[Berndt]

Hi guys, I have been inspired by a fellow DIY'er to build an Empire 208 plinth.
Peter is also sourcing the bases from another DIY bro.
Peter will be running the prototype for the first time this weekend.
The plinth is drilled for a Rega RB-300.
Planning to powder coat the plinth and motor cover black.
The base will be similiar to our Randall museum EF806 preamp.

[Berndt]

more pics...






I plan on running a strain gauge cart through a diy phono stage, design pending...

[TerryO]

more pics...






I plan on running a strain gauge cart through a diy phono stage, design pending...

I'd like to know how you got the actor that plays "House" to pose for that picture holding the TT?
Did you guys go to School together?


BTW: Nice work, it should make a fine addition to your system.

Best Regards,
TerryO

[Berndt]

The randall museum kick arse preamp...

[TheChairGuy]

Nice Bill

How much does the plinth weigh now in gleaming aluminum?

Do you electrostatic powder coat, too - you're a modern day Vinyl da Vinci if you do 

John

[Berndt]

Plinth is around 37lbs.
Powder coat is electrostatic, always, it depends upon that attraction thingy.
I'll defer to your ears before youu claim artwork.
Regards, Bill

[TheChairGuy]

Plinth is around 37lbs.
Powder coat is electrostatic, always, it depends upon that attraction thingy.
I'll defer to your ears before you claim artwork.
Regards, Bill

wow - 37 lbs is some real mass damping - along with a heavy wood base (any particular wood planned upon? - looks light, like birch, in the pics of the kick arse pramp), a heavy damped platter, and nice Rega arm it should sound swell 

Of course, you'll need Wayner's and doug s.'s approval on the 'looks' part for the Empires 

As you might have seen from my (un)handiwork on tables, my taste runs to icky clay, and lots of it 

John

[Alex T]

Hi Bill,

soigné!  Impressive that you achieved such mass while maintaining a modest footprint.  Can't wait to hear it.

BTW the Randall ef806S is looking better than ever.  Where did you score those knobs?  I've been looking for suitable knobs for mine.

-Alex

[Berndt]

can't remember the wood type off the tope of my head...
White Oak?

[GBB]

Hi guys, I have been inspired by a fellow DIY'er to build an Empire 208 plinth.

Heh Bill,
Great work!  It looks as if you've got the DIY bug bad.  I'll be interested in hearing how it sounds once you've got it playing tunes.
Have you figured out what cartridge and phono stage you'll be using?

Congrats again.

---Gary

[33dot33rpm]

The base for the EF86 / EF806s / EF804 linestage is soft maple. I believe Peter had Jim S. use the same wood for your Empire TT bases. As for the knobs I scored those @ the last burning amp event give-away. It came with an acid etch finished but I put the knobs through a buffing for a shiny finish.

That TT is looking good. Would it be possible to give the plinth a copper color to go with the linestage?

Yep Bill it's me e!

[Wayner]

Who's your pal with the CNC milling machine? Looks great. I assume you used the Rega RB300 pivot centerline to spindle distance for locating the arm. The only concern I have is the Dynamat under the platter. The Empire 208/308 has always been praised for how well balance the platter is (one report said it was as well balanced as a jet engine turbo shaft. The unbalanced affect from the Dynamat may cause wear on the bearing.

Wayner 

[Berndt]

I did all the machining with old fashioned handles, FWIW.
I used the rega specs for the arm centerline and bored it to fit a Riggle VTA.
We can always remove the dynamat if it causes issue, one of the complaints people have with the empire is that the platter has a ringing resonance.

[James Romeyn]

Hi guys, I have been inspired by a fellow DIY'er to build an Empire 208 plinth.

Heh Bill,
Great work!  It looks as if you've got the DIY bug bad.  I'll be interested in hearing how it sounds once you've got it playing tunes.
Have you figured out what cartridge and phono stage you'll be using?

Congrats again.

---Gary

I have used a Panasonic SE-405 straingauge demodulator w/ matching Panasonic cartridges (a friend familiar w/ Sao Win's system says it's not in the ballpark).  Older readers will remember the performance specifications required for 4-ch decoding of LP records were tougher than anything prior, especially in the high-frequency range. 

Though the SE-405 was originally designed to decode 4-ch LPs only the two front channel outputs are employed.  Preferred over any RIAA MM or MC (owned the legendary Curl Vendetta & very familiar w/ cartridges up to the $5k range).  Friends familiar w/ great MMs/MCs including custom agreed.  By comparison every RIAA ever auditioned sounds cloudy & congested.  My best description is that it sounds like digital as far as linearity & nuetrality (in the good sense), but w/ the body, stage depth & air around instruments that only pure analog supplies.  I've worked around some of the best Ampex & Studer decks (SF Different Fur Studios, Curl decks employed by Wilson, Sausalito Record Plant, etc.)     

A friend looked at the schematic for the Panasonic demodulator (DC is fed to the cartridge; maybe the greatest advantage is that there is absolutely no inverse RIAA EQ in the circuit).  He sketched a simple stereo-only schematic that he said should be an improvement over the SE-405.

Last I heard Bill planned to build the custom demodulator.  I'm supplying a NOS cartridge.

     

[Berndt]

Love to see that sketch.
could be a new DIY project
Can't wait 'til you see the Gucci base and the 37lb plinth

[Berndt]

more pics...

[Berndt]

Just want to say I've been quite busy this week on this project.
I have 3 plinths finished now, hence three empire 's in the pic's.
Each base requires 9+ hours of manual work.
If I would do more I'd have to go the cnc route.
It could reduce costs greatly if there were enough made?
Really just waiting to hear how this rig sounds....
No point in selling vapor.
Bill

[Wayner]

Three turntables...your sick! 

I assume you are not going to put the same arm on all three, so what is the plan?

Wayner

[Berndt]

Actualy this project has been the brainchild of one of the guys I took tha Randall museum preamp class with.
Peter Truce is the mother of this invention.
Not to mention that I had access to a sheet of 4'x8'x 1.5" aluminum.
Peter came up with all the base empires, and we are horse trading for the plinths.
Jim Romeyn also jumped in for one.
as it is they are all set up to accept rega rb-300's with pete riggles VTA.
Regards, Bill

[James Romeyn]

That is sexy!  I can't believe how good it looks.  Bill, your next project is to see about getting yourself cloned after these are done.  It's interesting how much lighter the aluminum looks on the table w/ the new maple base because of the reflected light vs. the much darker OEM bases. 

My impression: Just the right, unique, gorgeous mix of yin & yang...it has the look of something new but w/ just the right flavor of retro.  I don't think it could look better. 

Bill, did you do a sketch to predict this look...or was there some whimsy to this?  Regardless of how this artwork came about, I'm impressed.  Kudos from Utah. 

I got prices yesterday for the special-order-only (from Sumiko) 12" SME 312 tonearms:
Original, magnesium headshell/aluminum wand/magnesium base $2600
"S" all magnesium includes damping accessory ($500 extra on original model) said to be well worth the extra money on better tables $4k

Tonearm guy at Sumiko was nice enough to mention that the debate is still open between the lower mass afficianados (9-10" arms) vs. lower-tracking angle error crowd (12" arms).   

August '08 Stereophile pg. 80 has full page color add for Peter B. Noerbaeck's (of PBN speaker fame including 800-lb, 7' tall D'Appolito towers & component fame) new "GrooveMaster" table sold direct only including the above SME 312-"S" arm for a paltry (seriously) $8k.  If sold through dealers it would be more like $14k.  It's gorgeous, dual-motor, quad drive belts; check it out.  (The above add is not listed in the advertising index at the rear of the magazine.)