All
Well Tempered Lab
Website:https://www.welltemperedlab.net/
Est. year: 1985
Well Tempered Lab is a small turntable maker built around the designs of William Firebaugh, whose tonearm has no conventional bearing. The arm hangs from a golf ball partly immersed in high-viscosity silicone fluid, held in place by a plastic thread, with adjustable damping. The name is a registered trademark owned by Firebaugh.
Range & what it's known for
The current range covers the Simplex Mk2, Amadeus Jr, Versalex, Amadeus 254 GT and Royale 400 turntables, the LTD tonearm, a DPS power supply, TLC and Kauri MK II phono cartridges and phono stages. Firebaugh's starting point was a 1977 study of turntable resonance by Bruel and Kjaer, which called for a light tonearm damped to a Q of 0.5. His arm tubes, 10.5 inches on the Amadeus and 9 inches on the Simplex, are filled with sand, and the platter spindle turns in a triangular Teflon hole that gives two points of contact and zero clearance. The Versalex, shipping since 2012 with the LTD arm, uses a multilayer Baltic plywood plinth with a walnut-veneered top.
Who owns it and where it's made
Firebaugh is the chief designer, and the products reach the market through a joint venture with proprietor Frank Denson. Manufacturing is done by partner Opera Audio in Beijing, China.
The lineup in this catalog
Turntables and tonearms. Prices range from about USD 2,000 to over USD 8,000.
Who it's for
Record collectors after a turntable and arm conceived together by one engineer, and who are happy to set the fluid damping themselves. A buyer can start with the Simplex Mk2 or Versalex, move to an Amadeus model and add the brand's own cartridges and phono stages to complete the chain.
Range & what it's known for
The current range covers the Simplex Mk2, Amadeus Jr, Versalex, Amadeus 254 GT and Royale 400 turntables, the LTD tonearm, a DPS power supply, TLC and Kauri MK II phono cartridges and phono stages. Firebaugh's starting point was a 1977 study of turntable resonance by Bruel and Kjaer, which called for a light tonearm damped to a Q of 0.5. His arm tubes, 10.5 inches on the Amadeus and 9 inches on the Simplex, are filled with sand, and the platter spindle turns in a triangular Teflon hole that gives two points of contact and zero clearance. The Versalex, shipping since 2012 with the LTD arm, uses a multilayer Baltic plywood plinth with a walnut-veneered top.
Who owns it and where it's made
Firebaugh is the chief designer, and the products reach the market through a joint venture with proprietor Frank Denson. Manufacturing is done by partner Opera Audio in Beijing, China.
The lineup in this catalog
Turntables and tonearms. Prices range from about USD 2,000 to over USD 8,000.
Who it's for
Record collectors after a turntable and arm conceived together by one engineer, and who are happy to set the fluid damping themselves. A buyer can start with the Simplex Mk2 or Versalex, move to an Amadeus model and add the brand's own cartridges and phono stages to complete the chain.
