Nude Turntable Project

Halcro, what is the weight of your TT-81? You may be "plinth-less", but with 25 pounds for each arm pod the total mass loading on your laminated shelf must be around 100 pounds, possibly more.

Again, beautiful design and execution.

pryso, I was thinking the exact same thing! \

Having substantial weight on the same platform as the TT may actually do some of the same things as mass loading the TT itself

I'm just sayin

Thanks again Pryso,
Yes you're right. The shelf is certainly 'mass' loaded but with the actual turntable isolated on spikes, there is theoretically a de-coupling from this 'mass'?
And don't the adherents to massive plinths require direct 'coupling' via bolts or screws? Although I do recall someone making plinths who advocates that the turntable merely 'sits' on the plinth without mechanical connection?

Halcro
Just recently I was introduced to the play back sound of a direct drive Technics SP-10 MKII mounted in a Panzerholz plinth.
This experience came about from a purchased item from this fellow audio enthuses with pick up only.

To make a long story short we chatted about audio related stuff and listened to music before I went on my way.

I have similar to your investment for a modern turntable and during the couple of hours of listening to his table and system a realization quickly came over me that made me pause...........

What was first apparent was the tonal balance ,rhythm, pace and overall life in the music that my system only hinted at but never breaking through into that new vinyl play back territory, well new to me.
In other words this direct drive table, so to speak, punched through a cloud cover that I was not aware of.

30 plus Gs for my current front end is serious bread for anyone and right now I feel foolish.

Halcro you bring up some good points here 10-31-10 which prompted me to go through old issues of the Absolute Sound, late 1970s and early 1980s issues though some are missing I did come across a mention of a Harry Weisfeld of VPI fame and his modified Technics SP 10. I need more time to go through them.........Maybe it wasn't all about the search for the absolute sound after all.

In any advent, I have shamelessly invited myself back over for more listening of this direct drive wonder.

BTW great work and interesting topic.

Regards William

Thanks William.
As I intimated in my conclusive post, I really feel that the cartridge is possibly more important than a well executed turntable design of any type? And the arm may be just as important?
At the moment I am listening to the the Empire 4000D/III on the FR-66s on the Raven AC-3 and it is quite literally sublime.
The Fidelity Research 12" arm is definitely the "King" of tonearms as it has been described.
It really beats the Continuum Copperhead which itself beat the Phantom II and DaVinci 12" Ref Grandezza.
So as with all things in audio, there are no absolute "absolutes"?