Phoenix Engineering Falcon PSU Turntable Speed Controller

Anyone used this speed controller on a VPI table? I searched this forum, but did not find any info. A place called "Hifi Heaven" sells them. I have read a little about them on Audio Asylum's vinyl section, but want to know what members here think of this unit in comparison to the more expensive SDS. Here's a link:



http://hifiheaven.net/store/Phoenix-Engineering-Falcon-PSU-Turntable-Speed-Controller

 

How very ironic Sam, I just ordered one earlier today. It should get here sometime next week. I think this product is super new so not many reviews out there yet.

I wanted to get a speed controller eventually for my move to Europe and read about this last night. It seems it will work with a step-down transformer solution I'm looking into for all the U.S. gear I'm planning to keep. Naturally, this will be for my VPI Extended Aries 2.

 

Great. Let us all know your thoughts once you get it up and running.

 

Wow, I'm so glad I tripped over this thread. I have been looking and looking for a tiny TT speed controller/adjuster that has all these features, so I ordered me a Falcon! I'd love to try the accompanying Roadrunner tachometer too, but my Nott platter doesn't have quite 1/4 inch clearance beneath, dang it.

Anyhow, my other TT came with a stock speed controller very similar to the Falcon, about as small as a cigarette pack, slides right under the plinth, and it works great. I just use a KAB speedstrobe&disc, micro-adjust up or down until it's dead on, and bob's yer uncle.

 

Any updates on this Falcon PSU for the VPI tables? I had called HiFi Heaven, and they told me that the gentleman that build this tested it on the Scout, and that it worked well.

 

I don't have a VPI, but it works like gangbusters on my Nottingham table.

 

What Nottingham table do you have. It seems your equipment profile is locked.

 

That's weird. It's a Nottingham Space 294. Obviously, a different animal from a Scoutmaster, but it does have a somewhat similar hefty separate motor pod. Anyhow, you can return the Falcon speedbox within 14 days if you get it through HiFi Heaven and it turns out not to be compatible. I think the inventor also posts on some other forums -- and he sells direct through Audiogon too, so you could ask him directly about your specific system.

 

You can also email him. He's very responsive. I wondered if his controller would work with my Merrill which appears to have a 7 watt motor. I did some measurements of current draw and he and I went back and forth and both agreed the match would be marginal at best. His website with contact info is here: http://www.phoenix-engr.com/#!/

 

It's working very well with my VPI Aries. At first I really didn't notice much of a difference but after a few days I started to notice how everything's sounds tighter, more consistent, rock solid. I suspect I need some time to pick up on the small nuances which actually are not so small. Playback is greatly improved.

 

So you still can leave the motor constantly powered and push the platter to start? I've got a Hyperspace, and I've heard great things about Nottingham's Wave Mechanic and the Walker controller, but I could buy another table for what those cost.

 

I actually always used to unplug the Nott motor before having the Falcon PSU; it just seems pointlessly wasteful to have the thing going all the time. One thing I really like about this speedbox is that it has a sleep/standby function, so to stop the 'table, you just press and hold the Falcon STBY button (the same one you use to change from 33 to 45) for a sec, and when it goes into Standby mode, it powers the TT motor off. When I start a session, I just push-start the 'table as usual and click the Falcon STBY button to turn it all back on. No more plugging and unplugging.

Not only are the Wave Mechanic and Walker Controller mucho spendy, but they don't have manual speed adjustment capability so that you can fine-tune the actual speed of the table. They may deliver just the right power for ideal operation, but all sorts of non-ideal factors (belt tension, slippage, pulley positioning, room temperature/humidity, etc., etc.) impact real-world TT velocity.

 

Thanks for the informative reply. One last question, do you still move the belt to the upper pulley for 45 rpm or does the controller just overdrive the motor in the 33 rpm position?

 

The controller overdrives the motor.

