DIY Custom Made Turntables, some doubts..

Thinman, you can build one heck of a turntable for $10,000, especially if you can do some of your own machining and electronics.

Motor and controller is an issue. Easiest, and arguably the best, is an AC synchronous motor with a solid state controller. I used a Premotec 9904 111 31813, which is specifically designed for high end belt turntables. But since it’s only 1.8W, you have to spin the platter up to speed by hand. Sounds weird - but if your motor has very little power, it has very little ability to vibrate the platter too. You can spend 50K on a TT with this design feature, the Nottingham Deco.

Lots of AC controllers available - I built mine from a schematic in one of the ’Art of Electronics’ books, Second Edition, maybe. A telescope controller. Didn't want one more R&D project at that point!

Good luck, man!

I suggest that you visit a good retailer and listen to a few options at your price point, so that the retailer gets some idea about your tastes. Tell him about the rest of your system, so that he can advise you about how components should act together in a pleasing way. Then buy.

The dealer will assemble your TT. The dealer will adjust and align it. Ask to be allowed to watch the process. Start learning from a pro.

In addition to saving you a lot of time and frustration, a dealer can save you a lot of money. At least, if I had listened to mine, I would have. There are many technical issues which he understands pretty well, and from your posting I infer that you are still beginning. At this point, a pro can help you a lot.

I built my turntable from scratch. I designed all the parts except the motor, belt, and air bearing, specified and sourced materials, and hired shops which had specialized precision equipment. Even so, I still take advice from my dealer, who recommended my higher end Koetsu cartridge - which by the way, was a tremendous success.

Last, beware of cables - they make a difference, but until you are into this hobby for tens of thousands, they deliver smaller benefits for the cost. For now, buy the cheapest cables you can find. Then upgrade one cable at a time, and make sure that you get them 'on approval' so you can send them back if they don't make a sufficient improvement.

Good luck! It's a long journey (half a century for me), but a good one! Welcome to the club!

Thinman, you might also want to consider an air bearing. Once you have heard one, there's no going back!

I use a New Way thrust bushing for a very stiff air cushion in 3 dimensions. Virtually noiseless.