Turning Japanese: Audio-Technica AT-LP8X - The Sleeper

'Audio Technica's 8X turntable and OC9XSL cartridge are an outstanding combination for the money if what you require is a no nonsense, quality music lover turntable and cartridge duo that are a joy to use and which hit that point of diminishing returns sweet spot.'

Angelos Agathangelou - Music Lover:

My thoughts about Audio Technica's new flagship turntable AT-LP8X, or 8X.

I was on the lookout for a quality semi auto turntable for my B system when I came across the 8X. There seem to be no trustworthy reviews online, though there are some user reviews, but these days even those might be suspect.

There is an interesting un-narrated youtube video of a head to head sound check between the 8X and the well respected Technics SL1200G that shows there's not a wide gulf between these two decks.

I decided to take a chance and see if the 8X could scale to be an acceptable deck for my high standard cost no object background.

On the same principal as many have followed for the SL1200G as a starter with a decent secondary upgrade budget in order to capitalise on a perceived high quality core I bought the 8X and proceeded to make certain choice upgrades within what I perceive to be reasonable constraints with the hope she would scale to meet my high standards.

I disposed of the supplied power cable, tonearm cable, stylus and matt and having decided to keep my upgrades to parts of Japanese design and within a total budget not exceeding double the price of the 8X in total I proceeded.

First I binned the supplied cartridge and brought in the AT-OC9XSL, a decent mid level MC and the matching AT headshell AT-LH11H. This sounded decent from the start, but excellent for the budget after around 50 hours. I settled on the AT-VMN95SH stylus upgrade with the original cart and headshell as a respectable emergency backup. The AT-OC9XSL's detail retrieval is good and there is a nice overall balance, but it might be a tad hot in the highs for a system that isn't on the warm side of neutral.

Second I added a home made power cable using Furutech FI-11 N1(R) IEC, Furutech FI-E46 NCF Schuko & Oyaide 2.1 mains cable. I plugged this into my Furutech power distribution block and v the supplied power cable directly into the mains this had the effect of immediately bringing the sound much more into focus and now there was greater body. The effect was not subtle and very positive.

As I was awaiting the arrival of a new tonearm cable I then tried the Oyaide BR-12 matt. I wasn't immediately convinced about this upgrade, but it didn't feel negative. It seemed to somehow magnify the effects of the power cable and I did wonder if that could be too much of a good thing.

Finally the Oyaide PA-2075 RR V2 tonearm cable arrived and knowing cables I gave it an hour, or so to settle in and left the room before returning to put on Herbie Hancock's 'Head Hunters' album.

This was the final piece of the jigsaw and it proved to me that the X8 is a keeper capable of satisfying even the most spoiled among us with cost no object A system turntables composed of individual parts costing multiples of the price of this entire experiment.

With the starter pack peripherals disposed of decent upgrades result in an excellent turntable that exudes quality.

All the parts I've used in this turntable experiment are Japanese.

The semi automatic features work flawlessly to auto-stop the deck at the end of the record and the simple and intuitive start and lift buttons do not feel cheap and again work flawlessly. The tonearm can be controlled fully manually if desired.

I recommend the 8X as a destination turntable for most and a bedroom, backup, or B system deck for any. She's an excellent girl.

IMO it is unfortunate that there are so few if any truly high end turntables with such unobtrusive useful semi automatic features. Well done Audio Technica and thank you.

I do believe that the 8X can scale up further and I will be testing higher end cartridges in the future, next up will be an AT-ART9XA, or AT-ART20, to play that hunch and find her limit.

It's the eternal music lover quest and question. What proportion to spend on wires, the deck and the cart? X amount on the deck, that much again on wires and other parts to soup up the deck and then that total again on the best cartridge you can get your hands on? What's the magic equation? We Greeks love an equation.

The 8X does not appeal to me in the slightest in standard form and I'm compelled to think that is the whole point of her. With the well chosen upgrades her decent quality core deserves and even within only double the asking price in total, I give her a very strong 8/10 'Well Played' award. I expect she might exceed this score with the right cartridge upgrade as this sleeper clearly demands to be awakened.

Head Hunters

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The important semi auto features: Just like any new vehicle it takes a day or two to get into the very simple controls of this turntable. It's all very intuitive, there are only two buttons and one switch. The switch enables, or disable the semi auto features and start and lift are self explanetory.

At first it was disconcerting without the slightly annoying, yet reassuring sound of my old mechanical L85's auto-stop clatter to indicate that the procedure had taken place and I found myself looking away from whatever I was doing at the time to check that the 8X had in fact done its auto-stop duty. I soon came to trust her. She lifts her arm within a few seconds of reaching the end of the record and the plater comes to an electronically breaked stop within about one revolution and the whole process is silent and for me, a little smugness inducing.

If you decide to fully utilise the TTs robotic features then you simply press start to get the platter spinning, position the cartridge over the beginning of the record as usual and press the lift button, after which the robotic aid gently lowers the tonearm. It's a nice action and if you've had a few too many coffees, you can trust the 8X to do the smooth job your trembling hand might not be able to manage, just like any good manual lever would.

The semi auto robotic features of this deck feel very unobtrusive, they are simply there at your demand and so far they have been flawlessly reliable. I say that because of the rather more hit and miss reports I've read regarding some Technics TTs with auto stop features. There has been nothing hit and miss about the 8X.

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AT-LP8X and AT-OC9XSL are an outstanding combination for the money. If you require something more flash, of course look elsewhere, have fun with that and all power to you, but if what you require is a no nonsense, quality music lover turntable and cartridge duo that are a joy to use and which hit that point of diminishing returns sweet spot, I say that from this turntable's dead quiet motor, to it's quality damped platter and the rest of its similarly well thought out specs, as with this excellent cartridge, the product we're told of 50 years of Audio Technica's refinements, I believe this might just be that point.

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Dave Brubeck - Golden Brown