Dr. Feickert Analogue BLACKBIRD
The BLACKBIRD pairs pitch-stable dual-motor drive with a clean, unforced presentation, uncovering taut rhythmic bass, crisp detail and a notably quiet backdrop. hi-fi+ admired its ability to let arm and cartridge shine, while Part Time Audiophile found its speed, isolation and vivid musical scale exceptional. Two-arm flexibility and integrated alignment make this a remarkably adaptable high-end vinyl platform.
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Deliciously Crispy
Sound Quality
95/100
Build Quality
94/100
Features Usability
91/100
Value for Money
94/100
Pros
Clean, detailed and musically unforced sound with taut, deep, rhythmically convincing bass.
Exceptionally stable, low-noise playback, with very low reported wow and flutter and no obvious rumble.
Highly flexible tonearm platform: supports a 9–13-inch main arm plus an optional second 9–10-inch arm.
Straightforward setup through the scaled arm base, integrated protractor and clearly marked alignment adjustments.
Cons
Its substantial footprint is larger than some high-end rivals, owing to the second arm base and dual-motor layout.
The deck’s ultimate bass and treble extension depends heavily on the chosen tonearm and cartridge.
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What Reviewers Are Saying
SOUND QUALITY PERFORMANCE 95/100
The Blackbird is repeatedly described as transparent, precise and highly involving rather than imposing a strong character of its own. Reviewers also found exceptionally low mechanical noise, confident pitch behavior and a platform that lets a wide range of tonearms and cartridges perform at a high level.
Overall Sound
96/100
hi-fi+ calls the presentation “super clean, unforced and detailed,” saying the deck gets out of the way and gives music a fair rendering. Part Time Audiophile heard incisive piano attacks, believable vocal scale, articulate and fast bass, and a sound compelling enough to keep the reviewer riveted.
Speed Stability
95/100
The dual-motor arrangement is said by Hifi Statement to improve speed stability over a single-motor drive. Part Time Audiophile reports exceptionally low wow and flutter—around 0.04% out of the box and lower after use—while hi-fi+ describes the base deck as already highly precise in speed.
Tonearm Performance
94/100
This is a notably flexible deck for arm choice, accommodating a 9–13 inch arm on the main position and an optional 9–10 inch second arm. hi-fi+ found arm setup effortless via the scaled sliding base, and Part Time Audiophile praised the integrated protractor and clearly marked adjustment points for making alignment straightforward.
Noise Isolation
96/100
Part Time Audiophile found no obvious rumble, describing the background with the stylus down and gain raised as effectively silent unless the record itself was noisy. hi-fi+ also heard a notably clean top end with taut, deep and rhythmically controlled bass rather than the expected coloration of an unsuspended design.
Assessments of Build Quality, Usability, and Overall Propositions.
Build Quality
94/100
The Blackbird uses a substantial construction, listed at 17.5 kg for the chassis and 22 kg without tonearm, with its mechanism contained within large aluminium slabs. Hifi Statement highlights the bearing stabilization achieved by avoiding one-sided belt pull, while Part Time Audiophile describes an imposing but cleanly integrated design.
Features Usability
91/100
The Blackbird combines serious flexibility with unusually approachable setup: it supports two tonearms, offers quick-release armboard provision, and includes an integrated alignment protractor. Dedicated buttons select 33, 45 and 78 rpm, while the Vernier-style arm-position scale makes changing and setting up compatible arms particularly convenient.
Value for Money
94/100
At €6,000 in its basic version, Hifi Statement notes that there were few alternatives at the price able to accept a second tonearm. Part Time Audiophile calls it a deck that “boxes way above its weight class” and regards the package as a sweet deal for a genuinely high-fidelity analogue front end.
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Specifications
- dimensions
- 530 mm x 420 mm x 150 mm
- armboard right
- 205 - 320 mm pivot-spindle (9 - 13 inch eff. length)
- armboard left (optional)
- 205 - 240 mm pivot-spindle (9 - 10 inch eff. length)
- weight
- 17,5 kg (chassis), 22 kg (without tonearm)
- warranty
- 2 years (chassis and electronics), 5 years (bearing)
Manufacturer's Description — Dr. Feickert Analogue
The idea
… was obvious. The design of the smaller brother has a special appeal to build a turntable a little bigger in size. There are lots of vinyl lovers who wish to run two tonearms on one deck - here we go! We did not only make a simple upscale but set a new course in terms of ease of use.
The mission
… was to enhance the technical base of the Woodpecker to push forward the sound quality. Running two tonearms was a requirement but we also implemented some new ideas on the drive. We refined the controller software to drive two motors simultaneously in a kind of master-slave configuration.Putting the two motors in a 180° position around the bearing cancels out all reactive forces that could cause gyration of the platter. As a free add-on we achieve a better randomization of wow & flutter less disturbing the hearing process and lower bearing rumble at the same time.
The result
… is an enhanced sovereignty in sound - excellent measurements and a timeless elegance combined with absolute ease of use. As a world‘s first we have integrated a dedicated Protractor that is blindingly simple in use. You will be amazed how easy setup of your cartridge can be.
The sound
… sovereign, dynamic, powerful and neutral at the same time. No matter which tonearm you are planning to use. Relax and take a trip into the fascination of music knowing that not even the smallest detail on the black gold is being kept back.Forget about technical details, enjoy the music in all its grace!
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Authorized dealers for Dr. Feickert Analogue BLACKBIRD
- A 10 Audio Room 4 Music — in-store — Amsterdam Nieuw-West, Noord-Holland, Netherlands (website)
- A/V Solutions — in-store — Pleasanton, California, United States (website)
- Acoustic Sounds — online and in-store — Salina, Kansas, United States (website)
- Acoustic Technologies — online and in-store — Montréal, Québec, Canada (website)
- Afton Mountain Audio — in-store — Afton, Virginia, United States (website)
- Ana Mighty Sound — online and in-store — Paris, Île-de-France, France (website)
- Aris Audio — in-store — Salt Lake City, Utah, United States (website)
- Arizona Hi-Fi — in-store — Phoenix, Arizona, United States (website)
- Atelier 13 Audio — in-store — Forest Hills, Tennessee, United States (website)
- AUDIO 2000 — in-store — Wuppertal, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany (website)
and 51 more verified dealers