Pink Triangle Export
This review first appeared in Hi-Fi World magazine in 1991. It was produced in software that descended from the VAX mini-computer: a combined WP/DB called LEX, one of its idiosyncracies was using strange strings of characters to insert new pages. If any of these characters remain, I tender my apologies.
First a little bit of history to explain whence cometh the Pink Triangle Export. The original Pink Triangle turntable (1979 -1985) had a DC motor, using a servo system
to keep it running at the right speed. But times weren’t good for DC motors. Japanese direct drive turntables, which employed them were getting some bad press because they had problems running at a consistent speed. Then the PT was accused by a journalist of “slowing under load”, a problem attributed to its motor. Despite the company’s denial of this claim – which involved it in the manufacture of a PT with two arms and playing upon it a specially cut test record which satisfactorily demonstrated that the deck did not suffer measurable “dynamic wow” – Pink Triangle was forced to switch to the industry standard AC synchronous motor, in order to gain acceptance for the product. The revised deck was christened the PT TOO and it was on sale from 1985 to 1990. It was supplied with an external power supply unit called The Pacesetter, which added to the deck’s cost but which the designers felt was necessary to realise the best performance from the inferior – in their view – AC motor. Then came the budget PT, the Little Pink Thing. Also AC-driven it had its motor control circuitry housed within its plinth.
A modern day Pink Triangle PT Too, upgraded by the Funk Firm
One of the company’s overseas distributors then suggested to Pink Triangle that it should incorporate the drive electronics from the LPT into the PT TOO, in order to keep down production costs, and in so doing keep retail prices down in export markets. PT liked the idea and so the Export turntable was born. Had the PT TOO survived it would now cost over £830 but it has been replaced in all markets, the United Kingdom included, by the Export. By virtue of this expedient the price of PT’s bread and butter deck is only £690. (For big spenders the company offers the innovative Anniversary turntable at £1198.) Buyers who wish to have a PT TOO specification deck, i.e. an Export driven by the original external power supply, are catered for by a socket on the deck’s rear which allows for the connection of a Pacesetter (£331).
The rest of the Export turntable is standard Pink Triangle fare. It uses the familiar principles established in the decks which preceded it: a three-point suspended Aerolam subchassis, acrylic platter, inverted main bearing, and lightly tinted (in pink, naturally) acrylic lid.
PINK AND PERKY
The Export is easy to set up and use, although this task, which includes the fitting of the arm and cartridge, will be performed by the dealer selling you the deck. The subchassis is supported by springs in extension – as opposed to springs in compression as found on the Linn LP12, Thorens TD160, Heybrook TT2 et al. This allows for adjustments to be made from without the deck’s plinth. It also results in a suspension system which is exceptionally free in both vertical and lateral planes: caution should therefore be exercised when cueing discs and parking tonearms. Motor start-up and speed control functions are
managed by a semi-transparent knob on the front of the solid ash plinth. This is illuminated when the deck is running: red signals 33 1/3 rpm, green 45 rpm. The turntable’s ‘conventional’ motor is not mounted in the conventional position: it is placed in the left hand front corner instead of the left hand rear. The idea is that unwanted vibrational energy transmitted into the platter from the motor through the drive belt travels parallel to the cartridge’s cantilever instead of across it, so cutting down induced spuriae.
Those coming to the Export from a more conventional deck – one which uses a felt mat twixt the platter and record – will have to modify their disc swapping procedure. If you always leave the deck running during listening sessions, as I do, relying on the mat slipping while you remove and replace records, you will have to get used to stopping the platter when changing discs. The Export has a naked, frost-finished acrylic platter, the designers
having rejected the use of any mat, preferring instead to support the record with material offering similar mechanical properties to that of vinyl.
ARMS DEALS
The Export can be fitted with a wide variety of arms. The manufacturers can supply pre-cut arm mounting boards to suit most popular choices. I asked for the deck to be sent with a Linn Akito tonearm (£149) this combination making for an entry-level top-flight turntable. I suspect that many users will buy their first Export with this arm, or a Rega RB300 or Roksan Tabriz, then upgrade later to one of the more expensive tonearms favoured with the deck: the SME series V often accompanies the Anniversary and there is no reason why it shouldn’t be used with the Export.
