A Funk Firm turntable that combines a relatively low price with technical innovation… Paul Rigby takes a closer look at the Gett!
FUNK FIRM GETT!
Price: £607
Web: thefunkfirm.co.uk
07846 798367
If you’ve been around hi-fi products and/or the hi-fi industry for a while, then you will likely know all about the famed Pink Triangle line of turntables. If there was one manufacturer’s product that would cause the legendary Linn Sondek to wake up screaming with the night sweats, then it was likely from the Pink Triangle range. The company folded back in 2003, but the creative genius behind the brand, Arthur Khoubesserian, has moved onwards and upwards. He is the man behind The Funk Firm and the Gett! turntable on review here.
The Gett!, sitting on an MDF platter and rubber feet, is the company’s entry-level design but, even here, features a sprinkling of design innovations. Khoubesserian can’t help himself. After all, this is the man who invented the acrylic platter. He even owned the patent for a time.
Before we get to the innovations, for many people, the most obvious and welcome feature of this two-speed design will be the easy-to-use-and-access speed-change knob. This makes a nice change from moving a belt from one pulley groove to another, and will appeal to many beginners.
The arm is suspended by threads… so imagine a child’s swing. The arm acts as the seat on that swing, while the bias is altered on the rotating knob, twisting the swing itself
KING OF THE SWINGERS
When operating this speed-change knob the first innovation lurches into view, because the knob and pulley are right next to each other. It’s unusual to see the motor positioned in the front-left position instead of the usual back-left (the traditional format, which was established many years ago, when hi-fi shielding was basic or non-existent). According to Khoubesserian, because technology has moved onwards, there is no need to retain this ‘outdated’ design position, which can have an adverse effect on the cartridge and causes a ‘thrum’ or low-frequency bloom sound. The repositioning is designed to remove this negative effect.
The aluminium arm with acrylic headshell is another design point of note, because it’s based upon a threaded configuration. The arm is suspended by threads… so imagine a child’s swing. The arm acts as the seat on that swing, while the bias is altered on the rotating knob, twisting the swing itself. It’s a tough design to implement, but offers numerous sonic benefits, such as a free and open presentation.
Installing the turntable was relatively easy and straightforward. The only point you need to take care with is, of all things, putting the belt around the rim of the platter – mainly because it tends to slip off easily while you’re doing it. The company promises to post a video to show you how to do this in seconds but, for those who are as inept as I am in such matters, I would recommend taping the belt with low-tack white tape around the rim in four or five places; then stretch the belt over the pulley and (carefully!) relax each tape tab away from the rim of the platter.
POP, FUNK AND JAZZ
I tried a range of music during my sound tests, from Fun Boy Three (high-energy pop) to Shakatak (jazz funk) and Joe Jackson (jazz). I was impressed by the open and airy nature of the soundstage, but also by how layered that soundstage was. These layers never masked each other; every element of detail remained on show, tickling the ears with clarity and information and causing the head to move rapidly from left to right to scoop it all up. I was surprised at the quality and nature of the bass via the Gett!. The turntable offered punch, but also a heft that arrived with an organic, tonally realistic movement. I never felt that the bass was ‘manufactured’, as you might hear from a drum machine, for example.
Offering a combination of precise control over more potentially chaotic frequencies, detail, air and space in the midrange, with impressive lower-end performance, this innovative and well-designed turntable delivers something that’s a little different from anything else out there in this price bracket. In conclusion, it’s one of the best turntables you can buy for under £1,000.
Pros
Layered soundstage
Clarity
Organic bass
Tonal realism
Price
Cons
Belt installation
Score
31/33 1/3