2. analog
  3. 169429-486

3 New UBER Decks - Is this Turntable's SwanSong? 🦢

Michael Fremer has recently reviewed three new turntables designed to be the 'Last Word', 'Cost no Object' STATEMENTS!!!!........Do I recall hearing this claim before??
I love Mikey and have followed (and trusted) him for decades.
He has been the longest and foremost published 'champion' of the superiority of vinyl (uber alles) in the world.
I am thus ecstatic that he has been able to listen and compare these decks in his own room, with his own equipment virtually side-by-side
It's almost a 'given' that he will be the ONLY person on earth given that privilege....

So what Mikey HEARS.....is indisputable

Given his 'character' and desire for accuracy and honesty.....years ago, Mikey started including some 'objective' measurements in his turntable reviews.
These measurements were done utilising the Dr Feikert PlatterSpeed App which has since been discontinued.
As the App only worked with the Mac iOS of many variations ago.....Mikey has kept an old iPhone which can still operate the App.
The PlatterSpeed App had a few technical limitations.....
Foremost amongst these, was its dependence on a 7" record with an embedded 3150 Hz Frequency track to produce a test-tone which the App could process through its algorithm to produce the graphs and all the corresponding numbers.
To stamp hundreds of 7" discs with perfectly 'centred' HOLES is a nigh impossibility.
It's almost impossible to do it with a 12" disc!!!

This means that ALL the figures produced in their Chart Info are dubious and mostly UNREPEATABLE!!!!
I have Chart Infos for the same turntable/arm combination but with the 7" disc moved slightly producing different figures.
I even have Chart Infos produced with the same turntable but different arms ALL with different figures (the arms are in different positions surrounding my TURNTABLE).

So what is my point......?
The GRAPH produced with the PlatterSpeed App is accurate and USEABLE when looking at the 'Green' Lowpass-Filtered Frequency.
If the hole was PERFECTLY centred.....this 'Green' line would be perfectly STRAIGHT......but only if the turntable was maintaining its speed PERFECTLY.
The wobbles in the 'Green' line are due to the hole's eccentricity as well as any speed aberrations.
So the best performing turntables are those with the most constant and even wobbles approaching as closely as possible a STRAIGHT LINE.

Now the SAT Direct Drive Motor is actually the same as Technics developed for their latest SL-1000R except with some bespoke modifications.
It appears that SAT have corrupted what is a very good DD Motor unit....🥴

Mikey says that the OMA-K3 produced the best PlatterApp figures of any turntable he has tested 👏
Does this mean that the OMA-K3 is the most accurate turntable of these three decks.....or maybe of ALL turntables?

Mikey can't (and won't) test and review products from the past which are no longer produced because that's not his job!
But wouldn't it be great if someone WOULD review products from the past against the modern equivalent?
Classic turntables with reputations....gravitas...like the legendary EMT 927 and Micro Seiki SX-5000 and SX-8000.
And what about the NOW lauded Japanese DD Turntables from the '80s...the 'Golden Age' of Analogue?
  • Technics SP-10Mk3
  • Kenwood L-07D
  • Pioneer P3
  • Victor TT-101
  • Yamaha GT-2000
Because we know that Direct Drive is now 'Flavour of the Month' for the new Uber Decks due to their superior speed accuracy....a 'Flavour' that started with the legendary Rockport Sirius III.
But what about Belt-Drive units like my 20 year-old Raven?
So much for science and technology.......

We can do things today that were only dreamt of even 10 years ago
Except learn from history, harvest experience, expertise and craftsmanship......

Here endeth the Sermon for today 🤗


128x128halcro
grooves's avatar
grooves
67 posts
 
BTW your Platterspeed chart is a 30 second test thus smooothing out the visual result. I make sure to always take a 60 second sample
grooves's avatar
grooves
67 posts
 
BTW: I never use phrases like “LAST WORD” or words like “STATEMENT”. Those are reserved for hack writers who sit “SLACK JAWED” to products that “RAISE THE BAR” etc.
grooves's avatar
grooves
67 posts
 
Edgewear is simply jealous. He’s not heard any of these turntables but he’s eager to call wealthy people fools. That’s interesting. The ones I’ve met are damn smart and not easily fooled.
thuchan
1,009 posts
 
Dear all,

Mikey is the only one being able to compare all that fancy TTs. Regarding prices it is a never ending story. Maybe I should come up with a million dollar baby…Why not consuming Mikey´s thoughts, it gives information and discussion opportunity for the guys like us. I am always asking myself what are the real innovations in turntable building. Are they shown in these units?
i miss a real airbearing design which I have. I miss two exact running motors on both sides of a table, I have two installations and be very happy with it. I do own three DDs, among them a completely restored Victor 101. Why should I add 100 thousand dollars for a SAT table or an OMA design despite the Schröder arm looks interesting.
Maybe one day Mikey got enough from the business and will be able to build up a real listening room 😂
Ag insider logo xs@2x
rauliruegas
13,052 posts
 
Dear @grooves  : Thank's to come here with your answer. What I posted to you about was with a positive attitude looking for this MF and I never imagine you come here to post on it.

The fully analog imperfections makes that almost any analog subject could be controversial, as this one ( green vs yellow. ). The longer and deepest controversial dialogues takes the analog stages.

In the other side and because no one but you are more close to the LP manufacturers it's " imperative " that the QC be a real and true QC with " zero " tolerance.

You and any single audiophile in the world needs that the LPs be perfect centered ( both sides. ), no surface waves or irregularities and is imperative that those can happens because every one of us ( including you ) spend money and precious time fine tunning each one room/system only for the LP comes an " destroy " the quality level performance of those room/systems.

I know that you understand perfectly and your direct help with all those LP manufacturers is and will be appreciated for those " things " happen in the short time.

Thank's again, appreciated.

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS, 
R.
More to discover