New OMA turntable

[Solypsa]

The price of cast iron per ton is neither here nor there imo, although it's notable that Fern and Roby uses cast iron for their TT at a lower price point.

I have no idea if the K3 is worth it or not. Haven't heard it and don't swim in that deep $$ end of the pool anyway.

 

[djsina2]

The price of cast iron per ton is neither here nor there imo, although it's notable that Fern and Roby uses cast iron for their TT at a lower price point.

I have no idea if the K3 is worth it or not. Haven't heard it and don't swim in that deep $$ end of the pool anyway.

You’re right, it doesn’t mean much other than again he’s hyping things up in his videos like he’s using materials and tactics unknown to mortal men. Another example, he says it was made from a 3D printed sand cast! If you search around it seems every foundry does this now because it’s said to be 60-75% cheaper than doing it the old fashioned way. Kind of like bragging about your house being built with power tools.

Wonder if this is the foundry that did it? He did say it was in VA and a turntable project seems right up their alley.

OK Foundry – Since 1912

okfoundry.com

 

[mtemur]

SAT XD1
Air Force Zero
OMA K3

All three are contenders for world’s best, is that correct? Each seems to offer a unique flavor of sound, judging by Fremer’s review, with the XD1 splitting the difference.

Maybe only AF Zero is a contender for world’s best turntables. Other two are advertising projects. I heard OMA K3, there is nothing speacial about it.

 

[mtemur]

The American Sound looks more expensive than the K3. Both don't look $300,000++. Most expensive looking would be the AF0 imo. The AFO and SAT looks too modern techie and the K3 looks too comic toy-ich to be timeless. Regarding the price, it all comes down to "how much worth my while" for the creator to put efforts and time in making them not really the material. Also imo ddk and Winn put his passion and love into the price more so their tts are priced much less than $300,000.

+1

 

[mtemur]

I watched part 2 of OMA K3 video. this guy must be joking.

- First of all he tells stupid theories about vacuum hold down instead of admitting he doesn’t have the technology or knowledge to put it on his turntable. At least he can admit the difficulty of integrating vacuum hold down to a direct drive turntable like Marc Gomez and simply adding it as an optional mat.

- He explains washer and screw down clamp solution as if it has been invented by his company. This is outrageous. There are many turntables out there using washer and screw down clamp before K3. For example SME, Kuzma etc.

The problem with that design is it’s causing around 1-2 degrees inclination on record surface from outer groove to inner groove. It totally screws azimuth alignment cause normally there is small inclination on record surface even if the platter is totally flat due to not-flat-profile-record-production method and label protrusion. This method just worsens it. The better solution for this problem is using a 1-2 degree declined mat from outer to inner grooves and a heavy clamp. This simply puts you around the ballpark flat-surface-record with easier azimuth alignment. More importantly this method (declined mat) sticks the surface of the record to the surface of the mat and provides better vibration control.

On the other hand using a washer and screw down clamp raises the record over spindle. The only parts of record in contact with mat are outer edge and a small part over the washer. This method simply kills coupling between record and mat and causes the record to ring like a bell cause there is no support under.

- Both methods are are not superior to vacuum hold down. Additionally using washer and screw down clamp is even worse than a flat platter and mat. I prefer flat platter and mat for it's simplicity. I know cause I tried them, listened them and measured them.

 

[PeterA]

At 4:50 of this video he says audiophiles aren’t his clientele because they don’t know anything. As in, they won’t fall for the overly dramatic marketing.

I think he also said that audiophiles don't listen to music. He does give a glimpse into his new K5 turntable at the end of the video.

 

[Zeotrope]

Maybe only AF Zero is a contender for world’s best turntables. Other two are advertising projects. I heard OMA K3, there is nothing speacial about it.

Disagree. if you read Fremer’s review of the K3, he compares it to the AF0 and XD1. The XD1 is the winner in my view - it splits the sonic differences, costs less, and everything Marc Gomez built into the design is there for a reason. He’s the antithesis of Jonathan Weiss.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but I think the XD1 is the only timeless design out of the three tables.

 

[mtemur]

Disagree. if you read Fremer’s review of the K3, he compares it to the AF0 and XD1.

if you only choose to believe him.

 

[spiritofmusic]

Disagree. if you read Fremer’s review of the K3, he compares it to the AF0 and XD1. The XD1 is the winner in my view - it splits the sonic differences, costs less, and everything Marc Gomez built into the design is there for a reason. He’s the antithesis of Jonathan Weiss.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but I think the XD1 is the only timeless design out of the three tables.

