REVIEW While this is all well and good, the issue arises that there is the remote possibility that, by the time it sounds spot on, your plinth has so many a layers that a step ladder is required to cue a record! Consequently it would seem to make more sense to use a material that is composed of layers within itself, but that is far more dense and stable than wood, meaning that a much thinner slice of it will confer the same amount of damping and isolation as half an oak tree - like slate, for example... Slate is a naturally occurring material that has unique properties as it is formed from multiple sedimentary layers. As I remember seeing on a visit to a Lake District slate mine, this makes it easy to cut very thin slices in order to form roof tiles, for example. There are many forms of slate, however, and not all are as brittle or easy to split as roofing slate. The 'daddy' of the slate world is Welsh Blue Slate and this is considerably harder than roofing slate, making it eminently suitable for carving. Carrying this out and making a turntable plinth from it should, in theory, work superbly and offer excellent damping, in addition to high mass and rigidity. The word 'slate' has been associated with Garrard plinths in the past, courtesy of the long defunct Slate Audio, but rumour has it that this was more of a granite type material than true slate. However, the range of Slatedeck plinths now offered by World Designs are made from the aforementioned Welsh Blue slate and available in a wide variety of shapes and sizes to suit a number of turntables. Currently, there are single layer and dual layer plinths available in thicknesses of 20mm and 30mm. These are presently available to suit the Garrard 301 and 401, the Thorens TD124 or Goldring Lenco GL75/78 types. Next on the list will be the Goldring G88 and G99 types, whereupon all of the most popular idler drives will be covered. Equally impressive is the extensive range of matching armboards that allow virtually any arm from nine to twelve inches to be accommodated. Even more intriguing is the new Slatedeck "Universal Arm Mount' which fits arms with a Linn type arm pillar onto an SME type mounting pattern - genius! Naturally, looking for the very best, we decided to test the top of the tree model, and World Designs provided us with the dual layer 30mm plinth, supporting a Garrard
The Slatedeck's armboard sits within a cutout in the top layer, resting on spikes sat upon the lower layer. This insulates the tonearm from the motor board very effectively. 401. SME were kind enough to supply a shiny new 312 twelve inch arm to go with this and I bolted into this an Ortofon Rondo Bronze MC cartridge.
them from moving when trying to position it. World Designs' Peter Comeau advised that the assembly process is really a two-person job but, being
"the Slatedeck setup added a whole new dimension to the music..." GETTING GOING Setup instructions for the Slatedeck items are very comprehensive and easy to follow. After using some of the supplied Linseed oil to buff up the finish of each item to a lustrous shine, the first step is to position the lower layer of the plinth onto its three spikes, for which one uses the stiff packing foam that the unit is supplied in. In a similar vein, the second layer sits on a further three spikes on top of this. Incidentally, all spikes are supplied with cups to sit in so that neither your turntable stand, nor the top of the lower layer are marked by the spikes which sit upon them. The 401 was then fitted to the upper tier and its motor transit springs released. The arm is fitted to a completely separate slate base which sits within a cutout in the upper tier of the plinth, resting on a further three spikes on the top of the lower tier. Positioning this is more of a chore than the plinth layers themselves and it helps immensely if you follow Slatedeck's advice and stick the spikes for this item onto the underside of the arm base to stop
an obstinate sort I had a go at it on my own and found that it was not an unduly difficult task, with the exception of the weight of each piece of slate and the slightly fiddly arm positioning. However, with the plinth built, turntable warmed up and emitting that fabulous smell of warm grease that only older equipment gives, and the arm duly positioned and set up, we were ready to go.
SOUND QUALITY We have long held the belief here at Hi-Fi World that, when done properly, the aural experience that vinyl offers really cannot be beaten. The small turntable group test elsewhere in this issue proved to me that, for around ÂŁ1,000, superb results can be obtained and I can imagine one or two people wondering whether the extra expenditure on a setup like this would be worth it. Well, I can tell you that the Slatedeck/401/SME/Ortofon combination moves the experience up to a whole new level. As a 301 owner, I am well used to the good old Garrard bass which, if you haven't experienced it, is solid and seriously deep. Other turntables
www.hi-fiworld.co.uk
P62-P65 subbed§.indd 43
APRIL 2007 HI-FI WORLD
63 16/2/07 22:25:31