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?
I do have to acknowledge comments by @pindacabove about his vinyl journey. But more importantly it is about your enthusiasm for the La Platine, in particular, and your joy on full display with vinyl playing in general. It is infectious! I now feel guilty when not playing records.
Just when I thought all stones have been turned, you come up with this double loop idea. It seems counterintuitive at first. The logic was to reduce the contact area as much as possible while still maintaining speed. But the truth was the tiny silk thread was struggling to maintain speed especially on 45s’. And the additional loop really increase very little. It now looks like the thickness of the original linen thread. But the soundstage is more defined with better width / depth presentation. I have planar magnetic speakers. At low volume, the soundstage flattens. That has not changed. But at regular listening levels ( 75-80 db ), the soundstage is holographic. Because of the back and forth on this thread recently, I further refines my setup. The soundstage was improved already. But this takes it further, a very nice uptick.
The threads we use are regular sewing threads that we tie together. It is impossible to tie two loops with identical diameters. The first attempt at the double loop resulted in a very similar situation as @mr_gray. The loop was too small and the motor almost touched the plinth. I have a better managed distance between the two now.
- figure 8. that way i guess u get the double but don’t have to make 2 exactly the same length silk belts which i think i would fail. also only one knot! i am using sewing thread made from silk. i have ordered surgical silk thread which is a bit different apparently.
- when i made my doubled belt it was so short i had to have the motor half under the plinth of the turntable. my latest loop is too long and so now i don’t have that anymore, instead the motor is one foot to the left. making thread loops is not straightforward i find. a bit of trial and error.
- i am continuing to listen to this. i feel like it sounds very good. i remember reading about the la platine when i was getting into them and the callas mod. a fellow said the la platine, when not on bearing, lacked for piano. so i pay alot of attention to the piano. maybe it is the cart/tonearm combo that helps, but i do feel the double wrapped has helped with piano. everything sounds more dynamic and with a better toe tapping beat.
- last night i listened to bob dylan’s oh mercy late at night. like 1 am. i was expecting a closed in record which is as i recall it. instead it was open, dynamic and quite extraordinary (both in absolute terms but also versus expectation). i felt like i was looking at huge format paintings that hang in the sapporo gallery. i had been expecting a tiny 12 inch by 9 inch vague landscape with age dulled colours and instead i got grand exposition. it was thrilling. prior to that earlier in evening wife and i listened to ’Cabaret". the depth of Liza Minelli’s talent was on full display and it was staggering.
Mr gray, can you better describe “double loop” of silk? Do you mean two separate silk thread belts or one double size loop that you make into a figure 8? Also I wonder what you mean when you say the motor is under the TT. Thx.
@mr_gray I have visited this thread reading Posts from 2024 and 2025, as certain content has an appeal to me.
You have Stated " It sounds absolutely tremendous ", such a statement really does touch home with my own discoveries made over many years of investigative learning, where experiences had have been extremely impressive and wanted to be maintained and encouraged furthering the learning to see where betterment has been able to be added.
I have been involved in being closely associated with others who are using their knowledge and skills for eking out improvement from Mechanical Interfaces on a TT for near 30 years.
I started during the 90's when a Martin Bastin design for a Garrard 401 Platter Bearing was adopted. The impression this exchange made, has been the foundation for the long time follow up for investigating variants of a design on a Platter Spindle Bearing, to get betterment at Interfaces where Sacrificial Parts within a Bearing Housing are occurring.
Learning that followed, led to discussion about designs, where low coefficient of friction interfaces within the Bearing Housing and what is able to be achieved for quietness of operation for the Platter Spindles Bearing Mechanical Function were to be pursued. This same discussion led to showing an interest in what was required for accurately maintaining a True Axis for a Platter Spindle Rotation.
Always running parallel with these disciplines has been materials selection and machining tolerances that can be produced and maintained at an interface. Stability of materials functioning in a particular type of environment and produced to have extremely tight dimension tolerances, is a critical property when the lowest coefficient of frictions able to be produced are part of a design intent.
As Trueness of Axis Rotation was proved to be available, this then led to the importance of producing accurately and maintaining Spindle to Pivot Distance.
Materials used to attach the separate Parts for the Replay of Vinyl to occur, during the earliest days were being selected for their stability in a range of environments. Minimum expansion/contraction of a material has been the property wanted for a selected material as the earliest designs objective.
