Garrard Loricraft Power Supply

[Historicus]

Hello,

does anyone use the Garrard-Loricraft Power Supply for the 301 or 401?
I would be interested to asking something about the size of the transformer.

A similar, cheaper, DIY product from Dr. Bernhard Fuss in Germany that I own gave me great results with smaller belt drives (like AudioNote TT1, Thorens 125) but with my 401 even if it's upsized to 35 Watt it lacks an power and therefore the 401 sounds more detailed without this power supply.
This power supply de-constructs the electrical power creating a constant 50Hz frequency for the motor. A sort of Lingo but analogue

Ciao from Rome,

Piero

[Prince of Darkness]

Hi Piero,
I have never used the Loricraft power supply, but unlike most other designs this was designed for the Garrard motors and a version is used on Loricrafts own Garrard 501. As you rightly suggest, most turntable power supplies lack the ability to properly drive the Garrard motors, as they were designed for the much weaker motors used for belt drive decks.
I have a link here for the Loricraft PSU's

http://www.garrard501.com/psu2.html

expensive aren't they?

[Cotlake]

Hi Piero,

There have been several attempts at PSU's for the Garrard idler TT's over the years and generally they have not been successful. There used to be a tweak whereby you introduced a 40W lightbulb in series in the +ive supply to reduce voltage which was heralded for improving the sound. That was a rubbish claim. All it did was reduce torque from the motor which could effect sound making it less dynamic. I spent a while experimenting on this and several friends tried PSU's such as the Dr Imbabi design and also one from the now defunct White noise company. All of them degraded the sound simply to gain some linearity on speed control.

The original Garrard boys knew their stuff. The good sound of a Garrard ID deck is much because the motor is seriously torquey and the speed control system is about applying braking to hold it back rather than trying to regulate the speed. Consequently the torque element remains very much the factor in the standard design. After experiment, my experience is that the standard original setup is best. If you live in an area with wildly varying mains voltage, I can understand you considering a PSU option, but it will be a compromise I can assure you and it'll be sound quality and dynamics where you'll lose out. Generally I put up with the variability of mains voltage and adjust speed if necessary between LP sides.

I hope that helps.

Best wishes,

Greg

[Historicus]

Hi Greg,

what you have written corresponds 100% with my impressions.

We made a hear test with an LP of the golden age (Mercury Living Stereo Le Sacre du printemps directed by A.Dorati) with PSU the scene was really weak, some instrument lost force, but anyway the frequency was exactly 50HZ!

Without PSU all the power of the 401 came out again, instruments were more detailed, practically another, better, deck.

I asked about Loricraft's PSU because in one picture from inside I saw a big trafo and maybe so I argued it could work better with Garrards?

On the other side the PSU works good with belt drives like Linn, Thorens, Systemdeck .... but without the power of the idler wheel.

I never could imagine before how good and balanced can sound a perfect set up Garrard with a massive plynth, a 12 inch tonearm, on a bombproof rack ...

[Cotlake]

Hi Piero,

Yes you are right. I remain convinced that the original Garrard people really knew what they were doing. You are certainly right about mounting. You really can't beat a Slatedeck http://www.slatedeck.com/ for your 301/401 and then coupled to a rigid floor or wall mount. In my view it ends up being high end vinyl based audio on the cheap. Incidentally, regarding the Garrard expertise, I've experimented with mats for the platter and after all the trials I've found the best sounding option is the original rubber mat fitted on it's own just as supplied with the original TT is best. Makes you think a bit about how far we've come and who is out there trying to con the punter.

Best wishes,

Greg

[Historicus]

Hi Greg,
tutte le vie portano a Roma ... all roads carry to rome. I have found out the miraculous features of slate. Liguria is the home country of marvelous slate. Every component of my equipment that turns, conditions, transduced, etc. has his slate base with incredible results! I own one of these plynths made in germany which is as Loricraft ones but much better designed and assembled http://www.audio-kreativ.de/html/garrard.html
The rigid floor DIY Garrard rack is a 5x5 iron table filled with (warmed up) river sand, big spikes on the floor and a 85x75 slate on the top on air bubbles. My TT has the Sicomin absorbers too. The electrical line with oversized wiring is dedicated only for this equipment. The results are stunning in reference to my original 401 that had an empty britt' sewing case as plynth and the still overrated 3009/II. Now with this german plynth, the base and a 13inch tonearm it's just music!

Can you tell me the differences (in sound qualities) between the 2 models of 301 and 401? 301 sells at his best BUT discovering better sound traits is not an easy job!

Ciao from Rome,

Piero

[Marco]

Ciao Piero,

Just to butt in quickly... I was wondering if your Auditorium 23 step-up transformer has arrived yet?

Marco.

[Historicus]

Hi Marco, A23 is still on the road.
Audiocom didn't answer to a private mail posted through this board is it possible that it got lost?
Buon fine settimana, e' festa da voi domani come qui?

Piero

[Primalsea]

I believe the problem with the PSU's for Garrard 301 & 401's is that they have a higher output impedance than the mains. Mains may be fairly poor in terms of cleaness and flucuation but it does have a very low output impedance.

The only thing I know that is supposed to have low output impedance are the PS Audio Power Plants that Howard sells. I haven't tried it with my Garrard but hope to one day.

[Historicus]

Ciao Paul, thanks for your hint about the possible different impedances between the 301&401 and the mains. Now a friend, also garrardista, disects my PSU to find out where is the real problem.

Ciao from Rome,

Piero