Into the Voyd and back again

[montesquieu]

I think something could not have been quite right with yours. I have measured my Voyd - Voyd several times at 33.33 rpm and 45rpm, at 33.33rpm speed variation measured is between 0.09 - 0.3%, wow/flutter is 0.23-0.26%. I believe both these figures are very low compared to some turntables. From my understanding at this level you would need pitch perfect hearing to detect these variations. Perhaps you have extremely good pitch or maybe it is the type of music that you listen to that makes it easier to hear variation. I have heard wow and flutter on another TT but I am yet to notice it on the Voyd.

Yes I thought so too - that there was something wrong with it that's why I had the PSU serviced etc as I mentioned (by someone expert in these decks too). This made no difference. (I have since heard it on other Voyd decks too including a half reference with Io Ltd).

I'm a classical musician by training (thought it's been some years since I made a living from music) and yes I do have perfect pitch.

It's the same on most belt drive / light platter/ bouncy decks - LP12, PT, even recently on an SME 20. I don't care how they measure, I can hear speed wobble - it tends to be most obvious on the decay of a piano but that's not the only time I hear it. Perhaps it's the bounciness I'm hearing which manifests as instability, but after living without it, I simply can't abide it.

The only belt drive decks that don't suffer from this in my experience are the very high mass platter ones from the likes of Verdier. The only exception I can think of was the AN TT3 heard at Munich this year which is a Voyd-derived design but I didn't detect any issue with it, not sure why.

[AJSki2fly]

If your ears are professionally trained as a result of being a musician then I would agree you are likely to hear fluctuation as you will be used to hearing it correctly when played live.

I used to play in amateur bands but I think your not likely to hear it much with rock/blues recordings unless it is slow stuff and with a piano. More likely with some jazz music though.

[Primalsea]

Do all of the voyd models have three drive motors? I can see this being an issue unless very sophisticated controls were used to adjust for drift between the drives as they age and even then it could be problematic.

[GJO]

The Voyd Valdi has two motors,the Voyd has three.

[AJSki2fly]

Do all of the voyd models have three drive motors? I can see this being an issue unless very sophisticated controls were used to adjust for drift between the drives as they age and even then it could be problematic.

The Voyd -Voyd has a split phase power supply which controls the voltage to the motors, the motors are extremely good and very robust so should be good for many, many hours.

[Primalsea]

The Voyd -Voyd has a split phase power supply which controls the voltage to the motors, the motors are extremely good and very robust so should be good for many, many hours.

I was just wondering if there could be an issue with the motors as they age, maybe. Unless they are absolutely perfectly in sync I can see where there could be an issue. However, Tom does seem to be very sensitive/skilled to detecting it and hears it on other TTs as well.

[chris@panteg]

I would say that it's not so much an issue, I believe it to be performing excellently but it's just that I've been used to technics direct drive for over a decade, all that nonsense about hunting and pecking? It's just rock solid pitch stability, no belt drive I've heard can match it.

Having said that I'm still happy with my Voyd, it's superior in every other area.

[thingfish]

I would say that it's not so much an issue, I believe it to be performing excellently but it's just that I've been used to technics direct drive for over a decade, all that nonsense about hunting and pecking? It's just rock solid pitch stability, no belt drive I've heard can match it..

+1

I will never return to belt drive since discovering direct drive.
(Too many speed drift nightmares)

[AJSki2fly]

So having fitted the new JELCO TK850M 10" tonearm, as noted earlier, I thought it time to do a couple of other weeks to the Voyd. Chris I think mentioned that removing the bottom board from the plinth made an improvement as it acted as a sound board, a bit like a guitar. I had also noted a slight ticking noise coming from one of the motors, so I guessed that one of the adjust meant screws for the motor end-float needed a tweak.

So using using the cans of beans method to support the deck but using two load pieces of wood I removed the plinth base and then with the platter running carefully tweaked the motor adjustment screws and after a couple of minutes silent running. I had the plinth on 4 sorbothane feet previously but fixed then to each corner with double sided thin tape. I then re-check platter was level with 140gm record and record weight and the running speed, all was as before.

I put it back on its shelf and onto a quick listening session with Eva Cassidy - Fields of Gold and Ravi Shankar - Portrait of a Genius, Talsa Raga. My initial reaction is that there is a slight improvement separation, definition and bass control, which I would expected if the board in the bottom was acting a a sound board and putting vibrations into the plinth.

So if you have a Voyd I would consider removing the base if it is one with a large hole cut in it to allow access to the levelling adjustment screws, and put the paint either on sorbotane feet or as others have suggested three inverted brass isolation cones (which I may try at some point).

[Vrajbasi]

So having fitted the new JELCO TK850M 10" tonearm, as noted earlier, I thought it time to do a couple of other weeks to the Voyd. Chris I think mentioned that removing the bottom board from the plinth made an improvement as it acted as a sound board, a bit like a guitar. I had also noted a slight ticking noise coming from one of the motors, so I guessed that one of the adjust meant screws for the motor end-float needed a tweak.

So using using the cans of beans method to support the deck but using two load pieces of wood I removed the plinth base and then with the platter running carefully tweaked the motor adjustment screws and after a couple of minutes silent running. I had the plinth on 4 sorbothane feet previously but fixed then to each corner with double sided thin tape. I then re-check platter was level with 140gm record and record weight and the running speed, all was as before.

I put it back on its shelf and onto a quick listening session with Eva Cassidy - Fields of Gold and Ravi Shankar - Portrait of a Genius, Talsa Raga. My initial reaction is that there is a slight improvement separation, definition and bass control, which I would expected if the board in the bottom was acting a a sound board and putting vibrations into the plinth.

So if you have a Voyd I would consider removing the base if it is one with a large hole cut in it to allow access to the levelling adjustment screws, and put the paint either on sorbotane feet or as others have suggested three inverted brass isolation cones (which I may try at some point).

I remember removing the base board of my Voyd's in the 90s the sound was always cleaner faster and better defined not always what I wanted something depending on my system and music preferences I liked a bit of colour for sure its worth experimenting. I also found replacing the base board with different material made a difference my dealer at the time had a board made out of hard wood and another out of aluminium all these had interesting differences to the sound. I liked the wooden board for its warmth and musicality I remember it sounding very natural with lovely weight and texture. The Aluminium sounded clean and fast I remember it being expensive to machine at the time. Feet have a massive influence too.