New Turntable - Revox Studio Master T700

Revox Studio Master T700

Didn't see any posting about this, but it looks like an interesting deck!

• Made in Germany,
• Integrated MC Phono Preamp,
• Pre-mounted Ortofon Quintet Bronze MC,
• POM Platter,
  
• Carbon Fiber Tone Arm w/Aluminum Headshell (tonearm cable is directly wired to the Integrated MC Phono Preamp),
  
• Quartz PLL speed control system via a contactless optical sensor,
  
• A freaking dust cover!
  
• Cool Accessory Box, with a digital stylus force tracking gauge, record brush, extra belt, level, etc.
  
• All for $3999 USD.

Very sleek IMO, no buttons,operated by means of backlit touch sensors on the glass plate. The only con I can think of would be the onboard Phono Preamp limits what you can do with playback.

 

Very nice.

 

Looks like a B4YB contender.

 

wow. I wonder if Pro-Ject makes this deck for Revox

 

If Revox is the same Revox that made those ridiculously cool tape decks ages ago (not some radical changes like Thorens made over the years), it ought to be excellent. If someone else took it over, it's an unknown to me. If it's a Pro-Ject in new clothes, it is a sad marketing ploy. Whatever it actually is, it looks and sounds as if it is worthy of consideration. Anybody know the answers?

 

A quartz-lock belt drive seems odd.

The main page says at the top " the T700 has a highly precise electronic PLL speed control system via a contactless optical sensor". The specs page says "ELECTRONIC SPEED CONTROL VIA CONTACTLESS LED FEEDBACK".

W&F 0.1%, or what it specs is "speed variation < 0,1%"

STUDIOMASTER T700 Turntable

 

It’s made in Germany… I don’t know if Pro-Ject has a manufacturing plant there?

 

Looks like a Clearaudio partnership to me. Everything listed is currently in their product feature list.

 

On the same page it says this “…the T700 has a highly precise quartz PLL speed control system via a contactless optical sensor. This system corrects the deviations (e.g. caused by environmental/ temperature fluctuations, ageing of the belt and bearings, friction during the sampling procedure) and ensures compliance with the absolute setpoint speed with a tolerance of 0.02%.”

Yes, it does seem like an unique combination of technology. If speed variation = w&f that seems like pretty good tolerances.

 

I was thinking the same thing … reminds me of the McIntosh MT2 in some design aspects with the glass covered plinth and POM platter.

 

My thoughts exactly. Looks suspiciously like the new Debut PRO, especially the arm.

 

For the money, I'd prefer the Technics 1200G.

 

0.1% is four times the W/F of Technics 1200.

 

The fishing line anti-skate doesn't look like Clearaudio, though, they use magnets for everything.

 

Bummer. Not that there is anything wrong with Clearaudio. I was just hoping for the Revox of old to return.

 

Just a guess, don't be bummed, maybe they did return, though it would be hard to enter the turntable manufacturing business these days with a relatively low production product like this unless they partnered with one of the bigger names. It's a pretty big investment. It was announced and first reviewed at the start of 2020, and haven't really heard much about it. The pandemic likely played a role, don't know what kind of distribution Revox has these days.

 

That is what made me think of Pro-Ject.

 

And many an old, well maintained example can still meet that specification even in heavy use. My SL-1500 even meets that spec some over 40 years later.

 

For what it's worth, it actually shows "less than" < 0,1%, but also states "compliance with the absolute setpoint speed with a tolerance of 0.02%".

 

The lid is definitely Pro-ject. Maybe parts from different manufacturers including Elac?

 

I thought it odd that it would have that for such an expensive deck.