Phoenix Engineering Falcon and Eagle

After I got the Eagle and RR, I tested my setup, (1) without the Eagle and RR, (2) with only the Eagle AC regeneration, and (3) with the Eagle/RR feedback correction.

What I found was that the stock motor (VPI Scout II) was inherently stable to 33.3RPM, just not to the 0.00 precision because of fluctuations in the power coming from the wall. Adding the Eagle and its power regeneration led to a steady 33.33RPM with a narrower fluctuation in the 0.000 range, sometimes hitting 33.333RPM. So that proves the stock motor runs properly when fed proper 60Hz power from the wall and when the motor is located properly from the table. Connecting the Eagle/RR with feedback made the fluctuation much more tighter in the 0.000 range, hitting 33.333RPM for longer periods of time.  Audible?  Depends on who you ask but I noticed a difference (not night and day, but identifiable) .  YMMV.

bpoletti,

If they are "friendly", it may make sense to eliminate their competition. It was just a thought.

brf,

Your post reminds me of what kind of offends me regarding how VPI rolls out new product lines. If one sees the new ADS and sees it as superior to their SDS or any other unit they may own, then purchases it, only to find out, not much later a newer model has come out with a feature that may be one this same buyer would have liked to have in his recently purchased unit.???

All,

I had the good fortune to hear first hand K&K audio's TT power supply w/ level control last weekend. Through his Nottingham tt, I was very impressed. I mention this because there are other options.

I should say for correctness, his unit now, needs to be wired into a tt's motor, so it is not a plug n' play upgrade, at least right now.

bpoletti,

I find it ethically and morally wrong that Phoenix Engineering would leave it’s customers without any explanation? On it’s face, this is not a good thing. They were direct competition for VPI.

Until we here directly from PE's owner, I think there are unresolved questions.

 Slaw, I think the only issue would revolve around Phoenix's willingness or lack thereof to service products still in warranty.  To back out of that pledge could be said to be "unethical"; I would say it's more in the area of "unprincipled".  Some others would say there's no difference between the two.  Since rumor has it that the designer did not really retire, he only bowed out of the commercial audio business, he may still be in a position to honor any warranty on any of his products, so long as the warranty lasts.  Do you or does anyone else have information to suggest that Phoenix will not take care of units in the field?

On another note, I once owned a Notts Hyperspace that benefitted hugely from powering it via a Walker Audio Precision Motor Controller.  The difference with vs without was rather astounding to me.  Furthermore, selecting correct electrical phase, using the switch on the Walker, was an important link in achieving max benefits. Thus I don't doubt for a moment that any good motor controller would help the feeble Notts motor.  (Notts make their own power supply, as well.) This is not to dump on the Notts; the feebleness of the motor is a deliberate part of their design philosophy: massive platter/weak motor.  Walker uses the same strategy with their Proscenium.

BPoletti, I am a bit confused by your last post.  Do you mean to say that a variac or similar device that merely reduces AC voltage going to the motor would do as well as one of these power source/controllers, like the Eagle, etc?  Just wondering; I probably misunderstood you.