| Model: | The Levitator | | Category: | Accessory | | Suggested Retail Price: | $85.00 | | Description: | aftermaket tonearm lifting device | | Manufacturer URL: | Tim Hoger |
For most of my nearly 40 years of listening to records I have owned either fully automatic turntables or one which would raise the tonearm at the end of playback. But for the last eight years I've owned a fully manual turntable, and I had been happy. But lately I've noticed I'm doing more anticipating the end of the record to rush up and lift the tomearm than fully enjoying the end of the record and allowing the experience to properly sink in. I decided to look for a tonearm lifter to add to my setup.
Past options I researched were the AT Safety Raiser and the Thorens Q-Up, hoping to find one used. I also saw Expressimo Audio's "The Lift", still currently offered direct.
Then I saw that there were two newer offerings: the Q-Up, made by a company of the same name, and the Levitator, made by Tim Hoger in Wisconsin.
The Q-Up looks like a close copy of the previous Thorens design. It's also the least expensive option. But I decided to try a different option when I saw that the footprint was the largest. Using their dimensions, I made a suitable mock-up of the base's footprint and discovered it would not work on my Teres. That left the Levitator and the Expressimo. Both had small footprints, but the length and force of the "arm swing" of the Expressimo eventually lost out to the Levitator.
I had several emails back and forth with Tim before I purchased the Levitator. Tim answered my questions patiently, promptly, and thoroughly. Before I pulled the trigger I looked up videos of the Levitator, the Q-Up, the Lift, and the Safety Raiser. The Safety Raiser seemed the gentlest of the four, followed closely by the Levitator. In a final email to Tim, I mentioned I'd been looking at all these options, when he informed me that the Levitator - much like the Q-Up is based on the older Thorens device - is based on the AT Safety Raiser.
The Levitator has a height range of 1" to 1 1/2". The distance between the underside of my tonearm and the armboad below it requires a slightly taller setup, so I needed to order one of the 3/8" extension pieces Tim sells for $3.50 (they also have a 7/8" extension available), so I Paypaled $88.50 (free shipping) to Tim and the Levitator arrived very quickly.
Although the lift pad can be oriented at any angle, the release lever needed to be aligned basically parallel to the tonearm at impact to make the lift work for me. Adjusting the position took a few attempts, but in slightly less than 30 minutes it was fully installed and hasn't missed a beat since. I was fortunate to find a couple of LP's with very short run out grooves and once it worked for them it's worked on everything else.
After reviewing the videos and reading a few online reviews of the older Thorens version of the Q-Up, I'm not sure I would have gone for that one even though it was less expensive. I know many folks are fond of the Q-Up both in the older and newer incarnations, and that Fremer guy raved about the Expressimo in 1997, but for my money the smoothness and gentleness of either the AT or the Levitator are hard to beat. Highly recommended.
Tim doesn't have a website. The link in the review is to the setup video posted on YouTube. If you have questions or wish to order just email him at levitator4me@yahoo.com.
| Product Weakness: | no website - email only | | Product Strengths: | time-tested design, easily adjustable, gentle lifting action |
Associated Equipment for this Review:| Amplifier: | W4S ST-1000 | | Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): | Mapletree Ultra 4A Custom | | Sources (CDP/Turntable): | Teres Model 150, AudioModsUK tonearm, AT-33EV cartridge | | Speakers: | Magnepan MMG's modified by Peter Gunn at Magnestand | | Cables/Interconnects: | Clarity Labs Intercoinnects, Mapleshade speaker cables | | Music Used (Genre/Selections): | Mingus Ah Um!, Can | | Type of Audition/Review: | Product Owner |
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