TechDas Air Force One

[A.wayne]

I have a 996GT3 purchased in 2004, track setup with less than 11K mileage...on a best day I could sell it for the TechDas...lol. I would certainly like to hear it against my table in my system before ever considering a $45k leap more than my table..I am skeptical if I would achieve a good bang for my buck over my current rig..Cars can be a great value when you compare them against the few uber hyper expensive tables...

Fur sure ......

 

[A.wayne]

It's a new entry in "Worlds Greatest Audio Systems", the sound was consummate with the gear, a very refined sound and a system and room to be envied by all. We will publish the full video of the system and the room very soon. It is indeed as or more drool worthy than the table itself.

Hence the white glove treatment ....

 

[garylkoh]

Yes, I'm not sure about the platter on the Redpoint table either.

As for the belt on the TechDas I would be more concerned about whether the belt is a uniform thickness than what it's made of. From the speed test you did I would say it's pretty good. It would be interesting to put a Sutherland Timeline on it with a record playing and see how it does with stylus drag.

Is there any information on how the motor works? Does it have servo control? I noticed it has pitch controls. Have you played with them yet?

The motor is AC synchronous. It is powered by two crystal-controlled 50W power amps in the motor control unit. The pitch is controlled by varying the AC frequency. The pitch controls has two buttons, one labeled with the symbol for flat and the other for sharp. It changes the speed in +/- 0.1 rpm steps. I haven't explored how far it goes beyond 1 rpm.

With the platterspeed app, stylus drag is accounted for. I've also used a remote rpm measure and it gave me a spot-on 33.333 rpm.

 

[PeterA]

If this table has truly accurate speed, a demonstration at CES with the Timeline would make an excellent marketing point. This test showing a laser spot ten feet away on a wall not moving while a record is playing will convince anyone of its speed accuracy. For this cost level, speed accuracy should be spot on. This is one reason that direct drive tables are having a bit of a revival right now. There will be a restored/modified Technics SP10 MK3 in a Porter Plinth with the new 12" Triplanar arm being demonstrated at CES this year. I read one report where this table passed the Timeline test. It should be interesting to hear just how far technology has progressed. Will the TechDas be using the new 12" Graham Phantom at CES? And does anyone know which cartridge and phono stage will be used?

 

[audioarcher]

The motor is AC synchronous. It is powered by two crystal-controlled 50W power amps in the motor control unit. The pitch is controlled by varying the AC frequency. The pitch controls has two buttons, one labeled with the symbol for flat and the other for sharp. It changes the speed in +/- 0.1 rpm steps. I haven't explored how far it goes beyond 1 rpm.

With the platterspeed app, stylus drag is accounted for. I've also used a remote rpm measure and it gave me a spot-on 33.333 rpm.

Thanks for the info Gary. Sounds like they really thought out the design. Most belt drive tables (even some expensive ones) just use a rubber belt, a very cheap motor, and that's it. Some have a more sophisticated motor controller.

Just curious how the TechDas deals with condensation in the air reservoir? Do you have to empty the water after awhile?

Sean

 

[rockitman]

If this table has truly accurate speed, a demonstration at CES with the Timeline would make an excellent marketing point. This test showing a laser spot ten feet away on a wall not moving while a record is playing will convince anyone of its speed accuracy. For this cost level, speed accuracy should be spot on. This is one reason that direct drive tables are having a bit of a revival right now. There will be a restored/modified Technics SP10 MK3 in a Porter Plinth with the new 12" Triplanar arm being demonstrated at CES this year. I read one report where this table passed the Timeline test. It should be interesting to hear just how far technology has progressed. Will the TechDas be using the new 12" Graham Phantom at CES? And does anyone know which cartridge and phono stage will be used?

Using a calibrated digital Fluke Multimeter measuring the frequency while playing a 1000 Hz test tone on a test record is even more accurate than the timeline.