 

It is not clear from the website how this controller is used. Does one simply plug the turntable into a power outlet on the back of the unit or does the motor on the turntable have to be re-wired to work with the unit? If you do not have to re-wire the motor, the power is regenerating AC at 60 Hz for 33.33 rpm and some other frequencies for other speeds (AC synchronous motor speed is governed by the line frequency) and you may be better off not using the power supply to switch between speeds (continue to move the belt from one pulley to another). Alternatively, the power supply can be one that generates two completely separate AC supplies, with one wave 90 degrees out of phase with respect to the other.\; this "dual phase" supply has to be wired separately to the two sets of coils in the motor.

If one simply plugs the motor into the power supply, you will be utilizing the phase splitting that is built into the motor (done using a capacitor) to create the dual phase power needed for the two sets of coils. This form of phase splitting is less than ideal, but, it appears to work reasonably well and the vast majority of tables work this way. But, if you attempt to change speeds without moving the belt to a different pulley, this is done by changing the AC supply line frequency. The capacitor built into the motor for phase splitting has been chosen to work with the particular line frequency (60 Hz in the US) and so changing the frequency makes the phase splitting further from ideal and will result in a bit more cogging of the motor. If the power supply is of this type, you may be better off not changing the frequency of AC supplied to the motor, which will mean having to manually move the belt to change speed.

Some power supplies (like the one made for Basis turntables, and, I believe, the supply from Rega), are dual phase. This allows for a much more symmetrical waveform for the two separate power supplies feeding the two sets of coils; particularly, there is no compromise from changing frequencies to change the speed of the motor. It order to use such supplies, the motor usually has to be sent in to be modified unless the phase splitting is done somewhere before the motor and the motor is already being supplied with two separate phases of power.

 

I think it's not a dual phase power supply but just alters the line frequency to control speeds. I also think it can, if you so choose, reduce voltage after initial motor start up, and I'm not sure how the tach works and what if any kind of feedback exists if you use the tach (you don't have to) to stabilize speed. The manual is online here: http://www.phoenix-engr.com/e-Bay Images/Falcon Manual.pdf data sheet here: http://www.phoenix-engr.com/e-Bay Images/Falcon Data Sheet.pdf

 

Chervokas is correct, the Falcon is not a dual phase output. We originally had a version that provided 2 outputs and you could control the phase in 1° steps, but as others have noted, this would require rewiring the motor supply which is probably OK for the DIY crowd, but may not be acceptable for a commercial product. It also raises compliance issues with the connector etc.

Most of the other PSU supplies change the frequency between 44.4 Hz for 33.3 RPM and 60 Hz for 45 RPM, so the phase cap is optimal for 45 but not so for 33.3 RPM where most people listen to LPs. The Falcon PSU outputs 60Hz for 33.3 RPM and 81 Hz for 45 RPM so the phase cap is optimal for 33.3 RPM. We also noticed that the motors do not like slower speeds; even with the dual phase version where we could precisely control the phase at 44.4 Hz, the motor exhibited a lot more cogging than at 60 Hz. At 81 Hz, the motors have little to no cogging or vibration, even though the phase cap is sub-optimal. Of course, all of this is front panel selectable as you can choose small or large spindle (as well as 60Hz or 50Hz pulleys).

Moving the belt between large and small spindles and keeping the output the same frequency looses one of the most important features of the PSU: The Falcon has separate settings for 33/45 RPM in speed calibration mode; if you dial in the speed at 33 RPM, changing spindles will increase the platter speed to 45 RPM, but most likely, it will not be dialed in and may be off speed considerably. You also cannot do this if you are using the tachometer with feedback (cable connecting the two), since it will try to maintain the speed on the display which will still say 33.3 when you are turning 45 RPM on the platter.

In response to the OP's original request, please read the review done by one of our beta testers here:
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/vend...ble-tachometer-dds-based-psu.html#post3858371

 

I bought both the Falcon PSU and the Roadrunner tachometer just recently, and I'm very impressed thus far. Connected to my VPI Scout with its standard 600 rpm motor, the two boxes keep the speed of the table stable and accurate to quartz direct drive levels. They're easy to use, and very well made. No affiliation with the manufacturer, just a happy customer.

