Esoteric costs ???
Ultimate Turntable search...OMA K5 or ?
As the title says, I’m on the hunt for a statement turntable. Don’t really post on the forum so forgive me if this has been discussed already. I’ve been told that whatsbest might be another place to post about this but I’ve been a seller on this site for many years, so I figured it was a good place to start.
I’m a longtime Caliburn owner but it’s time for a change. I would like to ditch the belt drive and vacuum. I know Fremer loves the OMA K3, but the K5 has got my attention. After owning many different speakers, a friend of mine turned me on to OMA. I ended up buying a pair of OMA mini’s about ten years ago and then quickly moved up to the AC-1. I’ve had a wonderful experience dealing with Jonathan and the company and love their aesthetic. With the AC-1s, my main system has reached a level of musicality and presence I never thought possible. I’ve recently come to the conclusion that upgrading my front end is my next big move. So I’ve been doing a ton of research on turntables in this class.
Although I’ve owned OMA speakers for years, I haven’t heard any of their new table designs. Sadly, I have not been to any shows or showrooms since covid. I do plan on visiting OMA sometime in the next few months, but for now, I’m interested if anybody has real life experience with the K3/K5 and if you have listening notes or opinions to share? Also curious to hear thoughts on competive turntables in this class. I have heard many high end tables in person, but definitely not all. Thanks!
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- 102 posts total
no. not a direct drive. a direct drive turntable has the motor directly connected to the platter. an idler pushes. it pushes the inside of the platter, or the outside of the platter (rim drive idler). my Saskia, and the Garrard i use to own, both pushed the inside of the platter with an idler wheel. the Esoteric T1 pushes the bottom outside of the platter magnetically. a motor turns a wheel which magnetically causes the platter to turn with a magnetized bottom ring on the platter. in fact the platter and plinth have zero physical connection to the motor assembly. there is nothing direct about it in any way, shape or form. the advantage of an idler is more torque since it acts on only the outside housing of the platter, instead of the center shaft with a direct drive. which has benefits musically to the drive and PRaT of the music. in the case of the Esoteric, you can actually dial the torque with a micrometer which varies the distance from the drive wheel to the platter. quite an amazing design. i will agree with you that the Esoteric is not a belt drive. but that does not mean it's direct drive. |
@mikelavigne after you mentioned the Esoteric T1, I subsequently read MF recent review here. Looks like my end-game target as I favor multi arms, thanks for the tip. |
Bergmann Galder w/ Odin Linear tracking tonearm. Amazing equipment. Every time I listen I am impressed at how good it sounds, and frankly what it doesn’t sound like. Total blackness. Any number of quality cartridges will do the trick. I use a Sumiko Palo Santo Presentation, but I know of some better. Check it out. This is a wonderful turntable and arm. You won’t be dissatisfied. As an added benefit, it doesn’t look like a spaceship! |
- 102 posts total