Pure Fidelity Savant Ti 12 inch Tonearm
I first heard the Pure Fidelity Savant Ti 12” Tonearm (USD 8000) at the 2024 Pacific Audio Fest in Seattle. It sounded like a great match for John Stratton's new Symphony Turntable. At 12”, it was sized perfectly for the substantial plinth and looked impressive with an IKEDA Kai MC Phono Cartridge. After the show, the whole kit and caboodle came to my place for an extended stay and review.
You can watch an interview I did with Stratton and the Symphony/Savant Ti setup here.
After a few Covid supply chain challenges with Stratton’s OEM tonearms of choice, he decided to design and provide one of his own. He chose an Audio Origami tonearm to modify to his exact and demanding specifications. During the initial discussions with Stratton, I was confused and believed Pure Fidelity would provide Audio Origami OEM arms for his tables. No, his Savant is a reimagining of the highly-regarded Scottish tonearm. Stratton also offers an Origin Live Enterprise MK4 12” Tonearm for a USD 2000 premium for the Symphony Turntable “package.” I’m a big fan of Origin Live and reviewed the 9.5” version of the Enterprise MK4 (and purchased it for my Pure Fidelity Harmony Mk.2 mono setup).
After my experience with the 12” Pure Fidelity Savant Ti (Ti is the symbol for the chemical element Titanium) I’m not sure you have to pay an extra USD 2000 to get ultimate results from the Symphony.
My Use
I want to thank John Stratton of Pure Fidelity for bringing the tonearm over to the island from Vancouver and setting it up for me.
Set up is a simple affair. The Symphony’s upgraded arm board of stainless steel accepts the arm easily using the same setup tools, and alignment is straightforward.
Features and Specifications
Stratton descibes his tonearm as:
…a masterpiece that redefines excellence in the high-end audio market through its engineering prowess and minimalist design. This tonearm features a polished Titanium arm tube, enhancing its ability to create a transparent audio path for low-medium compliance cartridges and ensuring the purest sound delivery from the cartridge to the phono stage. Built with high-grade materials for exceptional durability, the Savant Ti boasts a robust base, titanium arm tube, headshell, and superior cabling. Incorporating the Meta Material Armtube Damping System (M.M.A.D.S.) within the titanium armtube optimizes vibration damping and eliminates internal cable disturbances, culminating in unmatched audio fidelity.
M.M.A.D.S (Meta-Material Arm Damping System) is a tunnel embedded within the arm tube, made from a material that “floats” the internal cabling and reduces any resonance reaching the cables. The tunnel is suspended by ultra-thin flanges made from a material that rejects vibration. Unlike other damping methods, such as foam or rubber, M.M.A.D.S doesn’t dull the sound. It lowers the noise floor so much that you experience more clarity and air from your record.
Grub screws make arm adjustments easy and painless, including azimuth, VTA and initial setup, etc. Anti-skate adjustment is another simple affair. It has been preset to work with carts that track between 1.9 and 2.1 grams. To add more anti-skate, move the weight outwards; for less anti-skating, move it inwards.
Azimuth was set before shipping. No adjustments were needed. It is doubtful you will have to make any further adjustments. However, if you feel some are needed follow the arm towards the bearing housing; there are two tiny grub screws on the black Delrin portion of the bearing housing (photo below). Loosen up these grub screws. These grub screws will eventually be snugged up once the Azimuth has been adjusted.
The Savant Ti is a grub-screw, simple-adjustment heaven. Shown above, azimuth adjustment grub screws x2 and the brilliantly-engineered counterweight with internal o-rings. The overriding design principle to get amazing sound is to keep it simple.
The Pure Fidelity counterweight, with its o-rings (the counterweight has a cool click when adjusting), makes small and precise adjustments very easy; it is a thing of beauty. The best I’ve used, and it is accurate.
The tonearm is a modern gimbal design using Race Bearings (the Race Bearings are manufactured in Japan). Additionally, Stratton redesigned the slots in the headshell. They have been engineered for precise alignment. “Simply ensure the distance between the screws and the front of the headshell are of equal distance on both sides.”
The arm has an effective mass of 14 grams. It’s amenable to many different types of cartridges. I’ve swapped several on the Savant Ti, and the headshell is a precise delight. Changing carts will not be an onerous task for experimenting audiophiles.
To finish off the excellence, internal cabling is provided by Cardas. The Savant Ti exudes quality.
To match that quality, I used an Ansuz Acoustics C2 Phono Cable with a DIN connector—it was a superb match.
The new stainless steel arm board, the Savant Ti Ball Race Gimbal with Pure Fidelity ID and the new design arm holder with a safety clip.
Specifications
Effective Length: 12 inches
Effective Mass: 14g
Tonearm Type: Ball Race Gimbal
Armtube: Titanium
Headshell: Aluminium
Gimbal Housing: Delrin
VTA, Azimuth and Anti-Skate: Adjustable
Damping: Meta Material
Internal Wiring: Cardas
Sound
I’m convinced of 12-inch tonearms. As much as I love my Origin Live 9.5” Enterprise MK4, the substantial Pure Fidelity 12” seems more stable with better definition and control. In general, it has quicksilver reflexes, presents a very clear soundstage, and is laser-focused and dynamic.
I know what I heard from the Savant Ti was the sum of a whole—turntable, tonearm, and cartridge. It’s what makes the Symphony package so compelling. So, we’ll begin with the opening gambit, Stravinsky’s The Firebird (LSO/Classic Records reissue of the original Mercury with Dorati conducting). This first record truly flabbered my gasted! The immense power exhibited by the LSO was harnessed and controlled with ease and precision by the Savant Ti. Whether growling deep bass on the opening grooves to the triumphant and thunderous finale, nothing flustered the Savant. The setup allowed so much hall/event ambiance that I could hear the musicians prepping their entries; I call it pre-information. It’s nothing magical; it’s simply how much information is getting through with such a high-quality tonearm. This led to unparalleled realism from my vinyl pressings.
The Savant Ti tracks like a champ. The 12” length can handle 33 rpm inner groove congestion better than many standard 9(.5)” tonearms I’ve heard. I used two 33 rpm pressings of Mussorgsky’s Pictures At An Exhibition arr. Ravel as test records, specifically the final track “The Great Gate of Kyiv.” Like many classical music finales, volumes get very loud just at the time on the record when you need the greatest space between the grooves.
The Chicago Symphony/Fritz Reiner RCA Living Stereo Classic Records reissue is celebrated as the finest performance/recording. It’s almost perfect with the Royal Philharmonic/Rene Liebowitz performance, also on an RCA Living Stereo/Classic Records reissue called “The Power of the Orchestra,” always nudging the Riener to take the top spot for best recording.
I’ve not heard a 45 rpm version of the two Pictures; although the two 33s are pressed very well, the final loud bars of “Kyiv” are still very demanding, and the Savant Ti sailed through them.
The ORG 45 rpm reissue of Bernie Grundmann’s cut of the famous Monteux Daphnis et Chloe ballet by Ravel was less successful. About five minutes in, the orchestra and choir are full throttle, and the original tape has been compromised with some distortion. I thought the Savant may help. Maybe a little, but it’s not going to solve every analogue problem. However, if you have tricky tracking at the end of a 33 side, the Savant Ti will help.
Jethro Tull’s debut album, This Was, sounded energized and full of the attitude the new band was trying to project with plenty of blues and jazz influences. The 12” Savant executed this album perfectly, highlighting Ian Anderson’s odd vocal placement on the opening track, “My Sunday Feeling.” Sure, his flute is dead center, but his voice is off-stage in Never Never Land. The album was recorded for a paltry £1200. That said, the Analog Relax/Savant combo picked up some odd in-the-moment vocalizing I’d never heard before.
Conclusion
The Pure Fidelity Savant Ti (USD 8000) is a resonance control king displaying a huge dynamic range, a generous soundstage and superior tonal qualities both on instruments and voice. It also allowed the very specific nature of expensive boutique phono cartridges their due. But in truth, an advanced analog product such as a Tonearm has but two primary jobs: to handle the geometry and physics of vinyl playback. The Savant Ti is a master of both. Very highly recommended.
Further information: Pure Fidelity
