Jean Nantais Lenco Reference mk. ii user feedback

I've owned a Reference Lenco (with two arms) for a year and a half but it's a Mark 1. I'll be sending it in to Jean soon for the new titanium idler wheel and whatever other upgrades he's come up with. Tonearms are either Graham Phantom II or Tri-planar VIIuii in one position and an SME M2-12R in the other. Right now, I have an A90 in the Tri-planar and a Mijajima Kansui in the SME, but sometimes I run SPUs in the SME and a couple of Benz cartridges in the Graham and Tri-planar. All combos have worked well.

As I said recently in the Garrard 301 thread, the 105 lb plinth is sheathed in solid Santos mahogany, including the top and armboards. He made it taking my preferences into account, and everything about the woodwork is first rate. The flame and grain in the mahogany have a subtle 3D effect and lovely reddish color, which deepens with age. I've also owned a Michell Orbe SE and Clearaudio Innovation Wood. Both are very fine tables but I sold them and kept the Lenco.

I am quite happy with the sound, which has terrific drive, rhythmic grip, coherence, and detail retrieval. A high-grade stethoscope to the armboards and plinth reveals near-silence. The noise floor when listening to music is quite low and the speed, as measured with a KAB strobe, holds precisely when adjusted. I haven't heard any of the slate-plinth restorations, which might be better yet, but I find my plinth to introduce no noticeable colorations.

I've never actually met him but I found Jean to be a good guy to work with when commissioning a turntable. He's passionate and opinionated but he cares about his work and really comes through.

Hope this helps.

Oh yes, I neglected to answer your question about support. For a year, I placed the turntable directly onto an Adona multi-element shelf (granite bonded to high-density fiberboard) in an Adona rack. It sounded really good. Then I added a Minus-K suspension platform and everything got much better! Expensive but well-worth it to me.

I have a MK2. The sonic improvements of the new idler wheel are significant, completely as advertised, ie not subtle. Perhaps as big as the bearing mod. Mine sits on an Adona-like stand on concrete.

Is this the titanium idler wheel that was being made by someone other than Jean and sold as such on eBay, etc? (I cannot recall his name.) Does it use an O-ring to contact the underside of the platter? I thought about buying that idler wheel, but after due consideration I decided that the factory idler wheel was at least just as good or possibly even better, because O-rings are less likely to be perfectly round in cross-section than is the rubber cover used by the factory. Also, the latter might have a smaller footprint on the platter surface, which has some advantages to reduce "scrubbing" as the platter rotates. (The idler wants to roll straight ahead whilst the platter is rotating in a circle, creates some unwanted side forces.) On the other hand, it may well be that the titanium wheel itself is more perfectly round than the factory one, sans rubber. Dunno. But your reports are interesting. Obviously, if your original idler wheel is defective or damaged or just worn out, the titanium one is likely to be a good way to go.

"Mirko" was his name. He no longer seems to offer his products via eBay.

I think it's a different idler wheel. This from Jean in an email in November: "I just finished designing, having made and testing a new ultra-high-accuracy idler wheel, the last of the MKII modifications." After reviewing other emails from him, I find no mention of titanium, so I'm not sure where I got that bit. Must have imagined it, I guess.

Makes sense, because now I think I recall that Jean was one of a few guys who did not like the idea of a titanium idler wheel. Wonder what happened to Mirko. He was making quite a few products for Lenco, Garrard, and Thorens TD124, up to and including new platters.

Mirko I think maybe now exclusive to one of the newer re-builders of lenco TT and others

Lawrence
Fidelity Forward

The Nantais wheel, is just that: his own design. Not procured elsewhere, but designed and made here in Ontario. The idler wheel bearing is new, as well as the special rubber compound used for better grip. He also modifies the speed control mechanism so that the wheel is lifted away from the drive rod at the 16 RPM setting to prevent flat spots from developing when the TT is not in use.

Interesting. Thanks.

Hey Divo, You've got a very interesting system. How do you like that Haniwa cartridge? (Sorry, OT.)