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In Reply to: RE: Why have wireless speakers and headphones never caught on? To a layman, posted by tinear on July 06, 2014 at 16:16:30
Why, that would cause significant financial damage to the wire bandits -
er, wire manufacturers, that is.
Follow Ups:
Whatever happened to those cartridgeless turntables?
Bill
Hardly a valid comparaison.
The ELP laser turntable is still around; see the link below. It never caught on with audiophiles, perhaps because no review ever said that the laser turntable sounded superior to similarly priced traditional turntables. It won't play anything but black records, and those have to be extremely clean. It's possible that the laser turntable just doesn't sound like records played by a needle in the groove. Over 30 years ago, Mitch Cotter investigated the needle / groove interface with an electron microscope. The results of his research were written up in Audio Critic . Cotter discovered that the needle doesn't actually "play" the surface of the groove. The surface of the groove "flows" around the stylus, allowing it to indent into the vinyl. The stylus is therefore pushed around by vinyl slightly under the surface (as I recall the dimensions involves were measured in angstroms). As the stylus passes by the displaced vinyl moves back in place in its wake. Thus, the laser turntable literally doesn't play the same vinyl that a stylus does.
... of the laser turntable still being around about a month or so ago. This re-jogged that memory!Looks like it is still being made, and it a beautiful concept, but for sure a laser won't quite ever be the same as a needle. THough it sounds like the cleanliness issue isn't as bad as it once was in their various refinements, I got fascinated by their control system (using a couple of lasters to track the groove and then having the lasers do the actual playback.
One thing I love about the audio electornics world is the sheer variety of approaches and technologies.
I suspect that since the laster turntable is sold from Japan, it likely has its strongest sales base in Asia (though I think much in the audio world can say that these days).
Boy, thanks for bringing that up! Fun times!
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Edits: 07/08/14
Thanks, Rob. I remember the Cotter platform. Why is that not in use nowadays. A budget turntable can perhaps be improved with its use.
Regards
Bill
As I recall, the Cotter base was made specifically for the Technics SP10 turntable and wasn't usable with other turntables. It was an entire base and plinth into which one placed the SP10 motor unit. I don't think Cotter made a general purpose base or platform that could be placed under any turntable. Remember, Cotter made these things in the late '70s and early '80s, before there was much (if any) awareness of the importance of supports for audio equipment. The Cotter base was made of layers of steel and plastic I think. Audiophiles have a vast array of choices for isolation devices now, from simple rubber feet and metal cones all the way to active air suspension platforms designed for laboratory equipment.
Cotter didn't make large numbers of his products. They still sell for good money on the rare occasions when one is offered for sale.
Cotter made a nicely finished laminated steel (never checked to see if it was mild/magnetic steel) plate supported by four springs in a wooden box - the "Cotter B-2 Base"
The plinth you cite was the "B-1".
Here's an Audiogon ad for one:
http://app.audiogon.com/listings/turntables-mitchell-cotter-b2-turntable-base-2013-11-27-analog-11354
fds
Are you even allowed speaking such truths here?
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