the isolation platform i added makes a big difference with the platine is what i think. i am back on original motor and it is just so delicate and beautiful. it is pitchy on piano on first track and i don't know why there particularly. but the overall experience is beautiful, languid and seems quite revealing. i have made a recording of the system and will put it on youtube and share it here. i am on silk suture which balances stiffness with a little give. i am gently resting on the ball. there is no doubt it doesn't have "drive" in an obvious sense but against that it does have a sort of massiveness to the presentation. depth, width and a tonne of resolution.
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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- 537 posts total
@mr_gray It’s highly educational your motor + isolation + ball experiments, coming full circle from original motor and back again. Sacrificing a bit of drive for a bigger soundstage and better resolution seems a good trade off. But is the ETA of the Galibier motor? My original motor is in repair and waiting on SOTA for a final quotation on the Eclipse. @thekong Thanks for the Kapton tape link. I have found many local sources for it. I never asked, but having experienced a Rockport TT, what are some of the strengths of the La Platine in comparison? Do you still have the Rockport to compare? |
the lack of drive doesn't feel like a sacrifice. if anything going back to a garrard 401 hosed off the sentiment i felt for that table and that style of presentation. it is a thick and pushy sound. when the platine plays to its strengths i think it is a different kind of thing and a better thing. in that vein i have lost interest in a motor upgrade.
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@ledoux1238 , which Rockport model have you auditioned? About the La Platine vs Rockports, it really depends on which Rockport you are doing the comparison with. My feeling is the Rockport Capella II basic model, with conventional bearing, has more drive, more resolving and detailed than the La Platine, but the later is more musical and has a better flow in music. In short, the Capella II sounds more exciting while the La Platine more cosy and relaxing. The Rockport Sirius II, with the airbearing, has the best of both worlds! I think the better flow in music with the La Platine and Sirius II is due to the minimal friction in their magnetic / air bearings! Then the mighty Rockport Sirius III is just a class above all TTs mentioned above! Of course, all IMHO only! |
@mr_gray I understand your comparison between the ‘sound’ of a 401 and La Platine. I heard a 301 with Ortofon cartridge and a JBL Paragon speaker system, very different from my system. It was a very enjoyable presentation, very percussive and full of ‘drive’. The La Platine is more delicate, more resolved. The motor I have been using for the past month is still the Jasmine motor. I’ll wait for the return of the original motor for a compare, but I feel quite good now.
@thekong I believe I heard a Capella ii. And it was again in a very different system than mine, all Gryphon gear and speakers. But your description of the three models was what I was asking —- a hierarchy of the respective decks, so Sirius iii is / was the super deck. Thanks!
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- 537 posts total