REVIEW: Little Fwend Lo Accessory

Model:	Lo
Category:	Accessory
Suggested Retail Price:	$249.00
Description:	Manual tonearm lift at record's end
Manufacturer URL:	Little Fwend

Review by HarlemAirShaft on May 31, 2017 at 22:36:39
IP Address: 209.58.139.5 Add Your Review
for the Lo

For a few years now I've been using the Q-Up and it worked, so I was happy. But then I got a Grace G-714 tonearm for my Teres 150, and suddenly the Q-Up was no longer up to the task, so to speak. I'm guessing that the width of the tonearm at the lifting point was making the lever work much harder than before. But even with the power selector set on it's highest power the Q-Up just didn't seem to have the oomph anymore. I even tried raising it up on additional spacers to eliminate the air space and increase stability, but it didn't work.

So what to do? Try other lifters. The Expressimo brass lifter looked promising, but suffered the same fate. Then I remembered the Levitator I used previously and realized that the different design, with the horizontal pad pushing up without swinging should work.

But one of the reasons I went to the Q-Up after the Levitator died was it's narrow footprint. It barely fit between the platter and the arm board, and the Levitator needed a base which was always a bit loose.

A little research online led me to the Little Fwend. Instead of dismissing it out of hand because of the price I had a look at it and the base of the Little Fwend was quite a bit wider. I didn't think I could move it up to the correct position. I pondered things for a while, and then it hit me: unlike other lifts that simply get stuck to the plinth with double-sided tape the Little Fwend has a magnet in it's base which connects to a very thin magnetic disc adhered to the plinth, and the tallest model they sell isn't quite tall enough, so I needed a Lo version and something to raise it up. A two inch magnetic rod 1/2" in diameter placed between the Fwend and the magnetic base disc would both raise the Fwend's base above the arm board (allowing greater flexibility in placement) and place the Lo version at the correct height.

I found an inexpensive magnetic rod that was slightly narrower than the base was and as wide as the magnet inserted into the base. I discussed all of this with Lasse at Little Fwend and he was most understanding and helpful and assured me that the additional magnet would not affect performance. I got the magnet a few days ago and the Little Fwend arrived today.

What can I say? It works like a charm and I spent only a couple of minutes dialing it in.

And, yes, I thought about getting a used Safety Raiser on Ebay. For me, the build quality of the Little Fwend seemed like a better bet.

If your situation calls for a more standard approach than mine and the Q-Up or another less pricey option works for you, great! If you can do without, even better. I might not have sprung for this if my knees and hip made jumping out of my chair to save a cartridge difficult even on good days. But in the end I consider the price well worth it.

Product Weakness:	Needs a bit more room than others
Product Strengths:	Built like a tank, gorgeous, very smooth lifting action

Associated Equipment for this Review:

Amplifier: see inmate systems
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): see inmate systems
Sources (CDP/Turntable): see inmate systems
Speakers: see inmate systems
Cables/Interconnects: see inmate systems
Music Used (Genre/Selections): see inmate systems
Other (Power Conditioner etc.): see inmate systems
Type of Audition/Review: Product Owner
Your System (if other than home audition): Main

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Topic - REVIEW: Little Fwend Lo Accessory - HarlemAirShaft 22:36:39 05/31/17 (1)

RE: REVIEW: Little Fwend Lo Accessory - Not Yet There 06:01:05 06/02/17 (0)

Amplifier:	see inmate systems
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated):	see inmate systems
Sources (CDP/Turntable):	see inmate systems
Speakers:	see inmate systems
Cables/Interconnects:	see inmate systems
Music Used (Genre/Selections):	see inmate systems
Other (Power Conditioner etc.):	see inmate systems
Type of Audition/Review:	Product Owner
Your System (if other than home audition):	Main

REVIEW: Little Fwend Lo Accessory

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