is excellent, allowing the needle to work well in the groove and retrieve the maximum amount of music. With the T2 tonearm and the TecnoDec turntable, the Michell team seems to have found just the right balance between absolute resolution and musicality.

Conclusion
The Michell TecnoDec turntable has everything to please. Beautiful, with a proud look thanks to its brilliantly simple design. Its explosive sense of rhythm, its ability to uncover every detail, and its resolution make it a formidable machine for experiencing emotions. Built to last a lifetime, it uses high-quality materials for top-notch performance and reliability. In my opinion, in this price range and even beyond, it easily earns a best buy rating. Moreover, it managed to make me fall for it and carry me away in its musical whirlwind. Yes, I finally decided to buy one and keep it at home!

GENERAL INFORMATION
Price: $2,999 CAD
Warranty: Coming soon
Distributor: Audionation.ca,
https://audonation.ca/

Mediagraphy
The Who, Who’s Next, Track Deluxe, 2408 102
Yo-Yo Ma, Six Evolutions Bach Cello Suite, Sony Classical, 19075 85465 1