Clearaudio " Innovation" - What?

Rockitman posted some pictures in another forum of the Clearaudio Master Innovation "magnetic-drive" turntable, ie, a belt-drive turntable's platter is driving a turntable above it via magnetic coupling. It's a doubledecker!

Clearaudio Master Innovation pix

It's a noncontact approach. A belt is compliant and so is magnetic force so it's a double compliant system. Why not simply drive the platter with magnetic force using some ironless & coreless coils underneath it and tweak the magnetic force/compliance via precision electronics..... oh, voila, it's a coreless direct drive motor. Oh my god, it's a direct drive turntable! Who wants that?! :-D

P.S. My concern with the Clearaudio approach is the top deck's bearing. To allow the driven platter underneath the top platter the bearing shaft has to protrude down to hold a platter so naturally it cannot allow for single ball bearing well and my guess is a type of angular contact bearing --similar to the EAR Disc Master turntable-- that has more contact point than a simple one baller. To gain no contact on the platter you have to add more contact points on the bearing. You gain something, you lose something. No free lunch.

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Verdier, Kenwood (in the L07D), Transrotor, and EAR (among products I know about) have each done something like either the magnetic drive or the magnetic bearing descxribed above. This is not to say that the ideas are not good ones, just not new ones.

12-14-11: Hiho

P.S. My concern with the Clearaudio approach is the top deck's bearing. To allow the driven platter underneath the top platter the bearing shaft has to protrude down to hold a platter so naturally it cannot allow for single ball bearing well and my guess is a type of angular contact bearing --similar to the EAR Disc Master turntable-- that has more contact point than a simple one baller. To gain no contact on the platter you have to add more contact points on the bearing. You gain something, you lose something. No free lunch.

Is that how unit works for their magentic drive on their statement table ? If you don't know, perhaps your concerns are purely speculation ? How is magnetism compliant ? There is no physical contact between the belt driven drive platter and the magnetic interface of the upper portion of the drive platter that connects to the shaft that drives the upper record platter. In fact you can slide a piece of paper through between the drive platter halves while it is spinning. The bottom platter is split in two and that is where the magnetic coupling is done. Not sure I fully grasp your concerns. Unfortunatley I have not seen the table in person and will be able to better describe it's engineering once I receive it.

CA clearly produce some well made turntables and other products over the years. I like their newer Innovation models with the Delrin platter and panzerholz sandwich plinth. The current model name is just that but it prompts my query about any design/advancement for vinyl playback over the years with their resources and engineering know how.

Here is a video of the master innovation be demonstrated by Musical Surroundings at RMAF 2011

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXeL3C4X4SQ&feature=player_embedded#!