@plinko , If you are near Graham Engineering you are also near me. I live right across the border in southern New Hampshire. You are also not far from the Basis factory in Hollis, NH and they love to have visitors. IMHO the Basis Inspiration is a better turntable than anything TechDas makes. This may raise some eyebrows but when it comes to turntables simplicity is always best and TechDas goes about things in the most complicated fashion possible which has to lead to more reliability issues down the line.
Acoustic Signature turntables
I do not see a lot written about these turntables by end users. Can anyone share experiences or opinions on reliability, use, and design considerations?
Some of my observations or questions (keep in mind these are naive as I have never heard these models and I may be wrong about assumptions made).
1. Why the multiple motors? This is the one I struggle in understanding. Is the AVC (motor vibration reduction) that they provide somehow enhanced when working across more than one motor? How is this different than other motor vibration reduction methods such as the Rega method? Whether additional noise or reduced drive capability, who knows (?). How long to get up to speed?
2. Standard bearing vs inverted vs magnetic. I suppose there will never be consensus but noticed AS steadfastly implements standard bearings that focus on the materials used.
3. Platter dampening. Their method seems to work well. However, I noticed comments about earlier models being overly damped. The dampening increases up the product line.
4. Very heavy platters compared to some competition. Even the lower models have very heavy platters so they seem to think this is important.
5. Subplatter vs no subplatter. AS seems to have moved to subplatter design for models that can take multiple arms. Did they always think this method was superior?
6. Tonearms. Not much out there about the tonearms. Seems once again standard design but focus on materials…carbon fiber and bearings.
7. Back to motors. AS uses AC motors. Kuzma insists on DC. I guess I can try to read up on the differences and why manufacturers prefer different types. Any thoughts here? I am probably not be smart enough to understand the finer points about turntable motors (lol).
8. Warranty. AS seems to offer the longest warranty. As with other warranties, what good is it if no design specs and performance tolerances are published? Seems few turntable manufacturers publish relevant specs these days. On one hand, I understand why in dealing with picky audiophiles and on the other hand, unfortunate.
Would appreciate additional thoughts. Thanks!
Showing 3 responses by mijostyn
@plinko , To start off with I am not a big Acoustic Signature fan. Having said that and to answer your questions; Multiple motors are a totally unnecessary expense and complexity. A single motor with modern controls and a platter the right mass or angular momentum can not be beaten. Bearings with magnetic or air thrust mechanisms are bound to last longer and be quieter. I prefer magnetic as air bearings have compressors that will fail long before any good mechanical bearing will. I prefer AC motors as they automatically torque correct to follow the established frequency. DC motors will not although DC motor control has come a long way. There is no such thing as an overly damped platter while a ringing platter is a horror show. Many platters are adequately damped by their mats. I prefer single piece platters as I always lean towards simplicity. A platter can be too heavy depending on the motor. They are also slower to start up and slow down. Many platters are now grotesquely oversized. I think it is that male bigger and louder thing. You missed two features that are important for the absolute best performance and that is an isolating suspension and vacuum clamping. |
@plinko , The magnetic bearings I am familiar with are very stiff. If you push down on the platter there is no noticeable give. In the case of the Sota what you have are opposing neodymium ring magnets, one on the sub chassis surrounding the spindle and the other on the mating end of the bearing which is machined into the platter. With the platter installed there might be a 1/64th" space between the two which is the equilibrium point between the magnetic field strength and the weight of the platter. Pushing down on the platter raises the intensity of the field dramatically. It is virtually impossible to make the magnets touch. The magnets will last a whole lot longer than you. The bearing would probably wear out first. Heavier platters do have more inertia and that is a good thing up to a point then it is all about male testosterone levels. There are plenty of turntables with less massive platters that have SOTA wow and flutter specs. There is more pitch variation generated by irregularities of the record than there is speed irregularities of the turntable like warps and off center spindle holes. Clear audio's bearing is fine with it's more expensive models. There is more pride in knowing that your turntable produces the best performance by virtue of it's design. Watch this video all the way through. It will teach you a lot about turntables in general.
If you have a Kuzma dealer near by look at the Ref 2. Good table for the money. I think the Stabi M is his best turntable. SME makes fine turntables as does Basis but of all of then the Sota is handily the best value. For $10K you can have a great suspension, vacuum clamping and a state of the art drive system. Only Basis makes a similar turntable at this moment and it costs 3 times as much.
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