My new (to me) Well Tempered Record Player.

[Brett A]

Hi all. I have not posted here in a while, but I'm experiencing renewed excitement for the hobby with the recent purchase of a Well Tempered Record player.

http://gallery.audioreview.com/uploads/audio/274390/WT_blue_1.jpg

I had been running a Rega Planar 2 (pre-2000) w/Incognito wires and an Expressimo Heavyweight and stub. but I was getting tired of its noise floor and speed wobble (wow). I considered long and hard getting a Groove Tracer Reference sub platter to address the issues with the Rega, when I was pointed to the A'gon listing for this WTRP.
http://gallery.audioreview.com/data/audio//500/WT_reararm_EMc.jpg

For the combined cost of what I paid for the Rega, plus the needed sub platter upgrade, i was able to buy this gorgeous Well Tempered that obviously (to me) exists on a whole other level above the Rega.

Using the same electronics (cartridge (an AT150MLx), preamp, ect) the WT delivered a level of performance i did not know my system was capable of! The soundstage has opened rearward rendering images now 3 dimensional and floating in space. I now know without guessing what is meant by the phrase "hearing into the recording".

I was so excited by this new level of performance, i ordered and just mounted Audio Technica's LOMC cart, the AT-OC9MLII. My B&W 683's are sounding better than they have a right to!!

http://gallery.audioreview.com/data/audio//500/WT_hangman_1.jpg

http://gallery.audioreview.com/data/audio//500/WT_100.jpg

http://gallery.audioreview.com/data/audio//500/WT_white_EMc_1.jpg

I'm in heaven.
:thumbsup:

[JohnMichael]

Very nice table! Like you I have modded a Rega about as far as I can and have been wondering where to go next. I should look into the WTR Player. Very nice pictures.

I lowered the noise floor on my Rega using the DeepGroove subplatter and a ceramic bearing.

I noticed the belt is twisted at the motor pulley. Is there a benefit to twisting the belt? Another question is how often do you need to change the dampning fluid for the tonearm? I am hoping you will write more about the differences between the Rega and the WTRP.

[poppachubby]

Wow. Very nice (to me too).

[Brett A]

Very nice table! Like you I have modded a Rega about as far as I can and have been wondering where to go next. I should look into the WTR Player. Very nice pictures.

I lowered the noise floor on my Rega using the DeepGroove subplatter and a ceramic bearing.

I noticed the belt is twisted at the motor pulley. Is there a benefit to twisting the belt? Another question is how often do you need to change the dampning fluid for the tonearm? I am hoping you will write more about the differences between the Rega and the WTRP.

They recommend the twist in the drive belt to minimize vibration transfer on a single plane.

The Well Tempered bearing is also a nice piece of from-the-ground-up engineering.

It's a large-diameter polished cylinder that rides in a well much larger than it is. This shaft only makes contacts with 5 nylon "dots". Two of them close together on the motor side of the well, two more side-by-side toward the bottom, and one offset on the floor of the well.

http://www.welltemperedlab.com/images/tech_diagram1.gif

http://gallery.audioreview.com/data/audio//500/Bearing_and_mtor_holes.jpg
This first shot shows the plinth with the motor hole and you can see the two upper white contact spots in the bearing housing:

Below is a picture of the shiny clean bearing shaft before i assembled it:
http://gallery.audioreview.com/data/audio//500/Main_bearing.jpg

The well is filled with a silicone fluid (thinner than what is in the tonearm cup) which keeps all these contact points bathed in lubricant. Interestingly, the platter relies on the drive belt tension to keep it level; if you remove the belt, the platter drops to the right. What this results in is a truly silent (and i mean silent) main bearing.

As for the fluid in the tonearm cup, I don't know what the recommended change interval is. The guy i bought it from changed it out a short time ago. I'll be interested to see if any insects get caught in it this spring/summer! (BTW, It's about the consistency of warm caramel; very slow moving. If you let go of the tonearm, it would fall the the LP surface about a little faster than the familiar damped cuing mechanism.)

BTW, JohnMichael, you got me started with all this almost exactly 2 years ago with this post:
http://forums.audioreview.com/showpost.php?p=229123&postcount=4
Unitl i bought that 440MLa on your recommendation, I thought IGD and sibilance were inherent in the LP medium. Now I'm wondering if a digital front-end exists that can touch the resolution of my vinyl rig! (I assume it does, and I look forward to hearing it)

[poppachubby]

Unitl i bought that 440MLa on your recommendation, I thought IGD and sibilance were inherent in the LP medium. Now I'm wondering if a digital front-end exists that can touch the resolution of my vinyl rig! (I assume it does, and I look forward to hearing it)

Without getting into a digital vs vinyl diatribe, I'm sure there is much high end digital to compete with your rig. But who cares? Personally, I'll take the analog and my volume knob over the all too common compression of CD and digital files.

I doubt anything can make you feel the pride you so clearly exude here. For me, nothing beats that perfectly set up rig, nice clean LP and excellent dynamics...

[jrhymeammo]

Very very nice.
WTRP has been on my To-Buy-List for a while now.

The one I heard sounded very organic and inviting.
I was under the impression that they all came with a thin round belt. Which model is this?

Thanks for the pics,
JRA