Ultimate Idler Drive


I own several idler drive turntables-Garrard 301,401,501. Presto T-16, Thorens TD124 MkII, Rek-O-Kut L34.I own several DD too-TEAC TN 400, Technics SP10MKII, Monaco Grand Prix. I have to say though I heard the Saskia Idler drive TT at Oswalds Mill Audio the other day. Well if you havn't heard it you must. It furthers the art of turntable design beyond your imagination. I don't know many details, but I do know if you want rock solid music flowing from your speakers, so Louis Armstrong is actually sat about 12 feet away from you in your living room, this TT with an LP like "Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington For The First Time"|is the only way to go!
Maybe Jonathan Weiss, or the Winn Tinnon can tell us more details.
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When I first got my Garrard 501 Stainless Steel Inspiration I had a whole bunch of custom arm boards made to try different arms. I tried: SME V, Graham B44, Triplanar, Wilson Benesch ACT 2.0, Dynavector DV 505,507MkI, Clearaudio T1, SME 3012, and the RS A1. The speed neutrality and detail of the RS Labs consistently eclipsed all the other arms. I even tried the RS Labs Headshell, which handily outperforms all headshells and elevated the performance of the 3012, and Dynavector arms. How ever the A1 and its UNIQUE design is the way I have gone. I have an Ortofon Per Windfield in one, the best MC, and a (Decca) London Reference in the other, the best MM, IMHO!!
When my 501 is in its new OMA slate plinth we can directly compare the Saskia and the 501, by just picking up and moving the A1 arm and cartridge. Great for A/B listening.
Is it the combination with RS-A1 that makes the Ortofon Per Winfield so special or is this irrespective of arm? Any preference among the other arms and what phonostage are you using?
I have tried many MC's including the Stupid(!) expensive ones, none had the speed emotion and musicality of my (Decca)London Reference...until the PW. It is not as romantic as the London, but OH so neutral everything else sounds wrong! In terms of extracting what is in the groove with the most musicality and even handness the PW eclipses them all. That observation, is in any arm I try it. actually I recently tried a Kuzma Stogi/Stabi S table. I mounted a denon 103-very nice budget table. For fun I mounted the PW in the Stogi S. That took the table into a completly different league. It made me re-think: cheaper table, and a PW, will outperform a more expensive table with any other cartridge!
I am evaluating another MC at the moment that holds great promise. The Otono-Edison,Shilabe. I do know the Otono-Edison Premium Mono is the best I have heard. In fact it is so good I didn't listen to a stereo LP for a week, while I listened to my whole mono LP collection!
Your enthusiasm for the Ortofon caused me to try to learn more by Googling it. All I can find is text that refers to their 2M model, which apparently had design input from a person named Per Windfield. I found no reference to an Ortofon cartridge formally named after "Per Windfield", however. Can you elaborate on the cartridge, your source for it, etc? Maybe Ortofon uses a different naming system outside the US, where I reside. Thanks.
http://www.needledoctor.com/Ortofon-Ortofon-MC-Windfeld-Low-Output-Moving-Coil-Cartridge?sc=2&category=378