Mass Stone (Granite) was my choice, over other choices that could have been adopted, other Stone, Metal or Complex Timber Structure were alternates to be used.
A continued interest for materials, led to the most recent material I am a advocate of, being a Resin Impregnated Densified Wood Board.
Densified Wood Board, is a material type that compared to other more typical options, excels for Damping / Dissipation Properties and is also extremely stable in a multitude of environments, a Typical Home environment is no challenge to it.
Densified Wood Board as a material is very suitable for managing energies transferred from a TT's mechanical operation, as well as managing energies transferred from the Ambient Environment.
( Linn recently decided to charge $8K+ for their TT owners to experience Densified Wood Board as a type of material).
The end of the road is not yet met, as interest in this subject remains strong, the areas needing to be considered is extensive. Alternate methods for mounting items are already in place and under assessment, Optimisation of Source Medium is also now a discipline that has very satisfying results, Optimisation of the Electrical Signal Path through adopting differing designs have proved through recent designs put in place proven to be game changers. All designs are now wanted to be maintained, but there are those that will not be reversed, only to be built on.
All are combined into one improvement for the End Sound and All are very important as they are indicators that the evolved disciplines in practice are very worthwhile.
For myself, I am fully getting your wonderment and the keenness to build on what is already seen as positives to be maintained, that add up to more than the sum of the Parts used to achieve the experience.
also dover had the same thoughts although he identified "surgical" silk and said if loose it could be "chalked" (presumably to give grip). i have the motor partially under the turntable now and a double loop of silk thread and it is driving!
@ledoux1238 this is good. If we hear the same things then I think that is very reassuring. Because frankly with so many variables on the la platine, and it being quite sensitive to these variables, one could easily trick oneself. It’s perhaps tedious of me but I returned to thread lastnight due a perceived lack of dynamics with the silk. A sort of listless sound unless I had the volume turned right up.
anyway at some stage thought came to me to try a double loop of silk. I’m now listening to exile on Main Street. At relatively low volume. It sounds alive. Dynamic. Transparent. And has jump. I think you should give it a shot. It’s toe tapping without sounding all thick and plastic like garrard did.
Your experience on the silk drive mirrors mine. It’s very quiet, though I have not done A/B with linen in a while. And holding speed on 45’s is a struggle with loose fit. I cheat and tighten up the tension on the silk thread.
I tried a Micro Seiki belt made by Original Live today. And sure enough it produced more noise and sounded slower.
well surprisingly it was very easy to hear differences between the threads.
- have been running silk or linen thread. as i suspected silk is much quieter than linen thread. in fact after returning to linen thread for perceived dynamics, i got rid of it. much better with silk. extraordinarily quiet. also using shaknspin2 the silk achieves better W&F readings and better speed stability.
- i thought to myself maybe i need to drop the spindle so i am all magnet. i don't know how i got here but i don't think i'd heard it with zero bearing. anyway i did just that and lo and behold!
- suddenly the music was completely "free". i don't know what this really means but that was the sense of it. the music unfolding with zero sense of mechanical device running. much quieter again.
so here we are: motor on footers, la platine on its own footers, about a mm or so play between platter and spindle, the Rocol X5 lubrication as the maker intended. great speed stability but very much at upper end of range for motor to achieve 33.3.
- with the linen thread i had 33.3 and 45 easy. i think with silk i will struggle to hit 45. this is a problem but currently worth it to explore benefits of silk.
- extraordinary transparency of voice. variable stage width according to what record i'm playing.
All in all i reckon the la platine has many faces. with a thick rubber belt and bearing contact it sounds alot like my garrard 401. with silk thread, loose, and no bearing contact, it pretty much disappears and the music unfolds without impediment, without seemingly any "flavour" from the turntable. early days but seems very nice.
