Craig B
Re:trophile
A bit different from TD 150 in that isolation is via rubber blocks between a folded metal base plate and what could be referred to as a sub-chassis, although this has everything mounted to it, including the motor (a über-slow speed 48-pole AC synchronous via a simple resistor capacitor network) and the plinth (which is essentially an inverted metal tray with tall side panels and a top plate that includes a removable arm board in wood. The drive pulley is necessarily quite large considering the 48-poles and the relatively small diameter sub-platter, as well, the speed change mechanism also looks to be a very interesting bit of mechanical engineering.I’ve been curious about them since learning they were designed by JC Verdier. I suspect they were designed to a price, but I’d still like to pull one to bits and see exactly how it works.
PS If the price is good, i.e. not more than the now rather inflated price of a 3009, it would be hard to go wrong. I’d expect it to be broadly comparable to a TD-150 as that is what it would have been sold against. What if any parts are available is anyone’s guess though.
Here are some pics of the gubbins. Vinyl engine's library also has a Martin Colloms 'Test Bench' review of ERA MK6.
P.S. One interesting thing about the UK market units that came with SME 3009 is that the old style SME terminal block was modified for side exit of the tonearm cable (at least, the mounting posts were).
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