How much wobble is too much when it comes to your turntable platter?

Obviously we would like a 0 mm variance (a perfectly flat platter) when it comes to your turntable, but from what I have read it seems like a perfectly flat platter is not so common, regardless if it has a .1 mm wobble or a 1+ mm wobble. I was curious what your level of wobble tolerance is? By the way, I just measured my platter (both with and without the mat) and it has a variance of about .5 mm, which I assume is fine as my records have always played great on this particular turntable. Your thoughts..

 

If I can hear it, it's too much.

 

I dont know what you mean. Wobble in what way? The suspension?

My turntable has no wobble that i know of.

 

Are you sure your turntable is level?

I check mine twice, both at the plinth and on the platter. With my VPI Classic2, they measure the same.

This hasn't necessarily been my experience with previous turntables. If I have to choose, I make sure the platter is level.

 

Even if I couldn't hear it, if I could see it, it would bohter me. Seems unusual at least, perhaps the spindle is slightly bent?

 

Though not mine, here is a video of what I am referring to:

It appears in this clip, the turntable is "bouncing" up and down with a variance of approximately .5mm, similar to what mine is doing.

 

According to the author of the above clip, he is saying that Rega says this is normal: '... the platter deviation is within Rega tolerances...'

 

If my turntable did what the one does in the clip, I could care less.

That wouldn't surprise me at all.

 

Hard to name the culprit without taking a micrometer to the situation. I suspect this is due to the subplatter/bearing design. My Sota has a little wabi-sabi. I measured the subplatter and platter and marked them so I can minimize this issue—mate the thinnest bit of the sub to the thickest bit of the platter. Ideally, you don't want any play, but then you put on a record that is a bit thicker on one side or has a little warp and you have a similar situation. Still, it is stressing the cartridge and if a dip or rise corresponds to a passage your needle has a hard time tracking, you have trouble.

When I go to a hi-fi shop I usually wiggle the spindles on all the decks and note which have play in them.

 

I agree with you, as mine has a similar variance, with no negative effect whatsoever. I was simply curious what others thought.

 

I would bet the Rega subplatters are subject to some slight variation in how the resin part of the subplatter fits on the spindle or perhaps the flatness of the resin after it fully cures. A machined subplatter like on the higher models or the GrooveTracer upgrade probably doesn't do that. I haven't seen anything like that on my P9.

 

I have a hard time telling if I left my VPI Scout running if there is no record on it. No wobble like that at all.

 

An easy way to test is to turn a spoon upside down and place it on the deck and nudge it up under the platter. If the decks drops, you will hear it scrape the bottom of the spoon. You can hear something like that on the posted video.

 

My first SL1200 MKII had a wobble like in the video only worse. It didn't effect the playback but it bothered me so I replaced it with a new platter.

 

That's the standard Rega answer with all complaints.. It's within tolerances. I'm sure this wobble is part of the Rega sound too, aigh?

My Rp1 hade a rather big wobble. I sold it. The RP3 was completely flat. My current RP6 had a leaning platter due to that it was drilled on a Friday afternoon... So they changed it for a new one. They told me the higher you go the tighter the tolerance. Thing is no one seems to know what tolerances are OK/NOT OK. It seems like it is a matter of who you're asking..

 

Once I get the plinth level (using a machinist level) on my VPI TNT, I place a rubber wedge under the platter and using the 3 screws surrounding the spindle, I make slight adjustments until the platter spins flat. I keep edging the wedge closer until I can't see the gap and when the platter spins without any deviation - either a more prevalent gap or scraping the wedge, I'm satisfied that its level to the plinth. From then on, its just a matter of keeping the plinth level. Like someone mentioned, the only time I notice that the platter is spinning is when I play a warped record... drives me crazy sometimes.

If you can't adjust the platter, perhaps you can adjust the bearing itself or add shims to its housing to bring the platter level with the plinth.

The bearing can also be the culprit as it may have higher tolerances than other TT bearings. If you can wiggle the platter and get some back and forth movement you may consider using a heavier lubricant. Some TT's I've had can work with a very thin viscosity lube like sewing machine or hobbyist oil while others benefit from thicker lubes like lithium grease. With the oils, the trick is to use one with a high enough viscosity to hold the bearing steady but low enough to prevent drag. Too much drag will result in a 'muddy', thick sound. Also, apply as little lube as you can get away with (a few drops or a thin bead of grease). If you use to much lube it will add pressure and drag to the bearing or worse, it will migrate up the bearing and out, making contact with the platter. That will add a lot of drag and the sound will suffer greatly - not to mention, its a real chore to clean it up.

 

zero

 

Yes, that's often normal for Regas with the plastic sub platter. If you replace it with a Groovetracer the wobble goes away. I've also seen this on other low end turntables that use cheaper (e.g MDF) platters. I've had four different VPI platters and have never seen this with one.

John K.

 

Could also be the glass platter and if so he would spend like half the RP3 price for a GT getting nowhere with this problem. But it should be rather easy to verify if the problem is the glass platter or not by using a ruler.

 

Not seeing any wobble using standard wood ruler (Music Hall MMF 2.2)

 

Mine does not wobble at all that I can tell. I'm afraid I have an OCD type personality, and if it did it would drive me crazy.

 

I would ask your dealer to swap out the sub-platter with one that doesn't wobble.
Any talk of "acceptable tolerances" is complete BS. The RP3 is a $900 CAN turntable without cart, platter should be perfectly flat.
I had a similar issue on my RP6 before I brought it my dealer's attention. He promptly swapped it out: problem solved.
Then the motor went, I finally got the whole TT replaced... since then it's been a peach.

 

Like the person above, I have my VPI tnt platter adjusted for near zero deviation.

However, lp record surfaces are not perfectly flat. Therefore a platter that spins out .5mm is likely a non issue.

 

Visible wobble may be normal for garbage turntables but you'll find that zero is the industry standard for quality machines. My turntables have zero wobble. If they did, it would mean they were poorly made or that the spindle was warped and they would be in the nearest bin. Looks like Rega is getting a kick out of selling inferior products while coasting on their brand name, marketing strategy, and the spread of misinformation to unsuspecting newbie turntable consumers. F-.

 

I don't have OCD, and it would drive me crazy. I'd think any kind wobble wouldn't be good, but I'm not a physicist.