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Walker Audio lowers price of entry for audiophile disc spinners

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VTA/SRA adjustment allows Procession users to remotely bring the edges of a stylus in precise alignment with the walls of the grooves of a record
Walker Audio's highly-prized and highly-priced Proscenium Black Diamond V turntable
The Procession features a 12-inch tri-bearing pivoted Delrin, brass, steel and aluminum tonearm, with a smattering of gold-plating on the hand-tuned arm tube
VTA/SRA adjustment allows Procession users to remotely bring the edges of a stylus in precise alignment with the walls of the grooves of a record
The Procession turntable features a 4-inch aircraft-grade aluminum plinth that tips the scales at 45 lb
The Precession turntable with VTA/SRA remote is priced at $45,000
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There are turntables and there are turntables. Living room decks by such manufacturers as Thorens, Music Hall, Project and Technics will likely be sufficient for the high quality audio needs of most mortal vinyl lovers. But for audiophiles with a fine-tuned ear and a bottomless wallet, names like the DaVinci, TechDAS, TriangleArt and Walker Audio will be more familiar. The latter's Proscenium turntables have been on the receiving end of numerous awards from industry experts and audio journalists since the release of the first version two decades ago. Now the premium audio equipment manufacturer has announced a new turntable named Procession that comes in at a fraction of the cost of the latest Proscenium – which essentially means US$45,000 instead of $110,000.

Over the years, Walker Audio's highly-prized and highly-priced Proscenium turntable has attracted industry pundit accolades and applause a-plenty. The latest iteration, the Proscenium Black Diamond V, is described by the company as the most accurate, realistic-sounding turntable ever made.

Walker Audio's highly-prized and highly-priced Proscenium Black Diamond V turntable

The PBD V features an air-bearing arm and platter for friction-free operation, and is claimed free from resonance thanks to air suspension. There are two air supply variants. The standard version uses an oil-based compressor that can be placed up to 100 ft (30 m) away from the turntable. The filtered air is cooled and regulated and any moisture is automatically collected in a container for periodical emptying. An oil-free air supply is also available, which stays active so there's no waiting for the system to reach optimum pressure.

The PBD V also employs a crystalline material to reduce the build up of static and cancels EMI, RFI and microwaves. It features an instrument-grade AC motor that's housed in a cast crushed marble enclosure and has high end written all over it, with an appropriate price tag to match.

Walker Audio says that it has received many requests over the years from audiophiles wanting to buy into the Proscenium experience, but at a lower cost of admission or minus the air supply. The company says that it has resisted such requests until it could deliver a turntable worthy of its reputation. Enter the Procession.

The Procession turntable features a 4-inch aircraft-grade aluminum plinth that tips the scales at 45 lb

This new addition to the Walker Audio audiophile arsenal features a 4-inch aircraft-grade aluminum plinth that tips the scales at 45 lb (20 kg), a 4-inch thick, 30 lb (13.6 kg) thermoplastic platter that's balance-checked and relieved for lead-in groove and record label and a 3-inch solid brass spindle, with a ceramic ball to the bottom and zirconia ceramic bearings which are said to make for precise, trouble-free, stable performance.

The three-legged arm pod base is made from the same Delrin material used for the platter, with cone-shaped brass feet, and supports a 4-inch round stainless steel housing with a Delrin arm box to the top. From this sprouts a 12-inch tri-bearing pivoted Delrin, brass, steel and aluminum tonearm, with a smattering of gold-plating on the hand-tuned arm tube. Up to three tonearms can be installed on the Procession, and the weight's mass has been positioned below the record for what Walker Audio describes as "incredible mid-bass and clean bass sound."

The DC motor that drives the belt is factory set to album and single speeds, but users can download an app to a computer and vary the speeds up to 78 RPM if needed. A Walker Crystal Reference Clamp helps to keep the vinyl flat, while also hosting crystals top and bottom to nip RF interference in the bud.

Claimed as a world's first, the Procession also boasts remote VTA/SRA adjustment. This allows Procession users to bring the edges of a stylus in precise alignment with the walls of the grooves of a record, and so bring out the best from the vinyl on the platter, from the comfort of a favored armchair instead of being hunched over the table.

The Precession turntable with VTA/SRA remote is priced at $45,000

The turntable comes supplied with two belts, but does not come with a cartridge or power cords. It can be connected directly to the Procession Reference phono amp (which makes it possible to adjust the loading to best match that of the chosen cartridge) and then onto a high-end system amplifier and premium speakers.

The Precession turntable with VTA/SRA remote is priced at $45,000, or you could save yourself some cash and opt for the manual VTA/SRA adjustment version instead, which comes in at $38,000. Prices do not include shipping.

Product page: Walker Audio Procession Turntable

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5 comments
MQ
Obviously I an a Philistine because all I smell is BS. And very expensive BS at that. 110k for a turntable. For 110k I could get a whole Symphony Orchestra over for a Gig. 45k is a relative bargain. wow.
Chris Bedford
You are not a philistine MD - you are a realist. Stuff like this is aimed at yuppies with more money than they know how to deal with - and "critics" who are so up their own arses that they believe they can tell the difference between this turntable and a $ 4,500 one (or a $ 450 one for that matter). The fact of the matter is the record is the limiting factor and there is NO WAY there are enough of them in the world - of high enough quality - to justify spending this kind of money. Vinyl just does not give good reproduction, no matter what the reactionaries say.
Where I live you can get a modest 2-bedroom flat in a good neighbourhood for $ 45,000 and have a chunk of change over to tile the bathroom and paint the kitchen. What absolute bullshit, to spend so much on a turntable! But make no mistake, there are enough idiots out there who will buy these things.
I have to admit they look nice. At $ 45,000 they would have to, but still.
StWils
Clearly, these people do not understand the meaning of the phrase "Entry Level Price" Also, the target demographic for this product would be the same population group that is currently buying into the "Designer Water" fad nonsense. Way too much money, way too little common sense.
lwesson
For some reason, I saw STEAMPUNK in this design. Surely a retro tube system is used too?
Catweazle
So getting a 12" disk to go round smoothly at 33 1/3 RPM to produce a signal with a frequency response from 20HZ to 20,000HZ costs $110,000 does it?
How about a direct drive turntable setup with a stylus in a groove on a vinyl disk that runs at 450RPM, a Groove Density of 9,541 grooves/inch, 4MHZ bandwidth and two level control tangential tracking arm, the whole system producing somewhat better video output than a VHS player?
http://www.cedmagic.com/home/cedfaq.html#onethree
That puts your "HiFi" technology into perspective!
Oh, and I have a functioning example, should anyone wish to see it working!