La Luce |
Judy Spotheim's La Luce CS Centoventi is a turntable who's sheer size is as staggering as its peerless beauty. The Centoventi's solid acrylic platter is 14" in diameter, rather than the typical twelve which allows the platter's embedded stainless steel weights to be moved to a larger radial distance, increasing inertial stabilization. The whole table is scaled up proportionately to match the new platter. The Centoventi makes heavy use of acrylic and stainless steel to allow the stylus induced resonance to pass smoothly into the mass of the platter and platform. Platter mass is increased by embedded stainless steel weights around the periphery. The platter's massive, one piece bearing housing is hand matched to its chrome-hardened steel, spindle shaft. A central, asymmetric, acrylic block holds the one piece bearing house and the SpJ dedicated arm board. An acrylic cylinder is bolted to the underside of the central block and forms a broad, T-shaped support. The La Luce platform rests on three contact points and is leveled by adjustment knobs on each side support. All major components are individually machined from billets of acrylic, stainless steel and high grade, grey TX. The ideal mechanical impedance match of the acrylic material and record vinyl allows stylus induced resonance to pass smoothly into the mass of the platter and platform. The La Luce CS Centoventi has a stand alone, direct drive, synchronous AC motor. The motor's housing has three adjustment knobs for setting the level and height of the Baby-Thom, thread sized belt relative to the platter's drive groves. Platter speed is adjusted by moving the drive belt up or down dedicated 33.3 and 45 RPM grooves on the motor pulley. It can be fine tuned by varying drive belt tension, even while the stylus is tracking. The La Luce platform rest on three contact points and is leveled by adjustment knobs on each side support. All major components are individually machined from billets of acrylic, stainless steel and brass. The ideal mechanical impedance match of the acrylic material and record vinyl allows stylus induced resonance to pass smoothly into the mass of the platter and platform. The stand alone, direct drive, synchronous AC motor has three adjustment knobs for setting level and height relative to the platter. Platter speed is adjusted by moving the drive belt up or down dedicated 33.3 and 45 RPM grooves on the motor pulley. It can be fine tuned by varying drive belt tension, even while the stylus is tracking. In addition to the on-off switch, a separate switch allows the motor's capacitor to be turned off during play. |