This review page is supported in part by the sponsors whose ad banners are displayed below

Fitting with the Transrotor’s greater warmth was its flowing, somewhat softer mien. Voices and strings felt particularly charming, nearly silken. A snare on the other hand hit stronger elsewhere. If you prefer intense impulse response and rhythmic beat, you might feel shortchanged. If you prefer greater melodic flow, you’d be happy. Those who wish to read more into this than I meant can’t be helped.


The Dark Star Reference staged broadly, with clear front/back relations but not maximal clarity and visibility into the final rows of an orchestra. This deck’s forté was clothing sounds with bodies and if in doubt, rather larger than smaller, with organically softened contours. This meant no particularly elevated airiness between the performers and no surgically acute outlines.

Options & upgrades: How about removing the Reference plinth? While the effect will be contingent also on setup specifics, I sadly noticed it. The tonal balance remained mostly unaffected but depth layering without the extra layer of POM took a hit and individual sounds were flatter and not as embodied – and the plinth also improved fine detail.


On Francoiz Beut’s "Les Jeunes Posses" I also noticed that the space around the sounds was more realistic, be it with the opening guitar or closing glockenspiel shimmer. With base the tones arose in an acoustics, without base the room disappeared. Though mere nuances, these were steps forward. A theoretical prediction that greater setup inertia also calms the sonic background to bring into the foreground hall data would find much confirmation with the Dark Star Reference.


This probably also means that if your personal rack/shelf solution is beyond all compromises, the addition of the Dark Star plinth will offer far smaller gains. The regulated Konstant Studio PSU attacks from a different direction yet its audible contributions in matters of spatial presentation are similar. The upgraded power supply better organizes the stage, voices and instruments have greater point focus and transparency goes up to also touch depth layering. But it’s not merely about better sorting. The tonal balance sheds some pounds in the bass which impacts amplitude yet gains in definition and dryness. Hence this is relative. The Dark Star also with regulated PSU tends to the earthy/potent rather than ethereal/slim but becomes rhythmically more accentuated. Subjectively this gets faster and harder in the lower range for definitive advances in my book.


Conclusion: Cool, sober or technical isn’t what Herr Räke’s black deck sounds like. I most keyed into its emotional impact. I come up with three specifics to better define this vague term:
  • The Dark Star Reference leans toward the fulsome and earthy. Bass has plenty of heft and power but isn’t maximally defined. The overall foundation is enhanced which supports the midrange with sonority.
  • Macrodynamically, this deck leans into things with gusto.
  • By trait the presentation is fluid and soft. Fluid covers it pretty well.
Additionally the Transrotor Dark Star Reference manages to:
  • cast an opulently dimensioned stage with good if not ultimate front/back differentiation and particularly embodied tactile sounds.
  • transition into the upper octaves seamlessly. The critical presence region is of one piece and harshness, breaks or irritations are MIA. The uppermost treble is somewhat depressed however.

Facts
  • Trim: Black
  • Concept: High-mass with POM casing and plinth, AC synchronous motor with round belt
  • Speeds: 33 1/3 und 45RMP (requires belt change)
  • Mass and weight: 46 x 34 x 22cm (WxDxH) / ca.20kg
  • Other: Optional upgrade to regulated Konstant Studio power supply (€420), may be delivered with SME arm board (free of charge)
  • Website

redaktion @ fairaudio.de