Building high-end 'tables cheap at Home Despot II

"Finally, I have gone back to the drawing board, and have rethought and redesigned not only the main bearing, but also the plinth, also to work with the new main bearing, the totality of which not only extracts far more information and energy from the grooves, but more importantly, while preserving and enhancing the Lenco’s magical way with timing and coherence, and simple majesty, all the while sounding much more “natural” and unforced. More news anon."

From my last post, now I guess this is the news here presented, the Lenco I built Arthur Salvatore now - I didn't dare to dream - officially on the Reference Components page in Upper Class A, though there are further details coming, and like some of you out there I am on tenterhooks for the continuing story! Once the full review is out, I'll give my further impressions of how the review came about, and of my visit to Salvatore's sound room, with the phono section of his Jadis preamp wired directly to his amplifiers, the volume control and switches out of the signal path, a demonstration of the extreme audiophile path of preservation of the purity of the signal, which - in spite of 8-watt SETs - resulted in THE most transparent, dynamic, focused and detailed (while preserving musicality) system I have ever had the pleasure of hearing.

Re. the results from Athens, apparently, as I have been writing for more than six years now, it must be pointed out that there is one main reason the Lenco is as good as it is: THE DRIVE SYSTEM. Those who don't want to believe this, go get ye a belt-drive Lenco L85 and see how far modification, replinthing and tweaking will get you. As I wrote back on February 1st, 2004, when the Audio Landscape was completely different and the "Idler Wheel Revolution" was just a dream in my head (still in development ;-)), for those who don't remember their history:

"Do I want to get into the whole idler-wheel drive philosophy and science and so upset hordes of belt-drive maniacs? No! Unless you want an explanation. But consider the history. I personally own many 'tables, some high-end, like the air-bearing Maplenoll which a friend recently dumped his VPI MkIII with Clearaudio parallel-tracking arm for (also considered very highly by Salvatore), some "mid-fi" (but I love them), and some I built myself. The Lencos beat them all. Sugano who builds the Koetsu uses a Garrard 301 idler-wheel drive. The Japanese have been using low-powered tube amps and sensitive speakers for decades while we scoffed, and now we're finding out that there was something to this after all. The Japanese have also been buying up all the heavier Garrard idler-wheel drives they could get their hands on. There are idler-wheel fans all over Europe and North America with high-end systems. Through all this, one highly-regarded 'table which sold in large numbers has been ignored in all the Garrard-fever (and I have owned a number of these Garrards in Europe), and that's the heavy-duty bomb-proof yet elegant Lenco idler-wheel drive. Because of this, it can be had cheap. Forget about rumble figures propaganda, that's what this thread is meant to address. The issue was the wheels themselves, and if you can find a Lenco with the rubber-coated aluminum wheel, then it will be perfect, as I have never yet found one which was flattened. There was a business in England which still sold Lenco wheels only a while ago for roughly $20, I will search this out. The moment someone finds one and buys it, I will proceed with a step-by-step demonstration - with photos - of how to build a high-end 'table. Chipboard and plywood are enough, but feel free to source Corian, acrylic, marble, anything you can get your hands on, as the prime issue is mass. It's easy, even someone who has never used tools can do it. Fun, and you'll end up with a 'table you'll be hard-pressed to match, let alone beat. Those who want to dismiss or object to the idler-wheel technology, please address your objections to Sugano."

I always thought the following was one of the better things I wrote, so here it goes again :-): "Those who want to dismiss or object to the idler-wheel technology, please address your objections to Sugano." Audiophiles all over the world considered Sugano something of an audio god, and yet all turned a blind eye to this apparent aberration of his, preferring to look away than to investigate, which is why I loved tweaking their noses on this subject.

So, that attended to, I must underline the IMPORTANCE of the Athens results and the respect the result demands from Lenco-ites as well as the rest of the world!!: the EMT 927 is an IDLER-WHEEL DRIVE, the REASON the Lenco is so good you would all do well to remember, and NOT coincidentally the KING of all vintage 'tables and, in terms of build quality anyway, the KING of all idlers. It makes the Lenco look like a cheap piece of crap in terms of build quality (though build quality is NOT design, where the Lenco scores BIG). Even the famed fully-blown Shindo Garrard (let alone various lesser rebuilds) must quail (and not in the bird sense ;-)) at the prospect of a Shootout versus this near 150-pound (without plinth) Swiss-made professional studio machine and LEGEND. Which is the reason certain participants of this thread, and others, have tried to bury Lenco vs EMT successes (there have been others). So, that explained, we have GREAT reason for celebration, as the Lenco - in close to stock form (plinth excepted of course) - has received TWO sets of graduation papers: judgment vs the KING of all idlers (and unless you've heard an EMT idler, which is a borderline frightening experience, you are not fit to judge, dismiss or reduce this achievement); and judgment, by an audiophile of extreme experience and analytical "mercilessness" and a reviewer/guru of, until now, the Belt-Drive persuasion.

