Psychicanimal,
Your friend raises some very interesting issues and he is absolutely right about most of them. Supplying power to a device like 1200 is very tricky thing and there is a lot to it. I personally think that the approach Kevin is taking is the most safe and reasonable. However, being a DIYer and having access to very high quality regulated power supplies I chose more intrusive approach.
Having transformer inside the table is not good for a number of reasons, electric hum being only one of them. Every transformed vibrates, and there is absolutely no way to get rid of it completely. Also, even very well shielded transformer (and the one in 1200 is not) generates noticeable amount of EMI, which is also not good so close to the cartridge.
On the other hand, the issue of wire impedance can be solved fairly easy, simply by using high quality reasonably thick wire. Also, it is very important to have it shielded – there is a lot of digital transmission inside the table and we don’t need it interfering with clean power.
I was always a proponent of external well regulated power supplies – they can be as big as one needs them to be and it is much easier to deal with their issues, mechanical and electric.
Ultimate power solution for 1200 though is still going to happen – someone has to find a way to power digital section separate from motor cascades. If someone has done it already, I am not aware of it.
As for the Teres – it is a very decent table, but in my opinion while designing it people were more concerned with its looks rather than with its sonic qualities. I can never accept wood as a material used in acoustically dead environment.
Zaikesman,
Speed control system in MK2 is very well engineered and very precise. I don’t have any problem with both its concept and its implementation. In an ideal world I would probably design it slightly different, but unfortunately last time I checked the world outside my window was very far from being perfect.
Using 1200’s arm with Kevin’s fluid damper is absolutely and undoubtedly impossible to beat for the money. I used Rega because I already had it and because I like the looks of it. Sonically I doubt there are any benefits to doing this. Though some people think that Technics arm is not up to the task, I would not agree with it. If I was staying with the original arm though, I would definitely change the wiring and get rid of the tonearm PCB. Oh, and original cables are REALLY bad.
Technics’ main bearing is of better quality than bearings in 99% of TTs out there, no question about it. When I look at it and recall bearing in my P9…, well, I won’t go there. The only thing I was not happy with 1200 was the fact that its bearing directly sits on aluminum plinth. I fixed it by putting three small and thin separate Sorbothane sheets under it.
I did not replace the original feet yet, I want to see how it sound for an extended period of time and then maybe try a thing or two. Most likely will end up with Sorbothane. I like this material.
I don’t have any problem with aluminum platter, as long as record is isolated from it. Once again, I use Sormothane.
Well, I think I covered everything, did I?
Your friend raises some very interesting issues and he is absolutely right about most of them. Supplying power to a device like 1200 is very tricky thing and there is a lot to it. I personally think that the approach Kevin is taking is the most safe and reasonable. However, being a DIYer and having access to very high quality regulated power supplies I chose more intrusive approach.
Having transformer inside the table is not good for a number of reasons, electric hum being only one of them. Every transformed vibrates, and there is absolutely no way to get rid of it completely. Also, even very well shielded transformer (and the one in 1200 is not) generates noticeable amount of EMI, which is also not good so close to the cartridge.
On the other hand, the issue of wire impedance can be solved fairly easy, simply by using high quality reasonably thick wire. Also, it is very important to have it shielded – there is a lot of digital transmission inside the table and we don’t need it interfering with clean power.
I was always a proponent of external well regulated power supplies – they can be as big as one needs them to be and it is much easier to deal with their issues, mechanical and electric.
Ultimate power solution for 1200 though is still going to happen – someone has to find a way to power digital section separate from motor cascades. If someone has done it already, I am not aware of it.
As for the Teres – it is a very decent table, but in my opinion while designing it people were more concerned with its looks rather than with its sonic qualities. I can never accept wood as a material used in acoustically dead environment.
Zaikesman,
Speed control system in MK2 is very well engineered and very precise. I don’t have any problem with both its concept and its implementation. In an ideal world I would probably design it slightly different, but unfortunately last time I checked the world outside my window was very far from being perfect.
Using 1200’s arm with Kevin’s fluid damper is absolutely and undoubtedly impossible to beat for the money. I used Rega because I already had it and because I like the looks of it. Sonically I doubt there are any benefits to doing this. Though some people think that Technics arm is not up to the task, I would not agree with it. If I was staying with the original arm though, I would definitely change the wiring and get rid of the tonearm PCB. Oh, and original cables are REALLY bad.
Technics’ main bearing is of better quality than bearings in 99% of TTs out there, no question about it. When I look at it and recall bearing in my P9…, well, I won’t go there. The only thing I was not happy with 1200 was the fact that its bearing directly sits on aluminum plinth. I fixed it by putting three small and thin separate Sorbothane sheets under it.
I did not replace the original feet yet, I want to see how it sound for an extended period of time and then maybe try a thing or two. Most likely will end up with Sorbothane. I like this material.
I don’t have any problem with aluminum platter, as long as record is isolated from it. Once again, I use Sormothane.
Well, I think I covered everything, did I?