Perhaps the Finest Bargain in the Entire World of Turntables: The Holbo Airbearing, Linear Tracking System

Now at True Audiophile

We have pursued this table like a rabid animal. We can't believe what has been done for the price. It's been reviewed - like crazy - and regularly preferred to airbearing tables 4 times its price. Above that price you're into very heathly $100,000.00

Just a stunning achievement from a manufacturer who isn't greedy and when asked, told us it was a gift to audiophiles all over the world. Normally we would call b.s. on a statement like that, except the reality is, its true.--- Mini Review by True Audiophile

Reviews

Michael Fremer 2023

"The Holbo Mk2 is an impressively engineered and presented integrated turntable/tonearm combo. It worked flawlessly during the months I had it set up and it never called attention to any shortcomings until it was compared to far more costly turntables. It ran at the correct speed (when properly set), produced quiet backgrounds, was fun to listen to and use and didn’t exhibit any noticeable, impossible to ignore sonic characteristics. It was at all times and with all genres, pleasing, and I hate to use the word, but sometimes it’s appropriate—“musical...I’m not particularly good at making lists off the top of my head. Each has its strengths and weaknesses in terms of sonic performance, set-up flexibility etc. but for those who want a tangential tracker that works hard, plays well and doesn’t break—at least this one didn’t and I used it a lot—the Holbo demands your attention. It also won’t break the bank. Once you’re at this price point you’re getting a generous slice of the licorice pizza pie but don’t let anyone tell you you’re getting it all, because you’re not! However, be assured that consuming the Holbo won’t give you indigestion!”.  

The Holbo Airbearing Turntable System MK2 is a state-of-the-art, belt-driven turntable system with a unique tangential linear tracking air bearing tonearm. The system aims to simplify its components while isolating them from each other to control vibrational distortions and optimize sonic performance.

Key Features: 

• Airbearing Technology: One of the most significant technical advantages of the Holbo turntable is its use of airbearing technology. This system levitates the platter and tonearm on a cushion of air, virtually eliminating friction and mechanical noise. The result is a dramatic reduction in vibrations and resonance, which in turn leads to improved clarity, detail, and overall sound quality.

• High-Precision Bearing System: The Holbo turntable features a high-precision bearing system designed to ensure smooth and stable rotation of the platter. The spindle and bearing are crafted from hardened stainless steel and are polished to a mirror finish for minimal friction. This precision-engineered bearing system ensures exceptionally low noise and vibrations, contributing to the turntable's outstanding sonic performance. Linear Tracking Tonearm: The Holbo turntable is equipped with a linear tracking airbearing tonearm, which ensures precise alignment of the stylus to the record groove at all times. This design eliminates the tracking errors and distortion commonly associated with traditional pivoted tonearms. The result is improved accuracy, reduced surface noise, and a more faithful reproduction of the recorded sound.

• Belt-Driven Platter: The Holbo turntable utilizes a belt-driven platter system, with a precision-machined aluminum alloy platter and an ultra-low noise, high-torque motor. This design ensures consistent and stable platter rotation, while isolating the motor's vibrations from the platter and tonearm. The result is reduced noise, improved speed stability, and enhanced musical detail.

• Advanced Vibration Isolation: The Holbo turntable features an advanced vibration isolation system that effectively isolates the turntable's critical components from external vibrations and resonance. This system includes a robust, low-resonance chassis, as well as custom-designed isolation feet that decouple the turntable from its supporting surface. The result is a turntable that remains impervious to external disturbances, delivering a clean and undistorted audio signal.
• Precision Speed Control: The Holbo turntable incorporates a high-precision speed control system, which ensures accurate and consistent platter rotation. This system utilizes a quartz oscillator and a digital microcontroller to maintain precise speed regulation, reducing fluctuations and ensuring optimal performance at both 33 1/3 and 45 RPM.

