Alternative platters ?

[Oldpinkman]

. I'll talk to Arthur tomorrow. However i am fairly sure he wouldn't have considered the possibility that a part like a bearing would not be produced to fit standard parts like a platter. When brembo make an improved brake pad they make it to fit the existing disc and caliper. However, the death of Harry's friend in the storm is the greater priority atm. Understandably he is pretty cut up about it.

[The Grand Wazoo]

Indeed!
The Michell bearing is a very high quality item and I'm amazed that they can make it for a hundred quid.

All Michell turntables currently employ a unique inverted bearing that locates the point of rotation above the center of gravity of the platter precisely at the height where the platter takes up the drive belt. This makes the platter/bearing a self-stabilising component that can not be provoked into rocking modes.

The precision bearing has a case-hardened steel shaft that is secured upright in an oil well, which is threaded into the subchassis from below. A massive bronze housing, precision-machined as a pair with the shaft, is attached to the platter via the integral stainless steel record spindle. A thrust ball sits on the flat top of the shaft centralized by an inverted cone in the top of the housing. This housing has a spiral machined into its inner bore to draw a high quality synthetic oil from the bath to the top of the bearing shaft as the housing rotates with the platter. An off-center hole is drilled from top to bottom of the shaft allowing the trapped oil to return to the oil wel for re-circulationl. This unique oil-pumping mechanism results in low friction and wear, and in low rumble and noise. It was designed to last a lifetime.

[synsei]

I wasn't talking about having a platter specially commissioned, dude, but rather one being supplied from 'stock', which would otherwise have been supplied with a complete T/T.

Linn, for example, do sell parts for the LP12 individually. I believe that a new plastic lid for one is around £300. Now that's what you call "mental"!!

More seriously, the point I'm making here is that there's still a notion considered by some that upgrades for the SL-1200/1210 aren't worth it, as it isn't a 'proper' turntable, in the way of, say, a Linn or an SME (utter bollocks), which is why I doubt you'd see anyone baulking about being quoted for a new platter, for one of those T/Ts, at least twice the amount of what a Funk Firm platter costs for the Technics!

Just trying to put things into persepctive.

Marco.

That's certainly not the angle I am coming at it from Marco, I am simply speculating as to whether it could be done for 300 quid and still offer a significant improvement over the stock or modified Technics platters. Using your own logic, I'm am sure most Linn owners consider the upgrades available for their kit to be good value too and would baulk at buying a cheaper alternative as they'd be afraid of reducing the brands caché. IMO it's the same thing, just higher up the value ladder. Let me ask you this, if someone were to produce a cheaper alternative and it performed better than your current platter, would you buy it? If so, how would you justify your current argument?

[Marco]

That's certainly not the angle I am coming at it from Marco, I am simply speculating as to whether it could be done for 300 quid and still offer a significant improvement over the stock or modified Technics platters. Using your own logic, I'm am sure most Linn owners consider the upgrades available for their kit to be good value too and would baulk at buying a cheaper alternative as they'd be afraid of reducing the brands caché. IMO it's the same thing, just higher up the value ladder. Let me ask you this, if someone were to produce a cheaper alternative and it performed better than your current platter, would you buy it? If so, how would you justify your current argument?

First of all, Dave, you weren't in my thoughts in the slightest when I made my comment.

You should know me by now and that I don't give a damn about cachet, brand image/prestige value, or whatever you want to call it. The fact is, if another platter for the Technics was produced which fundamentally and comprehensively outperformed the Funk one I currently use, and it fitted my MN bearing properly, then I would buy it, regardless of the whether it was cheaper or more expensive, as the only thing that matters to me, ultimately, is sonic performance.

Price or 'cachet' will always be of secondary importance!

Marco.

[synsei]

Price or 'cachet' will always be of secondary importance.

Marco.

Just checking

[Marco]

I'm surprised you had to ask

Marco.

[MCRU]

So you have tried the MN platter then Marco?

[synsei]

I'm surprised you had to ask

Marco.

You were getting a little evangelical, I was beginning to worry that you might wheel out a full blown gospel choir at any moment...

[Marco]

So you have tried the MN platter then Marco?

I haven't tried his ETP one, but of course owned the high-mass composite one for quite a while, which to my ears the Funk Firm (MKI) platter outperformed. Of course it's possible that the MN ETP platter might be better than what I'm using now, and if either you or Mike want to send me one to try, then I'll do so and report the results. However, when you're extremely satisfied with your T/T and/or system, then there's no compulsion to fiddle

Marco.

[Marco]

You were getting a little evangelical, I was beginning to worry that you might wheel out a full blown gospel choir at any moment...

Lol... Gotta make sure that 'da message' stays out there as much as possible

Marco.