Dear John: First than all I'm not diminish the Albert job or any other person job. I was very clear in my answer to Lewm about, please read it.
In the other side and like Albert point out too: why don't test a Denon/Technics/Pioneer/Kenwood in non-plint fashion and then share your experiences against the plinth version.
+++++ " The first plinth made from Baltic birch was very good and in it the SP-10 MkII trounced the Walker, using identical cartridges. " +++++
that test IMHO was invalid because there were at least 2-3 different parameters that had influence in the quality performance that preclude a precise answers: different tonearm, different arm board and different tonearm wire.
In that time and when I was ( for second time: thank you Albert. ) in Albert home I told him this.
Btw, I'm not only twice in Albert's home listening his audio system but the second time I knew 7-8 persons of his group and I have a more or less clear their aptitudes on system listening/discern, not only that but Albert knows very well my " ears ".
Additionally I had other audio systems DD TT plinth experiences other that with Albert.
Not only that I own two different ( self design. ) heavy plinths ( 50 kg each one. ) that I used and test with my DD TTs ( Lewm, no stand alone arm board. ).
So I'm not totally unaware like you think.
Anyway, the subject is that there are more than one alternative for the DD TT overall approach.
Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul.