Dynamics and Nuance

If it's your intention to buy a high quality turntable, then we suggest you consider the Galibier Gavia or Stelvio. Galibier is a fascinating new wave turntable designed and built to order near Boulder, Colorado.

Its designer, Thom Mackris, has paid his dues in the audio world and has owned many British products, including Linn and Naim.

What impressed us about the Galibier on first audition was the very low noise level, stunning dynamics and an insight into details not revealed by lesser products, e.g. hearing two instruments playing in unison, where previously it had sounded like one.

The turntable base is machined from a solid aluminium billet. Like many high mass, unsuspended designs, the Galibier turntables have deep, melodic bass.

Platter Choice

There is a choice of platter materials (in ascending order of cost and sound quality): Serac, pvc (8.4 kg); Gavia, aluminium (with oil and shot damping chambers) weighing in at 14.5 kg and the ultimate Stelvio 20 kg aluminium (oil and shot damped) with a brass flywheel.

The aluminium platters have a graphite platter interface to support the record. Graphite was chosen because its acoustic properies are similar to those of the vinyls used in record manufacture, so it is very efficient at sinking resonances from the record through the platter.

More Information

Click here to visit Galibier Design and be sure to check out their comprehensive FAQs and support pages.

Key Features

You can read full details at the Galibier website, however, in our view, the key features are:
● the solid aluminium construction which provides mass damping of vibration and resonances
● the huge, precision-machined bearing
● the carefully tuned DC motor controller that provides exceptional pitch stability and dynamics
● the unique Mylar belt, which does not stretch, again removing a source of speed instability
● the graphite platter mat which sinks resonance away from the underside of the record

Drive System

Platter drive (33 and 45 rpm) is from a battery powered 12 V motor in a heavy, damped pod by mylar belt. The motor control circuit is very elegant and its constant voltage output with the inelastic belt drive provide excellent speed stability and unmatched transients.

We strongly recommend anyone thinking of buying a new turntable to audition the Gavia, because we believe it will set a benchmark for all others. To find out what others think of this popular design, search the analog forum of Audiogon for "Galibier."

Prices

We are passionate about these turntables so we have taken the unusual approach of offering them at the US price plus carriage, import duties and taxes. (The industry norm is for UK price to be the same number as the pre-tax US dollar price with a £ sign in front.

Indicative prices including shipping, duty and VAT:
Gavia with Serac platter £5500
Gavia with Gavia platter £7500
Stelvio £12,000.

To Audition

Call 01494-858471 or fill out this form.