Originally Posted by
montesquieu
Never heard any of the Gyro/Orbe family that didn't have a perceptible speed wobble. Depends whether this bothers you but it upsets me no end.
But then again I even heard it on my Voyd 'The Voyd' 3-motor deck - however sophisticated the PSU, very few belt drives can really pull off the speed stability of a DD or idler and the ones that do weight as much as a traction engine.
Long timer user of the SL-1200 & Co. I was on day lend a Thorens TD146 fitted with an SME3009 'Improved SII and fell in love with it's "open" and "airy" sound. Started tweaks on the tonearm mainly and gradually gained in clarity and so speed accuracy and constancy issues became a real issue to me.
My answer to that was to save some money and acquire a Phoenix Eng. 'Eagle' & 'RoadRunner' PSU & tachometer combo. Manage to buy it to just before it went out of business. Full satisfaction on both speed accuracy and constancy ! Measured variations at 45 rpm are oscillating at maximum 0,005 rpm !
My dream to acquire turntable was a grease bearing Garrard 301 fitted with a first generation SME3012. Out of my budget, I decided to see how I could improve that Thorens and SME. Learned to venture in such tech tweaks along the way and got to appreciate their evolutive potential not to desire anything else anymore.
The issue I have since with the SL-1200 & Co. is that in comparison they sound over dampened. Which is somehow inherent to their build. And where I keep on tweaking and seeking to improve and upgrade both the Thorens turntable and SME tonearm, I pay a lot of attention never to lose both the tonearm "open" and turntable "airy" sound.
Last edited by tlscapital; 21-08-2018 at 05:55.
- Cart Denon DL-102 in bakelite Ortofon SPU 'G' type headshell
- TA SME 3009 'Improved' converted in heavy mass with detachable headshell
- TT Thorens TD160 'E' totally tweaked driven by an 'Eagle & RoadRunner' PSU & tachometer combo
- Matts top to bottom: leather, cork, felt & 12" vinyl
- Pre-amp 'Modulis' Isem
- Amp 'Exampli' Etalon 2x40W
- Speakers 12" Leak 'Sandwich' first generation creatively recapped