New Turntable Advice

@richardkrebs 

Here in New Zealand, we use 3D printing of titanium to build rocket engines

Hadn't realised you were just across the ditch!  About the only place better than Oz?

I had not heard of laser technology to fuse titanium particles until I read Wilson Benesch's paper on the design and manufacture of their latest tonearm!  Do you know what technology is behind 3D 'printing' of titanium?

To add to your discussion, any positional difference between the groove and the cartridge body in two of the three dimensions will be magnified by the pickup.  That also includes reflections from vibrations induced in the vinyl coming from the vinyl/platter interface

@richardbrand,

Well you are speaking to someone who is wildly biased towards NZ, so is it a great place to live? yes indeed. Maybe we can catch up some time. I'm in AU from time to time and perhaps you visit NZ?

I'm not ofay with the tech used in titanium 3D printing, just know that one of our customers does it and they ain't telling,. 

Yes when you view everything from the cartridge's perspective, the impossibility of the engineering design is most apparent. It is amazing that we get a facsimile of music at all, let alone one that can, at times, appear almost real. 

@richardkrebs 

My kids are 50% Kiwi (I mean, there are two of them and each is 50%) so I have visited a few times. I am a bit tied down because my current partner works full time in her own small business in Sydney.  Love to catch up

@badbruno 

I am very taken with the technology in the Holbo table, which might be affordable for you!

It is a tangential tracking, integrated system (just add cartridge).  The arm floats on air, which is delivered to the arm, not the tube it sits on.  VTA can be adjusted while the table is playing, so in theory all the normal angle variations are taken care of.

The platter is also air suspended, so there is no metal bearing to generate noise.  The air bearing 'thickness' is reportedly under 10 microns, both for the platter and the arm.

Reviews in Australia are pretty ecstatic, for example SoundStageAustralia.com - Holbo Airbearing Turntable System MK2 .

Or Holbo Mk II Airbearing Turntable Review | StereoNET International

I wish I could afford one!

I left a note that I found a pristine Sony PS-X9 here in the USA .  I'll pick it up after trip to Japan