First Sounds: Grand Prix Audio Monaco 2.0

bonzo75

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looks like I am all better. tech said SP10mk3 is ready to pick up. 100 quid. :cool:

now have to set it up again on the weekend.

Wow that's encouraging news for restores
 

bonzo75

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Thank you very much tima. It is my desire to have all different drive tts in my system...one day. Your review of the 2.0 stimulates my interest on this tt. Actually your humbleness and the not so hype up styleof writing catch more of my attention. It would be interesting to hear this table on a Herzan in my own system.. if destiny strikes.

Kind regards,
Tang

Maybe we should up the count from having 5 TTs to 8, at least for now?
 

XV-1

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spiritofmusic

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Hmm, merry? Or just punch drunk?
The effect feels much the same?
The bank balance says something very different.
 

Tango

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PeterA

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Is there a difference in tone on TW and Technics? I read these criticisms of DDs on tone and being abruptly cut off, have never heard good belt and DD in the same system. I don't see those issues in the systems that I have liked, so surely with the cart and phono the tone can be made equally good?

This is a good question. XV-1, have you directly compared your TW and SP10 with the same arm and cartridge in your system? I'm very curious about how they sound different.
 

spiritofmusic

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Peter, if I was looking at a DD tt to have the possibility of beating your 30/12, it’s precisely the Monaco 2.0 I’d investigate, not modded SP10 Mks 2 and 3.
I believe the combination of cogging servo feedback speed control and light platters in the old SP10 leads to this hunt/seek/adjust jitter that is great for average speed stability over long periods, but fidgetyness moment to moment.
I suspect the newer DDs like the GPA mate a heavier platter with coreless non cogging motors to eliminate this facet which I believe is the cause of chillyness in older DD signature.
And now the soon to be released new S10R will have heavier platter and coreless non cogging motor as well.
I believe Technics have learnt from the past.
 

PeterA

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Peter, if I was looking at a DD tt to have the possibility of beating your 30/12, it’s precisely the Monaco 2.0 I’d investigate, not modded SP10 Mks 2 and 3.
I believe the combination of cogging servo feedback speed control and light platters in the old SP10 leads to this hunt/seek/adjust jitter that is great for average speed stability over long periods, but fidgetyness moment to moment.
I suspect the newer DDs like the GPA mate a heavier platter with coreless non cogging motors to eliminate this facet which I believe is the cause of chillyness in older DD signature.
And now the soon to be released new S10R will have heavier platter and coreless non cogging motor as well.
I believe Technics have learnt from the past.

Marc, how heavy is the Monaco 2.0 platter and what material is it made of? I have the impression that the Monaco is more about technology and material science than it is about mass and weight per se.
 

spiritofmusic

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I think the platter forms a third of the weight, and at the very least is denser than yr standard platter.
I suspect it’ll have greater flywheel/moment of inertia than the SP10. But I can’t be sure.
For my part, my final choice of uber tt upgrade (if I do intend to move up from my Salvation rim drive), would be a Kuzma Stabi M w 14” 4 Pt or a very special ground up design idler.
Re the latter, it was going to potentially be the Saskia, but Audiophile Bill has alerted me to a fascinating bespoke product hand crafted in Italy that marries fastidious plinth design using unusual materials to deal w vibrations management, a 24/7/52 Papst 3 phase motor for class leading torque, quartz speed control, and heavy platter to maximise moment of inertia.
By all accounts this tt is so torquey, it can drive on and on, the quartz speed control enables the Papst motor not to be overworked, has optical encoder measurement of speed, and heavy flywheel effect platter, all leading to DD/idler verve but w none of the micro speed fluctuations those DDs w lighter platters are prone to.
This and the Kuzma come out at under half the price of SME 30, GPA 2.0, Kronos etc, a not unimportant consideration when thinking of buying LOL.
 

microstrip

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Peter, if I was looking at a DD tt to have the possibility of beating your 30/12, it’s precisely the Monaco 2.0 I’d investigate, not modded SP10 Mks 2 and 3.

Why? Just because they produced a nicely written white paper?

I believe the combination of cogging servo feedback speed control and light platters in the old SP10 leads to this hunt/seek/adjust jitter that is great for average speed stability over long periods, but fidgetyness moment to moment.

This hunt/seek/adjust characteristic sound mainly exists in audiophile minds or cheap turntables. BTW, the SME also has an hunt/seek/adjust motor, as well as the famous Micro Seiki SX-8000 II and my Studer A80, in this case in direct contact with the tape ...

IMHO the sound differences are mostly due to how the DD motor is implemented and other turntable options.

I suspect the newer DDs like the GPA mate a heavier platter with coreless non cogging motors to eliminate this facet which I believe is the cause of chillyness in older DD signature.
And now the soon to be released new S10R will have heavier platter and coreless non cogging motor as well.
I believe Technics have learnt from the past.

Nowadays modern controllers using DSP's can easily overcome hysteresis effects in the motor, probably Technics will just invest in the controller - they surely have also been learning from the present.
 

jfrech

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Marc, how heavy is the Monaco 2.0 platter and what material is it made of? I have the impression that the Monaco is more about technology and material science than it is about mass and weight per se.

I'd have to agree Peter.

I can't take my platter off to ascertain exact weight...but the whole table is ~40lbs. Platter is Magnesium with a thin rubber like coating and phosphor bronze flywheel.
 

bonzo75

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So how come some of the Artisan Fidelity sp10 mk2 weigh only 10kg?
 

spiritofmusic

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That’s just the platter, Ked.
 

spiritofmusic

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John, this can only mean that the Monaco is majoring on light platter, medium torque, and uber fine control of speed micro moment to micro moment.
 
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microstrip

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bonzo75

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jfrech

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John, this can only mean that the Monaco is majoring on light platter, medium torque, and uber fine control of speed micro moment to micro moment.

hi...i think i'd have to agree...especially this uber fine control as you say. Didn't we read somewhere that it's only making 1 maybe 2 speed adjustments during the playback of a entire side of a record?
 

spiritofmusic

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But John, that can only mean high torque surely to combat stylus drag, but nowhere do I see GPA talk about high torque.
Indeed it takes several revolutions for yr 1.5 to get up to speed.
I do find it telling that the 2.0 is described as “higher torque” and gets up to speed in less than 3 revolutions, and maybe adjusts speed once or twice rather than a handful more times.
 

morricab

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spiritofmusic

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My point to Ked.
It seems like the plinth weight/mass is far greater than the original, as well as likely the platter.
 

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