Short answer: no. It’s not that we didnt try though…
Obviously, these movements are quite exagerated compared to normal use but it is vital to see how the turn-table behaves when subjected to such extreme disturbances. The real mechanical character of the system is revealed when you push it beyond what it’s supposed to do. If we can make it sound good in these circumstances, chances are we’re doing something right!
Look what we found! Old photos of Phono #3 from 15 years ago!
You can quite clearly see the evolution from Phono #3 to Phono #4 all the way to Phono #5. All the main concepts have been there since the beginning; they’ve just been pushed further and further.
The arm seen is still in use on a Heybrook TT2 with great results. I’m not sure we could find a better arm on the market for that TT !
It’s been awhile since we’ve wanted to show you a bit more about how we build the tonearm for our turn table. As you’ll see, it’s a lot more work intensive than it would appear!
Since we build Phono #5 with as little constraints on performance as possible, it is possible for us to use a longer arm than would otherwise fit on a normal turntable. The usual tonearm will measure about 9.5″ whereas ours is closer to 12.5″. This alleviates a lot of the tangential error usually present.
First, we start with a carbon fiber tube and coat it with our special foam recipe. We’ve played around with a lot of different mixtures before settling with what we’re using. Achieving the right density and machinability was critical.
Next comes the head-shell which is made from a carbon fiber/foam sandwich. This separate part is then bonded to the main part of the tonearm.
We then wrap this assembly in carbon fiber to ensure the strongest structure possible. The odd shape forces us to bring out our trusty sewing machine to work on the carbon fiber fabric. Once this layer is applied, we use surgical tubing wrapped around the arm to apply even pressure while the epoxy cures.
To lower the head-shell relative to the virtual pivot’s location, we need to shave off some material at the bottom of the tube. We then bond another carbon fiber/foam sandwich underneath. This area needs to be quite strong as it will serve as the anchor between the tonearm and the copper counter-weight. This is also where the Kevlar string will be attached as well as the plunger that goes into the oil basin that serves as a damper.
Another bit of foam is then added to create the rest of the shape at the back of the tonearm. A last layer of carbon fiber is added on top.
We’ll post pics on the counter weight design and fabrication soon!
Production is advancing nicely. We’re working on the additional brass weights that we’ll insert into aluminium bottom plate that’s under the platter. We’re doing this to further increase the rotational inertia of the platter.
We thought we’d imitate the famous Ummagumma back cover.
And for the curious, the balance says 28lbs.
Our new motor arrived over the weekend! This is quite an upgrade over the old Oracle motor we we’re using up to now. We got a 30W unit from Oriental Motors.
At 30W, the amount of torque this motor gives us is almost too much! Even at low rpms, you just can’t stop it with your fingers!
The motor came with an encoder/sensor and a control unit that can precisely control the speed acceleration and position. The encoder/sensor can be placed directly on the motor, but we’re going to try to put it underneath the platter. This way, we can programmatically get rid of any errors introduced by the belt’s interface with the motor’s pulley, the flywheels and the platter itself.
From the first tests on the Phono #5 prototype, it takes about half a rotation on the platter to reach 33.33rpm and about 3/4 of a turn to reach 45rpm! We’re going to have to scale the acceleration down a bit otherwise we’re going to wear out the belt!
Last week, we mainly worked on the suspension posts. These are bolted to the main chassis and have a mechanism to adjust the height of the suspended sub-chassis assembly.
In the first pic, if you look carefully, you’ll see the evidence of a resonance somewhere in the lathe. We’re talking about a few ten-thousandth’s of an inch, but it’s still noticeable and unacceptable.
Before we went any further, we completely re-adjusted and lubed the lathe and this problem disappeared.
This week, we’re experimenting with the main platter bearing. We’ve got ceramic, tungsten carbide, steel and ruby balls to test. We’ll have an update with a few results for you in a few days. 
A big thank to everybody who shared with us the love of music. Many thanks to the event organizer Rory, the MC of that vinyl jamboree and to Thierry over at Dimexs and Reinhartd from Goerner communication, importers of great audio goodies and friends.
We hadn’t planned for this, but when the opportunity came, we couldn’t say no! So we’ll be displaying the Phono 5 prototype along with a few other audio goodies.
We’ll also have a bunch of records for sale.
UPDATE
We have a preliminary list of the gear we’ll be bringing to the show.
We’ll have electronics by Classé Audio from right here in Canada and Acoustic Energy speakers from the UK.
We’ll also have a bunch of turntables with various levels of customization on display.
Can’t wait to get to meet some of you there!
The event takes place at the Montreal Ukranian Federation and is free to attend.
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At long last, after a bit of time off we have new pictures of the Phono #5 turntable to show you. The project is moving along quickly, and we think we found the motor we need. More on that in a later post when we actually test it.
We though we’d try to spin the platter to see what kind of pics we’d get. What do you think?
Why not include a pair of the famous Tenor Audio 75W OTL amps. They’re not quite functional yet though. Need new tubes. Can’t wait to hear them with Phono #5.
Can you see that the same person took part in the design of the Tenor amps, the piece of furniture and Phono #5?
After establishing that Phono 5 finally plays, we needed to find out just how good it is. A few phone calls later, we had the heavy artillery arrive: Tenor Audio 350 monoblock amplifiers, a prototype Tenor Audio pre-amp and phono stage!
Close up on the Phono 5 along with the Tenor phono stage and pre-amp power supply.
And here’s a more complete view of the system.
Phono 5 complete with Tenor amplification, from the phono stage to the power amps!
The results were impressive to say the least. Even on the modest speakers André built himself awhile ago, we knew something special was happening.
There are still a few tweaks to be made, but from the first listen, we know we have something special in our hands!