@thekong I use a LT tonearm, Trans-Fi Terminator. The arm, originally designed and built in the UK, is made in Russia now. I requested an after market arm- board from the producer of the arm as he too has a Verdier. It is laminated from Finnish plywood and carbon fiber. And I level the plinth as well as the pod before mounting the tonearm. I has to use a spacer plated under the arm pod with my previous SME V to overcome clearance problems.
2020 update : JC Verdier La Platine
A recent encounter with a JC Verdier dealer as well as a recent Audiogon discussion thread led to the start of this thread. He was in my house updating my La Platine which had been in storage for ten years with thread and oil. While he has high regards for the deck, his newer clients nevertheless prefer a Techdas iii than an 'old' La Platine. Given the proliferation of expensive decks in the past dozen years, La Platine has become very much under-appreciated.
It's clear to me that the influence of the La Platine is everywhere to be found. Specifically, the magnetic suspension system that was employed 30+ years ago. Even SOTA offers their newer decks with mag. lev. features. And if you read this review: https://www.callas-audio.nl/Callas%20Platine%20Mod%20Kit%20Review.pdf, the Continuum Caliburn uses the same concept, which was not acknowledged in Fremer's review, albeit with more sophisticated , and expensive, execution.
It is also clear to me that there is much misunderstanding of the workings of the La Platine. I for one have contributed to this. The motor of the La Platine, for example, has been much maligned. The thread drive is another aspect of the turntable that have been described as inferior. With regard to the motor and thread drive, I have been set straight by Chris @ct0517 and Lyubomir @lbelchev. Experimenting with the different types of silk threads, the tightness to the platter and a renewed understanding of the soundness of the Philips motor have been rewarded with better dynamics and transparency.
The funny thing is that during the past two years of re-engagement with audio, I have questioned ownership of every components in my arsenal except the La Platine. It has always been a keeper. I wonder if La Platine owners would contribute to celebrating this 'old' deck with tales, advice, and insights?
Cheers!
It's clear to me that the influence of the La Platine is everywhere to be found. Specifically, the magnetic suspension system that was employed 30+ years ago. Even SOTA offers their newer decks with mag. lev. features. And if you read this review: https://www.callas-audio.nl/Callas%20Platine%20Mod%20Kit%20Review.pdf, the Continuum Caliburn uses the same concept, which was not acknowledged in Fremer's review, albeit with more sophisticated , and expensive, execution.
It is also clear to me that there is much misunderstanding of the workings of the La Platine. I for one have contributed to this. The motor of the La Platine, for example, has been much maligned. The thread drive is another aspect of the turntable that have been described as inferior. With regard to the motor and thread drive, I have been set straight by Chris @ct0517 and Lyubomir @lbelchev. Experimenting with the different types of silk threads, the tightness to the platter and a renewed understanding of the soundness of the Philips motor have been rewarded with better dynamics and transparency.
The funny thing is that during the past two years of re-engagement with audio, I have questioned ownership of every components in my arsenal except the La Platine. It has always been a keeper. I wonder if La Platine owners would contribute to celebrating this 'old' deck with tales, advice, and insights?
Cheers!
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The Terminator is a nice arm, especially considering the reasonable price. My friend, who was a founding member of Lenco Heaven, was a good friend of Vic, so I had a set of Terminator plus Salvation for a little while. As I remember, it sounded best with the lowest air pressure, which still enable the arm to operate normally; something like 1.3 or even 1.1 psi if I remember correctly. Of course, buffer air tanks were also a necessity!
I still have a custom made 16” version of the arm sitting in the box somewhere in my friend’s apartment, and I have never seen that arm in person! Must be around 10 years already. Crazy old days 😆 |
@thekong The Terminator is underrated. If you had used it before and liked it, then wait til you hear it with a 150 litre surge tank / buffer setup. It becomes Terminator Se+ version! I run it at 1.30 psi. Members here have operated with pressure as low as 0.5psi. A 16" version would be something to see. Does your friend go by "Daiwok'?
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@ledoux1238 , yes, my friend is David, aka Daiwok .
@phantom_av , yes, I am always skeptical about these audiophile brand anti-vibration devices! They seem to be no more than basic industrial devices with a better looking casing. I have looked at the Stacore, and it seem to be a passive pneumatic devices in a fancy slate case. The passive pneumatic device is nothing new. Is it better with slate? I am not sure. But if you think the slate makes a difference, you probably can have similar, or better, performance by putting a slate plate on something like a vibraplane, even better on an active vibraplane . |
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