Changing to a completely different musical style, we went for Kraftwerk's The Man-Machine. "Robots" opens with staccato loops and samples from all kinds of electronics, many of them analog synthesizers. This album is perhaps the most 'poppy' by the legendary German quartet but more complex than their previous releases. Many artists were influenced by this album and we only have to mention Star Wars (R2D2) and the Blue Man Group to paint that picture.

Pedro Soler + Gaspar Claus with Al Viento is another recent favorite of flamenco guitar and cello between father and son. Its opening track features lighthearted guitar followed by an intensely melancholic cello. Next to being very well recorded, this album can project its instruments into the room at the right size. The guitar is never too big or heavy, the cello appropriately large, warm when needed, sharp when pressed for which Gaspar gives plenty of input. We loved the way the Holbo handled the weight information in the grooves and how it put a very stable image between the loudspeakers and beyond.

Playing several more LPs, we noted a few things. First, the response to the on/off switching. Borstjan recommends switching the turntable off whenever changing or flipping records. When switched off, the platter only rotates for another 1.5 turns. Powered up only takes just 2 rotations to get to speed. In our case of a very nude cantilever and needle, extra caution was due when positioning the needle to the entry groove. Don't forget to use the arm lift to get the most clearance. That lift is positioned all the way at the back of the table so strategic placement of the turntable will account for sufficient access later on. When set up on a high rack, reaching for the lift can be problematic. Finally, we noticed that the quad of twisted micro wires from the cartridge and the small air hose for the arm bearing moved smoothly with the arm without obstructing its ride along the shiny tube.

From its 1979 release, we then played Jan Akkerman's A Phenomenon. This is a compilation covering recordings of the Dutch master guitarist from 1967's Russian Spy And I to 1972's solo work. Bands Akkerman has played with bands which include The Hunters, Brainbox and of course Focus. As well as the recordings, these pressings are of high quality. Back in the day, musicians, technicians and producers took their time to get things right. Take the Ray Charles classic "What I'd Say". Akkerman shows off with his lightning-fast finger work while a large brass section gives him counterweight. Even though the recording stems from 1968, here we heard plenty of bass yet the higher frequencies were far from as sharp as many recordings from the present decade suffer from unfortunately.