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From: ben@moncol.UUCP (Bennett Broder)
Newsgroups: net.audio
Subject: Re: Turntable Clamp & Turntable Controversy
Message-ID: <440@moncol.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 25-Jul-85 13:14:40 EDT
Article-I.D.: moncol.440
Posted: Thu Jul 25 13:14:40 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 27-Jul-85 01:33:07 EDT
References: <353@cmu-cs-cad.ARPA>
Organization: Monmouth College, West Long Branch, NJ 07764
Lines: 43

>Regarding the Direct vs. Belt drive controversy.  The Nakamichi Dragon-CT for
>a lowly $1795 is one fine direct drive turntable.  I don't think there is
>another table around that is signifigantly superior to it.  It has no
>problems tracking the cannon shots on the Telarc test record (Something the
>Sota Sapphire with an Emminent Technologies arm failed at).  It also boasts
>signal-to-noise of 78dB, unmeasurable speed drift and deviation, and 
>wow-and-flutter < .01%  I'd be interested to hear of belt drive models that
>match those stats and center the record for you too.

I would have to agree that the Nak is a very good turntable.  I don't
quite consider it to be in the same league as the Sota or the Goldmund
(whose superb quality and simple design appeal to many audiophile purists),
but the record centering feature is a significant breakthrough that
places the Nak as a strong contender in high-end turntables.

However, I strongly disagree with your reasoning for touting direct
drive in general and the Nak in particular.

- You laud the Nak for its ability to track Telarcs 1812 cannon shots.
  In my experience, the primary factors that determine trackability
  are cartridge design and setup (particularly tracking force), and to
  a slightly lesser extent, the tonearm design and its compatibility with
  the cartridge.  You don't even state whether the cartridges in both
  turntables were the same!

- A signal-to-noise ratio of 78db??  How does a turntable get a
  signal-to-noise spec at all?  Since the only part of a turntable
  that carries signals is the cable, I would assume that s/n ratio
  could only be determined for a specific cartridge.

As I see it, the only demonstrable advantage of the Nak over other
well built turntables is the elimination of wow caused by a mispunched
center hole.  In addition, I see no reason why this new centering
technology could not be applied to a high quality belt-drive design
like the Sota.  Imagine a turntable with incredible isolation and
state of the art vaccuum record clamping like the Sota in addition to
the centering feature of the Nak.  Be worth waiting for.

Ben Broder
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