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3 New UBER Decks - Is this Turntable's SwanSong? 🦢

Michael Fremer has recently reviewed three new turntables designed to be the 'Last Word', 'Cost no Object' STATEMENTS!!!!........Do I recall hearing this claim before??
I love Mikey and have followed (and trusted) him for decades.
He has been the longest and foremost published 'champion' of the superiority of vinyl (uber alles) in the world.
I am thus ecstatic that he has been able to listen and compare these decks in his own room, with his own equipment virtually side-by-side
It's almost a 'given' that he will be the ONLY person on earth given that privilege....

So what Mikey HEARS.....is indisputable

Given his 'character' and desire for accuracy and honesty.....years ago, Mikey started including some 'objective' measurements in his turntable reviews.
These measurements were done utilising the Dr Feikert PlatterSpeed App which has since been discontinued.
As the App only worked with the Mac iOS of many variations ago.....Mikey has kept an old iPhone which can still operate the App.
The PlatterSpeed App had a few technical limitations.....
Foremost amongst these, was its dependence on a 7" record with an embedded 3150 Hz Frequency track to produce a test-tone which the App could process through its algorithm to produce the graphs and all the corresponding numbers.
To stamp hundreds of 7" discs with perfectly 'centred' HOLES is a nigh impossibility.
It's almost impossible to do it with a 12" disc!!!

This means that ALL the figures produced in their Chart Info are dubious and mostly UNREPEATABLE!!!!
I have Chart Infos for the same turntable/arm combination but with the 7" disc moved slightly producing different figures.
I even have Chart Infos produced with the same turntable but different arms ALL with different figures (the arms are in different positions surrounding my TURNTABLE).

So what is my point......?
The GRAPH produced with the PlatterSpeed App is accurate and USEABLE when looking at the 'Green' Lowpass-Filtered Frequency.
If the hole was PERFECTLY centred.....this 'Green' line would be perfectly STRAIGHT......but only if the turntable was maintaining its speed PERFECTLY.
The wobbles in the 'Green' line are due to the hole's eccentricity as well as any speed aberrations.
So the best performing turntables are those with the most constant and even wobbles approaching as closely as possible a STRAIGHT LINE.

Now the SAT Direct Drive Motor is actually the same as Technics developed for their latest SL-1000R except with some bespoke modifications.
It appears that SAT have corrupted what is a very good DD Motor unit....🥴

Mikey says that the OMA-K3 produced the best PlatterApp figures of any turntable he has tested đź‘Ź
Does this mean that the OMA-K3 is the most accurate turntable of these three decks.....or maybe of ALL turntables?

Mikey can't (and won't) test and review products from the past which are no longer produced because that's not his job!
But wouldn't it be great if someone WOULD review products from the past against the modern equivalent?
Classic turntables with reputations....gravitas...like the legendary EMT 927 and Micro Seiki SX-5000 and SX-8000.
And what about the NOW lauded Japanese DD Turntables from the '80s...the 'Golden Age' of Analogue?
  • Technics SP-10Mk3
  • Kenwood L-07D
  • Pioneer P3
  • Victor TT-101
  • Yamaha GT-2000
Because we know that Direct Drive is now 'Flavour of the Month' for the new Uber Decks due to their superior speed accuracy....a 'Flavour' that started with the legendary Rockport Sirius III.
But what about Belt-Drive units like my 20 year-old Raven?
So much for science and technology.......

We can do things today that were only dreamt of even 10 years ago
Except learn from history, harvest experience, expertise and craftsmanship......

Here endeth the Sermon for today 🤗


halcro
noromance's avatar
noromance
10,497 posts
 
That’s some listening room. Can’t imagine affording anything like that with college tuition bills and the rest. Probably too late for Mr. Fremer to move out of Brooklyn.
If I wasn’t hobbled by property taxes and healthcare insurance, I could have that too! All things being equal, fellow audiophile friends in Europe with inexpensive or free college, healthcare and low real estate taxes seem to have more cash on hand for living the good life.
daveyf's avatar
daveyf
3,115 posts
 
@noromance   LOL. There are quite a few folk who have similar listening rooms and gear set ups. There is one gent, who lives up the coast from me, he has built a separate building on his estate just to hold his system, which is even more extensive than Thucans'!. Remember, when we are talking of multi millions of dollars for gear, this is mere chump change for some! Taxes....what are taxes??? 
rauliruegas
13,378 posts
 
Dear @alexberger : "  One my friend prefere EMT948 and Yamaha GT2000 over Kenwood L-07D  ..."

Well is a preference and maybe the vacuum hold down of the Yamaha could makes that " preference of your friend.

Btw, I would like to see the Kenwood under today speed stability measurements. Next something interesting of its motor and through the link we can read detailed information of each TT part design:


http://www.l-07d.com/motor.htm



R.
tomic601's avatar
tomic601
13,744 posts
 
has anyone used the platter speed app in question on…wait for it…a production record cutting lathe ?
mijostyn's avatar
mijostyn
8,570 posts
 
I'm sure all three turntables sound wonderful although the OMA makes me squint when I look at it. Mark Dohmann's Helix is a much better value.
@grooves, You have reviewed the Helix and own one of Mark's tables. How do you think it compares?
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