What is Technics thinking?

Free upgrade for your SL1200 G/GAE :)

Now that I have some miles on my table and I am familiar enough with its various traits I decided to experiment with the Auto/Manual Torque setting. It comes from the factory set to A (auto). It sounds excellent but the sustain/decay are not quite there with my Mk3. Well, was I surprised when I placed it in M (manual) mode and started experimenting with various torque settings via the potentiometer under the platter (accessible with the platter in place). My ears tell me that somewhere south of the mid point (I have mine set to 1/5 maximum torque) sounds best.

I find it more languid (not lazy) and relaxed sounding than auto mode or when the torque is cranked up in manual mode. To make sure I wasn't losing anything in the areas of slam and dynamics or bass I listened intently to Dexter Gordon's "Tanya" on the album One Flight Up. There was no loss of any of the aforementioned attributes.

It is vocals where I here the largest benefit.

The table is even better than I thought it was. I believe the Stereophile pre-review mentioned a slightly disminished sustain, trust me, adjusting the torque profile will give it to you and then some.

Would love to hear some of your thoughts if you decide to experiment :)

Audiofun:  I have been enjoying your comments on your new table, especially as you are able to compare it to  SP-10 MK3.  Interesting that reducing the torque improves the sound.

Raymonda:  I have been unable to find any references online to "the apparent and still problematic cogging effect that the new unit has."  Even Timestep, which is pushing its mods, describes the table as "superb" but improvable with their own PS and a SME tonearm, said to reduce the "haze" they hear.
 The SME tonearm reduces the ability to easily change cartridges, one of the advantages of the original arm.

"Which brings me to cogging. We encountered this after fitting a Mike New bearing to our Timestep Evo SL-1210 Mk2. It increased drag a little by being larger in diameter and lubricated by heavier oil, showing the old motor didn’t have ‘enough in reserve’ to cope with the change. The cogging that appeared was at 6.6Hz (see our Feb 15 issue) but since it measured a very low 0.05% it was hardly a mechanical disaster and unlikely to have any major influence on sound quality.

   Ironically, our analysis of the new motor shows an identical component at 6.6Hz so it too is a 12 pole motor spinning at 33rpm (12 x 0.55Hz = 6.6Hz) and this is what our analysis makes clear. So cogging has not been eliminated; it exists at a very low level, much like before. But platter weight and quality of construction has improved – the important point.

What I’ll finally note with regard to the platter is that it is all-metal and not a large, heavy acrylic disc of the sort common to belt drives – and this likely influences its sound more than the minimal amounts of cogging our high resolution spectrum analysis is able to detect."

Here is the ULR for Hifi World review in which they mentioned it.

Again, I think the general reviews have been very good and with Timesteps mod it might be a case of the excellent being the enemy of the very, very good.

Thanks Andysf.

I looked at that graph, smh. This is a marketing stunt. They have a formula which based on their premise would have all and EVERY 12 pole motor cogging, coreless or with iron. Further they state this is a 12 pole motor when the lead engineer stated it is a 9 pole motor. This is marketing.

You know, I am not a fan of belt drive, guess where you are unlikely to see me wasting my time (or theirs) telling people why I don't like belt drive? On a thread for belt drive tables. Why would I want to be a sower of discord for those who may love their belt driven table.

I feel like I am taking crazy pills. No IRON, no stuturation, no interaction between the flux harmonics in the air gap. The fact that they claim to see the EXACT same result on two completely different types of motors, iron-core based and coreless would immediately cause this engineer to ponder if they are measuring what they think they are measuring. (Charlie Brown yell after he misses the football yet again)

I think this table has some people shaking in ther proverbial boots.

Hey, let's stipulate that is is the worst cogging table extant.., guess what, it is still one of the finest tables I have ever heard and I know a current beautiful $40k belt driven table (which is highly praised and for good reason) that this table would beat in most if not all major categories.

For those that own this table, ignore the noise (pun intended) and enjoy your table, you are among the fortunate few :)
I'm done talking about the nonsense of cogging, I want to engage with people who actually want to enjoy exchanging our experiences with this table and those who earnestly just want to know more about it.

I did some serious listening late last eve (paid for that this morning) and I was amazed at the digital like solidity in the pitch. I mean just flat DEAD-ON, not a quiver but yet with the magic that (at this point in time) it appears only analog can achieve. 

Don't get me wrong, I still love my digital, I listen to both regularly. Good digital can be awfully convincing.., until you play superlative analog :)