The Audio Technica AT-LP7 turntable is obviously the first turntable from the Japanese manufacturer to offer a belt-driven model called "audiophile" and completely manual!
This vinyl turntable, initially intended for the US and Japanese markets, caught our attention...
AUDIO TECHNICA AT-LP7: PLINTH
The plinth of the AT-LP7 is made of 40 mm thick solid MDF. It offers excellent damping. Its mass and density limit the acoustic grip in the low frequencies.
The phono cable is not captive. It can be advantageously replaced by a higher-quality model.
AUDIO TECHNICA AT-LP7: PLATTER AND DRIVING
Audio Technica has chosen a thick (20 mm) polyoxymethylene platter. It does not require platter mat.
It is driven via a belt by a precision motor associated to a servo drive. This ensures perfect stability and very low wowing (<0.08%).
It also supports the 33 and 45rpm speed change.
AUDIO TECHNICA AT-LP7: TONEARM AND PHONO CARTRIDGE
The AT-LP7 is delivered with a double moving magnet cartridge: the excellent Audio Technica VM 520 EB. This phono cartridge offers the advantage of an exchangeable stylus and the possibility of upgrading.
Here it is mounted on an AT-HS10 headshell. This is associated to a new "J" tonearm inspired by the Audio Technica models of the 60s and 70s.
The tonearm has a high-precision cardan to limit tracking errors.
The tracking force is adjustable from 0 to 2.5 g and offers cartridge + headshell compatibility from 15 to 20 g. The height of the tonearm (VTA) is also adjustable from 0 to 6 mm and enables the tonearm to be adapted to the most common phono cartridges.
The removable headshell also offers the possibility to change the cartridge very quickly and to have a mono cartridge, as for the Audio Technica VM 610 Mono cartridge with an AT-HS10 headshell.
AUDIO TECHNICA AT-LP7: INTEGRATED PHONO PREAMPLIFIER
The AT-LP7 is equipped with a phono preamp compatible with MC and MM cartridges.
This offers the possibility to switch it off if you want to use the preamp of an amplifier or a more powerful phono preamp.
AUDIO TECHNICA AT-LP7: TEST AND LISTENING
The set up is very simple, all the more so as we supply it perfectly adjusted and ready to be used.
The restitution is very dynamic and precise with an excellent tempo tracking. The transparency is perfect on the whole spectrum.
This turntable has nothing to do with the manufacturer's direct drive products. We find the nuance and smoothness of the best belt drives of this range.
The internal phono preamplifier is of good quality and does its job perfectly with the original MM cartridge. However, it is less probative with a MC cartridge (lack of gain and fullness). We also note that with a higher-end MM cartridge, it limits the restitution clearly. With a Pro-Ject Phono Box S2 phono preamplifier we obtained a much better result.
This Audio Technica AT-LP7 offers an excellent balance and a beautiful bass plumbing, without highlighting the bass.
This Audio Technica AT-LP7 turntable is definitely surprising and impressive in a good way! It has excellent ergonomics and basic performances, which can be easily improved in the future.
Its quality/price ratio, its musicality and its cartridge also play totally in its favor. The quality of manufacturing is also serious and robust.
Recommended!
FranckType: 2 speeds manual, fully manual operating
Drive: belt
Motor: direct current
Speeds: 33-1 / 3 rpm, 45 rpm
Platter: polyoxymethylene
Wow: <0.08% WRMS (33 rpm) at 3 kHz
Signal-to-noise ratio: >60 dB
MM phono preamp gain: 36 dB
MC phono preamp gain: 56 dB
Cartridge: AT VM520EB MM
Headshell: AT-HS10
Phono cable: yes
45 rpm adapter: yes
Consumption: 5.5 W
Dimensions: 450 x 352 x 157 mm
Weight: 8.3 kg
Tonearm characteristics
Tonearm type: J
Effective length: 247 mm
Cantilever: 17 mm
Stylus pressing adjustment: 0 to 2.5 g
Cartridge + headshell compatibility: 15 to 20 g
Customer reviews
AT-LP7
Cette platine vinyle Audio Technica AT-LP7 possède vraiment un rapport qualité-prix exceptionnel.
Les matériaux utilisés pour le plateau, la base sont de très bonne facture, les pieds réglables et amortissant font le job, enfin le bras en J est réglable en hauteur, chose rare dans cet gamme de prix est très bon.
Je l’utilise raccordé directement à l’étage phono de mon Heed Elixir (bien supérieure à celui de l’AT-LP7) avec un câble phono Atlas Hyper Integra TT avec câble de masse Audioquest Groundgoody Saturn.
A l’écoute, la platine est dynamique, précise et silencieuse.
Le porte-cellule amovible permet de changer de cellule rapidement et d’avoir plusieurs cellules pour faire des écoutes comparatives et adaptatives.
Elle aurait été parfaite si Audio Technica (même pour quelques Euros supplémentaires) avait fourni un palet presseur.
Je suis parfaitement d’accord avec la critique de What Hifi « c’est très probablement la meilleure platine vinyle jamais construite par un fabricant qui se vend au prix que Audio-Technica demande actuellement pour l’AT-LP7 ».
Dernière chose, maPlatine.com fournit la platine parfaitement réglée et prête à l’emploi, mais les transporteurs de son pas toujours très souple avec les colis (même suremballé de façon parfaite, peut-être trop même), le contre-poids du bras avait complètement glissé, j’ai repris le réglage et tout va bien.