Helius: The Alexia turntable and arm - latest images

[Neil McCauley]

http://www.hifianswers.com/2016/01/helius-the-alexia-turntable-and-arm-latest-images/

[YNWaN]

That page can't be found apparently (so Safari claims).

But a friend sent me pictures of a proposed Helius turntable about three years ago.

---- ah, I see it is the deck I was thinking of. Not exactly breaking news.

[Yomanze]

Interesting design. I assume that the optical tracking helps prevent dynamic stylus drag without needing a "brute force" method like a heavy platter or high torque motor.

[Neil McCauley]

Interesting design. I assume that the optical tracking helps prevent dynamic stylus drag without needing a "brute force" method like a heavy platter or high torque motor.

I'll be interviewing him in the next few weeks. Would you like me to ask him about this?

[sq225917]

Can you fix the link

[Yomanze]

I'll be interviewing him in the next few weeks. Would you like me to ask him about this?
Yes please!

[Yomanze]

Has anyone heard one?

[YNWaN]

Ask him this:

What is the horizontal frequency of the suspension?

What is the sampling rate of the optical system?

[Neil McCauley]

Can you fix the link

Now fixed.

http://www.hifianswers.com/2016/01/helius-the-alexia-turntable-and-arm-latest-images/

[Neil McCauley]

Ask him this:

What is the horizontal frequency of the suspension?

What is the sampling rate of the optical system?

Okay, I will. Knowing him as I do, no doubt he'll ask me - to ask you why you want to know this? He may well take the view that this is commercially sensitive information. We'll see.

[awkwardbydesign]

Now fixed.

http://www.hifianswers.com/2016/01/helius-the-alexia-turntable-and-arm-latest-images/

Hah! Kind of wish it wasn't; that is one seriously fugly contraption.

[Neil McCauley]

Hah! Kind of wish it wasn't; that is one seriously fugly contraption.

I'll let Geoffrey Owen (the designer) know; he'll love it.

[mikeyb]

Looks stunning

[awkwardbydesign]

In the eye of the beholder, and all that.

[Neil McCauley]

In the eye of the beholder, and all that.

+1

[Neil McCauley]

Looks stunning

+1

[Marco]

Looks stunning

I quite like it, as it's totally devoid of 'bling' [any horrid, shiny gold bits], and black, as all proper turntables should be :)

It's probably the round (ribbed) 'pod things', on either side of the T/T, which aesthetically, detract somewhat from its functional simplicity.

Marco.

[YNWaN]

I like it visually, but I'm afraid I do think the suspension is inherently flawed. I've looked into optical encoded feedback loops before too and the sample rate is very low.

As I wrote earlier, I saw these pictures a long time ago so I assume is is a sort of 'proof of concept' prototype rather than a commercial reality at this stage.

[YNWaN]

Okay, I will. Knowing him as I do, no doubt he'll ask me - to ask you why you want to know this? He may well take the view that this is commercially sensitive information. We'll see.

They are both rather rhetorical questions because I already know the answer to the first and have a good idea regarding the second.

A turntable suspension must be compliant in both the latest and vertical planes if it is to isolate effectively (this is well documented). Yes, the system adopted here is stable and piston ice but it only overt isolation to vertical input.

Look at the Grand Prix Monaco turntable that also uses an optical encoder - the primary upgrade to the Mk2 was to an even finer pattern of slots and even then the slow speed of rotation cannot be overcome.

[Neil McCauley]

Look at the Grand Prix Monaco turntable that also uses an optical encoder - the primary upgrade to the Mk2 was to an even finer pattern of slots and even then the slow speed of rotation cannot be overcome.

I've read similar comments elsewhere re the Monaco.

As an aside, and only a few months before he died, the late John Michell told me that based on a suggestion from a Orbe owner re optical feedback (in some ways similar to Grand Prix perhaps; but I’m not certain about this) he started to investigate the possibilities.

The underside of a prototype platter had a series of carefully milled slots to help facilitate this and a person (possibly the chap who developed 'Never Connected, but again I'm uncertain) was approached to build the feedback system. The experiments proved inconclusive and the project was abandoned. John, in his no-nonsense way concluded that the potential outcome just wasn’t worth the hassle.

Around this time he showed me his prototype Orbe platter machined from solid gunmetal. I seem to recall it weighed around 18kg but again, memory after this time is a little hazy. Although he didn’t discuss the implications for the bearing he showed me the problems with the beefed-up suspension. The platter oscillated vertically by around 0.5mm and he spent a while figuring out what caused this and if there was a solution. He concluded that the cast metal had very small cavities inside plus the surfaces had tiny but visible blowholes leading to inconsistent density. This was beyond his control and like the optical feedback system, was abandoned.

John could at times be a bit prickly due his perception of the turntable industry and the behaviour of some members but that said, I never heard him criticize any maker; he only criticized what he considered lax engineering design and poor implementation in some but by no means all competitors.
If he had any thoughts re horizontal isolation, then he kept them to himself.

Leak 2001 transcription unit

Finally, the most compelling demonstration I have ever seen, in 40 years in this industry of state-of-the-art isolation was the extraordinary Leak 2001 turntable. Sonically it was to some extent compromised by a rather average Audio Technica arm. Isolation was achieved by three very compliant rubber bags containing silicon. The fluid spherodynamic suspension system. They opined that springs, at least vertical ones, were not the answer. The demonstration was as follows. With a record playing, the Perspex lid was repeated slammed down hard and forcefully hit with the palm of the demonstrator’s hand. There was no interruption to the sound; none whatsoever. Then, with the stylus in the groove, the entire deck was quickly pushed sideways along the work surface and then back. No interruption to the music.

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=leak+2001&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwikotaIj6nKAhWK2xoKHbAZBuUQsAQIJQ&biw=1213&bih=864

The whole thing weighed (again from memory) around 30lbs.

That’s the way it was. No exaggeration. It’s worth noting that as best I can recall, Leak made no mention of sound quality during the demonstration. The entire focus was on turntable suspension / isolation this being their proprietary usp at that time.

[Neil McCauley]

I quite like it, as it's totally devoid of 'bling' [any horrid, shiny gold bits], and black, as all proper turntables should be :)

It's probably the round (ribbed) 'pod things', on either side of the T/T, which aesthetically, detract somewhat from its functional simplicity.

Marco.

Like a cut down Lecson power amp perhaps?

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=lecson+power+amplifier&biw=1213&bih=864&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjDwLfjkanKAhVB2xoKHaHiB9UQ_AUIBygC

[Neil McCauley]

Please see also http://theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?42552-Helius-Their-long-awaited-turntable-the-Alexia-is-now-a-reality&p=719925#post719925

[Marco]

Like a cut down Lecson power amp perhaps?


Yeah, I'd prefer it if the 'front pods' weren't as obvious or 'bulky' looking, and didn't protrude out as much, as IMO, it spoils the cleaner lines that would've been achieved otherwise. Also, I'd go 'smooth', minus the ribbed effect :)

As it is now, the front of the turntable looks rather clumsy, and would benefit from some streamlining, in order for it to match better with the rear. Visually, IMHO, those two big 'flat feet' at the front just don't work.

Marco.

[pure sound]

There was a review & discussion of this deck almost 4 years ago on Wigwam.

http://www.hifiwigwam.com/showthread.php?67223-Helius-Designs-Alexia-%96-A-discussion-and-review-of-the-pre-production-prototype&highlight=Helius+Alexia

[Yomanze]

Interesting, answers our questions right there.

[YNWaN]

Well it doesn't answer either of mine, but I see I raised the same points back then.