Harry hard at work making a VPI idler drive turntable

tdh888

Well-Known Member
Nov 4, 2010
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Hi to all,

Harry is trying to build an idler drive turntable. Read it in the audioasylum, the thread title is new idler drive turntable. Its in the vinyl section of the audioasylum.

Tdh888
 

MylesBAstor

Well-Known Member
Apr 20, 2010
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Does he think it will be better than his $30K Direct Drive, or just different sounding?

A lower priced turntable, say the best he could do at that price point. But no, not better sounding than the Classic Direct that is prohibitively expensive to manufacture.
 

DonH50

Member Sponsor & WBF Technical Expert
Jun 22, 2010
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Idler wheel drive used to be the realm of cheap low-end tables. Assuming he can make a decent one and solve the usual issues, I wonder will it overcome market bias? Or has the old guard died out so there is no longer a stigma attached to idler wheels?

* Aside: I have heard some great tables with idler wheels though can't recall the makes. Ditto direct drive, once scorned (perhaps unjustly) until better motors and servos were developed.
 

MylesBAstor

Well-Known Member
Apr 20, 2010
11,236
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1,725
New York City
Idler wheel drive used to be the realm of cheap low-end tables. Assuming he can make a decent one and solve the usual issues, I wonder will it overcome market bias? Or has the old guard died out so there is no longer a stigma attached to idler wheels?

* Aside: I have heard some great tables with idler wheels though can't recall the makes. Ditto direct drive, once scorned (perhaps unjustly) until better motors and servos were developed.

Harry of course has lots of experience --in addition to developing his rim drive--with idler based tables. The Teres tables also use rim drives as well as the many remanufactured Lencos, Garrards, etc. out there. I posted a while back some from Artisan Fidelity not too long ago.

[video]www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGvPSgdXHqA[/video]

You do of course need to replace the rubber band every once in a while with the rim drive.

See also:

http://www.whatsbestforum.com/showt...ive-quot-Turntable&highlight=artisan+fidelity
 

lasercd

Member Sponsor
Oct 28, 2010
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Harry of course has lots of experience --in addition to developing his rim drive--with idler based tables. The Teres tables also use rim drives as well as the many remanufactured Lencos, Garrards, etc. out there. I posted a while back some from Artisan Fidelity not too long ago.

Hope I don't derail the thread too far. The rim drive for the Teres was a flaming turd. I returned it immediately. The o-ring had a vertical seam and a ridge that ran around the circumference. I could hear that seam hit the platter with every revolution. I had the Teres 265 for a couple of years. Awful sounding table that was made worse with the rim drive. Chris Brody is a nice guy though. :)
 

DonH50

Member Sponsor & WBF Technical Expert
Jun 22, 2010
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Thank you Myles. I did skim that thread a bit, had forgotten the Thorens 124 was an idler (pretty sure the Thorens I tried was belt-driven). I agree with the comment in that thread that most any of these can be executed to perform well (or not). I was more concerned about perceptual bias than performance given who's doing the design, but it seems like that is not an issue now.

Sorry for the diversion, but thanks, carry on! - Don
 

MylesBAstor

Well-Known Member
Apr 20, 2010
11,236
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New York City
Thank you Myles. I did skim that thread a bit, had forgotten the Thorens 124 was an idler (pretty sure the Thorens I tried was belt-driven). I agree with the comment in that thread that most any of these can be executed to perform well (or not). I was more concerned about perceptual bias than performance given who's doing the design, but it seems like that is not an issue now.

Sorry for the diversion, but thanks, carry on! - Don

My first tt in college was a Dual 1009 that was an idler drive!
 

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