Enjoy your Delos, for 450 USD, you cannot do any better. I have a 450 USD cartridge that I cherish, an Audio Technica AT-170 ML mm vintage. Probably not as capable as a Delos, but shockingly good.
i doubt you will hear the difference between linen and silk. I pretend to hear a difference between my black silk and red viscose threads, but in truth they are both good. I think thread drive is the way to go with the original motor. But do share your thoughts when the silk threads are installed.
you could be right re: the Delos but i am quite broke right now and it sounds brilliant. I don't think I have ever had my stereo running like this. when i adjusted the azimuth i corrected a 2 dB channel imbalance. so now the channels match, inter mod distortion is well within spec and optimised. vtf is cool and i used microscope to check vta. it sounds amazing and cost me 600 AUD so i will enjoy it for a bit whilst the Silvercore SUT keeps running in. takes ages to play 40 hours of records!
currently i have the motor on CMS footers (i like the rigidity) and the la platine is on its own feet. there is an isolation platform (Seismion) selling locally 2nd hand i'd love to pick up but as above, no budget right now. instead i am waiting for my local haberdasher to supply me with silk thread and cotton thread so i can try them out versus my current linen thread (which is excellent). i hope the silk thread will just have a touch more give in it which will reduce transfer of motor vibration.
The previous arm on my La Platine was a SME V, a well regarded tonearm, and a popular pairing with the turntable. This was many years ago, my set up skills were, admittedly, very poor. I used the supplied protractor for cartridge alignment, and the arm does not allow for azimuth adjustment. The result was really very poor SQ compared to what I am hearing today. I believe I would be able to optimize the V’s potential more today, however, its lack of azimuth adjustment dissuades me from owning it again.
Your skewed Delos may be worth sending back to Lyra for a repair, no? Other issues may be lurking holding back its full potential.
You may have mentioned but what are using as an isolation platform for the La Platine, if any?
@ledoux1238wow! this really made a difference. the Delos i have was v cheap because the cantilever is askew. it needed an azimuth adjustment more than most carts would perhaps. the difference is profound. when you said "The one parameter that has the most effect on sound is azimuth" i thought there might be some hyperbole. to anyone reading it is not hyperbole. it is, shockingly, fact. a significant progression for me. thankyou @ledoux1238!
aha! thank you very much for your insight here. i think i knew this once but it was before i was ready to cope with another variable and i had well and truly forgotten. just y'day i saw the arrow on the safir and wondered as to what the heck it was for. thank you very much. this is very pleasing. i also was not aware that cross-talk related to this. i had another cart, an ART9, with terrible cross-talk numbers so i will see if i can do anything about that. now i can do something with analog magik besides zenith.
@mr_gray
Adjusting azimuth electrically involves measuring cross talk between the two channels of the cartridge. Typically you use a voltmeter and test record and measure the output of your cartridge with one channel suppressed. Then you do the same for the other channel. The outputs of the two should be as close as possible to each other for best azimuth alignment. This should mean the least crosstalk and the widest channel separation which should translate into the widest sound stage and the least channel imbalance. That is what I try to hear without using measuring tools.
i have seen videos of azimuth alignment using AudioMagik, a bit more complicated than using a Fozometer, but the principle is the same, measuring cross talk. And your Safir has a tool to rotate the arm tube to adjust for azimuth. It may involve a few back and forth rotating the arm tube, or you might just get it perfect on your first try.
@ledoux1238i have gone overboard it is true. a big positive is i have learnt a bit and become comfortable working with a cart, tonearm and table. i am yet to crack azimuth if i am honest. i struggle getting vision on it even with a microscope (much easier for use with vta from side). when i use analog magik i seem to be only really checking zenith, which it is fantastic for. i don't find azimuth adjustment approachable on the kuzma safir. it would be much easier to attempt on the AS arche headshell i have but currently obsessed with the Safir.
You have an envious arsenal of high end gear. And you are right about good set up allowing the best gears to perform at their best.
The level of care in setting up the TT / tonearm / cartridge has been at the center of attention for me in the past several years. Given I use a linear tracker, the set up parameters are much less than with a pivot arm. And I am still adjusting with microscope and ear. The one parameter that has the most effect on sound is azimuth. And as I do not use a Fozgometer or Audio magik, I adjust by listening to the widest and deepest soundstage with a most subtle bass response, not very ‘ scientific’, but I do take time and care in doing the minute adjustments.
i have a silver 1:10. i think it is the pro version. i wanted the largest silver cans i could get my hands on. it wasn't cheap unfortunately.
what i like is to listen to other gear so i can get a sense of how good the good gear is. i feel it helps with system insights and comprehension. plus fun.
the silvercore keeps getting better. very dynamic, very quiet, on solid state it would sound dry i think or crisp - but that's probably just as it burns in. it is a great match with the delos.
i can well imagine good carts and less decorated gear. i can also well imagine a relatively cheap tube based RIAA doing a very good job as i did have an Abbas EL84 riaa before the m6. having said that, the m6 is kind of amazing when compared to the Abbas, so you do get something for your money.
i am sure if i had it all over again there are better ways to skin the cat.
i have an iogold/s9 combo and i eventually the iogold will be repaired and i will get to listen to that in context of say silvercore/delos. it will be interesting as the iogold/s9 setup is around 7 times more expensive. i did previously listen to the s9/iogold combo but not when my la platine was so sorted and also prior to understanding how critical setup of cart was and so without benefit of analog magik and smartractor.