I'll here quote from one of Salvatore's earlier postings, to provide context from this exclusive, until now, user and reviewer of high-end belt-drives: "I have to admit that I still have a degree of scepticism about idler-drives. This unease is based on the history of turntable development and marketing. This is my problem: I don't understand why none of the contemporary turntable manufacturers are using this method, if it's truly superior to what they are now using. If there's a rational reason for this reluctance, I can't think of it."

This, evidently, was the problem many had from the beginning of my crusade to have the Idler taken seriously - via the cheaper and yet superb Lenco - by the general audiophile population, and removed from the fringe element existence, much as some would have preferred it - and the Lenco - remain a secret ;-).

I'll post a photo of said "Reference Lenco" under my "system" for those who wish to see it, you'll recognize the design, though under the hood, where it counts, I have made important changes. More details anon.

So, one more time for Old Time's sake (I HAVE been fighting this battle for more than 6 years now, good to finally see vindication - from Salvatore AND from Athens - of my claims for the Lenco, so please indulge me): Vive la Lenco, Vive la Idler Wheel!!!

Dear Jean, Is your bearing upgrade available to the rest of us? If so, can you supply details? Also, do you still use and recommend the stock idler wheel in your ultimate efforts? Thanks.

Hey everybody!

Been so busy that I never built another Lenco after the last one I posted more than 2 years ago.

Congrats Jean! The "hype and spittle" becomes OFFICIAL INTERNET REALITY! AT LAST! LOL! HOOORAYYYYYYY!

I for one am also waiting with baited breath to hear the technical details of Arthur's "Lenocius Canadius".

Mike

On his HighEnd Audio website, Arthur Salvatore has added some information about his listening experience with a Jean Nantais "Reference" Lenco. He describes in detail, the areas in which the Lenco outperformed his prior reference...which is to say, how the Lenco proved itself the best turntable he has ever heard.

Go and take a look!

http://www.high-endaudio.com/RECENT.html

And there is still more to come, because for now, he concludes with "To be Continued!"

Well the audio analysis part of the review is out and of course I am amazed and ecstatic at the outcome, truly better than I could have DREAMED possible (seeing a Lenco in Upper Class A of Recommended Components STILL hasn’t completely sunk in: I’ll have to go stare at it on a Greek island and meditate on it :-)), especially years ago when I first entertained a serious audio review of a Lenco (but had no idea what the outcome would be given politics etc.)!!

Many had warned me that Arthur Salvatore was a VERY difficult and picky reviewer (I could see this myself from perusing his website), but he stepped up to the plate, and I’m sure any Lenco fans out there - worth their salt - will join me in thanking Arthur profusely for taking the chance on the New Kid on the Block, the Lenco, instead of always the established (and by extension safe) Garrards, EMTs, Thorenses, and for taking a great amount of time and effort in order to make his analysis bullet-proof – and necessarily lengthy (like my own posts) ;-) - so that nay-sayers will only expose their lack of understanding, intelligence and integrity.

The lengthy history and explanation is necessitated as well by the fact the Lenco IS the new kid on the block, AND an idler-wheel drive to boot!! I cannot begin to explain what an act of courage – as a reviewer and audio guru (AND belt-driver) with an established reputation - it is to stick your neck out to report honestly (especially positively and to this extent) on the Lenco – and in such glowing (AND honest) terms! Stop and think on this a while. Had Arthur instead raked the Lenco over the coals, as I know from experience, the world would have heaved a sigh of relief and stood up and lionized him and said “Bravo, some reason restored to the world and those deluded individuals put in their place!!” Please, Arthur, don’t revise your findings on this account :-).

Given the world is filled, sadly, with those who feel it necessary to poison a good thing (essentially vandals who use keyboards), as I see it Salvatore had to back up his analysis with his history, and an explanation of the idler-wheel phenomenon, to anticipate any such attacks, and of course to provide a rational and believable foundation to the unprecedented (as he put it) performance he discovered and reported on. Having been a [willing, or I would never have promoted the Lenco/Idler] lightning-rod for the world’s opposition to the Lenco/Idler qualities for years now (from the honest to the ugly), I entirely understand.

As to ANY suggestion that I may have somehow “bought off” Salvatore, this is SO laughable as to make that person utterly ridiculous (tantamount to publicly pie-ing your own face, and then kicking your own ass :-)), as anyone at all who knows me knows all too well.

