Exciting, Exciting EXCITING !! Lenco comes into the Light !!
Congratulations to ALL who have contributed in the Great Experiment, kicked off by Jean oh-so-many years ago ! We have learned many lessons together, through the community of Da Thread/Da Thread II.
I must personally thank Jean for being the Raving Lunatic he is... and for his unswerving conviction to what he believes in. When I stumbled onto Da Thread in early 2004, it seemed this guy was waaaay over the top in expressing the greatness of the idler-wheel drive, and the Lenco design in particular. Talk about blowing out huge gusts of hot air :-)
BUT... I kept reading with interest, and day by day the hyperbole sounded more and more credible. I went from A) highly suspicious of these outlandish claims, to B) questioning my own assumptions of "what's the best TT", to C) believing in the Gospel of The Lenco, to D) voting with my dollars, and acquiring an L75. Quite a leap of faith for a skeptical guy like me. This is the power of the Nantais Prose.
Today I'm thankful I didn't rush into a plinth rebuild... no, it's been the opposite ("Woe is me... Will I EVER get that thing running ?"). The reward for waiting: today, the Monster-Class design details are pretty much understood and
shared freely to all who will listen. Thank you Jean and thank you All, for developing these refinements to the basic "solid plinth" we began with.
A year ago I had the pleasure of sitting in front of Jean's system - my first chance to actually hear what the fuss was all about. The Man is Right. He does not exaggerate in his wild and wonderful descriptions of the portrayal of Music via the Lenco... I heard it for myself... and must concur and support his claims.
As if that audition was not enough, I was even more fortunate to accompany Jean and his Monster Lenco to the Wyetech Listening Room. My (audio) life will never be the same. We were treated to the most effortless, lifelike recreation of live music I have EVER witnessed. Tom Waits - Nighthawks at The Diner... not even a special Mo-Fi pressing, but Jean's bargain bin find.
THEY were not in the room with us... No, we were in the club with THEM. Completely magical... transported to the venue... transcending all the reviewer-cliches you've read a thousand times - there was no "hey listen to the top end sparkle", or "boy, the bass sure flaps your pants" - it was just a thrilling performance happening before us. Totally "natural" in dynamics, from muttered comments between songs, to the band roaring full-tilt. We just HAD to sit through both sides... yup, the complete album - it was that compelling. D'you ever do that with your audiobuddies, or is it the same 3 tracks from the same 3 records ?
Arrestingly, unspeakably impressive. Roger Herbert is one crafty designer... I didn't know electronics could get out of the way like his do, and let the music speak as though through that elusive "straight wire, with gain". Bravo !!
While I can only D R E A M of having all that world-class gear at my personal command, the good news is, the crucial front end source for this amazing lesson is The humble and Mighty Lenco. ("Hey, I'm making one of those right now...") And if it ain't in the source, you can't make it up further down stream.
Thanks again and again and again to the Lenco Brotherhood, for the gift of Knowledge & Friendship. I almost missed this group... it was a random search that dropped me into Da Thread - and curiosity in what the H*ll that Jean Guy was blathering on and on and on about - that made me stick long enough to be converted. Now I'm poised for Everlasting LP Happiness. My L75 project is underway, and with the benefit of all your collective experience, I'll steer clear of many pitfalls.
Three Cheers and Vive la Lenco, Vive la Idler-Wheel!!!
Grant