@mr_gray Which Silvercore SUT are you using? 1:10 ratio with the Delos? have been interested in this German brand for a while.
I stumbled into a vinyl setup that is the opposite of yours regarding cartridge and phono stage choices, using entry level phono stages matched with higher performance cartridges. I know you have used higher level cartridges, but choose to dip into more entry level ones to experiment. The tube phono stage, SunValley EQ 1616D was introduced by HR, and with Telefunken ecc83s’ and Millard ecc83, does not sound like an entry level preamp.
delos with silvercore is a home run. early days but sounds great.
i have a Audio Note M6 as my RIAA. it plugs into my integrated amp.
things almost perfect with my turntable setup. only thought left now is toward an isolating base. would radically increase expense of project but :
1. i have a footfall issue. even walking away after dropping needle i might make a skip happen. not good.
2. everyone says the la platine really does well on a platform like vibraplane etc.
i guess i would have the la platine on platform and motor not on the platform.
the main features i find of the la platine that might distinguish it are:
- continuity - no feeling of effort or mechanical intrusion. with the 401 for example or tt3, one can hear the intense "push push" of the setup. this is nice in some ways. but it seems more pure when it is not there
- silence - small sounds and large sounds occur on a very soundless back ground. it is as some say "just the music"
i do not have any speed issues nor any w/f issues. i am on thread and it is excellent. i might give it one more crack with the cms footers.
@mr_gray Having now owned cartridges from over $10,000 to vintage MM at $ 375, I, too, subscribe to HR’s approach, as you say a ‘ switch it up mindset’. The MM I have, Audio. Technica AT-170ML stylus in a AT-180ML body, was also TOTL during the 80’s and you learn / hear different qualities from this cartridge. And most certainly it is enjoyable and a keeper.
yes i was inspired by Herb to be sure. it is really him that's gotten me into a vinyl switch it up mindset rather than "ultimate system" type thinking.
i am using a cheap SUT with the Delos that i picked up for 375 USD. total expenditure something like 650 USD for cart and SUT. it is a once in blue moon event but cheap thrills in high end audio!
i have a silvercore SUT coming in 1:10 so we will see if that improves on the 1:14 winding i am currently using via AT 670T
Lew, thanks for asking but I am not there yet. I rather entertain a second arm than tinker with the motor at this point.
@mr_gray I think Herb Reichert recently had a very really positive write-up of the Delos. It’s funny how I lust for the higher level Lyras’, Etna or the Atlas. But I keep hearing good things about the Kleos and Delos. Basically my recent acquisitions of a re-tipped Transfiguration Proteus and a top notch ZYX Ultimate Astro will keep me quite content for a while, but very happy to know about your Delos experience.
ledoux, Did you ever get a response from either SOTA or Bill Carlin about whether the magnetic suspension would interfere with the Eclipse/Roadrunner system? Or maybe you have not yet asked.
it is in extremely poor taste for me to be making a series of posts however:
1. platine users aren't thick on the trees
2. i just tried a new cart last night and i just have to say how thrilling it was with the la platine/safir combo.
a second hand lyra delos i picked up. magical! dynamic. fleshy. detailed. perfect fit with my tube system. really spiced things up! platine sounding like nothing has ever sounded before. so seamless. not hifi but pure and fun and beautiful. i've got footers on motor, no footers for table and loving the thread!
ok rec'd thread today. this is linen thread with light waxing so a good match for Verdier's recommendation i believe. instantly the speed was perfect for both 33 and 45. as in i could dial in the speed and be around half way in range. that felt good.
sound wise i thought it was instantly better. the skinny thread i use is slightly elastic and this linen thread is not elastic at all.
i agree, alot of Safir plus La Platine action. i asked one user what cart he recommended with the Safir and he said the Aidas Mammoth. unfortunately that cart costs more than i paid for the la platine!
