{"title":"Houdini","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eTwo years of development to solve a problem most listeners didn't know they had: the stylus picking up the arm's own resonance and adding it to the music. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHoudini\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e is a precision-engineered cartridge decoupler. It works on virtually any setup. For decks without VTA adjustment, the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCobra Headshell\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e is its companion.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"houdini","title":"Houdini - Cartridge Isolation","description":"\u003cp\u003eTwo years of development went into solving a problem most listeners did not know they had: the stylus picking up the tonearm’s own resonance and adding it to the music.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a major source of “analogue sound” becasue it is happening in 99.9% of tonearms - yes, really, that many. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJust check out the response plots of common arms to see this is true - the plots come from HiFi Choice or Hifi World. (We are looking for an even plot.)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe best solution is to replace the arm with a true, low resonance plot like FX3 (from HiFi World). But arms are costly. Also there are many decks, from SL1500C or AT's 120XP, say, who's arms cannot be removed, never mind teh many really find vintage decks that again have a fixed arm. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor these pople Funk developed Houdini. It makes a dramatic sonic difference because it blocks arm tube vibrations from reaching the cartaridge. The result is sound much closer to teh one heard by the engineer in the recording studio\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHoudini is a precision-engineered cartridge decoupler. It works with virtually any setup, filtering much of the unwanted energy from the arm before it reaches the cartridge. A great deal of “analogue sound” simply vanishes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHoudini is a remarkably small price to pay for music that sounds more natural and more real. It is not only for high-end turntables. More modest decks often have greater resonance problems, so the improvement can be even more obvious.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor decks without VTA adjustment, the Cobra Headshell is its companion.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eKey details\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePrecision-engineered cartridge decoupler — works with virtually any setup\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFilters tonearm resonance before it reaches the cartridge\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAudible improvement on both modest and high-end turntables\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAvailable in Threaded and Bolt-Thru versions\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePart of the Funk Firm Isolation Bubble concept\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"The Funk Firm","offers":[{"title":"Threaded","offer_id":58220915130693,"sku":"HOUDINI-THREADED","price":350.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Bolt-Thru","offer_id":58220915163461,"sku":"HOUDINI-BOLTTHRU","price":350.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1065\/5314\/7717\/files\/Houdini-polished-metal4_13733ba3-a22f-43a8-8eae-150aa2c449e0.png?v=1780994068"},{"product_id":"cobra-headshell","title":"Cobra Head Shell","description":"\u003cp\u003eFunk’s Cobra Headshell is currently the world’s only headshell solution for decks with fixed arms ie.e. they don't have any VTA (vertical tracking adjustment) for decks. This usually means \"your deck isn't grat, buy a new onw\". The reality is different. Most decks really are good but need teh weak bits sorting out, in this case a lack of VTA.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt has also been designed as the perfect companion to the Houdini cartridge decoupler.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCobra is designed to work on the millions of decks with detachable, \"S\" shaped tonearms yet, when measured, actually have a really good technical performance. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe argument goes somethign like this: No VTA? If you can't adjust them arm, why waste money on a better mat or cartridge. That leaves your only choice to change the deck. That’s a double waste. It’s a good deck and it now adds to land fil, unnecessarily.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFunk's Cobra solves this. Lateral thinking showed that there is no real reason whatsoever for VTA adjustment to only exist at the rear of the arm. It can just as effectively be done at the headshell - hence Cobra.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCobra's clever design has the height adjustment moved from the rear to the front. VTA adjustment is built-in. Suddenly, your budget deck is no longer budget. Not only is it such a creative, it’s also a very cost-effective solution.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFurthermore Cobra’s name says it all in that in also accommodates Houdini’s 6mm depth. Cobras cartridge wires are not conventional. They are super flexible and don’t interfere with Houdini’s operation – Houdini is, after all, a sprung design, which conventional stiff wires will interfere with.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePair Houdini and the Cobra Headshell and your budget deck with its fixed, resonant arm has just morphed into something now with true high-end aspiration and performance.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eKey details\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDesigned as a companion to the Houdini cartridge decoupler\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBuilt-in VTA adjustment: corrects cartridge height on fixed S-shaped tonearm decks\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEnables Houdini use on budget decks that cannot otherwise accommodate the 6mm addition\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTransforms a budget turntable with a fixed arm into a high-performing setup\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"The Funk Firm","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58220915327301,"sku":"COBRA_HEADSHELL","price":130.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1065\/5314\/7717\/files\/Funk-Headshell-Cobra.png?v=1780994069"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1065\/5314\/7717\/collections\/houdini-hero-top-down.jpg?v=1781136556","url":"https:\/\/thefunkfirm.co.uk\/collections\/houdini.oembed","provider":"The FunkFirm","version":"1.0","type":"link"}