Loth-X Turntables
Designed by Jagdeep Singh
All three models of Loth-X turntables
share a design philosophy whose goals include the elimination of background
noise, accurate reproduction of program material uncolored by platter and
component resonance, and reliable and trouble-free operation year after
year.
Materials
The materials used were selected
for their mechanical characterstics as well as appearance. The main material
used in the Othello is clear polished acrylic, while
the main materials used in the Carmen and Aida
are clear polished acrylic and stainless steel, as well as ancillary components
made of nylon.
Acrylic was
selected as it has properties very similar to vinyl. Acrylic is amorphous,
that is, it does not have a macro crystalline structure. On a super-micro
scale, there are pockets of isolated crystals but these are of no consequence
as they are surrounded by a non-crystalline structure which is bigger by
a few orders of magnitude. Thus, material resonance is a non-issue and
the material is self dampening when used correctly. Due care must also
be taken in designing the configuration of the components.
Stainless
steel is used because it has sufficient density (mass) to allow components
to be made in a reasonable size (mass and resonant frequency are inter-related),
it is pleasing to the eye, and will last and maintain its appearance for
a long time.
Nylon is used
for its durability and excellent damping characteristics.
No Springs!?
If all the springs are not set to
the same compression, they will have different resonant frequencies. Most
audiophiles do not have access to expensive equipment to measure the resonant
frequencies of the compressed springs. What happens if an audiophile decides
to use a heavier arm? How is that person going to reset the springs? Our
turntables are designed to be inherently well-damped through the use of
select materials and specific shapes.
Some designers like springs for
isolation, some don't. We do not believe that springs are the panacea for
vibration related problems. Although they can be tuned to resonate at a
very low frequency, springs resonate. That is the bottom line. Information
on a record is cut into the side walls of the record grooves. Springs will
dampen vertical vibrations, but what of the real culprit, lateral vibrations,
vibrations which are the major contributor to smearing of the retrieved
information embedded in the record grooves?
For these reasons, Loth-X turntables
are designed to be inherently well-damped through the use of select materials
and and specific shapes. The Carmen and Aida
have additional design elements to further isolate the platter and tonearm
from vibrations.
Drive
High precision DC motors are used
in all three models of Loth-X turntables. The advantages of using a DC
motor far outweigh the disadvantages. The advantages are that DC motors
have a very smooth motion with negligible vibrations. This results in negligble
background noise, often described as a black background, and precise, constant
speed when fed from a constant power source. The speed is load sensitive
(belt tension & oil viscosity) so we suggest that once the system is
set up, the turntable and motor unit are not moved too often. If it has
to be moved, the speed will have to be checked and reset as necessary.
We recommend that the turntables be left on at all times except when there
is a danger of causing damage to the drive unit. This turntable is designed
for those who appreciate the warm rich sounds of records and are willing
to bear with the minor inconveniences of the superior DC drive system.
A strobe disc is provided with the unit.
Othello - $1,795
The Othello is Loth-X's entry-level
turntable and our offering to music lovers who appreciate the pleasures
of vinyl playback but to whom price is an important consideration. The
younger sibling of the Carmen, the Othello is designed
for ease of set up and an absolute minimum of operational hassle. The bearing
is a special teflon-graphite line bearing with an integral oil reservoir.
A 46 millimeter ( 1 13/16") thick platter reduces vibrations to the playing
surface to allow the music to shine through.
Materials
The main material used in the Othello
is clear polished acrylic.
Plinth
The plinth used in the Othello has
been designed to have as small a surface area as reasonably possible.
Drive
A high precision DC
motor is used in the Othello.
Vibration Isolation
Due to the resonance problems introduced
by the use of springs, the Othello does not use
springs.
Bearing
The bearing system in the Othello
turntable is a simplified version from the one used in the Carmen.
The main bearing spindle is made from a 10mm diameter case hardened stainless
steel polished bearing shaft. The corresonding bearing in which the saft
rotates is fabricated out of a special teflon/graphite compound with a
steel backing. the bearing is self lubricating but adding the viscous oil
allows for a smoother drive as well as a longer bearing life and reduced
vibrations. The viscous oil also acts as a constant load on the motor to
negate the effects of stylus drag due to the large difference in magnitude
for the respective loads. The heavy platter acts as a flywheel which smooths
out micro speed variations very effectively.
The whole system rotates on a locked
point bearing made out of a hardened polished 5mm steel ball.
