The AF products look beautiful, no doubt about it. Beauty is what they are selling and rightfully so. However, I really do not think that they have a bunch of physicists working for them who scientifically calculated the design of the plinth so as to maximize the performance of the Garrard or Lenco. I think it is much more likely that they are following after information that was/is made available to them mostly via the internet, that provides guidelines for how to construct a decent plinth. (See Lenco Heaven, for example.) Of course, that same information is available to any and all of us, as well. Much of it came from Jean Nantais and others and was freely given on the various chat sites. My point is that if one is strapped for cash but skilled in wood and metalworking (and/or knows a good water-jet guy), terrific plinths can be made for a fraction of the cost of an AF plinth, plinths that equal in performance what can be bought for high cost from companies that make plinths (not to single out AF; I too love their work). Such plinths usually will not look as good, however.