Building high-end 'tables cheap at Home Despot II

Hi Stefan, this is a traditional mod as well for the Garrards, with the same reported results as you report. However, many of those who have tried this tweak and who love the idlers for their great dynamic power report as well a consequent loss of dynamics with the lowered noise-floor. Of course, this is dependent on how audible this is in a given system: if not in yours (some find it an across-the-board improvement), then it is not an issue. To me anyway, idler-wheel dynamics are Sacred and not to be diminished in any way, and since I so build my systems to maximize speed/impact/dynamics/rhythm, these types of mods (over-damping as well) audibly reduce the dynamics. While adjusting the motor for minimal noise by taking it apart and orienting the motor-core is difficult, and adjusting the nose-screw, it accomplishes the same thing without reducing torque/dynamics. Direct Coupling further eliminates the noise to well below that of high-end belt-drives, while increasing the dynamics, focus and speed. Do you hear any diminution of dynamics or bass impact with this tweak?

Up here the gremlins went on a rampage and took out my SP-8, Pierre Amp, and even my beloved little Sony amp is acting up, so I am now using my TAE-5450 preamp with the rebuilt TIP-modded Dynaco ST-120, and decided to set up my very vivacious Athena Technologies speakers for the Christmas season, as they get to the heart of the music in a way very few speakers do (PRaT, dynamics, easy listenability with decent detail and imaging combined this designer's particular talent). I was amazed at just how detailed and beautiful-sounding even this humble system is. When rebuilt/restored and TIP-modded the Dynaco ST-120 is indeed a very serious little amp, and I'm going to try it with my more-serious KEF Reference 103.2s to see just how good it is. I just LOVE these vintage gems, they are so much fun!! Have fun likewise all, this type of fun just seems so appropriate over the holidays!

I dialed-in the Garrard 301 with the fabulous Dynavector 507 MKII tonearm, and even with my cheap little Satin HO MC the level of refinement and detail was amazing. The Dynavector is truly one of the Great Tonearms (but with a BIG price-tag), and shows that when properly set up the Garrard (in this case Giant Direct Coupled CLD birch-ply/MDF plinth) is indeed a very refined and delicate retriever, while preserving that astonishing idler SLAM and BASS, in fact just like the Iron Fist in a Velvet Glove Lenco! There is no high-frequency hash of the sort so often reported in the press in the past (they had to find/create/invent fault somewhere or simply throw in the towel and admit belt-drive was a mistake and very definitely inferior).

Anyway, hope you're all having some fun!!

As a proud owner of what I understand was Jean's first Mighty Glass-Reinforced Direct Coupled Giant Lenco, it's past time that I checked in here to express my enthusiasm for this amazing turntable and to thank Jean, and all of you who are involved in the Lenco/idler wheel drive revival.

Here's the bottom line of my initial impression. This turntable - the Black Beauty - with a $150 cartridge is blowing away my former rig that had a $3500 cartridge mounted on a VPI HW-19 MkIV tricked out as close as you can get to the TNT level. I'll need to try other arms and cartridges to get a fuller sense of what this table can do, but there's no doubt that it's huge jump beyond the VPI.

I didn't appreciate until recently that I'm actually a charter member of the idler wheel movement and probably got into it even before Jean did! My first turntable, over 30 years ago, was a Rek-O-Kut. I didn't know an idler wheel drive from a nuclear reactor at that point and was just into music, not equipment. I kept that Rek-O-Kut for nearly 20 years until I came across the audio establishment's magazines and realized that there's this whole world of shiny, modern, expensive, must-be-better equipment out there, and that all of the modern turntables use belt drives. So I finally ditched the Rek-O-Kut and got a VPI HW-19 Junior. My gleaming new turntable looked great, but there was one problem: It didn't sound as good as the old Rek-O-Kut! So I upgraded it all the way to the Mk IV+ level and put on an SME V arm and a Koetsu cartridge. That did beat the Rek-O-Kut.

I must confess, at that point, for a time, I actually did believe in the superiority of belt drives. But, thanks to my friend Dave Pogue, Jean, and tuning in on Da' Thread, I
rediscovered the virtues of idler wheel technology. Misled by the audio establishment, I wandered off the True Path for a while, but it was just a temporary diversion. I'm back!

I suspect many of us have taken this trek from idler wheel to belt drive back to idler wheel. It's a lot like the trek from vinyl to CDs back to vinyl. Whatever the latest fad or audio dogma, there's just no substitute for running the experiment, hearing for yourself, trusting your own judgment. Onward Lenco Renegades!

That is very interesting - a standard trick for the Garrards. For 120V/60hz I am planning to try this as I will be setting up my 401 with the Lencos when I finally get unpacked enough to finishing the woodworking.

Mike

The same result, reduced vibration with lowered operating voltage, was observed in the Garrard 301 and 401 many years ago.

Something like 90 volts or so (in the USA where 117 volts is nominally "Normal") was generally considered optimal.

I don't hear a negative effect in the bass or dynamics.I did tune the motor early on when I almost lost that little nose-screw too.I believe that the "flywheel" effect of the 9LB platter driven at speed accounts for most of the control of the Lenco and the idler may not be that heavily relied on.Once the speed has been set with a strobe it seems to stay on speed much as before.There is not as much torque as before of course which you can feel with your fingers,but as I stated the speed is fine.I used a stethoscope to judge the best place to set the Variac to where the motor seemed to "quiet-down".At full voltage the motor does seem to vibrate and shake a little too much.The Variac eliminates this motor shaking,which seems to be obviously correctable.