No one on this side of the pacific has any idea what a Toyota crown royal looks like, but I’d bet Dobbins’s Verdier sounds great, which is what counts.
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
@lewm Thank you for pointing out the obvious….. it is the sound quality that matters most. The layered plinth, motor, and dc power supply surely will advanced the sonics of a La Platine from its basic model. My apologies to Steve Dobbins for my bias comments on the looks of his modded La Platine. And as @thekong mentioned, the Beat TT has a lovely form factor. @dover While acknowledging my loose comments on the Dobbins Mod, my word of the day has to be ‘fugly’, a positively obscene looking word, hilarious! @thekong I am seriously considering you comment of using granite as a possible plinth replacement for the La Platine, taking a clue from CS Port. And the Basis Transcendence is indeed an admirable Top end table with a form factor very similar to the La Platine. |
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1JCdTHXPSC/?
I have just noticed this new motor system on FB, interesting design with large 160mm diameter pulley and slow turning motor! I suppose kind of similar to the idea of using a direct drive TT motor for belt drive. The system can be ordered with one or two motors. The bad news is it is very expensive, much more than the already expensive Dereneville! |
Here's the issue - if you have a 4 pole motor at 33rpm then think of 4 kids pushing a merrygoround. Now if you have the same 4 pole motor running 4 times faster driving a platter via a small pulley - then for each revolution of the record you now have the equivalent of 16 kids pushing the merrygoround. Which one is going to have less pulsing/smoother ride with each rotation 4 pushes per revolution or 16 pushes per revolution. This is the crux of the issue that created such problems with early direct drive technology - you could hear the record slewing around from the slow running motor lurching from pole to pole.
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- 537 posts total