Last May, I had the pleasure of introducing you to the latest, ‘entry-level’ turntable from the renowned J.Sikora brand called ASPIRE. Just a few days ago, at the company’s headquarters, the new tonearm was unveiled… J.Sikora ASPIRE. What is it all about? Let me bring you up to date.
To be clear, this is not going to be a review, because the new tonearm hasn’t visited my room (at least yet). Still, since a little while ago the manufacturer invited me to its premiere at the company’s headquarters in Lublin, and this addition to the lineup changed, to some extent, what I wrote about in my review (one that you can check out HERE), I decided to give you an update.
That’s the silver version of the Aspire deck paired with the Aspire tonearm
If you have read the review, you already know that at the time, the new entry-level deck by J.Sikora called Aspire was offered with the KV9 tonearm, and that’s how I reviewed it. It is an excellent setup that I called a high-end one, and I stand by that opinion. It might be the least expensive (although not cheap) model in the lineup, but it shares a lot of DNA with its more expensive siblings, both in terms of design, build quality, and performance. I also wrote in that review that, in some countries, to offer a complete turntable at a lower price, the former could be paired with some OEM arms.
Robert Sikora passionately discusses the development process of the new tonearm
What has changed since then is that J.Sikora ultimately decided to develop their own tonearm to be sold with the Aspire deck, one that would, price-wise, better fit the expectations of the potential buyers. To get its price down, compared to the KV series, while keeping the excellent performance worthy of the brand’s reputation, J.Sikora’s engineers decided to use the same design principles and as many elements of the famous KV line as possible. To achieve both main objectives, though, they decided to change some of the materials used for the tonearm’s components.
The setup with Doshi Audio electronics, Joseph Audio speakers, Gigawatt power conditioner, Soyaton cables, and Rogoz Audio racks
The key change is an arm’s tube made of carbon fiber instead of Kevlar. The shape, conical, is the same, the headshell is the same, and it is still a uni-pivot design with oil damping. Inside, the manufacturer used the same foam as a damping material as in the KV arms, but the wiring is made of pure copper (it is not gold-plated this time). The materials for the bearing housing and arm’s column are mostly the same – it’s aluminum, stainless steel, and brass. The arm is almost as rigid as the Kevlar one, and it is lighter. One change that I am sure some users will appreciate is an arm holder with a lock that will secure the arm.
As I had a chance to take a closer look during the premiere event, I can tell you that despite its lower price, the Aspire tonearm still looks and feels like a J.Sikora product. So much so that it is easy to forget that it is not their famous Kevlar one (I loved the yellow version, but there is a black one as well). As for the performance, well, as I’ve already said, I can’t offer you a definitive assessment, but what I heard there is that it is yet another amazingly capable product from J.Sikora. I can’t say it with absolute certainty, because we did not compare the two arms directly, but it seemed to me that the main difference compared to the KV9 was a touch softer, a little more round sound from the carbon arm, which slightly affected the precision of the presentation. Still, that’s just an impression that would require further studies to prove or disprove it.
Cartridge by Aidas
In a way, an experience from an after-party of the event, when guests could choose any records to play, and, for example, someone played some Rush album at a volume that far exceeded my comfort level, could be used to disprove my initial impression. The Aspire deck with Aspire tonearm and Aidas cartridge remained unshook by both music and volume level. It played the rock music at truly insane levels (that run most guests out of the room) in an orderly, clean way, with impressive power, drive, and dynamics. Cudos to Doshi Audio electronics, Joseph Audio loudspeakers, Gigawatt power conditioner, and, as always, the outstanding Soyaton cabling, all of which (apart from Soyaton cables, at least individually) are way more expensive than Aspire. Yet, the latter seemed to feel absolutely comfortable in their company, and most likely, you wouldn’t be able to tell the significant price difference between them.
Two test pressings from AC Records and some of the event’s guests
During the Aspire tonearm premiere event, we also had a chance to listen to several tracks from test pressings of two new AC Records albums. One of them is a little atypical for the label as its founder, Adam Czerwiński, had nothing to do with the recording of it. It was previously released in 2023 on a CD, and now, as a sort of favor and in appreciation of the music on this album, Adam Czerwiński mastered it for a vinyl issue. It will be pressed at the same facility as all AC Records titles have been for some time, and released as a part of the AC Records portfolio. The album by Irek Wojtczak Tentet is entitled “Suita Parzęczewska” and is a jazz take on folk music. The other album we had a chance to listen to is Adam Czerwiński’s tribute to his late mother, and it’s titled simply “Song For My Mother”. Both will be available soon (most likely will premiere at the Audio Video Show that will take place in Warsaw between 24th and 26th October), and be assured that, as the J.Sikora Aspire turntable showcased, both offer top sound quality, the same as all previous releases from AC Records.
From the left: Adam Niezbecki, Robert Sikora, Hirek Wrona, Adam Czerwiński, and maestro Janusz Sikora
Long story short – the new Aspire tonearm, which will be sold exclusively together with Aspire decks, is yet another impressive addition to J.Sikora’s portfolio. It seems that despite lowering the costs of production, the company’s engineers have found a way to offer the same excellent performance and the same sonic character as with the KV line and more expensive decks. And that’s an amazing achievement on their part. The complete Aspire turntable may be an entry-level J.Sikora turntable, but it offers much more than just a glimpse into the world of fantastic J.Sikora sound. If you are on the market for a compact, beautifully designed, and great-sounding turntable that won’t cost you a kidney, you should check the Aspire out.
Current pricing:
- J.Sikora Aspire deck: 5900 EUR
- J.Sikora Aspire deck + J.Sikora Aspire tonearm + basic power supply: 7500 EUR
- J.Sikora Aspire deck + J.Sikora KV9 tonearm + linear power supply: 9800 EUR
- Optional upgrades, the same as for the Initial line, are available
