New Mag-Lev Turntable

"Hit the platter and it wobbles side to side while the arm remains static."

Any iso device worth it’s salt will move when struck or pushed. It’s the advantage of mass on spring iso devices (and mag lev devices) that they move EASILY in the direction of isolation. If an isolation device didn't move in the direction of the push it couldn't isolate in that direction. Obviously the Mag Lev turntable isolates in both vertical direction and all horizontal directions. If it couldn’t move easily it would NOT isolate. Hel-loo, Of course you wouldn’t want the Mag Lev platter to move due to the micro force of the stylus/cartridge.

geoffkait,

Looks like you really like the engineering of this table and it is a perfect fit for you. Enjoy!

raymonda wrote,

"Geoffkait,

Looks like you really like the engineering of this"

Sure, why not? And with a half million dollars raised in the Mag Lev Kickstarter a lot of others like it too. Things that on the surface appear to be problems are actually advantages, that’s all.

All you need to do is put the whole shebang up on some high carbon cryo’d springs then you’d really be in business. You’d have two stages of isolation for the platter and one stage of isolation for the tonearm and cartridge. 😊

I'm looking forward to your review after you receive one.

The young project team for the Mag Lev turntable is proof of the enduring quality of vinyl. The way I see it, this should be celebrated if you like vinyl and playing records. It means continuity. So some of the attitudes shown on this thread are surprising..... well maybe not.

You know I spent my work career doing project management. So much so that I am an accredited PmP. Friends like to call me a PimP, but that's a topic for another thread.

I have met all kinds of personalities on projects, and have come to my own conclusion that for that subset of individuals that like to know and figure out how things work - well they fall into two groups.

Group 1 - look down. are well grounded. Like both feet on the ground.

Group 2 - tend to look up more. what do you see when you look up? Birds.
So they dream of flying.

Now .......

When a Group 1 Audiophile gets a hold of (owns) a product made by a Group 2 individual (and vice versa), it makes for interesting forum reading.

How about those that look forward, those that look backwards and those that look all around. That would make 5 groups.

......and those that have their eyes closed. So, that would make 6 groups in all.

.......maybe we can include side to side and call it seven groups!

.....or those that have their heads up their butt! Now it is eight!

Raymonda, are you planning to contribute to the Kickstarter campaign for the Mag Lev turntable?

Don’t let the sun catch you crying. 😥

Nope. I'll wait this one out. Maybe I'm looking all around or maybe I have my head up my butt. Time will tell.

.

Things that on the surface appear to be problems are actually advantages, that’s all.

I prefer the design that recognizes that this is about resonances and vibrations to make music. There are different ways to go about it. I have a 100 lb Jean Nantais Lenco that does a good job of damping them (resonances) with its design. But... when you dampen you can also lose extension.

I have not contributed to this kickstarter project, and am not in Audiophile mode, but if I was....

I’d be, as has been stated, changing out the feet for better isolation to the tonearm, and also changing the tonearm out for one that provides isolation as part of its design. In others words, I would follow with the designers original intentions and try to better them.

There are audiophiles that drop 5 figures on a totally mechanically coupled turntable setup, and many of these are going into from what I have seen from friends, the main floor of the house - a suspended wood floor. So the fellow has just put out a princely sum on the table setup, and soon will discover that he needs more $$$$, some type of isolation platform, on top of his original investment.  The dealer is very happy to sell him one. This also means the dealer needs to do his/her homework on what the person’s room needs are.

But... when you dampen you can also lose extension.

If you are really experiencing this then the damping is not working as you surmise. Its impossible to overdamp for vibration if the damping is indeed working correctly!

If you are really experiencing this then the damping is not working as you surmise. Its impossible to overdamp for vibration if the damping is indeed working correctly!

My comments were based on my personal experiences, and relative to the other designs in the room. Every design has its limits. In this case, imo, it’s a case of having to do unique damping for a design that from the start - employs a mechanical wheel - a high noise design. The Swiss motor is a thing of beauty, but the way it puts the pedal to the metal is not. It’s a really nice, musical table and is praised by many. At the time, raised the bar in a couple areas. Challenged me with the other two design tables in the room when I first brought it in. Some can’t get over how big it is, when they see it in person; especially when you realize there are huge full voids, by design, under the two armboards and platter/motor. And it’s still 100 lbs !

So a wonderful turntable but, when compared with others .....in the same room......, same 2 tonearms........same 2 cartridges......same people..........same time, differences revealed. That’s why I say my comments are relative based on the other designs. If you are interested in the details of the above go to my virtual system and do a search on Goldilocks and the Three Turntables.

@Atmasphere - so what table set up have you heard, whether at a customer’s house, show, wherever; that based on familiar equipment being used, performed above your Empire turntable setup. I would be interested to know.

Cheers.

It seems that the vertical tracking angle would be difficult to maintain  between lp's of dirrerent mass.

akadurf
It seems that the vertical tracking angle would be difficult to maintain between lp’s of dirrerent mass.

akadurf - thought about this over coffee.

I make physics assumptions here, not knowing the designer or the product, and whether the Electro Magnetic EM force "system" used is fixed or variable. I am assuming fixed.

If the EM force is affected by changes in lp weight, then the heaver/thicker/taller lp will play on a a little lower plane due to the weight going against the electromagnetic force. This will even out things, and the heavier lp will actually be at the same plane as with the lighter thinner lp. Make sense ?

If this is indeed how it works, the tonearm on this table does not even need VTA adjustment, a clear advantage over a fixed platter. As far as center weights go; most I know use a center weight to tune resonances. That would appear to become a moot point as well with the levitation.

The whole VTA topic is a fascinating physics discussion. We know that with all tonearms, except one..... due to a patented design, the VTF - (force) changes when you make VTA - (angle) changes. When audiophile friends actually analyze what is really happening for the first time, they are usually surprised. In my experience how often one needs to change VTA depends on two things. The stylus and listener (individual) type. Two records same thickness can have different cut angles. The cutting stylus lasts only hours and setting it up the same way each time is very difficult. I think Atmasphere can give us more details :^)

Cheers