I wish I knew the exact answer, I only said it looks better to me. The photo is from Bergmann's Facebook. You should ask Bergmann about it and share it here, they're more than qualified to give a correct answer, it's their turntable after all.
I expect it to sound better, but that's a pure conjecture by me based on intuition and not experience.
My 30 year old Eminent Technology II tonearm never needed service, I replaced the paper air filter a couple of times because it was very inexpensive. Although the instructions show how to disassemble and clean the air manifold I never had to do it - probably because I always used it with a good air filter in a non polluted zone.
Quite a lot Philip. A light aluminum platter rings, sound is colored with an upper bass boost and little low bass. The copper platter has a lot less coloration than aluminum and the extra mass translates into better deeper bass without upper bass low mid bump of aluminum. If used properly the additional inertia of the heavier platter translates into more resolution. I'm not familiar with the copper platter's construction but it could be a little lean compared to the aluminum.
the extra mass translates into better deeper bass
...
I'm not familiar with the copper platter's construction but it could be a little lean compared to the aluminum.
Hi David, how does this work? The extra mass translates into deeper bass (this is what I thought based on anecdotal experience). But then, you say the copper platter could be a little lean compared to the aluminum? Do you mean because of the reduction in mid/upper bass bump? Would it be more linear and only lean in a relative sense, or lean overall (as in lacking)?
I heard a Dobbins Garrard 301 with the rubber mat compared to a copper platter mat. The copper was a very noticeable improvement. The rubber really killed stage depth and created a wall of sound effect.
I find platter choice/mat material one of the wackier aspects of audio. Just how does this all make such a difference? Just resonance/vibration related?
While they can stop some noise from coming up, the majority of it is an interaction with the LP when it turns into a speaker. We all know that if you turn your volume completely off and listen near the stylus you can hear music. That's because it basically turns into a mini speaker. What's underneath it will affect that interaction, which in turn affects the the stylus itself. Some things absorb, some reflection, some ring, etc. But for example they don't uniformly do one or the other. A rubber mat will absorb deep frequencies but almost nothing that the LP produces, and will be reflective to other frequencies it does. Different surfaces will also affect how the vibrations travel along the LP as well.
But for them to affect it in certain ways they have to make contact, and a lot of stuff doesn't really if you have a weight/clamp.
i have had a disc flattener for 6-7 years. never used it. it sits just there. honestly it's rare i find a pressing audibly effected by warps. don't even think about it. yet the vacuum does have it's attractions. it's not until i own three tt's again that i even ponder that question. suppose i'm trying to justify it. would not be the first time.
the problem with the Flattener, is that the pressings that i'd like to use it on are a few of my most precious 45 rpm 4-disc sets that are irreplacable. and since they apparently play fine, i live with it. the other rare occasions where i find a pressing with warps it's typically not worth the effort.
Never used it, really - I have owned my Orb DF-02 for over 10 years now and it is always used. If something is not quite flat - I just put it into the flattener overnight and in the morning its flat. With the exception of a GZ pressing 10 years ago ( when GZ were using a soft vinyl compound - they have changed back now) I have never had one record damaged by the flattener.
I do it more to save the cartridge suspension going up and down over those dished vinyl over and over again.
I still buy a lot of new release vinyl, so the flattener is invaluable to me.
While they can stop some noise from coming up, the majority of it is an interaction with the LP when it turns into a speaker. We all know that if you turn your volume completely off and listen near the stylus you can hear music. That's because it basically turns into a mini speaker. What's underneath it will affect that interaction, which in turn affects the the stylus itself. Some things absorb, some reflection, some ring, etc. But for example they don't uniformly do one or the other. A rubber mat will absorb deep frequencies but almost nothing that the LP produces, and will be reflective to other frequencies it does. Different surfaces will also affect how the vibrations travel along the LP as well.
But for them to affect it in certain ways they have to make contact, and a lot of stuff doesn't really if you have a weight/clamp.
Long ago I read a test that was carried with an LP that had a zone with signals and music and a silent endless groove. Two tonearms were being used - one to play the signal and music zone and the other to listen to the silent groove while the other section was being played. Several types of turntable mats were listened in this test. It would be great to repeat such tests with current top audio analyzers - it says a lot about what happens to the energy released by the stylus in the LP.
Long ago I read a test that was carried with an LP that had a zone with signals and music and a silent endless groove. Two tonearms were being used - one to play the signal and music zone and the other to listen to the silent groove while the other section was being played. Several types of turntable mats were listened in this test. It would be great to repeat such tests with current top audio analyzers - it says a lot about what happens to the energy released by the stylus in the LP.
Quite a lot Philip. A light aluminum platter rings, sound is colored with an upper bass boost and little low bass. The copper platter has a lot less coloration than aluminum and the extra mass translates into better deeper bass without upper bass low mid bump of aluminum. If used properly the additional inertia of the heavier platter translates into more resolution. I'm not familiar with the copper platter's construction but it could be a little lean compared to the aluminum.
David
How about Gunmetal versus Copper ?
Johnnie Bergmann emailed me last night and said he could also offer a 40kg gunmetal platter; he wrote: "Some analog users, like the sound of gunmetal, which should be fuller and warmer."
Any thoughts ?
thanks,
Philip
Hi David, how does this work? The extra mass translates into deeper bass (this is what I thought based on anecdotal experience). But then, you say the copper platter could be a little lean compared to the aluminum? Do you mean because of the reduction in mid/upper bass bump? Would it be more linear and only lean in a relative sense, or lean overall (as in lacking)?
As a material copper is more linear sounding than aluminum in the bass region but leaner mid up but IMO overall preferable to aluminum which I'm not a fan of. But I'm oversimplifying everything, there are many other factors that matter when designing the platter.
David
How about Gunmetal versus Copper ?
Johnnie Bergmann emailed me last night and said he could also offer a 40kg gunmetal platter; he wrote: "Some analog users, like the sound of gunmetal, which should be fuller and warmer."
Any thoughts ?
thanks,
Philip
Leaving overall design alone gunmetal is smoother sounding than copper but not by much. Every metal has it's manufacturing quirks and availability in each market, I haven't seen gun metal platters anywhere outside of Japan. Neither material is poor sounding and with proper design you'll have world class turntables using copper or gunmetal.
Any thoughts on my fairly unique solution? A 9kg Al platter, but the lp rests on a half dozen small Delrin pods bonded to the platter ie not contact of lp directly w platter.
I then use a heavy periphery ring and medium mass (450g) record weight to mate lp as fully as possible to the Delrin pods.
Any thoughts on my fairly unique solution? A 9kg Al platter, but the lp rests on a half dozen small Delrin pods bonded to the platter ie not contact of lp directly w platter.
I then use a heavy periphery ring and medium mass (450g) record weight to mate lp as fully as possible to the Delrin pods.
Not really Marc pressure points like that don't make sense to me except that it's an easy way to deal with resonance. I don't know if you recall Transcriptor Skeleton tts were made with the same idea first.
