Mag Lev Audio levitating turntable

I have a Pro-ject Xtension10 and I don't think the platter is magnetically supported. At least none of the stuff I read about it indicates that it is. The feet are (almost) magnetically levitated, but I don't think the platter is. It looks like Fremer is guessing:
"The thrust pad incorporated into the platter is also of ceramic and though the product description doesn’t specify, the platter system is probably magnetically levitated to some degree."

It is a very good bearing, whatever it is. It turns very freely when the belt is removed.

Terry

 

this is just more solutions in search of a problem, like that vertical turntable...

 

Novelty is the whole bag here. A turntable that visually floats, period. They aren't trying to change the game for serious audiophiles. Like the Gramovox vertical turntable, which seems to be quite a popular item, despite all the trashing and doubts expressed about it from a technical point of view. Of course neither one is going to be an audiophile "giant killer", but does that make them worthless or stupid?

 

No, of course not. I would actually consider buying something like this if it sounds as good as a traditional turntable in the same price range. It does look cool... I wish them the best of luck, but they should hire somebody to make a less pretentious video.

 

Hi Terry, on the bottom of the Xtention10 platter is a small (about 2 inch diameter) ring. This part is strongly magnetized. When you put the platter down onto the plinth there is a reversed charge magnet (on the plinth) that opposes the magnet on the platter (pushes up on the platter). There is not nearly enough opposing force to "levitate" the platter, but the force does push up on the platter and makes the platter a degree lighter. This opposing magnetic is purposeful engineering on Pro-ject's part.

I know about this magnetic part intimately because when I was putting together my Xtention10 a few of months ago, the magnet ring on the bottom of the platter just fell off, and was drawn so forcibly to the metal on my rack that it shattered into a million pieces. I got on the phone with a Pro-ject tech guy at Sumiko in California (Pro-ject's US importer), he apologized and said the magnetic ring must not have been glued sufficiently well in the factory. He mailed me another magnet and I glued it on myself, making sure to the opposing force side of the magnet was facing downward (to push against the magnet in the plinth).

 

Haha. Agreed. If I made a video for this it would probably be a small group of younger stoners on a couch watching it spin. "Whoooooa!"

 

I thought it looked fake as well but they posted the video in the link below taken at a hi-fi show and it shows someone interacting with the unit.

Update 1: For all non-believers :) · MAG-LEV Audio | The First Levitating Turntable »

I wondered if they actually had a working prototype and I guess they do.

 

Good to know! I'm sorry about how you came to find out about it.

Terry

 

To pay to have that room redone.

 

To go with your levitation turntable:
floating cloud speaker by richard clarkson studio + crealev »
(not recommended for cat lovers)

 

Products - CREALEV »

 

Not sure about that. What first came to mind was whether the vibrations reaching the plinth would be transmited to the floating platter via the mag field or not, thus defeating what would be the most interesting feature of this TT to me. If the physics I learned in high school have not abandoned, they should

 

MAG-LEV Audio | The First Levitating Turntable »

Had a chance to listen to it yesterday and I was impressed. Pro-Ject tonearm, Ortofon Cartridge. Tight, precise but warm and punchy sound.

Sold my Linn Sondek/Linn Ittok/Koetsu Black back in 1990, along with 1600 LPs and switched to CDs completely. Thanks to this, I'm now considering to go back to vinyl!

 

Personally, I think the idea is cool as can be. Here's another short vid. If I recall correctly, the guy that shot this was recently posting on Reddit about his experience seeing it first-hand his commemts were generally positive.

 

ok sooo its a "neat" idea but what I'm most curious about is... how will it break? will a short circut or malfunction cause the charged platter to go whizzing out your nearest window or roof?

 

According to what I've read about this specific project, if the current gets cut, it maintains just enough charge to immediately lift the legs the platter sits on...

 

looks gorgeous but highly likely to be style over substance

 

It helps promote fairness. Cats who love to play with ping pong balls and yarn have Christmas trees. Now labs that love frisbees will have turntable discs hovering in the air. Imagine the saliva production! I'll pass.

 

Does the levitating platter contribute to isolate it from vibrations ? Logic would indicate any vibration perceived by the plinth would be transmitted to the platter via the magnetic field suspending it ? Doesn't take a degree in Physics to realize that.

 

Isn't the same true for most non-suspended designs? There's no damping between the plinth and platter on my Rega, for instance.

 

Indeed ! My TT has a suspended chassis, but compared with other TTs I've owned, which had no damping other than OEM soft rubber feet, I don't think it made much of a difference; all of them ended up on a wall-mounted shelf for maximum isolation anyway.

 

Let Mikey Try It...Mikey Hates Everything!

 

I have the Trans-Fi with the magnetic bearing. As to Fremer's questions regarding the lack of solid contact on the bearing, can't say I see a problem. My analog setup has a very solid, grounded foundation as regards to the music. The spindle is damped by a filled gap of oil and will rotate for close to 4 minutes when set free of the rim drive. Sometimes I believe we overthink things, drawing conclusions from less than scientific suppositions. Seems to me the vibration transfer would be considerably less in this case than when in solid contact.
As to speed and wow and flutter, the rim drive certainly is one of the best methods to reduce this and I can say from experience with certain piano notes, does so admirably. It's my first turntable/tonearm combo and while I can't compare it to the solid bearing, belt or direct drive it does it for me. Many Trans-Fi owners have put aside much more expensive combos and seem to stick with the Trans-Fi. Many of us would like to have access to other components to measure performance against what we use currently. How else can we evaluate, within our system, performance of other components?

 

Here is a less flashy video that just shows how the turntable works and yes it shows them putting the vinyl on the deck. I think it's an amazing looking turntable but I'd never be the guinea pig for it, I'd wait a few years to get the bugs worked out. It is a lot less expensive than I thought it would be.

 

I'm one of the backers because I decided to be see for myself if:

A. There is a real product behind the hype (it looks like there is).
B. How the hell is it supposed to work (I still don't think it's actually going to work).

So there you have it - I'm the designated guinea pig.