Hi Chris, from your description it sounds almost impossible the noise is coming from your bearing. Remove the idler wheel and simply spin the platter to see if there is any noise, make sure it is not coming from the idler-wheel. If it is indeed coming from the main bearing, then take it apart again, polish both the spindle and bushings with some sort of powdered metal cleaner, and then re-lube once it has been thoroughly dried. I use Mobil 1 10W30 for extra-quiet operation.
Hi Igor, in fact those who follow my writings know the Rega RB-300/Denon DL-103 is one of my favourite combos! So for roughly a grand I would buy the RB-300, spring for an Incognito kit, a Kerry Audio counterweight, and buy either a 103 or 103R, or a 103 and have it re-tipped by Soundsmith. The OC9 is also an excellent match to the RB-300, it has less SLAM/ PRaT than the Denon, but still quite good in this respect, and more delicacy/detail. As for the Lenco, given the acreage of the Giant Direct Coupled plinth, I no longer cut the corner off, I simply rotate the Lenco 90 degrees clockwise and build an armboard next to it which will accommodate short and long tonearms. Check out the later photos under my "system" for an idea.
And now for the promised diatribe on speed stability: yesterday the fellow came over who is waiting for a Lenco so he can kick out his Wilson Benesch Circle. He has much more invested in his digital rig than he does in his vinyl rig, and yet what did he remark on above all others things in listening to the Lenco? You got it, speed stability. As I wrote up above, the ONLY musical advantage (I did not say "convenience" or "silence", neither of which are musically-important) digital has over turntables is speed stability. This, it turns out, is due to the use of belts (and overly-complex DD circuitry, which still must combat the nefarious and serious Stylus Force Drag, or SFD), which of the three systems is least suited to combat SFD. And of the three systems only one was specifically designed to combat SFD, and that's the idler (political correctness and wishy-washy ersatz "wisdom" notwithstanding). Because when the idler-wheel system was first designed the stylii tracked at 10 grams and more, which required some serious muscle to counteract. Later on, when listening, it is evident that of the three systems the idler-wheel is STILL the best of them, as is evident when simply listening to them (properly set-up, of course).
So, all of those razor-sharp transients, that incredible PRaT and gestalt, that amazing bass SLAM and power and depth, the incredible detail, the astounding imaging and retrieval of the acoustic space, the naturalness, is due, indeed, to simple speed stability. The Giant plinth does act to quieten down the noise to astonishingly low levels, but it also serves to nail down the workings to increase even more that astounding speed stability. And the more stable the speed, the more all of the above attributes increase. And the way to improve the speed ability even more is to increase the mass of the plinth, and to direct couple it. In fact, I believe that much of the reported speed instabilities of the Garrards in particular (and the Thorens TD-124s) is due to the habit of isolating them from the plinth via rubber suspension/grommets/gaskets, which being springs, allow the 'tables so mounted to rotate, just like a Linn on its three unstable springs.
So, night after night up here I sit astounded, listening to my Lenco, after decades of use. How many 'tables can give such satisfaction over the years (and so reliably and painlessly with minimal upkeep), and not only satisfaction but constant amazement, excitement and power?
So, for all you digitophiles out there who claim to love music, imagine what would happen if the LP could match the CD (or DVD, or whatever else they are cooking up) for speed stability? Imagine what would happen if all the LPs' advantage in naturalness was accompanied by the transient speed and clarity of digital, but without the reconstruction by computer of the original waveform? You don't have to imagine, you only have to listen to a properly set-up idler-wheel drive, and hear the best of both worlds, which will never be achieved via computer chip. Get ye out and hear a Lenco or Garrard (or other large quality idler), Direct Coupled to a Giant CLD plinth!!! And all your dreams of musical reproduction in the home will be realized, aaahhhh, sweet satisfaction at last :-).
