Technics: PLINTHS: Dobbins, Porter, or Thompson?



Hello,

Trying to decide among Steve Dobbins', Albert Porter's or Christopher Thompson's plinth for my Technics SP10 MkIIa TT. Each person has but a great deal of thought and experimentation into their product.

I'm looking for input, suggestions and opinions --based on experience-- about the best plinth for my listening preferences. They are: musically authentic, neutral, evenly balanced top to bottom and completely transparent.

I prefer to feel that I am being transported to the recording venue than that the musicians are in my listening room. My system is the Aurum Acoustics Integris. The preamp and phono pre are integrated in the Aurum CDP. I plan to use a Reed 12" arm.

Has any of you heard one or more of these plinths in use with an SP10 MkII TT? I am very interested to learn your thoughts and listening impressions.

I've asked, but there are no Thompson or Porter plinths close enough for me to audition here in the Northeast, or have I missed one?

Thanks very much for any help or suggestions you can provide.

Happy Thanksgiving,

David
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Showing 1 response by mikelavigne

i've had three plinths from Steve Dobbins; a Technics SP-10 Mk2 like you are asking about, a Garrard 301, and a Technics SP-10 Mk3. i sold my Mk2 plinth when i got my Mk3.

now i've traded my Mk3 for Steve's new tt, 'The Beat'.

Steve does more than build plinths, he also does a good deal of updating to the tt's themselves and power supplies as needed.

i've heard Albert's plinth in his room (it was a Mk3) and Jonathan's tt's at RMAF, although not specifically the Mk2 plinth.

you cannot go wrong with any of these guys.

there are things i like about Steve's plinths which stand out to me (not that any of the other's might not excell in these areas too). Steve's plinths i think are very energetic sounding and tonally neutral. they don't seem to have a sonic signature of their own. they are engineered as a constrained layered design so are predictably neutral, natural, and alive sounding. this is very important to me. i have my Rockport sitting next to these tt's for a reference as well as my big RTR tape machines, and all of Steve's plinths as well as 'The Beat' can hold their own and then some.

i surely recommend Steve's work and both Albert and Jonathan's to the degree i've heard them.. i don't know anything about Thorton (Thompson).