 

[garylkoh]

If this table has truly accurate speed, a demonstration at CES with the Timeline would make an excellent marketing point. This test showing a laser spot ten feet away on a wall not moving while a record is playing will convince anyone of its speed accuracy. For this cost level, speed accuracy should be spot on. This is one reason that direct drive tables are having a bit of a revival right now. There will be a restored/modified Technics SP10 MK3 in a Porter Plinth with the new 12" Triplanar arm being demonstrated at CES this year. I read one report where this table passed the Timeline test. It should be interesting to hear just how far technology has progressed. Will the TechDas be using the new 12" Graham Phantom at CES? And does anyone know which cartridge and phono stage will be used?

The whole system (plus even some of the music that will be played) is here:
http://www.whatsbestforum.com/showt...-10th-Anniversary-Show-International-CES-2013

 

[Bruce B]

Using a calibrated digital Fluke Multimeter measuring the frequency while playing a 1000 Hz test tone on a test record is even more accurate than the timeline.

But the test tone on the LP is not perfect.... The lathe that cut it is adding its inaccuracy. Your TT could be the inverse of the lathe inaccuracy. It's all cumulative!

 

[garylkoh]

Using a calibrated digital Fluke Multimeter measuring the frequency while playing a 1000 Hz test tone on a test record is even more accurate than the timeline.

I did that, and also while playing a 3150Hz test tone. Measured the frequency at the input to the speakers. There is some "beating" with my speakers using the 3150Hz test tone because my crossover frequency is around there.

 

[rockitman]

But the test tone on the LP is not perfect.... The lathe that cut it is adding its inaccuracy. Your TT could be the inverse of the lathe inaccuracy. It's all cumulative!

interesting point...I don't think we can ever get 100% speed accurate with LP playback.

When I play the test record with the 1000hz test tone, my table will oscillate between 999hz and 1000hz or 1000hz and 1001hz depending on where I set the pitch control. I think that is pretty darn good for a record player. I can't imagine 1 hz difference at the 1000 hz level is audible to the human ear.

 

[audioarcher]

If the spindle hole on the test record is not perfectly centered then that's another and potentially worse problem.

 

[puroagave]

Using a calibrated digital Fluke Multimeter measuring the frequency while playing a 1000 Hz test tone on a test record is even more accurate than the timeline.

a hand held laser tachometer like the Monarch will read accuracy in the hundredths with a stylus in the grove.

 

[audioarcher]

a hand held laser tachometer like the Monarch will read accuracy in the hundredths with a stylus in the grove.

Wouldn't the outside of the platter have to be perfectly round and centered to the spindle for that to be accurate?

 

[rockitman]

a hand held laser tachometer like the Monarch will read accuracy in the hundredths with a stylus in the grove.

Is this the tool you are talking about ?

http://www.monarchinstrument.com/product.php?ID=24

Where would be the best place to aim the laser for a reading....on the record, on the platter side or on the record label itself ?

 

[audioarcher]

a hand held laser tachometer like the Monarch will read accuracy in the hundredths with a stylus in the grove.

After reading how it works it appears you have to put a timing marker on the side of the platter. If you can hold the tach perfectly still it sounds like it should work well.

 

[mep]

I thought the gizmo you put on top of your spindle as it is playing an LP and it throws the dot on your wall was super accurate.

 

[rockitman]

After reading how it works it appears you have to put a timing marker on the side of the platter. If you can hold the tach perfectly still it sounds like it should work well.

You could clamp it to a stand or tripod to hold it in place while doing a read.

 

[puroagave]

You could clamp it to a stand or tripod to hold it in place while doing a read.

you place a piece of refective tape on the platter rim and you point the device's laser at it and get a read after two rotations. mounting hands free would be a trick way to do it.

 

[puroagave]

I thought the gizmo you put on top of your spindle as it is playing an LP and it throws the dot on your wall was super accurate.

a hand held tach is way more accurate as its numeric with error less than 0.005%. whats the error rate of following a blinking light bouncing accross a wall with the naked eye

 

[rockitman]

you place a piece of refective tape on the platter rim and you point the device's laser at it and get a read after two rotations. mounting hands free would be a trick way to do it.

The unit comes with a mounting thread for tripods. I guess I better get one before I lose more sleep wondering what my platter speed actually is.