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2020 update : JC Verdier La Platine

A recent encounter with a JC Verdier dealer as well as a recent Audiogon discussion thread led to the start of this thread. He was in my house updating my La Platine which had been in storage for ten years with thread and oil. While he has high regards for the deck, his newer clients nevertheless prefer a Techdas iii than an 'old' La Platine. Given the proliferation of expensive decks in the past dozen years, La Platine has become very much under-appreciated. 

It's clear to me that the influence of the La Platine is everywhere to be found. Specifically, the magnetic suspension system that was employed 30+ years ago. Even SOTA offers their newer decks with mag. lev. features. And if you read this review: https://www.callas-audio.nl/Callas%20Platine%20Mod%20Kit%20Review.pdf, the Continuum Caliburn uses the same concept, which was not acknowledged in Fremer's review, albeit with more sophisticated , and expensive, execution.

It is also clear to me that there is much misunderstanding of the workings of the La Platine. I for one have contributed to this. The motor of the La Platine, for example, has been much maligned. The thread drive is another aspect of the turntable that have been described as inferior. With regard to the motor and thread drive, I have been set straight by Chris @ct0517 and Lyubomir @lbelchev. Experimenting with the different types of silk threads, the tightness to the platter  and a renewed understanding of the soundness of the Philips motor have been rewarded with better dynamics and transparency. 

The funny thing is that during the past two years of re-engagement with audio, I have questioned ownership of every components in my arsenal except the La Platine. It has always been a keeper. I wonder if La Platine owners would contribute to celebrating this 'old' deck with tales, advice, and insights?

Cheers!
ledoux1238
lewm
13,538 posts
 

Better to find out before "putting money on it", don't you think? Especially if the answer is known either to Bill Carlin or to SOTA.

mr_gray
78 posts
 

i got some new magnets for the la platine.  i thought it would be a tough ask.  it was not.  a company had in stock 180 mm dia 20 mm thick Y30 magnets (ferrite) with 100 mm dia internal "hole".  this made them about 5% smaller kin area than the stock magnets.  i wondered if this would be an issue.

 

the magnets arrived in like 6 working days.  from singapre.  i bought 2 sets just in case.  i don't often handle powerful magnets and it is a bit of a nightmare.  i was wary of shattering one of them during install.

 

as it turned out all was well.  the old ones were much easier to remove than the new ones to install.  how they got so weak i will never know.  is this typical?  it doesn't seem to be.  i did my best to centre everything as i know the magnet alignment is core to good performance.

 

Bob's your uncle and the job was done.  i've now got a levitating platter.  i have it within an oil meniscus of the bearing which i have left in there.  it sounds amazing.  i do have to say the biggest improvement though has been getting a smartractor and doing a proper setup of tonearm/cart.  that change has been staggering (and somewhat embarrassing really).

dover
2,301 posts
 

@mr_gray 

Great news - now you are hearing the Verdier as it is intended.

Not an expert but I did read that exposure to very high heat can demagnetise magnets.

You should keep the originals - investigate if you can get them re-magnetised.

mr_gray
78 posts
 

@dover thankyou - yes i do feel / hear that difference i think.  i have been fettling to wit:

i've got the motor off these soft absorption pads i had it on.  now flat on credenza top.  also i put the la platine on cms footers (i.e. defeated the feet).  i am using thread.  the motor is very close.  shaknspin wow is down to 0.02 RMS.  with the spring feet defeated it adds a certain solidity.  previous i thought this a bit much.  right now with my tonearm setup properly, cart aligned etc it just seems very good.  wide stereo image.  great stability.  great dynamics.  i can hear that the standard feet do better preventing noise coming up into the table (i have a stethoscope for this).  but there is little doubt in my mind it all gets a little "soft".  i mean you can hear it frankly.  it's not bad.  but it just tends to mechanically favour treble and lower volume stuff i think.  what is mind bending is the sheer amount of music in the songs and the total lack of distortion.  i played old favourites and despite not having my best arm/cart/sut combo (or more accurately most expensive arm/cart/sut combo) it has never been better.  

 

around the corner i expect two different belts to arrive.  actually 3.  one is EPDM from ebay, the other is EPDM from gold ring and then another is the large TRansrotor belt favoured by @mtemur from WBF.  he prefers a belt so i figured it would be good to try it out and it might even help me achieve 45 rpm more easily (my experience is belts do alot better with 45 rpm than string).  33.3 sped stability is now brilliant.  i don't have any issues now that i have mastered motor placement etc.

i was going to try different ball materials but i am now riding above the ball so i don't think i care anymore.  might even try total ball withdrawal.  i do think the denon 103 cart with fr64s arm feels like it was made for this turntable.  the fr64s/103 combo being hyperactive and overreactive and the la platine tending towards the subtle.

one thing to note with my excellent w&f values is that my thread is now at the absolute base of the platter.  i do tend to think this helps.

 

 

ledoux1238 OP
318 posts
 

@mr_gray 

The magnet replacement is really a rarity. Did you replace both the top and bottom magnets? How did you attached the magnets to the aluminum platter? How did you remove the magnets from the platter to begin with? Can you post some pictures? 
 

 

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