2020 update : JC Verdier La Platine


A recent encounter with a JC Verdier dealer as well as a recent Audiogon discussion thread led to the start of this thread. He was in my house updating my La Platine which had been in storage for ten years with thread and oil. While he has high regards for the deck, his newer clients nevertheless prefer a Techdas iii than an 'old' La Platine. Given the proliferation of expensive decks in the past dozen years, La Platine has become very much under-appreciated. 

It's clear to me that the influence of the La Platine is everywhere to be found. Specifically, the magnetic suspension system that was employed 30+ years ago. Even SOTA offers their newer decks with mag. lev. features. And if you read this review: https://www.callas-audio.nl/Callas%20Platine%20Mod%20Kit%20Review.pdf, the Continuum Caliburn uses the same concept, which was not acknowledged in Fremer's review, albeit with more sophisticated , and expensive, execution.

It is also clear to me that there is much misunderstanding of the workings of the La Platine. I for one have contributed to this. The motor of the La Platine, for example, has been much maligned. The thread drive is another aspect of the turntable that have been described as inferior. With regard to the motor and thread drive, I have been set straight by Chris @ct0517 and Lyubomir @lbelchev. Experimenting with the different types of silk threads, the tightness to the platter  and a renewed understanding of the soundness of the Philips motor have been rewarded with better dynamics and transparency. 

The funny thing is that during the past two years of re-engagement with audio, I have questioned ownership of every components in my arsenal except the La Platine. It has always been a keeper. I wonder if La Platine owners would contribute to celebrating this 'old' deck with tales, advice, and insights?

Cheers!
ledoux1238

@ledoux1238, when it comes to replinthing TTs, I think the Verdier is probably one of the easiest to do. If the original suspension is not needed, then just a plain slab of material with a few holes drilled! On the Whatsbestforum I have seen a modified Verdier with a Steve Dobbins plinth, which hide the magnets below the surface, so only the platter can be seen! However, this arrangement required a relatively thick plinth, which is not that pleasing to my eyes! 

 

Since we are discussing about potential upgrades, I also think the cantilevered armboard design, while convenient for adjusting mounting distance, probably not the most stable arrangement. So, I am also thinking of using a more conventional arm pod design if I go ahead with the new plinth. 

 

One interesting design of the Basis Transcendence is that it seems like both the arm pod and motor pod are just sitting on the plinth with no hard connections! I wonder how much those pods have to weight to make this design feasible! 

@thekong 

One interesting design of the Basis Transcendence is that it seems like both the arm pod and motor pod are just sitting on the plinth with no hard connections! 

No I think they are through bolted from under the plinth.

Plinth

Some years ago Azzolina Audio did a run of terrazzo plinths for the Verdier.

They might well be up for building one ??

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1L7h_cYmz4&t=24s

DIY Terrazzo plinth would not be that hard - just make a mould which for the Verdier plinth would be a plain box with some cylinders/studs bolted in for the holes. Pour in the cement and stone, when set break open and polish the surfaces.

 

 

 

@dover , the following directly from Basis’ website. I was also wondering about that, but then I saw photos of the arm pot and motor pod being placed in different positions, and the plinth doesn’t have a single screw holes! 
 

>When A.J. was building his personal reference turntable, one of the design goals was to create a forever platform versatile enough to accommodate multiple tonearms of different lengths. This flexibility was accomplished through the use of a massive, solid alloy base on which tonearms can be placed anywhere on their respective spindle-to-pivot arcs.

Today, audiophiles have the opportunity to benefit from this supremely capable design. Purchasing a Transcendence with a large base enables one to use a tonearm of any length and offers the possibility of placing it at a desired location rather than a fixed mount, provided that the location is the correct distance away from the platter spindle. Additionally, upgrades are stress-free, since components can be swapped without the need for disassembly.<

 

>The custom motor is mounted in a massive, extremely rigid housing machined from a billet of stainless steel. The supremely inert, high-mass motor housing in conjunction with compliant elastomeric feet result in a low resonant frequency of the entire motor system. This low frequency system effectively damps any higher frequency motor vibrations.<

@dover , also thank you for the suggestion on Azzolina ! They didn’t list the Verdier plinth on the website anymore, but I may just send them an enquiry!

@dover Thank you for the Azzolina Audio reference. Looking at its own TT on offer, its plinth is made from a paper / resin composite with properties associated with ebony wood. 
 

@thekong The paper / resin composite would be my second choice as a plinth material. Taking inspiration from Azzolina Audio, my first choice would be a solid chunk of ebony with a 6mm copper bottom plate bolted to the ebony. A local supplier has a stash of real Indonesian ebony that would be perfect for the project. I wasn’t even thinking plinth replacement, but now……. Please update if you do  proceed with this as will I.