(Interestingly, I never liked the SME V, having only heard it on decks other than the PT, until I encountered it on the Anniversary which seemed to suit it far better than most.) To complete the review package I fitted an Audio Technica AT-OC5 moving coil cartridge (£119) into the arm, which brought the grand total up to £958, a not unreasonable charge for admission to the turntable high end.
I used the turntable with an assortment of amplifiers and speakers but most of the time it was hooked up to a Heybrook C3/P3 pre/power combination driving Epos ES11 loudspeakers. This made for a very respectable system costing just over £2300, not including stands and cables.
On the subject of equipment support, I used the Export on a Mana Acoustics three tier Reference Table. While all turntables benefit from being placed on this excellent platform I have to note that the (suspended subchassis) Pink Triangle models seem to benefit to a smaller degree than most. This tends to suggest that their suspension is less susceptible to structure-borne vibration than that of competing designs.
It can be difficult and unreliable attempting to isolate which component is causing what effect in a turntable system, attempting to attribute artefacts of the performance to any one of the three elements. It is therefore better to judge the whole set up as if it were one component. The turntable system here worked well, bringing out what I consider to be the strengths in each of the individual constituents: the analytical composure of the Export, the dynamism and rhythmic positiveness of the arm, and the fine detailing and insight offered by the cartridge. The partnership was indeed an harmonious one,
and it certainly wasn’t afflicted with any of the problems Danny Haikin had experienced with the AT-OC5 in his review of the cartridge in the May issue.
SOUND QUALITY
Throwing the deck in at the deep end I began the listening with some animated Cuban jazz. Even when presented with demanding material such as that which forms the Paquito D’Rivera and Arturo Sandoval LP “Reunion” the deck kept a firm grip on the music, clearly portraying, and maintaining, the intricate counterpoints of the melodies and rhythms. When Sandoval played his finger-breaking trumpet runs the deck captured his every note; David
Finck’s sinuous bass lines were depicted with similar clarity and dexterity; every twist and turn of Mark Walker’s fiery drumming and Fareed Haque’s adroit guitar playing was exposed ruthlessly. Yet all their contributions melded effortlessly to present a convincing picture of the performance: in the face of all these impressive hi-fi attributes the drive and cohesive quality of the music still shone through as the dominant factor. This agglomeration of artifacts couldn’t suppress the magic of the Mambo.
Delving into the classical repertoire I selected Jean Fery Rebel’s “Les Elements“, a musical assault course that not many decks can survive. In this piece Rebel stretches the rules of harmony to their virtual breaking point, especially in the opening movement “Le Cahos“, which represents the elements thatwill constitute the earth after God’s hand imposes order upon them. And orderly would be a fitting description for how the deck presented
this taxing composition. It was never less than composed and in control, all it really lacked was the sense of drama that a better arm and cartridge would have afforded it. As the music progressed towards the final debrouillement the combination didn’t generate the same tension, the need for a musical release, that I have heard from my own turntable (a modified Linn LP12 with Naim Aro tonearm) or the PT Anniversary equipped with SME V. However, it’s churlish to be too critical; with many similarly priced decks one wouldn’t remain listening long enough to reach the final harmonic unravelling, with the Export my interest was maintained up to and beyond the close of the movement. The combination gave a fine account of the Academy of
Ancient Music’s playing, and brought out the marvellous tonal colours and dynamics of the period instruments used.
On straightforward rock material – including albums by The Law, Velvet Underground, and Little Feat – the player exhibited far better rhythmic drive than PTs of yesteryear. I would still recommend that those who are particularly sensitive to a turntable’s ability to boogie should compare the Export with the Linn LP12, the undoubted paradigm in this respect. Pink Triangle itself admits that the Linn has undeniable strengths in this area: it adds that the PT
philosophy centres more on stripping away colorations and aberrations than on overt musicality. This is evinced by the deck’s ability to show up recordings in a new and different light to other decks. Often a familiar piece of music will surprise as some previously unnoticed element is brought to light. The Export could be renamed the Explicit for the way in which it provides an insight into multi-track recordings.
SUMMARY
With appropriate partnering equipment the Pink Triangle Export is a truly competitive product. In conjunction with the arm and cartridge chosen for this test it provided a seductive taste of true high end performance. And after the honeymoon period is over the deck cries out for a better arm and cartridge so that it can reveal even more of the music. But those who want to get the most from the deck ought to consider fitting a Pacesetter power supply before making plans to upgrade elsewhere.
