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Technics SP-10 Tonearm Pod instead of Plinth/Base

Trawling through the Audiogon forums for information on a suitable Plinth for a Technics SP-10, I came across a post by Raul.
Instead of putting the SP-10 in a plinth, he just put the TT on three feet and then had constructed a separate base that only housed the tonearm. (I haven't seen a pic of this BTW)
Following on from Raul's 'Thinking outside the square' approach, I thought I might be able to buy, or have made, a stand-alone 'pod' or rectangular tonearm plinth that could sit along side the SP-10. Has anyone seen something like this that I could buy 'off-the-shelf'?
The advantage of this is that the tonearm is decoupled from the TT and therefore distanced from any vibrations generated by the TT.
A down side is getting the right geometry for the tonearm in relation to the distance from the spindle; and then keeping the pod in the right spot.
If this is all too hard, I might still go with a plinth. I notice an E-Bay seller in Taiwan is offering a Teak plinth cut for the SP-10. Anyone bought one of those?
All comments welcomed!
dsa

Showing 4 responses by weisselk

weisselk
48 posts
 
I make slate plinths, under the OMA name, so obviously I am not unbiased. And I HAVE listened to an SP10 with no plinth. Which is why it strikes me as rather absurd to go that route. Same with people who like a skeletal or box plinth with decks like the Garrards. I started making slate plinths first for my own SP10, and at that time you virtually could not mention that you used that deck, as it was so out of fashion.

In any event, I found the difference between using slate, and the wooden plinths I had made, or one of the Obsidian stock plinths which I also own, was so impressive that I began making slate plinths for other decks as well.

Running an SP10 without a proper plinth, and with a separate armboard, is a very bad idea.
weisselk
48 posts
 
Hi Macrojack. I think the original Obsidian plinths from Technics are fine, and I own two of the SH- B3 and one full Obsidian SH-B5. As stated above by Pryso, these all weigh under 20 kilos.

The OMA slate plinths weigh about 100 pounds for the two layer versions, and half that for the single layer, so we are talking about very different mass from what Technics put out as a product- I doubt plinths of pure stone like slate weighing that much would have gone over well with their marketing people.

Not to mention the fact that without a waterjet, making complex and precise cutouts through slate 2 inches thick would have been difficult if not impossible. It certainly would have been too expensive at the time to offer as a product.
weisselk
48 posts
 
Nope, I'm married to a Van Elk.

People modify cars all the time, get them to run faster, to handle better. But there is nothing wrong with driving a factory stock Ferrari.

I hope that analogy is of some use.

Enjoy your SP10.
weisselk
48 posts
 
Just to end this idle discussion, try taking a SP10 motor and platter unit out of its housing and run it with no plinth, and no platter. It will not work at all. This is very close to the condition that Raul mentions, and is extremely ill advised.

OMA has a new system for the SP10, with the motor control boards located in a separate enclosure, and the motor and platter securely anchored to a 210 pound slate plinth. This is the right way to do it.

Disclosure- We are OMA.

Jonathan
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