OMA or Jean Natais Lenco rebuild

Lewm, the PTP is a complete turnkey solution for 2500 euros.
This is from Peter's website


Technical summary
Idler drive.
400x500x50mm solid Corian plinth.
Two part 4mm stainless steel top plate.
Separate motor plate for maximum isolation.
Polished 4kg die cast aluminium platter.
High torque AC induction motor.
33 and 45 rpm.
Two exchangeable Corian armboards in the colour of the plinth.
Suitable for arms with a spindle to pivot distance between 200mm and 250mm.
(For those who prefer 12” arms we offer the slightly larger Solid12)
A wide range of colours to choose from.
The Solid9 is completely assembled and ready to use.
20 kg.

Price
€2450.-
€2250.- if you are able to provide the necessary Lenco parts.

Process
To make sure our products perform to their maximum ability the following is done:

Lenco parts
The Lenco parts have a long life behind them. To bring them back to their former glory they will all be thoroughly serviced.
The motor will be completely disassembled, serviced and rebuilt.
The bearing will be cleaned, rebuilt and filled with special low viscosity oil. If necessary the bearings will get a new ball, thrustplate and/or bushings to guarantee perfectly quiet running.
The idlerwheel will be cleaned and lubricated. The idler arm will be coated to damp any ringing. Finally, the whole assembly will be realigned, a very important step to make the turntable run silently.
The platter will be cleaned, polished and damped with rubber O-rings.

New parts
All new parts are made, according to our design and specifications, by highly skilled manufacturers to guarantee a long, hassle free life and a perfect fit and finish.
The plinth is made from solid Corian, CNC machined for highest precision.
The top plate consists of two pieces of 4mm thick stainless steel plate, laser cut into shape, with a beautiful brushed finish. It provides a rock solid platform for the bearing and optimal isolation of the motor.
Armboards are made from Corian and provide a solid base worthy of the best arms available.
A bearing clamp, made from 8mm powder coated steel, is mounted to the bottom of the plinth improving the bearing stiffness enormously.
All wiring and the switch are brand new to guarantee safe operation.

The concept is quite flexible so if you have special requirements don’t hesitate to contact us.
We're certain a fitting solution can be found.

To ensure that the product you buy is as good as it can be, Peter Reinders services all Lenco parts and assembles, tests and tunes each individual turntable himself. His long experience and expertise make all the difference.

Don't remember the exact price of the OMA, but I know it is more. And check out those Artisan Fidelity prices, yikes!
Btw, hope you didn't have to wait three years for that Jeremy bearing.

 
 

I don't recall how long I waited for Jeremy, but it was more like a year or less. On the other hand, the wait was worth it. I believe it makes a big difference. Takes quite a while to break in, but sounds good from the get-go. But when it's really rolling along, the turntable sound becomes very open and airy. What I want. During early break-in, the bearing housing gets warm to the touch after 10-12 hours of use, and you have to change the lubricant frequently. When that stops happening, the benefits of the bearing become most evident.

Hi Rich,

I haven't heard these other Lenco rebuilds, which I'm sure are excellent, but I like my Nantais Reference Lenco a lot. Two years old, it is a Mk I, though I'm actually sending it to Jean this week to have all the Mk. II mods performed.

I commissioned mine in solid Santos mahogany sheathing and it takes two arms. I find it beautiful, given its bulk, with excellent fit and finish. (To see a pic, scroll down this page.) Speed stability is quite good overall, though it tends to creep a little fast over time, so I re-set with a KAB every few months. Otherwise, it is trouble-free.

I really like the sound. It presents great rhythmic grip and drive with an outstanding bass foundation, low noise floor, and very good detail retrieval. I ran a Clearaudio Innovation Wood (with Outer Limit ring and Statement clamp) next to it in the same system for nearly two years , so I had a fairly neutral frame of reference. The Clearaudio had a little quieter background (though not by a huge amount), which allowed for slightly sharper attack and a somewhat deeper soundstage. It's a very fine deck but I thought it more mechanical and less organic-sounding--more like great digital--using either a Phantom II or Tri-planar. Speed stability over the short term was basically a toss up, which is saying something, since the Clearaudio has sophisticated optical speed correction.

Ultimately, I preferred the Nantais Lenco and sold the Clearaudio, replacing it with a Brinkmann Oasis, which is a great-sounding direct-drive with extraordinary articulation of instruments and rock-solid timing. Its background is even quiter than the Clearaudio. Still, the Nantais Lenco holds its own and even does some things a little better (bass weight, drive, flow), although I'd say it is comparatively a little colored towards the mid-to-upper bass, which is not a bad thing in my room, and less resolving at the very top. The Brinkmann is clearly better in its precise delineation of instruments in space--I've never heard its like in this regard--bringing everything into super-sharp focus without losing musicality or the textures of instruments. The two decks sound different but they're equally enjoyable and valid in their presentations. I'm sure the Mk II mods, which are now standard, will be quite an improvement, too. I find Jean to be a pleasure to work with, BTW.

Any way you go, you'll end up with a great idler, so enjoy.

Best,
Bill

FWIW Peter owns one of the first OMA slate Lencos. Jonathan uses his PTP plate.
He really likes this table and says they are more similar than different. But he states "the biggest difference is Corian has a naturalness and timbre that slate cannot match. Next to the Corian table the slate sounds slower and harsher".

We are in the process of launching a new website, which will no longer show plinth options for Lencos, but I thought it would be useful to comment in this thread that OMA no longer supports any Lenco PTP's with slate plinths.

We now only offer the OMA Anatase turntable, using the Lenco motor and platter, the other parts being made by OMA.

Jonathan Weiss
OMA