A Copernican View of the Turntable System

Thuchan,

Like Raul, I, too, am interested in reading why you don't think the SME 30/2 is a good turntable. Could you please explain what aspects of its performance you don't like and why?

Have you heard the SME 30/12 also?

Halcro, I was looking at this easy idea for those to try a remote armpod out which has been promoted here as opposed to your concrete idea. I can see having more sucess with this than the concrete.

Beyond Chris and Corby I don't think there has been any other DIY approaches so far.

Maybe you don't see it but I don't think that Gent would have mounted the tonearm if it wasn't solid or rigid and he solved the mass problem with the addition of lead. It's not the perfect armpod but it did allow him to try his additional tonearm with only a couple hours of work probably with basic hand tools. If a router is in your toolbox the job would be easier and could be implemeted a little better.

Brad

Brad,
It is almost impossible to achieve a 'moment' connection between wood and metal (especially the way shown in that armpod).
Without this 'moment' connection.....movement between the wood and metal is a given....ergo....no rigidity here.
If one were to grab the top of this pod with one hand and the bottom with the other and twist back and forwards.......you would appreciate the movement induced.

Ecir38,

Thanks for those photo's. I tried something very similar with my Mambo but ended up trying a slightly different solution with the full arm tower attachment to gain weight. I'm not really certain why he didn't simply stick with the Acoustic Signature aluminium top-plate in his application though!

Interestingly, the main problem I found with the AS tt was the motor having to sit on the same platform as the deck. I believe that Raul overcomes this problem by decoupling his AS from the platform with pneumatic footers. The improvement this affords seems both obvious and interesting in our current wider context.

Dear Henry
Re: your thoughts on suspended tables designs is not true. In the 1980s through into the 90s I was quite content with a Sota Star Sapphire more so then anything before and after.
As the new decade approached my perception at this time was that buying new would have to be better. At least this is what the audio press was pushing of course.

This past decade saw a SME 20 including some TNT tweaked variants to a TW Acoustics AC from a couple or three years ago all ending with a dark sound I couldnt get rid of.
For the used going price of a sota sappire i'm thinking of a re-visit.

Pods,....for the sake of comparing your turntable solutions with experimenting with damping, rigidity and stability, put your Victor 101 in a well designed plinth with attached arm boards and attached adjustable feet, keep it all in the loop.

There are some clever ideas from some high profile members here on Audiogon that go beyond just mass loading with whatever seems heavy-ist.

Finally, some of you challenging the likes of Jonathan Carr , Dover and Lewn to name a few, on this subject of going plinth-less with pods as opposed to a solid grounded plinth really makes me wonder what you as a collective group of believers know what they do not.