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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 👏
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
chakster's avatar
chakster
6,144 posts
 
OMA states on their Website:-
The design of K3's mechanicals is the work of a team led by Richard Krebs in New Zealand, the world's foremost authority on direct drive turntable technology.
Perhaps a Footnote is needed:-
Assuming all the Engineers at Technics, Victor, Pioneer, Yamaha, Kenwood et al are now deceased?


This is a good point. Personally I never heard about any Krebs product, except for his modification of Technics SP-10mkII motor on this forum. Is there anything else Richard Krebs actually made? 


halcro's avatar
halcro OP
2,664 posts
 
I know my hearing is good - 18khz at my last hearing test, and reasonably flat.
Good grief @dover ....that's amazing!
Mine cuts out at about 11K Hz....🙉
No wonder you can hear things on my YouTube videos that I can't!!!
The chances that he can set up a top end turntable accurately is remote.
The fact that you pick on the only man on earth who actually makes a 'living' selling his vinyl setup videos is ironic..🤥
For twenty years I had a Rega Planar 3 with Hadcock GH-228 unipivot tonearm.
If ANYONE can successfully master the adjustments on the GH-228 tonearm......everything else is a piece of cake 🤗
The Continuum Cobra and Copperhead arms are both PITA to setup for different cartridges and certainly not appropriate for a reviewer to use.
I think that's the main reason Mikey changed to the 4-Point and then the SAT.

After setting up dozens of cartridges.....one can become quite adept at it.
After setting up hundreds (as Mikey and I have done).....proficiency is not in doubt 😂
I've watched Mikey's setup procedure and don't do mine the same way...but then all of my tonearms (except for the Copperhead) have detachable headshells.
I certainly DON'T follow his USB microscope torture for SRA of 92 degrees.
If you can't HEAR when the VTA sounds best...you shouldn't be setting up a cartridge at all!!

I am the same age as Mikey, with good eyesight and steady hands.
I can setup cartridges whilst I chew a sandwich, talk on the phone and watch CNN all at the same time 🙃
meldiscman
7 posts
 
Doehmann Helix-1 … has been reviewed by Mike.

Mark Doehmann was involved with design of Continuum Caliburn
freediver
1,216 posts
 
@gordon:crap maybe it was the early 90’s,everything but the last 10 years is pretty much a blurred image..
Best of my memory is that he & Julian Hirsch had a big brew ha ha about M.F.’s apparent flip of camps from digital to vinyl..
asvjerry's avatar
asvjerry
4,680 posts
 
...tell me when and where to send the flowers....there's only so far one can take the 'system', as 'magical' as it can be.  JMHO....
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