Othello Specifications
| Plinth |
Polished Clear Acrylic |
| Attachments |
Polished Clear Acrylic |
| Power Transfer |
Round Cross-Section Rubber Belt
Drive |
| Engine |
24 VDC Swiss Precision Motor
Precious Metal Brushes
Sintered Bronze Bearings |
| Speed Regulation |
LM317T-based Voltage Regulation
Dual High Precision Ten Turn Wirewound
Potentiometers
Toggle Switch for 33.33 rpm and
45 rpm
Fine Tuning of Speed
On/Off Switch
Fixed Transformer 240/115VAC |
| Vibration
Control |
Platter - high mass platter
Legs - adjustable studs, teflon/sorbothane
pads
Armboard - material damped
Bearing - reduced contact, viscous
oil damping |
| Platter |
46mm Cast Acrylic |
| Bearing |
Polished case hardened bearing
shaft
Teflon/graphite compound bearings
Built-in oil reservoir (replenish
after 4 years)
Viscous oil braking |
| Armboard |
Acrylic, highly adjustable |
| Dimensions |
Height: 4.3"; Length: 17.3"; Width:
12" |
| Weight |
Approximately 15 lbs. |
| Arms |
Suitable for all 9" and 10" arms |
Carmen - $3,795
The Carmen is Loth-X's offering
to audiophiles who wish to maximize the pleasures of vinyl playback. It
is the elder sibling of the Othello. The Carmen
is designed for ease of setup and an absolute minimum of operational hassle.
The high precision deamond polished beaaaring is designed with an integral
oil reservoir and the split platter reduces vibrations to the playing surface
to negligible levels. The Carmen uses an isolated DC motor controlled by
a regulated power supply and power transmission is via belt. This is truly
a turntable for the most demanding audiophiles.
Materials
The materials used in the Carmen
were selected for their mechanical characteristics as well as appearance.
The two main materials use in the Carmen are is clear polished acrylic
and stainless steel, in addition to ancillary
components made of nylon.
Plinth
The plinth used in the Carmen has
been designed to be assymetrical in any horizontal direction and to have
as small a surface area as reasonably possible.
Drive
A high precision DC
motor is used in the Carmen.
Vibration Isolation
Due to the resonance problems introduced
by the use of springs, the Carmen does not use springs,
rather is designed to be inherently well damped through the use of select
materials and specific shapes. Vibration transmission to the tonearm is
filtered out in 6 mechanical filtering stages and vibration transmission
to the surface of the platter is filtered in 8 stages using mechanical
and viscous oil damping stages and a double platter design. The upper playing
platter is only connected to the drive platter by vibration absorbing dampers.
Other than that, it is fully isolated from the rest of the system.
Bearing
The main bearing spindle is made
from a 20mm diameter case hardened polished stainless steel bearing shaft.
The corresponding bearing in which the shaft rotates is fabricated out
of heavy duty self lubricating alloyed bronze. The internal surfaces are
polished to a mirror surface for an absolute minimum friction. A high viscosity
oil is used to damp out any vibrations as well as lubricate the contact
surfaces in the bearing assembly. The heavy platter acts as a gyroscopic
flywheel which smooths out micro speed variations very effectively. The
whole system rotates on a point bearing made out of a hardened polished
10mm steel ball and the pressure pad is made out of tungsten carbide.
Carmen Specifications
| Plinth |
Polished Clear Acrylic |
| Attachments |
Stainless Steel |
| Power Transfer |
Round Cross-Section Rubber Belt
Drive on lower platter |
| Engine |
24 VDC Swiss Precision Motor
Precious Metal Brushes
Sintered Bronze Bearings |
| Speed Regulation |
LM317T-based Voltage Regulation
Dual High Precision Ten Turn Wirewound
Potentiometers
Toggle Switch for 33.33 rpm and
45 rpm
Fine Tuning of Speed
On/Off Switch
Fixed Transformer 240/115VAC |
| Vibration
Control |
Platter - double platter, polymeric
sandwich design, high mass platter
Plinth - material damping
Legs - adjustable cones, steel/nylon
pads, rubber-damped mounts
Armboard - reduced contact, high
mass
Bearing - reduced surface, viscous
oil damping |
| Platter |
Polished decoupled double acrylic
platter system |
| Bearing |
Polished case hardened bearing
shaft
Diamond polished bronze alloy bearing
Carbide thrust pad, hardened steel
ball
Shaft & bearing manufactured
as a matched pair
Built-in oil reservoir (replenish
after 4 years)
Viscous oil braking
Reduced contact housing |
| Armboard |
High mass stainless steel armboard |
| Dimensions |
Height: 6"; Length: 14.4"; Width:
8.7" |
| Weight |
Approximately 26 lbs. |
| Arms |
Suitable for all 9" and 10" arms |
Aida - without arm - $7,595
The Aida is Loth-X's offering to
audiophiles who will accept nothing less than the best. The Aida is designed
for ease of setup, with an absolute minimum of operational hassle. The
high precision diamond polished bearing is designed with an integral oil
reservoir and the ultra thick split platter reduces vibrations to the playing
surface to negligible levels. The armboard and bearing housing are individually
adjustable for precise leveling. The platter can be silicone damped and
the beautifully machined and isolated plinth are a thing to behold. The
Aida uses an isolated DC motor controlled by a regulated power supply,
and power transmission is via twin belts.
