Albert Porters after market panzerholz plinths

Logenn both your Technics tables and your Gerrard did you change over to panzerholz plinths from other custom plinths?

Yes, with the Garrard I built a baltic birch plinth with multiple layers anticipating big performance gains, but the performance was mediocre at best and very disappointing. It was a reasonably substantial plinth, but not until the Porter and Semrod designed panzerholst plinth did I realize the potential of the 301 turntable as a reference turntable. Their massive plints with numerous tweaks to enhance the resolution elevated this idler wheel turntable past some very formidable competition.

I am also using the Loricraft motor controller with the torque control, which recreates the original 50 Hz sine wave that the 301 was engineered for in the 1950s (courtesy Steve Dobbins). Presumably this improves the operating smoothness of the powerful 301 motor to reduce rumble and noise. The torque control allows you to reduce the torque and still maintain speed control with the net effect further reduction in vibrations.

The Technics Mk II arrived in their top of the line Obsidian base, which was not to bad, but certainly not in the same league as the Porter panzerholst bases. Transformation is amazing and moves these turntables
to the top levels of performance.

My mark III arrived with no base for any comparison.

Thanks, Mike, for the info on your "copper tops". We've discussed this before, and I should have remembered that those surfaces belong to the respective platters, not to any mat.

Logenn, or anyone, as long as you have the correct adapter in place so that proper rotational speed is achieved (the name of the part escapse me), can you tell me a reason why a Garrard will sound any different with a 60Hz AC supply vs a 50Hz one? I've read endless arguments about the effects of high vs low voltage on the performance of that motor, but this is the first time I have seen anything about the effect of frequency.

What about the TTweights Copper Carbon Ultimat. Any good?

If you go to Loricraft's website and read their explanation of the benefits of their motor controller, keeping the 301 motor operating at 50 Hz keeps the motor running at optimum efficiency.

The benefit is the motor is running smoother and quieter at 50 Hz vs 60 HZ, with less noise and vibration. Their tests show added noise when operating at 60 HZ.

Once again every attempt is being made to elevate the 301s ability to provide a quiet stable platform so that the tonearm/cartridge can retrieve as much micro detail as possible.