The Competitors are Coming Forth

Attachment 26985

Not too long ago, I had done the footwork to gather a support from a group of individuals all known for their producing bearings for the Lenco GL75 TT.
Each Individual was willing to supply a bearing to enable a under one roof Bearing Trial on a PTP Solid Nine , A custom DIY GL75 and a Standard GL75 with a Platter Bearing service/Motor service.

Around the same time as this, I was slowly heading to the DD Side of TT's and failed to materialise the opportunity to carry out the trial.
The idea of a trail has stuck, but it took on a different direction and expense to bring the one presently being worked on to fruition.

The new version of a trial/comparison I have been working toward for some time is getting close now.
The devices are coming together all under one roof, and the arena for the trial is nearly ready to be occupied.

A few things that will take place are,

Each TT will have had a Platter Spindle Bearing Housing Service to the lubrication as the minimum work done.

Each Direct Drive TT will have a Plinth Produced from the same highly compressed material,
I will look to do the same for a Goldring GL75 to give a Idler Drive a trial with matching conditions.

Each Direct Drive TT will have the same Tonearm and Cartridge used.
( The Test could include all three Tonearms to produce a better overall perception of the qualities of each TT with a different Tonearm Interface, the Cartridges used when the
PMAT 1010 Tonearm is used will be, a AT-150 MLX MM and a Kontrapunkt B Moving Coil, if the other Tonearms are used the Cartridge will be limited to one of the selected only)

Each TT will be mounted on the same Sub Plinth, Footers and Mounting Device.

Each TT will have approximately 15 minutes of free rotation before it is entered for a assessment.

There is a very reasonable priced DD TT I have, that I feel will be prejudiced against if its make becomes known , I feel confident it is going to hold its own and offer a exceptional performance in the exhibited company, I will keep the Model under wraps.

There are a few variables that may be noticed and questioned,
One is that there is not a Belt Drive in the Line up, I have a belt drive, but it is not my go to choice for a drive of a TT, this drive system was ruled out for my own usage and Belt Drive TT's have not been seriously considered for more than 20 years, so I am happy not to be putting in the work to produce the plinth for the test.
There is a PTP Idler Drive, I have been into Idler Drives for far too long to not want to put one in the Line Up.
To some, it would be perceived as a Top of the range GL75.
I hope to have my GL75 put into the trial using a produced plinth.
I would like to try and get my sold 401 back for the Trial, it was Martin Bastin treated so I don't know of much more that can be done to further improve on it.
The Idler Drives will all have their own dedicated Power Supplies to give them the best chance to perform.

There is a super heavy 'chop ones finger tips off' Phosphor Bronze Platter on the factory standard DP80, does this give it a advantage ?? I hope so, as this is the fundamental of the trial, having each TT, in what I believe, will be its most advantageous set up.

The SP10 has been fully Phonomac Treated ( what a wonderful device this is ), there is a chance it will have the fully overhauled bearing design in place for these trials, again placing it at its most advantageous position.

The TTS 8000 is a Factory Standard, with to my inspection, a near perfect Bearing, it is not the one that has been referred to by myself in the recent servicing Thread.

There is a TTS 8000 that I would really like to see in this line up, but it is a work in progress, this one is a redesigned version, that is undergoing a amalgamation of design ideas that have been collected over many years, this TTS is currently being worked on.

I am not interested in choosing a 'Champion', I am much more interested in the learning of how the differing models deliver their performance in my system, the fact that these differing performances, will hopefully be able to be compared within a short time frame between each TT's replay, will be off interest to me and making notes on what is being perceived while in use on my system will be for me a valuable record.

The process of putting all the TT's into service to receive a assessment is not a short term event, it will be carried out over time with different individuals being invited to offer their perceptions on what they are picking up on and their findings will be recorded as notes to compare to my own recorded notes.

Two MM Phonostages will be used, one will be a much improved design on the other, a Hashimoto SUT will be used, as this is still a common choice of SUT as a result of its recognised properties.

Apart from reminding me that I have gone slightly 'Cuckoo', if anyone feels I can do more to achieve a fair assessment then I will be happy to be informed.

Attachment 27000

sounds good!

Wooooo[emoji8]

Sent from my LYA-L29 using Tapatalk

what on earth is that sme mounted on?
https://i.postimg.cc/7hFK364G/WP-201...-08-Rich-2.jpg

You are looking at my Phonotherm Equipment Footers, being used to support the SME IV, the angled DIN Socket would not go through the Hole on the Lead Arm Board, so I did what was required to get the image.

It is now looking like most of my equipment is to spend its days on a Highly compressed Materials that has a fundamental purpose in life as a Insulation.
Phonotherm is now well tried by myself as a sub plinth, and has taken its place above all other materials be it wood, plastic or glass, I am trying Sylomer as another material to be used as footers instead of Sorbothane, as Sylomer does not lose its inherent properties over time.

If I recall correctly, a fundamental reason why the science behind the design of plinths moved toward Manufactured Densified Woods, was to offer the mechanical stabilty of a Mass Material, but as a alternative offer a different outcome on the effects from resonance,
where as, a Mass Material Harnesses energy, and the Manufactured Densified Wood Dissipates energy more efficiently.

The Phonotherm is a lighter in weight material, it fits into the design philosophy of the Densified Wood, and as a result, will soon end up as a Plinth Material for the Decks,
it is yet to be tried in this role, so it is a unknown, but it is mechanically sound and stable in all environments, it has a similar mechanical property to Panzerholz but will not perform as a match for structural usage.
Due to the differences in the two base materials weight, it will not have the matching mass,
when produced as a like for like item, but as for compression and stability in all environments, both materials share similarities in their performances.
My plan for my plinth design, is to combine the known properties of Densified Wood,
in my case 'Permali', with the yet to proven Phonotherm material.
These will be mechanically coupled, and will perform almost identical when it comes to remaining stable in any environment.

Good spot on the SME IV though, if you have studied the image a few other materials are to be seen as well, the Denon behind the SME IV, has a Phosphor Bronze Platter, weighing in substantially more than the Tenuto, which is seen on a TTS 8000 in a Lead Plinth,
and the AT-600 Ceramic Mat is at present on the SP10 MKII, that is in a Multiplex Plinth.

Can the Phosphor Bronze Platter become a platter for all the DD's,
another one of those little HiFi challenges to consider :scratch:

ive always fancied hearing the at-600 mat,how does it fair agaisnt the tenuto?

I will report back on this in a few weeks, as I am not at present fully moved into the
Music Room, when I have a environment available that will allow for proper relaxed evaluations,
I will update on a outcome of the Mats.
I have done a Mat evaluation recently at another home on a modified TD 125 > LDA Quartz MKII Power Supply, the Tenuto had to be removed, it produced a new version of a
High Level Frequency that was very perceivable as 'Shrill' and unwanted.
Up until that moment I would have recommended the Tenuto without reservation, but now as recently proven from a conversation I had when at the Sheffield Event, I can only advise a home trial and system match experience, before parting with funds.
I have had great results from the Tenuto on my Idler Drive, on other Idler Drives, and I will be giving it a good trial on the DD's against the Sony Liquid Rubber, and AT-600.
If the :scratch:other idea for the Phosphor Bronze Platter comes to fruit sometime in 2020,
it might also be a Tenuto/AT-600 + Manufactures Platter vs the Phosphor Bronze Platter on all the DD's.
Before anything happens with any of the trials for a winters night, I intend on racking up a minimum of 50 + hours of, 'a**e in a seat HiFi'ing', in the nearly completed and rethought out Music Room.