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3 New UBER Decks - Is this Turntable's SwanSong? 🦢

Michael Fremer has recently reviewed three new turntables designed to be the 'Last Word', 'Cost no Object' STATEMENTS!!!!........Do I recall hearing this claim before??
I love Mikey and have followed (and trusted) him for decades.
He has been the longest and foremost published 'champion' of the superiority of vinyl (uber alles) in the world.
I am thus ecstatic that he has been able to listen and compare these decks in his own room, with his own equipment virtually side-by-side
It's almost a 'given' that he will be the ONLY person on earth given that privilege....

So what Mikey HEARS.....is indisputable

Given his 'character' and desire for accuracy and honesty.....years ago, Mikey started including some 'objective' measurements in his turntable reviews.
These measurements were done utilising the Dr Feikert PlatterSpeed App which has since been discontinued.
As the App only worked with the Mac iOS of many variations ago.....Mikey has kept an old iPhone which can still operate the App.
The PlatterSpeed App had a few technical limitations.....
Foremost amongst these, was its dependence on a 7" record with an embedded 3150 Hz Frequency track to produce a test-tone which the App could process through its algorithm to produce the graphs and all the corresponding numbers.
To stamp hundreds of 7" discs with perfectly 'centred' HOLES is a nigh impossibility.
It's almost impossible to do it with a 12" disc!!!

This means that ALL the figures produced in their Chart Info are dubious and mostly UNREPEATABLE!!!!
I have Chart Infos for the same turntable/arm combination but with the 7" disc moved slightly producing different figures.
I even have Chart Infos produced with the same turntable but different arms ALL with different figures (the arms are in different positions surrounding my TURNTABLE).

So what is my point......?
The GRAPH produced with the PlatterSpeed App is accurate and USEABLE when looking at the 'Green' Lowpass-Filtered Frequency.
If the hole was PERFECTLY centred.....this 'Green' line would be perfectly STRAIGHT......but only if the turntable was maintaining its speed PERFECTLY.
The wobbles in the 'Green' line are due to the hole's eccentricity as well as any speed aberrations.
So the best performing turntables are those with the most constant and even wobbles approaching as closely as possible a STRAIGHT LINE.

Now the SAT Direct Drive Motor is actually the same as Technics developed for their latest SL-1000R except with some bespoke modifications.
It appears that SAT have corrupted what is a very good DD Motor unit....🥴

Mikey says that the OMA-K3 produced the best PlatterApp figures of any turntable he has tested đź‘Ź
Does this mean that the OMA-K3 is the most accurate turntable of these three decks.....or maybe of ALL turntables?

Mikey can't (and won't) test and review products from the past which are no longer produced because that's not his job!
But wouldn't it be great if someone WOULD review products from the past against the modern equivalent?
Classic turntables with reputations....gravitas...like the legendary EMT 927 and Micro Seiki SX-5000 and SX-8000.
And what about the NOW lauded Japanese DD Turntables from the '80s...the 'Golden Age' of Analogue?
  • Technics SP-10Mk3
  • Kenwood L-07D
  • Pioneer P3
  • Victor TT-101
  • Yamaha GT-2000
Because we know that Direct Drive is now 'Flavour of the Month' for the new Uber Decks due to their superior speed accuracy....a 'Flavour' that started with the legendary Rockport Sirius III.
But what about Belt-Drive units like my 20 year-old Raven?
So much for science and technology.......

We can do things today that were only dreamt of even 10 years ago
Except learn from history, harvest experience, expertise and craftsmanship......

Here endeth the Sermon for today 🤗


128x128halcro
antinn
414 posts
 
These reviews are mostly purely subjective, and as such makes comparison subjective.  Here is an objective review of a Wheaton Tri-Planar II Tonearm circa 1988 -  Wheaton Tri-Planar II Tonearm (Jun. 1988) (gammaelectronics.xyz).  30-yrs ago, this type of review was common.  Some called foul upon this level detail which was valid in the days of the amplifier wars; others have since lost interest in this level of detail. 

Some of these uber tables have impressive amounts of engineering, but they have yet to correct the spindle hole centering issue that the Nakamichi table Nakamichi TX-1000 on thevintageknob.org tackled years ago.  But Technica is probably the only company today with the resources that could tackle that problem.  Although the complexity of the Techdas indicates that they also may have the resources.  

So, far from a swan-song for the 'ancient' turntable.  If vinyl sales continue their trend, and money continues to spare no expense, more 'advanced' turntables are sure to follow.
noromance's avatar
noromance
10,041 posts
 
Mikey basically said, in so many words,  that the Air Force was dull and plodding. Not what I want from that outlay. I heard one at XPONA through $250k speakers and it was a mediocre experience for me.

noromance's avatar
noromance
10,041 posts
 
My record collection is increasing in value at a far better rate than my 401k! Records and turntables are not playing any swansongs.
noromance's avatar
noromance
10,041 posts
 
Does this mean that the OMA-K3 is the most accurate turntable of these three decks.....or maybe of ALL turntables?
No. it may mean it has the best speed stability and accuracy to an absolute reference figure. But not necessarily the most accurate reproduction of the master.
lewm
13,437 posts
 
Noromance, but “best speed stability, etc” and “accurate reproduction of the master” are two very different criteria. One is scientifically measurable and the other is inescapably a subjective judgement. However to reach the latter goal wouldn’t you want to have reached the first goal (absolute speed stability) along the way?

Henry, thanks for pointing out the issues with those graphs that MF likes to publish.
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