Michell Engineering Pack REVOLV + T8 + Cusis E (Low)

Between the understated, minimalist TecnoDec and the suspended Gyro, Michell has positioned a turntable that adopts several of the latter’s design solutions without its suspension. This package pairs the Revolv with the T8 tonearm and the Cusis E moving-coil cartridge, for a complete Michell setup from platter to stylus. The turntable is designed, manufactured and assembled by hand in the United Kingdom. You will still need a phono preamplifier suitable for low-output cartridges.

A rigid chassis resting directly on its feet

The Revolv’s chassis is machined from a 19 mm-thick plate of aircraft-grade aluminium. Unlike the Gyro, it is not suspended on springs: the bearing, platter and tonearm are attached to the same rigid structure, and vibrations picked up during playback are directed towards the supporting surface rather than oscillating within the mechanism. The tonearm is attached via a machined aluminium mounting base, ensuring firm coupling between the cartridge and the record. Each foot incorporates six Sorbothane pads, a damping polymer that filters vibrations from the floor or supporting furniture. This choice involves a trade-off: without suspension, the Revolv depends more on the quality of its support, which should ideally be stable, heavy and perfectly level. On a flexible wooden floor that transmits footsteps, a wall shelf is a good option.

The platter is made of Delrin, a dense, low-resonance polyacetal, ringed with 10 mm brass weights set into its perimeter. Placing weight far from the centre increases inertia: the platter behaves like a flywheel and better resists the small speed fluctuations that the ear perceives as wow. A supplied record clamp holds the record against the platter to limit its own vibrations.

The inverted bearing inherited from the Gyro

The Revolv uses the inverted main bearing that built the Gyro’s reputation. In a conventional bearing, the platter rotates on a ball positioned at the bottom of a well. In Michell’s design, the rotation point is at the top of the spindle, as close as possible to the platter’s centre of gravity, stabilising its rotation. A helical groove circulates oil along the full height of the spindle as the platter turns: lubrication remains constant, rotation stays quiet, and bearing wear remains very low over the years.

A motor separate from the turntable

The motor is housed in a heavy, independent unit placed beside the turntable, with no connection to it other than the belt. Its vibrations do not reach the chassis or, consequently, the cartridge, which reads grooves whose contours are measured in microns. The motor housing and external power supply are machined from solid blocks of aircraft-grade aluminium: these rigid, almost seamless enclosures also block radio-frequency interference. The assembly is earthed via a shielded cable.

Speed is changed electronically, using a button on the power supply, between 33 1/3 and 45 revolutions per minute, without having to move the belt on a pulley.

The T8 tonearm, an evolution of the T2

The T8 succeeds the T2 in Michell’s tonearm range, retaining its design principle while making the mechanics more rigid. The vertical bearing housing is now aluminium, the sleeve has been redesigned and the vertical bearing spindle is stainless steel. These changes increase the tonearm’s rigidity and stability, and limit unwanted movement and resonance. The bearings are matched by hand, and the arm tube has been designed to have as few resonance points as possible.

With an effective mass of 11 g, the T8 is a lightweight tonearm. Effective mass refers to the weight “seen” by the cartridge as it follows the groove: a lightweight tonearm reacts quickly to record warps and suits cartridges with fairly firm suspension, such as the Cusis E. The internal wiring is low-mass copper, and the tonearm terminates in low-capacitance phono cables fitted with high-quality plugs. The T8 is not sold separately: Michell supplies it only fitted to its own turntables.

Cusis E, a low-output moving-coil cartridge

The Cusis E is the entry point to Michell’s cartridge range. It operates on the moving-coil (MC) principle: tiny coils move within a fixed magnetic field, unlike the more common moving-magnet cartridges (MM). The moving assembly is lighter, which promotes fine detail retrieval and fast transients. The samarium-cobalt magnet, combined with pure iron, creates a highly stable magnetic field. The coils are precision-wound from 30 µm pure copper wire on an ultralight armature, mounted on a damper tuned to follow the groove faithfully. For each Cusis model, Michell adjusts the number of turns, output voltage and body material to suit the stylus used.

