How about a WD turntable Kit

[evozero]

Hi All,
I am really getting into vinyl after upgrading my Thorens TD321 and building a VSPS phono stage. But I think I have reached the limit of my kit and have been looking at hi end components to build my own turntable. It seems nearly impossible to get a decent bearing, platter and motor in this country for reasonable money. The Teres components look great and have an excellent reputation, but the shipping costs and import duties make this expensive. Does any one know of a UK kit or is WD planning something along these lines?
With the advent of the WD slate plinths maybe something based around this with a high mass platter and DC motor?
What do people think?
Cheers
Ian

I think most, but not all, of the members here lean towards idler drives.
I may be wrong, but i think interest (On this forum at least) would be low.
The slate plinths have been made to take garrards and lencos as thats what most folk on here use.

[Shane]

I do like the idea of fitting a motor, idler and bearing direct to a slate pilnth, though. The most difficult thing seems to be sourcing a decent powerful motor. The idler bit is just straightforward mechanical engineering.
I did find a beautiful motor made by Kollmorgen, which has an ironless armature and thus zero cogging, but it's about £200

I have been thinking of late about putting a lenco bearing and motor unit directly onto either a piece of slate, or pirectly onto a cld plinth, doing away with the thin steel chassis.
May try it one day.

[Paul Barker]

Your not far from reality, it could happen.

[spikeyfaz]

Originally Posted by evozero

I am really getting into vinyl after upgrading my Thorens TD321 and building a VSPS phono stage.

How did you get on with the VSPS? I got as far as ordering the pcbs but I confess to being a bit bewildered as which components to use. Can you give any pointers? How does it sound? I am wondering whether I'd be better off waiting for World Designs to (re)introduce their phono stage.

[Cobblers]

I think idler drive (done well) would be too expensive for the kit market, and might be too risky for World Design to contemplate. Great if it really could be done though.

IMHO WD would be better off concentrating efforts on Amp's and speakers as tube amp's and products like the WD25's aren't affordable/common to the normal hifi market. Great Turntables require precision engineering, suitable for kits?

Cheap DC motors may be no better than good crystal regulated AC motors from what I have read some months back, I cannot remember the technical detail (someone far more knowledgeable might fill you in) but DC motors need complex expensive regulation otherwise once they become slightly unstable they stay out of sync. High end DC motors such as on the Michell orbe are are in a different league to the more affordable Tecnodec/Origin Live for instance.
Having said that Tecnodec and Gyrodec sound flippin good to me.

Surely there is enough ways to get an great affordable TT and mod existing units without the need for another kit designer?
Unless as said previously they could provide an idler design like the Garrards.
Doubt that will happen.

[Greg.]

I think Graeme and Paul potentially have it. I've been thinking along this line for sometime. It all stems back to when I did my first serious tweak on a turntable. I had a Thorens TD150. I ripped out all the unnecessary mechanical control linkages, damped the chassis and sub-chassis, fitted it into a more substantial plinth, fitted a Linn armboard and Linn suspension springs and with a bog standard Rega arm, it sung better than an LP12.

I've looked at the Garrard 401 and certainly some of the mechanical linkage controls could be removed (probably enhansing sound quality) although it would not be so user friendly. The top plate could also be cut down to leave just the dish that sits under the platter. Note that the platter is sunk into this dish, so a pure slate support would need to have a section machined out. Darren has done some good stuff with Slatedeck, but principally what he has done is all about cutting to size and then cutting through to create holes or open sections. If cutting could be profiled to meet rebated depths without going completely through a section there is alot worth considering here. Maybe then we would be getting closer to a real Slatedeck/WD TT kit. Furthermore I have a problem accommodating the overall width and depth a 401 requires. It has a much bigger footprint than a modern turntable (the Lenco is much easier to accommodate) and this is not aesthetically condusive with a standard wall mount TT support which I have to use. To get the 401 working and also looking (domestic pressure) right, I've been thinking about what the alternatives are, hense this post. Incidentally, these issues are exactly why I've not progressed beyond my experimental plinth because I've not yet been able to think through to a solution.

I like the idea of cutting as much away from a 401 chassis or even discarding it all together in favour of a solid slate support. How difficult would this be? What do you think Darren? Has anyone else been thinking on these lines?

Best wishes,

Greg

[Darren D]

Originally Posted by Greg.

I like the idea of cutting as much away from a 401 chassis or even discarding it all together in favour of a solid slate support. How difficult would this be? What do you think Darren? Has anyone else been thinking on these lines?

Best wishes,

Greg

Pauls ref was to a chat we had some weeks ago where I put an idea to him.
The theory is sound but needs to be trialed first before I give too much away.
I'm afraid this will take some time, months infact.
From the outside perspective it may look like I'm not doing much, but please let me assure you that in order for Slatedeck to survive, the background work is immense. It's not just a case of cutting a slab as required and passing it on. This is a real buisness venture along with all the promotion, set-up, burocracy, paperwork and costs involved. It's a real hinderance to progress as well as apita.

Back to the deck, I have a simpler idea, no idea if it will work till it's prototyped, it should be ok but no promises as I don't work that way.
Just don't hold your breath, it comes when it comes. If at all.

Regards
Darren

Maybe if we worked out a way to fit all the workings of a lenco/garrard onto a slate plinth doing away with the origional metal chassis, WD could sell the plinths, not so much as a kit, but you'd buy the plinth, buy a donor deck and transfer everything over.