Materials
The materials used in the Aida were
selected for their mechanical characteristics as well as appearance. The
two main materials used in the Aida are clear polished acrylic
and stainless steel, in addition to ancillary
components made of nylon.
Plinth
The plinth used in the Aida has
been designed with mass and function in mind to assist in controlling both
airborn and surface-transmitted vibrations.
Drive
A high precision DC
motor is used in the Aida.
Vibration Isolation
Due to the resonance problems introduced
by the use of springs, the Aida does not use springs,
rather is designed to be inherently well damped through the use of select
materials and specific shapes. Vibration transmission to the tonearm is
filtered out in 8 mechanical filtering stages and vibration transmission
to the surface of the platter is filtered in 10 stages using mechanical
and viscous oil damping stages and a thick double platter design. The upper
playing platter is only connected to the drive platter by vibration absorbing
dampers. Other than that, it is fully isolated from the rest of the system.
Bearing
The main bearing spindle is made
from a 20mm diameter case hardened polished stainless steel bearing shaft.
The softer more ductile core absorbs vibrations better than the hard bearing
surface.
The corresponding bearing in which
the shaft rotates is fabricated out of heavy duty self lubricating alloyed
bronze. The internal surfaces are polished to a mirror surface for an absolute
minimum friction. A high viscosity oil is used to damp out any vibrations
as well as lubricate the contact surfaces in the bearing assembly. The
heavy platter acts as a gyroscopic flywheel which smooths out micro speed
variations very effectively with minimal mass.
The whole system rotates on a point
bearing made out of a hardened polished 10mm steel ball and the pressure
pad is made out of tungsten carbide. The bearing system has a built-in
oil reservoir.
Aida Specifications
| Plinth |
Polished Clear Cast Acrylic |
| Attachments |
Stainless Steel |
| Power Transfer |
Twin Round Cross-Section Rubber
Belt Drive on lower platter |
| Engine |
24 VDC Swiss Precision Motor
Precious Metal Brushes
Sintered Bronze Bearings |
| Speed Regulation |
LM317T-based Voltage Regulation
Dual High Precision Ten Turn Wirewound
Potentiometers
Toggle Switch for 33.33 rpm and
45 rpm
Fine Tuning of Speed
On/Off Switch
Fixed Transformer 240/115VAC |
| Vibration
Control |
Platter - double platter, polymeric
sandwich design, high mass platter
Plinth - material damping
Legs - adjustable cones, steel/nylon
pads, rubber-damped mounts
Armboard - polymer isolated, high
mass
Bearing - polymer isolated, viscous
oil damping |
| Platter |
High mass polished decoupled double
acrylic platter system |
| Bearing |
Polished case hardened stainless
steel bearing shaft
Diamond polished bronze alloy bearing
Carbide thrust pad, hardened steel
ball
Shaft & bearing manufactured
as a matched pair
Built-in oil reservoir (replenish
after 4 years)
Viscous oil braking
Isolated high-mass housing |
| Armboard |
High mass stainless steel armboard |
| Dimensions |
Height: 8"; Length: 22"; Width:
17" |
| Weight |
Approximately 66 lbs. |
| Arms |
Suitable for all 9" and 10" arms |
Loth-X Turntables
U.S. Retail Pricing
| Othello with Loth-X arm |
$1,795/pair
|
| Carmen with Loth-X arm |
$3,795/pair
|
| Aida w/o arm |
$7,595/pair
|
|
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rights reserved © 1998 Loth-X Audio