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


I am fascinated by the Holbo air-bearing turntable with its linear tracking air-bearing arm and air bearing platter system.  I have not read an unfavourable review, and many reviewers recommend it as a reference-level turntable at an audio bargain price.

If you have one, what has your experience been like?  What country are you in?  Is yours the Mk1 or the Mk2?  What was the set-up experience like?  What cartridge(s) have you used, and what would you recommend?  How do you keep it clean?  Has it been reliable?

Looking forward to hearing real-life experiences!

richardbrand

@richardbrand Richard, my Holbo sits on cups underneath the spiked feet, and all of it is sighted atop a BASE isolation platform. This gives a slight bit of isolation from my rack etc. It works great. I do not see or hear any negatives to this at all, but as usual, these things are so questionable at times. 

@frazeur1 

That BASE isolation platform of yours looks like a serious piece of equipment!

I will have to lift my game ...at least in principle.  I do have a sheet of plywood laminated from Indonesian hardwood which is big enough to make four platforms, so I could cut it in half, glue it double, and then cut that in half again and add a constrained damping layer rather like the BASE platform.

Thanks again

As I noted up at the top, mine sits on a dining table--Pier 1, as I recall. While footfalls were a problem when I sited the JVC TT81 there, not so with the Holbo. It might sound better on a dedicated rack, but I don't have the space--it does attest to the ease of placement.

@maxson 

Thanks, that is very reassuring!

I ordered some IsoAccoustics feet for my Garrard project from my normal dealer in Sydney, who said I would not need them if I bought his demo Holbo!  So his experience also suggests placement is easy.

By way of background, the Garrard is sprung (not as softly as a Linn) and I have removed the springs, using lots of mass with constrained damping instead)

Thanks to all here for your input.  I have decided to take the plunge and order the Holbo Mk2.

I will let you know what my experiences are like, but I am certainly not a golden-ear, nor even a proper audiophile.  I cannot afford a cartridge of similar quality to the table at the moment, so will be using an existing Audio Technica VM540ML cartridge for the time being.  Ultimately I hope to have my Garrard 301 alongside the Holbo for comparison purposes, but initially I think the Holb will replace the Garrard while I rewire its tone arm

Cheers, Richard