But to be more precise: I am more of a nomad than anything else, putting ALL real money into my trademark lengthy trips to exotic places around the world (I am into experience, not things, and only invest in audio equipment for the experience of music, which I DO passionately consider an important and miraculous experience). I am not particularly interested in money (other than expecting a fair return for my investments in materials, tools and research and hands-on work), and have none to spread around. I literally couldn’t GIVE away my car! I am one man, with a small workshop (and have no plans for expansion, I prefer to keep my life simple), and now backed up by a very talented machinist to make my visions reality. I will not and am not considering mass-production, and will remain loyal to him if he does to me. (To answer previous questions, I cannot have my new main bearing made in sufficient numbers at the moment to consider selling them apart from my Reference Lenco commissions, if this changes I’ll announce it). Salvatore paid me in full, and in timely fashion and according to my rules, even though he had no idea what he would receive (apart from what we worked out in print).

I have NO financial clout, and in no way can he benefit from positively reviewing my work (in fact quite the reverse as already explained). I don’t want anyone to feel sorry for me, so I’ll list one of my favourite – and central - philosophies: the best revenge is good living. In the spirit of this, I spend months every year in exotic places, in beautiful villas and bungalows (as the case may be) on the world’s finest beaches, interspersed with adventures in the Himalayas and jungles and deserts. This is where my money goes (and when I’m in a particularly beautiful and striking place with a cold beer in my hand and beautiful women around, I say “Take THAT, Bill Gates!!” to anyone who will listen :-)). I don’t think Salvatore could be influenced by the twenty bucks I could throw his way ;-). All my advantages over my “competition” are my brains, my dedication (or stubbornness), and my willingness to go to GREAT lengths to prove my various points (like starting the Home Despot Thread/Project, ongoing).

But, back to the apter celebratory note, re-capping the history of Lenco Dominance :-), back in 2003 I tried to start an idler-wheel revolution in a thread entitled “Idler-wheel drives”, on Audiogon :

“Time to start the revolution: does anyone out there own an idler-wheel drive record player they actually listen to? Or has anyone out there heard an idler-wheel (not a Garrard SP-25) in a decent system? I own several record players, some "high-end", like an Audiomeca or Maplenoll, some simply good, like the AR-XA or Ariston, and I also own several idler-wheel players I built myself, following the Garrard-rebuilds going on out there: high-mass bodies to sink the vibration. They go deeper in the bass, are faster, have more dynamics, both micro and macro, are better at focussing detail, and are pretty well indestructible. Sure, the wheel's got to be in good shape and sure, it needs a good body - but so does a belt-drive. I'm tired of reading about the superiority of belt-drive, especially as most of those writing this have not heard good examples of the alternatives. Hellooo...anyone out there share my conviction?”

Well, THAT one went up like a lead balloon, with a grand total of one lukewarm response. So, in January of 2004 I devised a new strategy: I would use the then cheap-and-plentiful Lenco I myself had been using since 1992, which I knew was superb, and put out a recipe for a high-end record player as bait, whose REAL intended purpose was to gather evidence of the superiority of the idler-wheel drive system. THIS time it took off like a rocket, as a vast untapped reservoir of unsuspected DIYers were just waiting for the instructions and encouragement to get started on a “true high-end” record player project , as advertised in my title (at that time only a very few were into this, be it belt-drive, DD or idler-wheel), rather than the usual amp and speaker projects!!

Being posted Front and Center on the world’s most important audio forum (at least ONE of the most important), and structured in such a way as continued posts put it back to the top of the list, and with the help of the various excited participants at the time, as the Lenco reputation continued to snowball, that original thread eventually went past 4000 posts, the longest in audio history at that time (I have no idea whether or not this is still a record), and spawned and fed various Lenco forums!!

I fought on the bigger audio forums for more than six years now (and it appears the fight still has no end in sight, SIGH, though thanks in part to Salvatore we are definitely getting somewhere) to have both the Lenco and the idlers I considered it represented taken seriously, and now, with the added help of this review, one can see the tone of discussion on forums around the world changing and becoming more serious and accepting (lines on French, English and Asian forums like “Well you KNOW Salvatore has now put it in Recommended Components….”).

So, all you Lenco (and idler) aficionados out there, you have now been vindicated, those who looked at you askance all those years will now (and ARE now) look at you with new respect!! So I, anyway, give Arthur Salvatore a BIG thank you for first taking a chance on an idler-wheel drive when his whole posted history was belt-drive with LOTS of skepticism aimed at the idler-wheel phenomenon, and taking an even bigger chance on the Lenco!! I can only hope that those who claim to be Lenco afficionados will join me in appreciating this great leap of faith and courageous action, and also extend their thanks.

And why not (though I know it irritates many, but what the hey, if I was interested in popularity instead of truth I would never have made it a mission to have the Lencos and idlers taken seriously): Vive la Lenco, Vive la Idler-Wheel!!!