Albert Porters after market panzerholz plinths

thanks mike for that info i was just guessing (and by the look of my posts spelling badly) re the dobbins. its nice to know that someone has experimented with arm boards attached or not. when you are doing it as a project it really is a once off and you want to learn from others. also i have to consider aesthetics as this particular garrard is going into the lounge WAF has to be high.

just spent an interesting hour or two with the cabinet maker who is going to do my garrard plinth. we have sort of decided on a solid mahogany plinth he has a cnc machine so we may do it out of two solid blocks (the drill bit is a restriction on how deep you can make the cut outs) or alternatively glue several layers as per most peoples projects. the finish may include some veneer (also mahogany) work and will be either piano laquer or french polish. should look good and improve with age. also hoping some of that tone from the mahogany rubs off (i've been reading a lot of guitar sites lately).

the arm is going to be a ortofon AS 309 S (just ordered it). cartridge london super gold (the ref is just too much at this stage). footers will be stillpoints as per albert porters technics although costs may mean i do cheap copy until i can afford them. also have to decide on phono cable - all of this is going into leben phono stage.

really enjoyed this project its more fun than just buying the finished product. next up will be my thorens 125.

I've received a lot of email inquires since this post began so I'll answer here for everyone to read.

Porter Plinth has evolved into exclusively a dual arm design, different than images featured at Soundfountain

All Porterhouse plinths are made from layers of Bass wood, Panzerholz, aircraft aluminum and have the iron block and brass rod to support the original Technics design chassis.

Panzerholz compromises the majority of these from base model to level three. Level three gets real lumber (not veneer) one inch thick in places. Real Ebony lumber has been the choice for the few we've delivered. Other lumber such as Rosewood, Wenge, Walnut, Cherry, Maple (or customer choice) for anything available in the market.

Image of the new dual arm plinth are on my system thread here at Audiogon and I will add to my PorterHouse Audio web site as soon as I capture images in my studio that do justice to its appearance.

This is not a money making deal, I do this because I love it. So far we're managing (at max speed) about two or three a year. Hardly a mass produced item.

I think it is difficult to predict the sonic outcome solely on the basis of the plinth material alone.

Here's why:

Because a stereo system is a matrix of ..."systems, within a system" each having their own contributing tone and resonance qualities and each are affected by the others in the context of the whole, therefore the variables and contingencies are incalculable, therefore, at best we can only navigate through this minefield by starting first with generalizations and then through experimentation, trial and error and then using our own ears can we finally arrive at a place that provides us with a sound that is pleasing to our subjective individual tastes.

A cartridge is a system, a tonearm is a system, a speaker is a system, a amp is a system, a room is a "system", a support platform is a system, cables are a system, tubes are a system, a turntable is a system, on and on....plus, each of those systems uses a different materials and in different shapes, sizes, thicknesses, with different mass,

Therefore in one persons system i can see slate complimenting the rest of their system better than panzerholz might or vice versa.

The other factor that is often overlooked is whether a plinth material is being properly "executed" together with the rest of the systems on the turntable. Just one example (and there are many), the panzerholz plinth is heavy and has great dampening qualities but is the armboard touching or not touching the panzerholz? are the armboard torque bolts too loose or too tight? which creates either a sink for noise or is perhaps trapping the noise in the tonearm and back to the sensitive stylus. Etc, etc, So, you can have a great plinth material but "drop the ball" in utilizing its inherent dampening qualities. So experimentation can have great value. Its hard work and tedious at times but that is where the magic can sometimes happen. We might be so close to striking the vein of gold but give up one day too early !

I would venture that a schroder arm (wood tube) might sound better on a 200lb slate plinth (soft stone) than it would on a panzerholz plinth, whereas a metal tubed (metal)tonearm better on the panzerholz plinth(wood).

So, wood and stone i predict will have better synergy than metal and stone.

Now to muliply the problem, what is the cartridge body material made from? (smiling) Are the speaker cabinets made from real walnut or mdf based? (smiling again) All these infinite factors effect the final tone and resolution of your sound.

In the end, i think all you can do is work with the best craftmanship in audio designs that are built with passion, mix their components as best as you can, listen and then steer/dial in that last bit of sound to get to a place that is musically satisfying. You do this, i think, by looking at the materials the components are made from, make an educated guess, then try it and listen if you've moved the sound in the direction it needs to go. No, i dont have all the answers , just more questions.

Panzerholz is a very good base ingredient to "cook" with but it is amongst a plethora of other good ingredients too, i think it just depends ultimately on... "how good the cook is".

Dear Vertigo,
Some days it hardly pays to get out of bed.
But I don't think the situation is as hopeless as you paint it, in terms of predicting outcomes. I find that if a "system" (using your definition of the term) affects the sound a certain way in a certain context, then it will tend to do that in other contexts as well. The unpredictability lies in the ear/brain of the listener.
Also, if we take that the job of a plinth is essentially the same no matter what it is made of, which is to be "neutral", then it follows that Panzerholz and slate should not be so different from one another.
Anyway, my head is spinning.