Ultimate Idler Drive

first the Louis Armstrong was the re- issue! I know my Garrard 501 out performs all my other tables. However direct comparison
With the Grand Pric Monaco revealed a slight coloration in the vocals. Having heard what slate can do on Saskia I have ordered a custom slate plinth from OMA for the 501. Then we can do direct comparison with my SP10 MkII in an OMA slate double plinth, the Saskia and the 501!
The mounting of any great turntable I am convinced to realize it's true potential must be mounted in slate!! Ply, glass, steel and Panzerholz all have tonal colorations I have found. The slate just allows the idler or DD to do it's best.
FYI I will use an RS Labs Tonearm with the Ortofon Per Winfield on all the tables. After trying all the well know highend arms I have found this quirky arm to outperform them all. As for the PW there is no competition.
I have high hopes for the 501/Slate/RS/PW, but if the Saskia is better as I suspect it will be, I will put my name down for one.

Dear Robyatt, I would be very interested to learn the results of your testing. I am on the same or a very similar path. I quite agree with you re the special qualities of the very weird RS-A1 tonearm. However, no matter what I find in my own expts, the Saskia is out of reach, sadly.

Robin,

Thanks for your comments here. It means a lot to me for someone who isn't connected to the project, but who has actually heard the turntable at length to speak of Saskia in such a positive way. Hopefully, I will have the opportunity to build one for you, and I'll be looking for you at RMAF.

This entire affair has become an obsession for me that is life consuming. It is practically all I think about these days. My non-audiophile friends probably say "He must have got off at East Ham." Now that I think about it, they most likely said that even before I started tinkering with turntables...at least the cockney ones. ;)

Anyway, thanks again. I do really appreciate it!

Best,
Win

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Panzerholz /w colorations? But I like those colors.
Although I think I would go for a slate body for the Denon DL-103 if one of those ever emerges.

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see you already know slate is the way to go! Panzerholz made a great Graham arm board for me and allowed me to never look at MDF again. However the deadnest of it robs some dynamics! The slate I find allows perfect energy flow- not dead,but no colorations. As I said before the true sound nature of the table it supports is laid bare. Then chose the best idler,DD,belt(?), mechanism you can afford.