The stylus tip is an elliptical-profile diamond, narrower along the groove than a conical diamond: it follows rapid modulations more closely and reproduces treble with greater precision. It is carried by an aluminium cantilever (stylus holder). The high-density acetal body is mounted on a wide aluminium chassis that absorbs vibrations and provides a rigid base for the assembly. The recommended tracking force is 2 g, and the frequency response extends from 20 Hz to 25 kHz.

A setup to be completed with an MC preamp

With an output voltage of 0.35 mV, the Cusis E delivers a signal around ten times weaker than an MM cartridge. It requires a high-gain, low-noise MC phono input, offering around 60 dB or more, or a step-up transformer placed before an MM input. The preamp must be able to load the cartridge at 100 Ω, the value recommended by Michell for an internal impedance of 4.5 Ω. The turntable has no built-in preamplifier: the tonearm output connects to this phono preamp, and the earth wire connects to its dedicated terminal to prevent hum.

The Revolv is designed to evolve with its owner. Its design allows the setup to be upgraded in stages rather than replacing the turntable, starting with the cartridge, the easiest component to replace.

REVOLV Turntable

Construction and materials

• 19 mm solid aluminium chassis
  • Precision-machined for maximum rigidity
  • Unsuspended design for direct mechanical grounding
• Delrin platter with peripheral mass
  • 10 mm brass peripheral weights for increased inertia
  • Rigid tonearm coupling via a machined aluminium plate
• Handcrafted construction
  • Designed, manufactured and hand-assembled in the United Kingdom
  • Timeless engineering and a minimalist footprint

Motor system and isolation

• Isolated and shielded standalone motor unit
  • Drastically reduces vibration transmission to sensitive components
  • Preserves musical detail and clarity
• Shielded power supply with electronic speed selection
  • Motor and power supply machined from aircraft-grade aluminium blocks
  • Rigid enclosures blocking RF interference
• Grounding and shielded wiring
  • Entire assembly grounded and connected by shielded cable
  • Ensures a pure signal path and exceptional audio quality

Stability and damping

• Sorbothane isolation feet
  • Six vibration dissipation points
  • Optimal damping to preserve sound fidelity
• Inverted single-helix main bearing with oil circulation
  • Ensures stable, quiet rotation
  • Contributes to precise and clear musical reproduction
• Optimised mechanical architecture
  • Direct grounding without suspension
  • Absolute motor system stability

Upgradeability and accessories

• Upgradeable platform
  • Architecture designed to accommodate future upgrades
  • A turntable you can build on and invest in for years
• Included accessories
  • Dust cover
  • Record clamp

T8 Tonearm

Performance and sound quality

• Very high-end audiophile tonearm
• Significant improvement in rigidity and stability over the T2 model
• Extremely detailed and natural sound reproduction

Mechanical specifications

• Effective mass: low (11 g)
• Mounting distance: 222 mm (measured from the centre of the platter to the centre of the tonearm)
• Compatibility: Michell Gyro series turntables

Design and construction

• Hand-matched precision bearings
• Advanced arm tube design for maximum resonance reduction
• Low-mass copper internal wiring
• Low-capacitance phono cables fitted with high-end connectors

Box contents

• Michell Gyro turntable with chassis, platter and bearing
• Decoupled motor unit
• Shielded external power supply
• Acrylic cover
• Michell record clamp
• Drive belt
• Connection and grounding cables
• User manual

Cusis E Cartridge

Physical construction

• Type: moving coil (MC) cartridge
• Stylus tip: elliptical
• Cantilever: aluminium
• Chassis: wide aluminium chassis
• Body: high-density acetal

Audio performance

• Tracking force: 2.0 g
• Frequency response: 20 Hz – 25,000 Hz
• Channel separation: 23 dB
• Channel balance: < 1 dB
• Tracking ability: 70 µ / 2.0 g
• Compliance: 8 × 10⁻⁶ cm / dyne

Electrical characteristics

• Output voltage: 0.35 mV
• Recommended load: 100 Ω
• Internal impedance: 4.5 Ω
• Coil winding: precision-wound 30 μm pure copper

Technical design

• Magnet: samarium-cobalt combined with pure iron for a stable magnetic field
• Damper: designed for precise groove tracking
• Optimisation: each element (number of turns, output, body) is tailored to the stylus profile for optimal reproduction

General information

• Mass: 8.9 g
• Recommended break-in: > 40 hours