You may agree or disagree w SAT pricing, but at least Gomez didn't straight to camera say "THIS was impossible to do until WE DID IT. And THAT was impossible to do until WE DID IT".
Over and over again, wash/dry/repeat.
Yet ironically, the thing that Weiss
also said was impossible to do, like a super precise bespoke idler, HAS been done...by someone else.
And for a TT to incorporate SO MANY impossible things to incorporate, Weiss found it impossible to incorporate vacuum hold down, that the AF0 amongst others, hasn't found impossible.
I mean if you're going to crow over and over again about the impossible being made possible, go the whole way.

 

[bonzo75]

if someone liked Techdas till AF1 or AF1p, by all means they should aim for AF0. But Techdas has a long history, so why would you go for AF0 if you haven't liked Techdas till now? 450 k will change your liking from AF1 and AF1p?

That should at least make it easier to focus on those you are not familiar with, in this case the SAT and K3.

 

[Zeotrope]

G

You may agree or disagree w SAT pricing, but at least Gomez didn't straight to camera say "THIS was impossible to do until WE DID IT. And THAT was impossible to do until WE DID IT".
Over and over again, wash/dry/repeat.
Yet ironically, the thing that Weiss
also said was impossible to do, like a super precise bespoke idler, HAS been done...by someone else.
And for a TT to incorporate SO MANY impossible things to incorporate, Weiss found it impossible to incorporate vacuum hold down, that the AF0 amongst others, hasn't found impossible.
I mean if you're going to crow over and over again about the impossible being made possible, go the whole way.

Gomez is super humble. Essentially the antithesis of Weiss.
Here’s Weiss’ views on audiophiles and of Herb Reichert at Stereophile:

 

[Jeffy]

I agree lost all respect for oma after bashing vacuum hold down

 

[Lagonda]

G

Gomez is super humble. Essentially the antithesis of Weiss.
Here’s Weiss’ views on audiophiles and of Herb Reichert at Stereophile:

What a charming, humble man !

 

[PeterA]

I agree lost all respect for oma after bashing vacuum hold down

He also bashed all belt drive turntables. It is highly unlikely that he is heard all of the top ones. To claim all the belts stretch and cause speed problems is simply not true. My Kevlar thread does not stretch and the speed is highly stable.

 

[spiritofmusic]

He also bashed all belt drive turntables. It is highly unlikely that he is heard all of the top ones. To claim all the belts stretch and cause speed problems is simply not true. My Kevlar thread does not stretch and the speed is highly stable.

Ah, but Peter, that thread drive is not IMPOSSIBLE to achieve, yada yada.

 

[morricab]

He also bashed all belt drive turntables. It is highly unlikely that he is heard all of the top ones. To claim all the belts stretch and cause speed problems is simply not true. My Kevlar thread does not stretch and the speed is highly stable.

Have you measured it while playing records?

 

[PeterA]

Brad, I do not know how to answer that. The table itself has a built in tachometer to 33.333. I also used my Sutherland Timeline which showed a dash on the wall 15 feet away as stable and accurate. Both devices indicate excellent speed results. I posted a video of the Timeline on my system thread. This while a played records in both cases.

 

[TLi]

if someone liked Techdas till AF1 or AF1p, by all means they should aim for AF0. But Techdas has a long history, so why would you go for AF0 if you haven't liked Techdas till now? 450 k will change your liking from AF1 and AF1p?

That should at least make it easier to focus on those you are not familiar with, in this case the SAT and K3.

TechDAS has stopped taking new order for Air Force Zero. I was told there are three more Zero’s in the pipeline and there were sold. The production will finish in a few months after the last three are delivered.

There may be a few samples or demo in some dealers warehouse but that is it.

 

[bonzo75]

- He explains washer and screw down clamp solution as if it has been invented by his company. This is outrageous. There are many turntables out there using washer and screw down clamp before K3. For example SME, Kuzma etc.

On the other hand using a washer and screw down clamp raises the record over spindle. The only parts of record in contact with mat are outer edge and a small part over the washer. This method simply kills coupling between record and mat and causes the record to ring like a bell cause there is no support under.

- Both methods are are not superior to vacuum hold down. Additionally using washer and screw down clamp is even worse than a flat platter and mat. I prefer flat platter and mat for it's simplicity. I know cause I tried them, listened them and measured them.

Monaco is a direct drive that has the washer clamp thing too, you can have different washers for different thickness. Doesn’t help sonics though

 

[microstrip]

He also bashed all belt drive turntables. It is highly unlikely that he is heard all of the top ones. To claim all the belts stretch and cause speed problems is simply not true. My Kevlar thread does not stretch and the speed is highly stable.

Bashing is sometimes a form of marketing in the high end. Some designers/manufacturers/dealers are very aggressive - they are easy to spot on. Others are simply happy to present their efforts, highlighting their views on sound preference and hoping that we like their products.

Consumers react differently to this practice - some love the permanent fight and bashing, others dislike it. I must say that my positive bias goes to those who avoid bashing.