Does any Audiogon member have a Holbo air-bearing turntable?

@richardbrand A fine summation of the differences between the Mk1 and Mk2 tables! There might also be some finer tweaks in there as well, I do not know. I think the move to one box power supply, pump and controls, just makes things a lot tidier, and Los makes using the table more no brainer. My Mk1, you have to remember to physically turn on the platter/arm bearing pump before you start the platter up. It really is no big thing, you get used to that, and it is a simple sequence anyway. The Mk2 just does it all for you, no fuss. 
 

The Holbo is just a fairly simple, good looking table that sounds great, and can accommodate quite a few different cartridges. I have used Dynavector, Van den hul, Denon, and my cheapie Nagaoka. All have worked very well. 
 

I can whole heartedly recommend this table if one is in that price point, maybe even a bit higher one as well. Great table! Bostjan too, has always been responsive to any question that I have had since owning it. Hopefully those of you thinking of one, might be able to give it a chance. 

I should comment that I really do like the looks of this table, most linear tracking, air bearing units look like oil rigs. The Holbo has an elegantly simple design. The only other table that I liked was the Bergmann, but it is at a quite higher price point. Is it that much better, no idea. FWIW….

"Freight of a Holbo cover to Australia is very expensive "

Perhaps Bostjan is offering an "all in price" like he's doing for the U.S?

Send an email, they reply.

@tablejockey 

I have already emailed Holbo - that's how I know the dust cover including freight is very expensive in Australia!

Yes, Holbo does have an "all in one" price for Australia but it does not include the cover.  Holbo uses a premium carrier service and the freight cost is a killer.

Maybe if Holbo redesigned their packaging to include the dust cover, the incremental shipping cost would be minimal.  Anyway, it is not a deal-breaker for me ... as long as I can keep the deck safe from marauding possums ...

@frazeur1 

Hi Tim

There is not much information on Holbo’s website except for a long list of excellent reviews!  These can be a bit confusing:  some reviewers have the platter at 5-kg, some at 5-lb.  Others have the stainless steel mount at 5-kg and some at 5-lb.

Given that stainless steel is about 3 times denser than aluminium, I lean towards a 5-lb platter and 5-kg mount.  Have you ever pulled yours apart?

If I were trying to reverse-engineer the platter bearing, I’d make the mount as a solid, rather flat cylinder with a central hole for the air feed, venting at its top.  The platter would have a rim which descends around the mount with that legendary 10-micron clearance to let the air out.  The total area of the gap would be the circumference times the gap - say pi x 300 x 0.010 or approximately 9 sq mm or the size of an 1/8" hole.

The air pump itself reportedly produces quite a low pressure at about 1/3 of an atmosphere.  One atmosphere is about 15-lb per square inch, so say 5-lb per square inch.  Without leakage, 1 square inch would be enough to lift a 5-lb platter but the total area is just a bit under a square foot, so the platter could easily be 5-kg!

The total power consumed by the air-pump / power supply is just 10-Watts, with 2-Watts seeming to power the motor.

Sorry about mixing imperial and metric measures!

What have I got wrong?