A new turntable from Michell isn’t an everyday occurrence, so it was with great anticipation that I joined a group of audio journalists one chilly afternoon in October at the Cromwell Hotel in Stevenage, England, 28 miles north of London, in response to the promise of something new from Michell Engineering.
Michell Engineering CEO Jonathan Nye addresses the assembled press
To everyone’s surprise, the company was launching not one but two new turntables. The first was the Revolv, a mid-priced, entirely new turntable that sits above the TecnoDec and beneath the Gyro in their product range. The second was an updated version of the GyroDec. The model name for the turntable is simply Gyro.
The Revolv
Set to ship in November at £3995, without arm or cartridge, the Revolv is a rigid design and uses a heavy 19mm aerospace-grade aluminum chassis, machined from a single block to dissipate unwanted vibrations. The four supporting feet each incorporate six bespoke Sorbothane damping nodes to isolate the deck from external vibration.
The Revolv, an attractive turntable at a modest price
The Revolv also incorporates the famous Gyro inverted bearing, with its single-helix groove, to cleverly recirculate oil to the thrust point and bearing walls. The platter is made from Delrin, because it has superb vibration-damping properties and provides a boundary impedance closely matching that of vinyl. Underneath the platter are mounted smaller versions of the solid-brass weights used on the Gyro to provide peripheral mass, improve speed stability, and reduce wow and flutter.
The Revolv’s power supply is magnetically shielded in a Faraday cage
The new motor, a freestanding design, is completely isolated from the turntable and is powered by a highly regulated power-supply unit, which is magnetically shielded to minimize interference. The PSU offers 33⅓- and 45-rpm electronic speed change and takes its design cues from the recently launched Michell Apollo phono stage (review forthcoming on SoundStage! Ultra), which also incorporates a Faraday cage in its clamshell design for magnetic shielding.
Michell’s aim with the Revolv was to bring some of the technical features of the Gyro to a lower price point, and it sounded impressively detailed and musical at the launch.
The new Gyro
Since its debut 43 years ago, the GyroDec has become an iconic turntable. While it has undergone many upgrades, it has never been subjected to a complete ground-up redesign—until now. As noted, the name has been shortened to Gyro to reflect the nature of this fundamental change. The new Gyro will be available in December for £5995, not including tonearm or cartridge.
The all-new Gyro takes center stage
The most significant change is the introduction of a precision-machined chassis made from 19mm aerospace-grade aluminum, which replaces the cast-aluminum chassis and cast-steel weights of the original GyroDec. This enables uniform mechanical performance across the structure to reduce coloration in the midrange, and it better directs energy flow away from the tonearm and main bearing. Advanced FEA (finite element analysis) and AI simulations were used to model the energy flow across the chassis, and this resulted in the implementation of a number of brass weights fitted within the chassis at calculated intervals to dissipate energy, vibration, and resonance within the structure.
In addition, the suspension has been totally redesigned to tune its frequency to 3.5Hz (the old GyroDec suspension operated at 4.5Hz), moving it even further away from the audioband. Small guide pins called Equilibria have also been fitted inside the suspension to ensure that it bounces pistonically. Those accustomed to earlier GyroDecs (and many other suspended turntables) will recall the difficulty of tuning their suspensions for optimum pistonic motion; this process is no longer required. Michell claims that the use of Equilibria provides better low-frequency control and improved pitch accuracy.
Finally, the Gyro has done away with acrylic and beefed up the chassis. It is now a significantly heavier turntable. Michell claims that the increased weight, as well as the much-improved chassis design, contributes to a lower noise floor and improved rhythm and microdynamics.
The Gyro is now heavier, so that energy is better controlled, but it remains as beautiful as ever
The platter remains Delrin, and the famous brass platter weights still adorn the underside. But the old grooves on the sidewalls of the platter for the drive belt are gone, and now the platter has a smooth, grooveless precision-turned edge, which allows the drive belt to self-level. The base is now a high-mass aluminum design, replacing the old lightweight acrylic spider frame. Michell says this reduces flex and enhances bass definition and midrange clarity.
Note the new grooveless Delrin platter edge
The Gyro also benefits from bespoke Sorbothane feet with six contact nodes to better absorb vibration, especially in the 20–115Hz range. The inverted bearing has been upgraded too, and it now includes a double-helix spiral for even better oil recirculation. The motor-control unit offers RFI shielding and electronic speed control, representing a significant upgrade from the basic one supplied with the old GyroDec. A new, even higher-performance power supply is in the works, but no launch date has been set.
The Gyro spins on with revised damping and an all-new machined chassis
As someone who has used the GyroDec as a reference turntable for over 25 years, I was delighted that Michell has undertaken such a comprehensive redesign and yet managed to retain the iconic looks. Sonically, it’s always difficult to pass judgement on a source in an unfamiliar system and room, but there’s no denying that the new Gyro sounded deeply impressive and would seem to offer truly high-end performance for a relatively modest cost. The Gyro has always been something of a giant killer. Mine has seen off some very elite and vastly more-expensive turntables with relative ease, so I can’t wait to get my hands on the new version for a full review.
The new Gyro and Revolv on the podium for the win
Summary and thoughts
In a world where more and more audio brands seem to be on a mission to create ever-more-expensive hi‑fi jewelry for oligarchs, I find the fabulous performance, gorgeous design, and high engineering quality of Michell turntables a breath of fresh air. This is a family-owned firm, one that is determined to build audio equipment in England that performs at the highest levels, but is relatively affordable for the majority of seriously committed music lovers. To cap it all, their turntables are some of the most stunning designs available at any price.
Jonathan Gorse
Senior Contributor, SoundStage!
Manufacturer
J.A. Michell Engineering Ltd
Unit B, Gateway 1000
Arlington Business Park
Whittle Way
Stevenage SG1 2FP
Email: info@michellaudio.com
Website: www.michellaudio.com
UK distributor
PMC Distribution UK
Holme Court
Biggleswade
SG18 9ST
Phone: +44 (0) 1767 686300
Website: www.pmc-speakers.com
USA distributor
Fidelity Imports
7 Crown Ct
Manalapan Township
NJ 07726
Phone: (609) 369-9240
Website: www.fidelityimports.com
