@au_lait It is great to see a positive appraisal from an experienced TT user about the impact Panzerholz has made on a TT they have a familiarity with.
I am regularly being supplied accounts that are very similar to the account you are sharing.
I am a advocate of P'holz with the same passion I have for using PC Triple C Wire, as a Internal Wand Wire in a Tonearm and any other easier to achieve interfaces within a System. Either one of these materials are able to change a perception and create a very positive appraisal.
As for the P'holz, I have shared regularly the benefits I have encountered through the usage of it, and have been an encourager to others to use it.
When adopted as a material, the responses received back are as per your own, where I am receiving a very positive appraisal and there is a commitment to the material as the outcome.
One individual I purchased P'holz for, has become so impressed they are not only producing Plinths and further using it as a Sub Plinth.
They have now adopted my requests that have been presented on a regular occasion and produced a TT Chassis from P'holz.
Along with this venture, they are Pioneers using their CNC Skills to produce a host of parts they believed would benefit from being exchanged to P'holz.
I have been demonstrated some of this fledgling work and can assure that there is a difference for the better, cleaner better shaping of Vocals and Notes is a definite perception. There is no returning to Metal or Plastic Parts that is a asurity, just as a adopter of this material to being used as a Plinth is very rarely discovered to have not wanted to maintain the material. I only know of one person who has used it not as 'P'holz Only', but used it as a composite. They preferred this sonic for a period of time. When comparing the composite to a 'P'holz Only' at a later date, they chose the P'holz only as their preferred material for the detail retrieval and turned the composite into a 'P'holz Only' as well.
I am in communication with others around the Globe, and some have now adopted the ideas to use this in place of a Mass Support Structure as a Plinth for a TT.
What was not expected was when I witnessed Idler Drive Owners. who were die hard in their favouritism for a Mass Plinth. when having experienced a Densified Wood, changed their philosophies and are not with a Plinth in a P'holz or Permali.
Again the reports from those adopting to P'holz with a DD TT are quite something and the Comparison Measurements being shown are quite informative, especially the 'db' comparisons being substantially improved when compared to a Mass Plinth Design.
I was in contact with an individual in Mainland Europe who was an advocate of Wood Tonearm Wands. They adopted P'holz and were extremely impressed by the material. They have even sought out other Densified Wood, where there are increased Laminations than the 25 per 25mm. Pico Wood comes to mind. As a result of this very high appraisal, I have offered Densified Wood 'off cuts' to other users of wood wands that I know off.
With the access to a CNC and Skilled user, I am setting aside a P'holz Board for another investigative venture.
I have pretty much decided I don't want to do too much more with the Sony TTS 8000, there are a few things that make it a hard TT, to promote to others as a TT to attempt to do additional work with.
I am now to use a one of my owned Denon DP-80's as a Donor Model.
This is hopefully going to end up with having the original Chassis Produced from P'holz as a replacement.
In my assessment, due to the Magnetic Strip on the Platter much of the 'under the hood' parts will need to be maintained on the New Chassis. This could be changed as I am yet to have my friend EE who specialises in DD TT's assess the potential for a change to the design and offer further improvements.
When the EE gets into the Nitty Gritty, the Speed Control will certainly be assessed to see where an improvement can be added.
The EE is also a adept engineer and machinist, with this TT, the Bearing assembly will be checked to see if it can contain a Low Viscosity Oil, and a Bearing Housing will be produced that will contain such an oil without a concern for a leach out. This was done for the TTS 8000 to a very successful outcome.
The Bearing will also be reconstructed using New Parts that will be a design with a Low Coefficient of Friction.
The Platter on this Model lends itself to works being undertaken that have had a great effect on the performance of a DD TT.
The DP -80 Platter, is a Two Piece Assembly where a Top Plate is removable. I have a Phosphor Bronze Part as a direct replacement for the Original Top Plate.
The intention is also to produce a Phosphor Bronze / 20mm Delrin Top Plate and a Delrin Only Top Plate possibly close to a 40mm Thickness, it might get done in two 20mm's pieces to assess the effects of the mass of the material used at this location.
I know for sure there are going to be a very noticeable differences to the performance of the Original DP-80, but I have a original one reserved for the A/B Comparisons.
It will also be off interest to see how the original might change in its performance with the options for an increased amount of designs to be used as an exchange part as the Top Plate on the Platter.
As seen with other TT's having adopted the used of P'holz.
The use of P'holz with the DP-80, will in my view be the Key to the door, to allow all other changes added to be optimised for their impact on the performance.