I shot a video which shows the effects of these devices in stages:

1. Only the roadrunner, to show how well the VPI works without the power supply box regulating the power. (It's not bad, as you would expect from VPI)

2. PSU connected to the motor, but not connected to the Roadrunner, to see the effect of the power supply on the TT motor compared with wall power. (Better bracketing of speeds, smaller variance)

3. Roadrunner and Falcon PSU connected, the tachometer automatically adjusts the speed until it matches the intended speed. (Accuracy and stability are amazing, holding its setting to the thousandths.)

Here is a link to the video - enjoy and hope you guys find this useful.

 

Great video and demonstration. Could you say more a out the sonic differences you heard? You touched on it slightly, but I think those differences would be the primary criteria for a potential buyer. Is the speed accuracy's impact on the sound worth $600 or so?

 

That's a great question. What is interesting is that essentially this upgrade falls in the category of being a tweak. Wood blocks, special feet, power cords - most tweaks are not grounded in any science that an average person can readily verify. The effectiveness of a tweak is almost always subjective to the listener, that is, they either hear something, or they don't.

In this case, though, a highly sensitive tachometer, with three decimal places of accuracy, illustrates clearly the objective effect of these devices on my turntable. Where I once had only a rough idea of the speed my table was running at, I know not only have that exact number, but I have that number dialed in to the exact desired speed, and kept there at that speed with almost no variation. The numbers don't lie about this tweak - these boxes clearly do what they are supposed to do, and to a shockingly high degree of accuracy.

Which then brings you back to the question of how it sounds. In my experience, the sonic difference is more about lack of any particular defects in my listening experience. Every record I have spun with these two boxes in my system sounds great. While I certainly had great listening experiences before with the same setup, the accuracy and consistancy of the motor seems to really improve the overall experience to a noticable extent. Pace, timing and the soundstage all was optimal (and stayed optimal) throughout my listening sessions. I'm sure that the science behind that improvement is the speed stability, as well as having the correct speed dialed in (not .4 rpm off, as I was before making this change).

I was almost ready at one point to simpy recommend the Roadrunner tachometer as a stand-alone piece for $235, as with a good table, you can make your own adjustments, and the stability should still be acceptable. I changed my mind, though - for the relatively low cost of $614, you pick up the very important advantage of keeping your TT speed stable despite non-electrical fluctuations (bearing, record, pulley, etc). The ability to switch between 33 and 45 rpm without fussing with the belt (and having to re-calibrate the speed, too) is an added plus. For less money both boxes combined than a used SDS, it's a no-brainer.

 

Phoenixeng,
I have a Nottingham Hyperspace turntable. The motor is 1. Always on and 2. Needs a push start due to the 26 lb platter and relatively low-torque motor. Tom Fletcher's reasoning behind this was that a motor with high enough torque to start the platter from dead stop would also transmit noise from the motor through the belt and into the platter. How would the installation of your device change the two items listed above. Would the power to the motor be off in standby mode and would a push start still be required? Also, are there any harmful issues that could arise by leaving the unit out of stand-by for extended periods?

 

Second question first: You would still need to push start the platter as this is a function of the motor size and not the supply voltage. As far as turning power off to the motor, it would be best to switch the PSU to standby (which turns off the AC to the motor) as this is fairly simple now to do and the PSU will disipate heat if left on.

 

Hi. I have a Scoutmaster with the 300 rpm motor. Will both PSU and Roadrunner work with that motor?
Sam

 

This is an important distinction. I tried the Music Hall which outputs 44.4 Hz for 33.3 RPM and my Clearaudio motor did not like it. Was noisy and rough. The Clearaudio speed controllers output 60Hz for 33.3 RPM and 81 Hz for 45 RPM like the Falcon but are obviously Clearaudio priced. Think I will be picking up a Falcon. Glad I saw this thread!

 

I don´t really understand this, surely a turntable must be able to keep the speed without any extras. Why on earth would someone buy one that doesn´t?