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Tonearm mount on the plinth or on Pillar ?

Folks,
I am looking to buy a custom built turntable from Torqueo Audio (http://www.torqueo-audio.it/). They have two models, one with a wide base plinth where the tonearm would be mounted on the plinth (as usual) and the second is a compact plinth where they provide a seperate tonearm pillar to mount the tonearm. According to them the separate tonearm pillar version sounds more transparent and quieter because of the isolation of the tonearm from the TT. My concern is whether seperating the tonearm from the plinth would result in a lesser coherence in sound ? Isnt sharing the same platform results in a more well-timed, coherent presentation ? Any opinions ?
pani
bdp24's avatar
bdp24
9,874 posts
 
Ivor Tiefenbrum raised the question of the importance of the integrity of the mechanical relationship between arm and platter almost fifty years ago. And his Linn Sondek turntable proved that integrity to be the number one priority---number one---in the design of a table. Nothing in the universe has changed since the early 70's---this is settled law. I wouldn't even consider a table not having a platter bearing and arm pillar sharing a common plinth. Seems like nothing more than obvious common sense to me. You don't have to be a mechanical engineer to see the wisdom of the concept.
fleib
1,124 posts
 

bdp24,

A table with a suspension is a different story.

Regards,

ct0517's avatar
ct0517
2,041 posts
 
Fleib

bdp24,

A table with a suspension is a different story.


and whether that table (suspended or not), is on a

1) suspended floor itself
2) concrete poured basement floor
3) a load bearing TT wall shelf
4) other

is the bigger story. just sayin.

All poster opinions on these forums should qualify this.
All my opinions are based on a concrete poured floor - not suspended.
I have done the work in my basement to find the air pockets. Another discussion
fleib
1,124 posts
 

Atmasphere,

From your post near the bottom of page 1:

**As to sound pressure- we get about 90-95db of noise going on when mastering. The vacuum system is enclosed in its own chamber, but still makes noise when in operation.**

Unless that means something other than what it says, you're changing your story.

I understand your engineering principle, but I question the significance.  Will a massive plinth transmit small main bearing movement to the arm base?  Excite a tuning fork and touch it to a big rock and the vibration is turned to heat. Even if it does transmit it, the resultant arm movement will occur after the main bearing event. 

What about micro movements you allude to? Not likely, and with the same time consideration.

Sound pressure waves hitting the platter are also hitting the plinth and arm at virtually the same time. To say that a plinth will insure coincidental movement between cartridge and record also doesn't make sense with regard to time. The impact on the record player is instantaneous and rotation of the record is continuous.

Regards,

lewm
13,229 posts
 
Dear Fleib, I cannot resist commenting on your penultimate post, dated 05/05 at 8:51 PM.  A suspended plinth is not a "different story"; it is the same story, except in the case of a suspended plinth vs a stationary discrete arm pod, it is plain for you and me to see WHY the discrete arm pod is not a good idea.  To wit, there would be a great deal of movement of the LP surface, mediated by the suspension, that could not be followed by movement of the tonearm pivot, and this would generate spurious signals at the cartridge/LP interface. On a more micro level, this principle is operative in the relationship between any plinth, suspended or not, and any arm mounting system.

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