Bluenote Bellavista Table

BlueMDPicker

I've been researching tables for quite awhile and, given my bent for the rather out of the ordinary in audio, I kept coming back to the Bluenote line by Italian maker Villa for a couple of reasons: their rather unique approach to plinth and platter construction materials, anti-skating philosopy, and platter mass.

Villa manufactures, in house, nearly all the components for their tables with the exception of motors. In the case of the Bellavista which is, by the way, their mid-level table, the 24-pole AC Synchronous motor is designed and manufactured by Fiber Italy. The Bluenote line design engineer, Maurizio Aterini, conducted exhaustive testing of plinth and platter materials, finally settling on a combination of acrylic for the plinth and polyvinyl for the platter based on the amazing low Q attainable over more conventional materials. Platter mass and rotational stability is augmented by twelve jewelry quality (10 micron) gold-plated brass weights fixed to its underside. The results with this "rigid chassis" class offering are nothing short of spectacular.

Aterini is also strong proponent of the elimination of anti-skating controls coupled with a uni-pivot arm citing much better channel separation characteristics by eliminating "plowing". But, the standard arm for the Belavista, incorporates anti-skating to make a price point. I was fortunate enough to find a used unit with an upgraded B-5 signature arm. It performs to perfection creating point source imaging, crystal clear separation, and the airiest sound I've yet experienced.

But, I can't give all the credit to the arm design. The Dynavector 20-X(H) MC cartridge (also purchased in this used package) extracts every detail in the groove with a dynamic range and energy that leaves you breathless. LPs that I once considered marginally listenable spring to life in front of you, and the marvelously produced and engineered samples from my collection are jaw dropping. Don't take my word for it--I can barely get Sandy out of the sweet spot of the Revel Gems and she's asked on numerous occasions (James Taylor - JT, Larry Carlton - Collection, Steely Dan - Aja, Fenton Robinson - Nightflight.. to name but a few) "can we listen to that one more time?" Damn, that makes me smile!

Other items purchased in the package, and adding to the quality of the mix, include a Sota clamp, Boston Audio Design Mat 1 graphite mat, and a custom Revelation Audio silver din\rca cable. The marriage of this fine table/arm/cartridge and my PS Audio GC series components is one made in heaven. The GCPH is, IMHO, a spectacular piece in any price grouping and completely transparent in the signal path. I love it when an experimental grouping in the audio chain brings better than imagined results. This rig has done that in spades!

Enjoy the music, I certainly am!

ND13

Mike,
Let me know if/when you let go of your old table.

janmike

Looks real good Mike. Sounds like you are not the only who is smiling. One day I need to go down that route and pull out the vinyl that has been sitting idle for years.

hearingimpared

Wow this is a really great write up. I particularly like the part about your wife. I keep telling mine that when she finally gets to hear my 2 ch rig in our new family room she will want to listen to music all the time.

The turntable is absolutely gorgeous as is, I am sure, the smmoooooth analog music it reproduces. That tonearm looks like it is over a foot long. How well does that Dynevector track?

How much money does that bring in on the used market? I am not asking for you divulge what you spent just a ballpark on what it would cost me if I decided to go that route in the future.

Green with envy!!!!:D

Joe

BlueMDPicker

Noel,

The MMF-5SE will probably get (another) cartridge upgrade before I pass judgement on it staying/going. The Dynavector was a real eye opener for me.

Thanks Michael!

Joe,

The overall length of the tonearm is 270mm, and from the center of the “Bearing Fork” it's 223mm--consequently compliant with the Rega standard. The Dynavector tracks perfectly with this arm configuration. I've yet to hear any side scrub at all and older (30+ years) vinyl that suffers from slight play wear sounds clean as a pin versus other cartridges I've owned so far.

MSRPs: table $1295, arm $750, cartridge $495, IC $899, mat $199, clamp $219. I believe that rings-up at about $3850. I bought the package, one year old from original owner, for $1550 shipped--or, roughly 40% retail and 20% under Blue Book retail/used.

amulford

That is truly a piece of art. You have to hand it to the Italians for their sense of asthetic design. Apparently it performs as well as it looks, huh?;)

I'm still trying to get my better half to appreciate this hobby. It's a battle, but she did notice a difference when I recently changed some wires.

Get your groove on, man...

TroyD

That is DEAD sexy. I can't wait to get an ear on that.

Now, all you need is a VPI cleaner to get that vinyl back to pristine!

BDT

janmike

Find the music that SHE likes to listen to. The rest is easy and smooth.

BlueMDPicker

TroyD wrote:

Now, all you need is a VPI cleaner to get that vinyl back to pristine!

Sandy Claus is coming to town.

TroyD

COOLNESS.

I've got a couple of goodies for you that I'll bring with me. Namely some LP cleaning fluid.

BDT

BlueMDPicker

TroyD wrote:

I've got a couple of goodies for you that I'll bring with me. Namely some LP cleaning fluid.

Ah! Great minds... I told Sandy, as we were on the taxiway in Charleston, "Damn! I forgot to get a couple of ounces of Troy's cleaning solution to try."

TroyD

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. I'll bring a gallon. That oughta last awhile.

BDT

hearingimpared

BlueMDPicker wrote:

Noel,

The MMF-5SE will probably get (another) cartridge upgrade before I pass judgement on it staying/going. The Dynavector was a real eye opener for me.

Thanks Michael!

Joe,

The overall length of the tonearm is 270mm, and from the center of the “Bearing Fork” it's 223mm--consequently compliant with the Rega standard. The Dynavector tracks perfectly with this arm configuration. I've yet to hear any side scrub at all and older (30+ years) vinyl that suffers from slight play wear sounds clean as a pin versus other cartridges I've owned so far.

MSRPs: table $1295, arm $750, cartridge $495, IC $899, mat $199, clamp $219. I believe that rings-up at about $3850. I bought the package, one year old from original owner, for $1550 shipped--or, roughly 40% retail and 20% under Blue Book retail/used.

What a great buy and a great rig!!! I hope you have many many years of happy listening with it. Damn that table is down right alluring.

Even greener!

F1nut

It does look nice....for a TT.

SCompRacer

Nice table! You done good.

BlueMDPicker

F1nut wrote:

It does look nice....for a TT.

Thanks Anthony, Jesse, Rich! Jesse needs one just like it for the Manley 75+75. He'd frisbee all those nasty old SACDs.

schwarcw

Gorgeous table Mike! I have the Dynavector on my Christmas wish list!

BlueMDPicker

Thanks Carl! As I mentioned to Noel, it was a real eye opener for me regarding the merits of pricier cartridges. I'm not reluctant at all now in considering them as a very justifiable upgrade in sound quality. This 20-X came with its own certified bench test graph (flatter than a pancake from 20 Hz to 20 kHz), and it performs!

hearingimpared

Mike, did you have to do any special loading in your phono section of your preamp for the Dynavector cartridge?

Thanks,
Joe

BlueMDPicker

My 20-X is the high output MC version. I never changed a thing on my GCPH from the loading I was using with the Goldring 1042 MM: 47 K and 48 dB.

hearingimpared

BlueMDPicker wrote:

My 20-X is the high output MC version. I never changed a thing on my GCPH from the loading I was using with the Goldring 1042 MM: 47 K and 48 dB.

Thanks for the info.:)

BlueMDPicker

You're welcome, Joe. Your question made me wonder what the exact differences were. There may still be some magic left to extract, since the GCPH has a 1K setting. I'll have to experiment a bit today.

Goldring 1042:
2.8mV±1dB, @ 1KHz, 5cm/sec
Recommended load resistance 47K

Dynavector 20-X (high output):
6.5mV±1.5dB, @ 1kHz, 5 cm/sec
Recommended load resistance >1K

DarqueKnight

That table is work of art. I like gear that looks good and sounds good! Congrats.

hearingimpared

BlueMDPicker wrote:

You're welcome, Joe. Your question made me wonder what the exact differences were. There may still be some magic left to extract, since the GCPH has a 1K setting. I'll have to experiment a bit today.

Goldring 1042:
2.8mV±1dB, @ 1KHz, 5cm/sec
Recommended load resistance 47K

Dynavector 20-X (high output):
6.5mV±1.5dB, @ 1kHz, 5 cm/sec
Recommended load resistance >1K

You are making me rethink the cartridge selection I have listed in the thread "And Then There Were Two." The Dynavector 20-X listed above is going for $499 on Music Direct's site. The Dynavector 10x5 is going for $380. I think if there is that much improvement in tracking and neutral sonics, it would be worth it for me to spend the extra $120. I'm really fretting over this decision because my experience with new cartridges typically with retailers is, you purchased it, you own it.

Sorry I didn't mean hyjack your thread.

BlueMDPicker

BlueMDPicker wrote:

Goldring 1042:
2.8mV±1dB, @ 1KHz, 5cm/sec
Recommended load resistance 47K

Dynavector 20-X (high output):
6.5mV±1.5dB, @ 1kHz, 5 cm/sec
Recommended load resistance >1K

Got that post partially bass ackwards, DOH!:

Goldring 1042:
6.5mV±1.5dB, @ 1kHz, 5 cm/sec
Recommended load resistance 47K

Dynavector 20-X (high output):
2.8mV±1dB, @ 1KHz, 5cm/sec
Recommended load resistance >1K

BlueMDPicker

Spun a couple of selections, one older one newer, with the load resistance dialed to 1K. Slight increase in bass level, noticable increase in surface noise on older vinyl. Bumped the gain to 54 dB in both load resistance settings. No need for it. So, the 47K-48dB is perfect (to my tastes) with the DV20-X(H).

hearingimpared

BlueMDPicker wrote:

Spun a couple of selections, one older one newer, with the load resistance dialed to 1K. Slight increase in bass level, noticable increase in surface noise on older vinyl. Bumped the gain to 54 dB in both load resistance settings. No need for it. So, the 47K-48dB is perfect (to my tastes) with the DV20-X(H).

Sounds good to me.

reeltrouble1

So sweet makes your tongue slap your brains out.

Rock On, Mike.

RT1