Artar1, you want to talk about windbags and pompousness? "There are a number of really fine turntables on the market today from Galibier, Teres, Redpoint, Verdier, Pluto, La Luce, Transrotor (their high-end models), and Kuzma Stabi, just to name a few. I would even include the Clearaudio Maximum Solution with the Clearaudio TQ-1 Tonearm among these aesthetically pleasing and sonically talented over-achievers." When you've done defending the indefensible - competing with the Joneses and admiring the Joneses for the simple fact the Joneses have a helluva lot of money to spend - then get back to me. Over-achieving means performing well beyond the design, materials and attached price-tags, and this is evidently not true of the 'tables you listed, we are expected to pay dearly for their performance, and as I pointed out earlier, many of these 'tables have been criticized for a lack of musicality/involvement (and not only by Art Dudley), which at their respective price-points is inexcusable, in my world anyway. This means the resources to build these expensive turntables exists, but there is a lack of talent behind them (not all, but some). I have no intention of intimidating anyone, but I will not stand by while people misrepresent what I have clearly written for all to see, invent things I have not written, and unfortunately, I am simply set off by people lauding items simply because they are expensive, without using their heads. Pay attention to the criticisms as well as the strong points discussed in reviews, and try to relate them to design. Boiling it down: use your head, trust your senses, decide for yourself, do not let price-tags rule your perceptions, as this leads to the multiplication of no-talent hacks in the high-end who justify high precie-tags by the use of fashionable ideas, materials and simple excess. Ultimately, this does more damage to the high-end, which consequently creates less new converts (who remain unconverted) and shrinks the market. I have no great quarrel with you, but a combination of the above set me off, I wish now I hadn't had my attention drawn to it by the two replies which followed your writings. My apologies if I was too harsh, sometimes I see red before the smoke clears.
Raul, I entirely agree with you with respect to a testing method, but the current one is evidently faulty. My Lenco challenge is entirely empirical and hence scientific: I invite people to re-build it and test it in the context of the systems they know best, their own. I admire science and have faith in the process. But unfortunately, too many scientists and engineers do not obey science's own process: if there is physical evidence which contradicts their cherished theories (in the loss of timing, for instance), then they simply deny the evidence. I believe a new reliable test must be devised, that the current one does not measure true speed deviations. By true, I mean in practice, say with a current "generic" representative of the cartridge world and tonearm world - say a Shelter 501 mounted on the ubiquitous Regas and their clones - and playing a variety of actual records. Even this test would have all kinds of loopholes, but it would be a truer one than that currently concocted. I don't know what the current testing system is, but it is evident to me that it does not reflect the reality: lower-mass turntables almost universally are said to have excellent PRaT (in the press, in my own experinece, in forums such as these) while generally having lesss accurate speed measurements, while higher-mass tunrtables are almost universally said to lack it, while having generally higher published specs. Please note the "almost" I inserted, as I have not heard ALL high-mass turntables. But when I hear others' systems, or indeed play one of my classic 3-point suspensions, I hear that extra PRaT, whcih indeed is lacking in many heavier 'tables. While some want to say this is a distortion, I don't think so. My own heavy idler-wheels also have incredible PRaT, but they don't use belts, and are not classic 3-point suspensions. I believe the speed variations audible in various belt-drives are due to insufficient torque, and that depending on the mass the speed variations occur at lower frequencies in the case of high-mass turntables (and thus affect timing) or higher frequencies (and thus affect information-retrieval, detail). I may be wrong, but if I am right, or if it is some other thing, while these speed variations are entirely audible, they are not being meaured by the tests. The human ear and the human mind and yes, the human heart (emotions unfortunately definitely a part of listening to music) is thus still the best measuring instrument we have, if only we learn to trust our senses/reactions. Based on these senses/reactions, we should develop a new test which reflects our experience. Empirical science at work, senses/evidence show old test unreliable, new test devised which reflects our senses/evidence. This would lead to better designs. Anyway, up for your consideration.