i have defeated suspension again. it sounds good.
one thing re: thread/belts. for me, i almost am too fast with the belts (too fast for 45 rpm, lowest i can achieve is 46). with tiny synthetic thread i am just making 33.3 but can't get within cooee of 45 rpm. so i need the thread to solve that issue really (i did previously trial floss and hence my confidence).
it does seem the la platine gets "better" the more squishiness we can pull out of it. so stiff feet, stiff base for motor, less elastic belt material. leaving the only squishiness to the magnetic bearing.
speculating but a reason the safir might be a good fit with la platine is because it is very good at extracting bass which hasn't been a reputed strength of la platine.
thread versus rubber belt, the difference to me is the slightest amount more air in the thread presentation.
It’s very interesting your comment of the La Platine vs TT3, the former being the more ‘neutral’ deck. I just read through a Safir thread on WBF ( 30 pages in all ), and it was mounted on more than four or five different La Platines. Please give further impressions of the Safir on the La Platine as you live with it more. I would be very interested.
I think on various aspect of the La Platine, it comes down to preferences. On the WBF, there are as many who defeat the suspension as there are sticking with it. There is a user, @thekong, who uses a pneumatic platform under the La Platine. And he defeated the suspension of the table to prevent interference. I have a solid wooden platform under both the plinth and the motor. And I would eventually like to place Townshend seismic pods, spring loaded, underneath, so defeating the table’s suspension is a first step.
The least elastic the belt / thread the better is the way to go. I too am using synthetic sewing thread interchanging with pure silk sewing threads. I feel they are better than the original linen thread; but with the linen thread incoming, I would appreciate your thoughts on the matterAnd as mentioned , Galibier Design, sells a Kevlar tape / belt that seems to work best with a suspension less La Platine.
when fremer reviewed the safir i recall he used a variety of carts that wouldn't traditionally work with something of such high eff. mass. i can't say i see any issues in use. i agree it seems likely that another cart might do even better. i have a used lyra delos i will try. but the art9/safir combo seems extremely good.
i think the lack of artefact is a "sense" that is to a large extent contributed by the la platine. for example one doesn't hear the drive of the tt3 in it. i will need to hear the setup more to try and locate any specific contribution from Safir relative to others. definitely an aspect of its performance is bass and a lack of distortion.
i caved and have applied thread already. the transrotor is round and skinny and was recommended by an experienced la platine user. however i had to try thread (not the "right" thread, but instead synthetic sewing thread that is very skinny). it sounds even better with the skinny thread i think. soon i will have thread that is closer to the originally endorsed "Verdier" thread and i will give that a shot.
last night i listened to Princess Chelsea's latest record (NZ band - "everything is going to be alright"). it felt like i could hear everything without any distortion. clean and clear bass. backing vocals that are just tiny touches. i had atmosphere but no sterility. the art9 is a great cartridge i think and the very cheap AT 670T SUT i bought to use with it is unbelievable. $400 aud and it sounds flawless. it even can be used with a range of carts. i look forward to comparing it to a Silvercore sut i have coming but for now, it doesn't feel like it is doing anything wrong.
i do think floppiness can be an issue with the verdier. so with original feet on i am trying to not introduce other forms of floppiness. i tend to think the synthetic thread is slightly stretchy but not as stretchy as a rubber belt. rubber belt under tension sounded a bit "meh" and rubber belt with no tension was better but not as good as skinny thread with minor amount of tension.
i will also see how the "EPDM" belts fair before i come to any final conclusions about preferences. i have a gold ring belt that is thicker than transrotor but made of epdm and i know from my work with a garrard 401 that the kind of rubber makes a difference. silicon being about the worst and Viton being one of best. epdm i have less experience with but others have highly recommended it.
I had to watch a video of Royal Trux as I was unfamiliar with the band.
Your cartridge choice for the Safir is interesting, light and high compliance. But I remember Safir being a very heavy and stiff arm, so a heavier and low compliant cartridge might obtain even better results? The Safir with its unique bearing and stiff wand is really quite nice. I wondered if you could comment a bit more on the Safir as compared to other arms in your stable. Fremer’s review described how the bass produced by the Safir without resonant coloration brought forth the clarity, detail and transparency of the entire sound spectrum. I guess that’s what you mean by no ‘mechanical artefacts’.
How did you come upon the Transrotor belt? It has a round profile instead of flat ? What material ?
well i finally have the safir playing on the la platine and of course i am now:
- floating in mid air with no ball bearing contact
- lubed up with Rocol X5
- transrotor skinny belt
- copper "mat"
I have an ART9 mounted and am using a very affordable SUT in the Audio Technica AT670T.
It sounds absolutely tremendous. The belt is very light/loose. It is music coming from the black. It sounds very odd in some way in that there aren't any detectable mechanical artefacts in the sound. I listened to Royal Trux Cats and Dogs last night and it was perfect. A dream session for an audiophile. A fave record turned into a sustained artistic event.
Soon enough I might try footers again as well as the linen thread I have coming. But I will give it a while because what I'm hearing is very good and I've been without it for weeks waiting for armboards.
Sorry I can't remember how to remove the feet - it's some years ago.
Pretty sure everything is held in by screws.
I made my own feet - I cut inserts for the cavities from birch ply and put 8mm stainless steel thread inserts into the ply inserts. The round inserts were made as a friction fit - no screws or glue required.
I then used Black Diamond Racing cones screwed into the ply/stainless inserts and pucks.
@charob
The Platine Verdier comes standard with both a belt and a linen thread.
@charobI think between elastic rubber belts and thread, the consensus is that thread is better. I recently ordered an Original Live belt made for Micro Seiki TT to paired with a temporary motor while the original motor was being fixed. The thread + original sounded better.
I have seen experienced user driving the La Platine with tape. Thom Galibier advocates his Kevlar tape for his turntables and claims that it would work well on the La Platine.
@dover I found the custom footers that Magna Audio produced for you. I assume the existing spring footers have to be removed. Can you explain how that is done? Do I remove all the screws on the underside of the plinth, and the spring assembly just comes loose?
@mr_gray I have too many second TT choices on my wish list. For contemporary TT, l like the Japanese CS Port, thread based with air bearing, non-feedback motor, and a really nice LT tonearm. For Vintage, the Forsell Reference, again with LT arm. For mostly nostalgia a SOTA and a Townshend are options.
You mentioned the Kuzma Safir, that is my top choice for a second arm. But the truth is l spend less than 25 hrs / week listening to my system. I am good for now.
I have a chance to buy a Verdier La Platine, the present owner uses a rubber belt, but when I search this, I get unanimous results that thread is better, often silk. Would someone be able to point me to which thread I should buy. Would be much appreciated.
Granito is simply terrazo ( cement with imbedded stone ), but the granito chassis can be fragile - crumbly from what some owners have commented.
If I was doing a new base I’d probably do custom slate or some composite - bamboo ply/panzerholz or other.
If you are not using a ball and using the lossy original feet - I can’t see it altering the sound significantly unless the weight changes significantly on the sprung feet.
I assume the steel plates under the MDF bring the weight to about the same as the Granito plinth - and keeping the weight the same with a new plinth would be important so as not to affect the fundamental resonance of the suspension.
i am now using a transrotor large belt and i have the rocol x5 ultraglide in place. with the belt and without the rocol i was too fast!
now i am right on the money.
wow and flutter gets worse less tight the belt is. this tells me magnet alignment is not perfect. having said that i am down at 0.06 % RMS Wow so it is very good. if i get the belt tight i can get it down to 0.02. but i know that will sound more "idler" like and i don't want that.
unfortunately my armboards are being drilled and so actually hearing the la platine is off for now. very keen to hear it with the safir. i have a new to me ART9 cart that i will try out.
i am back on its native suspension. it shocks me how good it is at not allowing the motor noise into the la platine. the motor is sitting on its own base which is heavy plate steel.
currently i am floating with no ball contact so we will see how that goes.
@mr_gray
As dedicated to the La Platine as I am, and curious about the differences between a Classic and a Granito, I’d leave this comparison to others. I did search on audio-mafkt for the granito, and it’s a nice one with grey stone inlays.
get a granito / vintage heritage la platine and tell us the difference with your classic la platine. there is one on sale on audio-markt! it looks brilliant.
just to add, going from thread on la platine to belt, and going from more bearing to no bearing, one can cover a whole spectrum of sound right there. the loose thread with magnetic levitation only can sound delicate, ethereal and more biased to higher freq. a tight elastic belt with ball bearing taking weight can sound quite close to a 401 (more plastic, more relentless, thicker).
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