Even if it’s not broken, why not fix it?
The XD1 is a compact disc player, though not a player of compact discs.
Its sculpted, satiny beauty goes beyond skin deep. The XD1’s metalwork, and that of the SAT tonearms, is machined at a Swedish workshop that makes parts for Hasselblad cameras.
Gomez says that in designing the XD1, he focused on four main areas: isolation from external disturbances, speed stability, rigidity, and vacuum hold-down.
When Mr. Gomez began conceptualizing his design a decade ago, it was immediately clear to him, he says, that direct drive was the best way to spin a platter. His reasons were these: A direct-drive motor’s rotational speed is just 33.3, 45, or 78rpm compared to several hundred rpm’s required in the typical belt-drive design, and with direct drive the spindle is not laterally loaded as it is in belt-drive designs, so it receives only torque, not an off-center force. The amount of torque available means the ’table is less likely to drag during heavily modulated passages, something direct-drive advocates claim happens with most belt designs.
This story is from the December 2020 edition of Stereophile.
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This story is from the December 2020 edition of Stereophile.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
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