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In the Forum: Analog Playback
In the Thread: Idler Drive - Rumbling Into The Future?

Post Subject: Never too old to learn from a real MasterPosted by Stitch on: 1/7/2013

Luv' it.

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01-07-13: Jweiss
Don't know who Jeremy is, but it's pretty obvious he is shilling for Artisan.

I often get emails when Artisan releases a new "product" to the effect that- "do you know this guy is ripping off your designs?" I consider imitation a sincere form of flattery, so I really don't care, but here are some things you should know:

Slate is not sterile or neutral, it is an ideal material for making a plinth. Take a look over at Lenco Heaven- half the DIY projects there are slate. Perhaps all the Lenco guys prefer "sterile" sound?

Two of the best tonearm makers in the world, Frank Schroeder and Thomas Schick both use 301's personally, and both use OMA slate plinths for their 301's.

Furthermore, neither Schroeder nor Schick, nor myself, use a "fully restored" 301. The idea that you have to do a frame off Pebble Beach level restoration to get the most out of a 301 is nonsense. Even Loricraft did not do that, when they were still selling refurbished decks. Many companies are doing it now because sourcing cosmetically acceptable 301's has become so difficult and expensive. So its easier to find beater decks and repaint them, and then you have to do a complete restoration.

Finally, why do you think all of the wooden plinths are so massive looking? They have to be that large to get the necessary mass to run an idler like the 301 quietly. Slate is far more massive, a heavier, better damped material than any wood product, but companies like Artisan cannot copy what OMA does, because they don't have a $300,000 five axis Flow Waterjet and they don't have the slate, nor the ability to put an appropriate finish on a stone plinth. Which is why their 301 systems may look like OMA's, but it ends there. Remember, an OMA slate plinth, double layer, weighs over 100 lbs.

Jonathan Weiss
OMA
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