Plinth ideas for DENON PD-80 DD turntable


While my pair of Victor TT-101 still sleeping in the storage, i decided to buy another Flying Saucer.

The DENON DP-80, vintageknob always have nice images and info about rare stuff...

On that page you see DP-80 with DA-401 tonearm for hich compliance cartridges (i have this tonesm NOS). It could be an interesting project, it was hard to resist ...

The question is the Plinth for this Denon DP-80.
The original DK-300 plinth is an option, but searching for something better i found this one.

Custom made plinth is always an option and i have superb Audio-Technica AT-616 pneumatic insulators to use under the plinth.

But what do you guys using with your Denon PD-80 ?

P.S. some companies now producing even an iron cast plinth and graphite plinth, i have no access to graphite, but iron cast here is cheap to make a custom plinth.
128x128chakster
Still not sure about the damping material inside the platter, they do not recommend (in the manual) to unscrew the platter. But if you did that yourself maybe i can do that too.
As I mentioned, I didn’t have the manual at the time. Denon no doubt preferred you take it to a trained Denon tech with all the parts and tools, but is that possible 40 years later? 

But removing those bolts/leaf-springs is the only way to renew the foam pads: you can't even see them otherwise (some owners don't know they're there). Even if your TT is NOS (lucky you!) I suspect they’re gone. Age and air destroy them, not years of use.

The thing is, the split-platter design really works! Before-and-After was a big difference, so I consider new pads essential. You can even "feel" the difference when you squeeze the two platters together.

Other split-platters (eg Linn, Thorens) only do it so the motor/pulley can be farther inboard, under the platter, allowing a smaller turntable. There’s no sonic benefit — though an easy mod can turn it into one.

There’s only one issue I’m aware of with the DP80: centering the platters when putting them back together. You know how to do that, and I described my method above.

There’s one other thing — retightening the bolts securing the leaf-springs. IIRC, they were torqued tight, and should be torqued tight when reassembled.

BUT I decided not to. I felt I understood the suspension principle after working on it, and chose a different tension for the leaf-springs.

But I won’t get into that: some people might jump on my head. If’s definitely a modification — whereas the pads are a simple replacement of failed old parts.
  are 100 volt and i have 1000 watt step down transformer

have you the brand or link for research?
@best-groove Those russian toroidal step-down transformers are cheap:

Here you can find 1600w version, i use the same, but 1000w.
They are all available for japanese (100v) or for american (110v).
Stepdown auto-transformers from 220/140 to 100 (or to 110v) depends on the version. 

New models designed for audio:
"Unlike the auto-transformer, the transformer provides galvanic isolation of the load circuit from the mains. The transformer acts as a filter for impulsive noise arising in the primary network."

you can read here about 100w version and here about 400w version.

I have 2 1000W step/down/up transformers — and never use them. No need. I live in the US and most products — Asian, British, European — make US versions because the market is so large. At present I need only one, for my DP80, and it can be very small: more convenient, smaller than my SUT. The only other time I recall that I needed a big transformer was many years ago: a 100V Luxman tube integrated, never imported here.

If I lived overseas, however, it would be as essential to a good audio system as an amplifier. I was planning to live elsewhere, and acquired a whole collection for that purpose, maybe 20 in all, from very big to small. But sadly that relocation didn’t happen. Though born and raised here, my country, as it is now, doesn’t feel like home.
I wish someone can spread the light on step down transformers subject. 
I've been using cheap and small (made in china) before, but upgraded to the big and heavy local monsters long time ago. I use powerful stepdown transformers, because i connect at least 2 turntables to each stepdown device and i want to be abble to connect even 4 turntables to ONE stepdown trans if needed. 

The majorty of step-down transformers on the market are "auto-transformers" according to their internal construction, i don't know if the term "auto-transformers" is what you use in english. 

But i'm curious why another principle is better (especially for the amplifiers)? As the oppisite to auto-transformers there are different ones with "galvanic isolation". 

"Unlike the auto-transformer, the transformer provides galvanic isolation of the load circuit from the mains. The transformer acts as a filter for impulsive noise arising in the primary network."  

Personally i'd like my stepdown auto-transformers to be a bit quieter, but i think for a turntable stable vontage is much more important. I don't use any power conditioners in my system.