I haven’t personally heard the Dobbins plinth, so I can’t comment on its performance, but it certainly looks promising.
The standard plinth on the Verdier turntable is made of HDF, which is a bit denser than MDF, and it’s reinforced by three steel plates. HDF is quite inert due to its high glue content, meaning it doesn’t resonate at specific frequencies like wood, but overall, it’s not an outstanding plinth. It works, but not exceptionally. The steel plates, however, significantly improve the HDF’s performance. They’re welded, painted, and when I tap the base, it’s dead silent. There’s also an elastomer layer between the steel and HDF for additional isolation.
The base includes three spring-elastomer-metal feet, which need to be carefully aligned to ensure they only contact the plinth through the elastomer layer. This setup is effective, but in my experience, plinths made from stiffer, harder materials like metal—especially when properly damped—deliver much better results.
If you’re thinking of upgrading your Verdier plinth, it’s also worth considering finding new springs for the feet or an alternative solution to accommodate any change in weight cause springs are tuned to original plinth. Keeping this in mind older stone based Verdier makes sense cause it has a lot of glue. Slate is also worth considering, though it’s notoriously difficult to work with since it breaks so easily.
Personally, I’m not planning to replace the plinth on my Verdier turntable at the moment. There are just too many variables to consider. Instead, I’m focusing on upgrading to an Artesania stand for all my equipment, which seems like a more practical improvement for now.
