In praise of idlers

That's a good call Spirit. I use a couple pods of T304 Stainless steel under my idler. They rest on a 400 lb. Vibraplane table that holds the turntable and phono stage also. When building my turntable I found T304 stainless to sound much different than lead.
Harry, I've gone a little crazy Lol, installing a £6.5k dual isolation platform under a £3k tt. However the results are undeniable. I went a little step further isolating the direct rim drive pod with a custom Symposium Mini Svelte just under the pod itself (replacing the great audio satan, stock Sorbothane pad).
 
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That's a job for anti-skate, not friction. Can someone please explain to me when tonearm friction is good?
No anti-skate on my air LT arm. But yr point acknowledged.
 
Jesper, having some interesting success using my periphery lp ring not on records, but resting on the circumference of the platter. That's where it would be anyway if I was using it to weigh down the lp in the normal way, but since my records sit on 0.5cm high Delrin cones bonded to my platter, they are above the ring now.
Platter now increases in weight from 9kg to over 11kg w the addition of the ring, and from 14" to 16" effective diameter.
 
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Jesper, having some interesting success using my periphery lp ring not on records, but resting on the circumference of the platter. That's where it would be anyway if I was using it to weigh down the lp in the normal way, but since my records sit on 0.5cm high Delrin cones bonded to my platter, they are above the ring now.
Platter now increases in weight from 9kg to over 11kg w the addition of the ring, and from 14" to 16" effective diameter.

I don't understand ... never used one but I thought periphery rings sat on the lead-in area of a record.
 
Sure Tim. All I've done is used the ring to increase effective wt of platter, and kept the lp free of the ring. In any other tt, that wouldn't have been possible. But because my lp sits on 0.5cm high Delrin pods bonded on the platter, I've been able to judiciously pop the ring on the platter effectively underneath the lp.

In these confined Covid days, these episodes and discoveries are a lot of fun.
 
Tim, well we wanna stay on good terms Lol.
Covid is great for the DIY community, and this is just my little bit.
My tt is explicitly designed to not secure the lp down in anyway, no weight, no ring, no vacuum hold-down.
Heck, lps don't even sit flush on the platter.
But the tt like lots of others is predicated on high mass/inertia/flywheel effect/high torque.
And thus adding 2.5kg mass to the platter while not securing the lp in any way is consistent w it's design ethos.
 
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Jesper, having some interesting success using my periphery lp ring not on records, but resting on the circumference of the platter. That's where it would be anyway if I was using it to weigh down the lp in the normal way, but since my records sit on 0.5cm high Delrin cones bonded to my platter, they are above the ring now.
Platter now increases in weight from 9kg to over 11kg w the addition of the ring, and from 14" to 16" effective diameter.

What improvements are you hearing?
 
Or, do I think I'm hearing Lol (after Barry2013 said his FM radio sounded better w Covid).

Some uptick in low end heft and mids palpability. The kind of things I always here in higher torque/heavier flywheel effect oversized platter'd tts.
 
Without idlers I dont think I would listen to records, and without records I dont think I would bother about hifi.

For me, the idlers are unmatched in the addictive way they drive the music and carry the beat.

My musical taste is more marley than mozart.

Well, thats just like my opinion. Whats yours?

Jesper
My Reed 3C can run on a belt or friction drive. I much prefer the friction drive. My previous table was a belt drive but I added a Teres idler wheel drive and much preferred it. I've never owned a DD but I think I'm am idler/rim-drive/friction drive guy.
 
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Exlibris, I'm intrigued by the Reed using a pair of idler wheels. Does this not add potential complication to the design? Twice potential for idler noise/rumble, and speed/vibration issues w differing idler wheels wear?

Re identifying oneself w idler, I totally agree. I just find the saturated mids tonality, and directness of presentation of music's propulsiveness via my direct rim drive to be totally addictive, a cut above the belt drives that I've owned (Roksan Xerxes and Michell Orbe/OL motor) and the two I auditioned at home (TW Acustic AC-3 and Brinkmann La Grange).
 
Exlibris, I'm intrigued by the Reed using a pair of idler wheels. Does this not add potential complication to the design? Twice potential for idler noise/rumble, and speed/vibration issues w differing idler wheels wear?

Re identifying oneself w idler, I totally agree. I just find the saturated mids tonality, and directness of presentation of music's propulsiveness via my direct rim drive to be totally addictive, a cut above the belt drives that I've owned (Roksan Xerxes and Michell Orbe/OL motor) and the two I auditioned at home (TW Acustic AC-3 and Brinkmann La Grange).
I read up on the Reed quite a bit before buying. It's the cleanest sound I've ever had from a table. I used to blame pressings and cartridges etc for noise but after getting the Reed I see that it was the table that was the problem. The belt does give that smoothness and air etc but I like the drive and propulsion of the friction drive.
I get enough air and "freedom" from AirTangent arm. I think the combo of idler and linear tracker is fantastic.
 
Hear hear.
I've combined my direct rim drive with an air bearing LT. In fact designed as a piece from the same guy. I have some idea what you're experiencing.
 
Well, she was great out of the box, and I've eeked out maximum performance w dozens of small and deffo not so small mods.

Exlibris, would you ever consider the Reed 5T? Sounds a tech tour de force w it's laser guided "pivoted LT" design.
 
My Reed 3C can run on a belt or friction drive. I much prefer the friction drive. My previous table was a belt drive but I added a Teres idler wheel drive and much preferred it. I've never owned a DD but I think I'm am idler/rim-drive/friction drive guy.

Thats an interesting design. Do you know if any users actually prefer the belt drive?

Welcome in the idler club.

Jesper
 

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