• Easy Setup and Adjustments: The Holbo turntable is designed with user-friendly setup and adjustments in mind. Its innovative airbearing system eliminates the need for complex tonearm adjustments, making it simple to achieve optimal performance. Additionally, the turntable features intuitive controls and adjustments, allowing users to easily fine-tune performance parameters such as tracking force, azimuth, and anti-skating.

Key Components:

• Plinth: The turntable features a simple 30mm MDF plinth with a matte black finish. It has three adjustable feet for leveling, with each footer featuring a coupling spike resting on a supplied aluminum puck.

• Platter: The CNC-machined 6082 aluminum airbearing platter weighs 5kg and is driven by a thick black rubber belt. The platter's bearing center pin is made of POM thermoplastic and hard steel. Motor: A Japan-made DC motor with electronic speed control powers the turntable. There are two buttons on top of the plinth to switch between 33 rpm and 45 rpm, with corresponding LED colors indicating the operating mode.

• Tonearm: The tangential linear tracking airbearing tonearm has an effective length of 163mm (6.4 inches) and is constructed from an aluminum alloy and carbon. The tonearm features adjustments for VTA (Vertical Tracking Angle), azimuth, SRA (Stylus Rake Angle), and tracking force. A set screw system enables adjusting the tonearm wand/tube and headshell alignment. Air pump/DC motor/power supply system: The turntable utilizes a noiseless air pump system for the airbearing tonearm. Air is administered through transparent tubing, approximately two meters in length. The pump connects to a multi-pin PSU cable of similar length and has an IEC socket for connecting the power cable to an AC outlet. Rear Panel: The rear panel consists of a ground post, stereo RCA outputs, an air inlet for the air pump tubing, 33 rpm and 45 rpm screw controls for fine pitch adjustment, and a multi-pin input for the DC power supply.

• Accessories: The turntable comes with a protractor, strobe disc, and tools for setup and maintenance. A stainless steel puck for flattening the disc onto the platter is also provided.

Summary from Reviews: 
The subjective review components of the Holbo Airbearing Turntable System MK2 highlight several key aspects related to its sound quality and performance when compared to other turntables. These aspects include soundstage, tonal balance, dynamics, detail, and musicality. 

• Soundstage: Reviewers often praise the Holbo turntable for its expansive and well-defined soundstage. The turntable is capable of presenting a wide and deep soundstage with precise imaging, allowing listeners to pinpoint the location of individual instruments and vocals within the stereo field. This creates a more immersive and realistic listening experience compared to other turntables that might struggle with soundstage presentation.

• Tonal balance: The Holbo turntable is described as having a neutral tonal balance, meaning that it does not favor any particular frequency range over another. This neutrality allows the turntable to reproduce a wide range of musical genres with accuracy and naturalness. Reviewers often appreciate this tonal balance, as it helps to reveal the true character of the recordings without adding any coloration or emphasis.

• Dynamics: The Holbo turntable exhibits excellent dynamic capabilities, according to the reviewers. It can effortlessly reproduce the subtlest nuances and the most powerful crescendos in a musical piece, showcasing its ability to convey the full emotional range of a performance. This dynamic contrast is often considered superior to that of other turntables, which may lack the ability to deliver such a wide range of dynamics.

• Detail: The Holbo turntable is known for its ability to retrieve and present even the most intricate details in a recording. Reviewers mention that it can uncover subtle nuances and textures that might be obscured or lost with other turntables. This level of detail retrieval helps to create a more engaging and satisfying listening experience, allowing listeners to hear new elements in their favorite recordings.

• Musicality: Reviewers often comment on the turntable's musicality, referring to its ability to convey the emotion and expression of a performance. The Holbo turntable is said to possess a natural and engaging presentation that draws listeners into the music, making it an enjoyable and emotionally involving experience. This musicality is often attributed to the turntable's technical strengths, such as its airbearing design, precise bearing system, and carefully engineered components, which work together to create a turntable that excels in delivering a captivating musical experience.

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