Vinyl Asylum: REVIEW: Magnepan Uni 1 Tone Arms by oddmanout

Model:	Uni 1
Category:	Tone Arms
Suggested Retail Price:	$unknown
Description:	Unipivot tone arm with carbon fiber arm and headshell
Manufacturer URL:	Magnepan

Review by oddmanout on December 03, 2011 at 15:15:11
IP Address: 99.248.199.189 Add Your Review
for the Uni 1

Purchased this arm used for $50 because the dealer thought it was not repairable. I repaired the wiring in the connector on the bottom of the arm and mounted it on a Thorens 160MKII, with a Sumiko BP Special Evo II cartridge.
Setting it up was a time consuming task, as it is with most uni-pivots.
I was concerned about using a heavy relatively non compliant cartrige on an arm designed for lighter, more compliant cartridges, but the resonating frequency of the arm- cartridge combination fell into the proper zone.
The resulting sound was very good, with more deltail all through the frequency range. Bass, which had been a bit thin with the stock arm, was deeper, richer, and more detailed as well. The arm handels warps as if they are not there. Sound staging opened up with considerably more width, and some added depth as well. What impressed me the most was the added "air" from the venue with classical music. Female voice in particular was very well reproduced.
Bottom line: if you can find one, buy it- you won't be sorry you did.
The innovative technology: The arm has a very heavy counter ballance set very close to the pivot. This reduces the moment of inertia compaired to a lighter ballance located further from the pivot, which allows the arm to move more freely at very low frequencies (warps), and provides a rock solid platform for the cartridge in the audible band. The higher wieght also has more resistance to tourque, which keeps the cartridge from side to side wobbling.

Product Weakness:	Hard to find, you will need to make an arm board for it, takes a while to set up properly. Magnepan does not repair them. annymore.
Product Strengths:	The usual Magnepan inovative technology has created an exellent sounding arm.

Associated Equipment for this Review:

Amplifier: Classe c300
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): Bryston BP26
Sources (CDP/Turntable): this is the source
Speakers: Magnepan 1.6
Cables/Interconnects: home made
Music Used (Genre/Selections): all
Room Size (LxWxH): 11' x 18' x 7'6
Room Comments/Treatments: corner traps,
Time Period/Length of Audition: several years
Type of Audition/Review: Product Owner

Amplifier:	Classe c300
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated):	Bryston BP26
Sources (CDP/Turntable):	this is the source
Speakers:	Magnepan 1.6
Cables/Interconnects:	home made
Music Used (Genre/Selections):	all
Room Size (LxWxH):	11' x 18' x 7'6
Room Comments/Treatments:	corner traps,
Time Period/Length of Audition:	several years
Type of Audition/Review:	Product Owner