I use a Sound Anchors turntable stand for my Galibier Gavia table. The stand is made of welded steel filled with sand and PVC damping tubes. It is firmly spiked into the flooring with steel spikes. The table does not have any suspension and it rests directly on a plinth that in turn rests directly on the Sound Anchors stand. I'm not sure of the total weight of the table and motor assembly, but it's roughly about 100 lbs.
The plinth is presently 2 maple butcherblock boards resting on top of each other, not glued or otherwise attached to each other. Each of the 2 boards is 3/4" thick.
I have tried a number of other plinths including granite (damped and undamped), 3" maple butcherblock, mdf, Baltic Birch/mdf composite, and maple/aluminum/maple composite. I'm sure I've left some out. Each material has a distinct sound quality. Most have positives and negatives. My favorite (or the least objectionable) is the present setup of just 2 maple boards resting on each other.
The whole assembly is very rigid and stable. The Sound Anchors stand has room for components to be placed on two levels below the table. Unfortunately, I have found that anything placed on these steel supports affects the sound of the turntable adversely. Hence, the stand is now a dedicated turntable stand.
I have a separate oak stand with a 3" granite surface plate on top, that is immediately next to the turntable stand. This turns out to be the ideal spot for the battery that powers the Galibier turntable motor. The sound of the vinyl setup changes rather markedly when the battery is moved to different surfaces. It sounds best on top of the granite. So my battery now has its own dedicated stand, strange as that may seem.
Dave
The plinth is presently 2 maple butcherblock boards resting on top of each other, not glued or otherwise attached to each other. Each of the 2 boards is 3/4" thick.
I have tried a number of other plinths including granite (damped and undamped), 3" maple butcherblock, mdf, Baltic Birch/mdf composite, and maple/aluminum/maple composite. I'm sure I've left some out. Each material has a distinct sound quality. Most have positives and negatives. My favorite (or the least objectionable) is the present setup of just 2 maple boards resting on each other.
The whole assembly is very rigid and stable. The Sound Anchors stand has room for components to be placed on two levels below the table. Unfortunately, I have found that anything placed on these steel supports affects the sound of the turntable adversely. Hence, the stand is now a dedicated turntable stand.
I have a separate oak stand with a 3" granite surface plate on top, that is immediately next to the turntable stand. This turns out to be the ideal spot for the battery that powers the Galibier turntable motor. The sound of the vinyl setup changes rather markedly when the battery is moved to different surfaces. It sounds best on top of the granite. So my battery now has its own dedicated stand, strange as that may seem.
Dave