Pear Audio Analogue Kid Thomas
The Kid Thomas delivers rich, creamy tonality and exceptionally lifelike voices through a high-mass, low-torque design that prizes musical flow over flash. Part Time Audiophile found it natural, vivid and consistently involving, while Positive Feedback praised its clean bass, balanced midrange and satisfying detail. Dual-plinth isolation and the Cornet 2 arm complete an understated, deeply soulful analogue package.
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Nicely Roasted
Sound Quality
91/100
Build Quality
87/100
Features Usability
84/100
Value for Money
87/100
Pros
Exceptionally natural, lush midrange and lifelike vocal reproduction create a highly involving presentation.
Clean, tight bass, strong tonal balance and detailed yet non-analytical sound work across genres.
Dual-plinth construction, separate motor housing and low-torque drive support quiet playback and stable timing once running.
Cons
The ultra-low-torque motor requires manually spinning the platter to start, and hand-stopping it after playback.
Ultimate treble extension and airy sparkle can be surpassed by more expensive rivals.
The soft-wood, understated casework is less luxurious-looking than some similarly priced alternatives.
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What Reviewers Are Saying
SOUND QUALITY PERFORMANCE 91/100
Reviewers hear an unusually natural, flowing and involving presentation, with especially strong vocal reproduction, convincing tonal balance and a well-controlled low end. The low-torque drive needs a manual push to start, but reports indicate that it holds speed well once running; comments on the Cornet 2 arm itself are comparatively brief.
Overall Sound
93/100
Positive Feedback found a remarkable sense of presence and rightness across jazz, classical, rock and alternative, praising clean, tight bass, a spot-on midrange and an easy sense of musical flow. Part Time Audiophile similarly called the sound rich and creamy, natural and highly effective with voices, while noting that ultimate treble extension and air can be surpassed.
Speed Stability
91/100
The outboard controller is described as keeping timing and flow stable despite poor mains conditions, and Part Time Audiophile found the drive system worked very well once the platter was up to speed. Its very low-torque motor does require the owner to hand-spin the platter before it catches and stabilizes, which is less effortless than a fully self-starting design.
Tonearm Performance
88/100
The supplied Cornet 2 is reported to fit naturally into the character of the complete system, and the arm mounting is described as well made. The available reviews offer little detailed evidence on bearing behavior, adjustability or tracking performance with a range of cartridges.
Noise Isolation
92/100
The deck uses a dual wooden plinth separated by Sorbothane, plus a separate motor housing intended to limit energy transfer. Positive Feedback reports dead-silent playback, while the review material does not identify audible motor or bearing noise as a concern.
Assessments of Build Quality, Usability, and Overall Propositions.
Build Quality
87/100
The Kid Thomas combines a sturdy, satin-finished wooden plinth with a dual-plinth isolation arrangement and well-made POM arm-mount and motor components. Part Time Audiophile praised the cut and fit but noted that the wood is soft and that the casework is less refined than a Kuzma Stabi R's.
Features Usability
84/100
This is a focused, manually operated package rather than a convenience-led turntable, with electronic 33/45 control available through the optional external controller. Part Time Audiophile calls it easy to use, although manually starting the platter is an ownership quirk and the optional controller adds cost.
Value for Money
87/100
The package was listed at $7,995 with the Cornet 2 arm, before the $1,995 optional external power supply. Positive Feedback considered it a brilliant complete package for buyers budgeting under $20,000, while Part Time Audiophile felt its nearly $10,000 fitted price made the relatively plain, soft-wood casework its main disappointment.
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Manufacturer's Description — Pear Audio Analogue
Pear Audio’s Pursuit of the Ultimate Turntable.
Every detail, right down to special bearing oil, developed exclusively for Pear Audio Analogue, demonstrates that we examine every detail and leave nothing to chance. The meticulous choice of materials, even in the most apparently trivial places resulted in a magnificent marriage of materials.
An Evolution of Turntable Design Approach
Pear Audio Blue introduces a range of turntables and tonearms based on Tom Fletcher’s last ideas on turntable construction. Unrestricted from past designs Tom Fletcher designed a new range of turntables and tonearms for his good friend Peter Mezek, called Pear Audio Blue.
The Approach
Pear Audio Blue turntables and tonearms do not represent a revolution, but rather an evolution in Tom Fletcher’s approach to turntable design. Several features of Tom Fletcher’s designs from Nottingham Analogue remain. Pear Audio Blue uses the same motor principle and the motor still has to be initially spun by hand. This motor principle drastically reduces the resonance going from the motor to the platter and ensures speed accuracy.
The Features
Pear Audio Blue features an essential parameter in turntable design: matching materials able to control resonance naturally and that are sonically in phase. Components are selected to work perfectly together, making the whole more than the sum of its parts – creating a turntable in sonic harmony. Special attention has been placed on new bearing development, improved motor arrangement, and a different platter which results in astonishing realism, tonal quality and balance.
Homage to New Orleans Jazz Legends
Tom Fletcher and Peter Mezek often listened to New Orleans jazz together so each turntable is named after famous New Orleans jazz musicians. Each turntable is built upon the same design principles and consistently deliver high-performance sound, enduring build quality, and exceptional value well beyond their price point. Each model is handcrafted and undergoes extensive quality control before being shipped.
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Authorized dealers for Pear Audio Analogue Kid Thomas
- 138 Quaiduson — online and in-store — Lille, Hauts-de-France, France (website)
- Ann Arbor Audio Design — in-store — Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States (website)
- Audio Creativ — in-store — Riedenburg, Bayern, Germany (website)
- Audio Vision San Francisco — online and in-store — San Francisco, California, United States (website)
- Audiophile Zone — online and in-store — Baywood-Los Osos, California, United States (website)
- Deep Dive Audio — in-store — Palm Bay, Florida, United States (website)
- Dr Vinyl — in-store — Middle River, Maryland, United States (website)
- Farnsworth Audio — in-store — Draper, Utah, United States (website)
- Hi Notes — in-store — Durham, North Carolina, United States (website)
- Hifi Collector — in-store — Uraidla, South Australia, Australia (website)
and 6 more verified dealers