Mono and Stereo Magazine review

Quotes by Richard H. Mak

“There is no music better to demo the NGS than Batman’s own music, or should I say Hans Zimmer and James Newton's original soundtrack “The Dark Knight Rises”, the bass notes on track Underground Army is not just chest pounding, but earth shattering! It reminds me of the sound of the thumper which the Fremens use to summon the Sandworm on the planet of Arrakis (a scene in David Lynch’s 1984 movie DUNE). It is the deepest “thumping” which I have heard from any turntable, including my personal reference TW Raven AC, and the VPI Titan which I recently review. It literally shakes the foundation of my listening room with solid deep base “thumping”.

“The same explosive dynamics is carried onto The Battle on Ice in Prokofiev’s Alexander Nevsky with Thomas Schippers directing the NY Philharmonic (Columbia Masterworks MS-6306), on a lesser table, the recording can easily be turned into a garbled up mess, combined with ear-piercing edginess on the highs. The sound remained composed, with clear instrument separation and solid holographic projections. The weightiness of the instruments makes the presentation more forward, immediate, yet the acoustic space remains layered and three dimensional. It throws musical elements in all directions, creating an ever-expanding soundstage with vivid colors, and high contrast.“ Read full review here (Link)

Transcending Boundaries....

Announcing the flagship Technics Sp10Mk3 NGS, this model represents a no holds barred direct drive platform utilizing the fundamental drive architecture of the legendary professional studio system originally conceived and developed by Technics Matsushita Japan in the early nineteen eighties.  This final design effort was in essence the companies crown jewel professional studio direct drive model and represented the culmination of engineering knowledge gathered through many years of Sp10 manufacturing and evolution.  The daunting task required for a company to develop, test and produce a direct drive possessing a similar level of comprehensive engineering in today's marketplace would be in a word, stratospheric and cost prohibitive.  Fortunately, through extended listening trials in conjunction with modern engineering techniques, our talented design team was able to further cultivate and subsequently engineer a state of the art turntable model using this legendary and highly sought after direct drive motor system solely as a blueprint.  The evolution of Artisan Fidelity's continuing and ongoing designs using optimized conventional and direct coupled based turntable models based on the Technics Sp10Mk3 drive platform over past years has lead us to this final NGS iteration, a no expenses spared flagship design, engineered and crafted from the ground up with absolutely zero compromise.   Indeed, the playback capabilities of the Technics Sp10 Mk3 NGS platform easily exceed and surpass both conventional plinth type designs and direct coupled designs.  Beginning at the top, the original heavy rubber platter mat has been replaced with a bespoke high purity Copper platter mat precision cnc milled to fit the stock main platter like a glove.  Moving downward, the bearing cavities worn factory thrust pad has been replaced with a highly superior ultra low coefficient of friction (ASTM measured below 0.030; Lubricated) advanced copolymer, possessing lower noise floor and superior wear resistance over the stock graphite composite factory thrust pad.  The NGS model's playback characteristics include a drastically lower noise floor, superior channel separation, enhanced clarity and focus / image specificity along with unrivaled transparency.  While listening, clients quickly point out the energy, life, timbre and breath typically only heard by first generation 1/4" and 1/2" 15 ips open reel tape recordings which they are now experiencing for the first time during LP playback on their Technics Sp10Mk3 NGS models.  The experience is transformative and literally like nothing we have heard thus far with any direct drive based front end.  Residing within the plinth cavity is a Technics Sp10Mk3 motor mounted using a proprietary austenitic steel precision motor coupling system, which ensures intimate physical contact to the massive multi-layer composite foundation and core.  The fundamental plinth's architecture and infrastructure entails proprietary modeling techniques which were developed using both in room listening tests and material resonance contour software analysis.  The core infrastructure consists of a mass loaded composite foundation consisting of layered German Panzerholz and synthetic Copolymers pressure sealed and mechanically coupled into an exoskeleton hull comprised of aged, heat treated aircraft grade aluminum alloy.  What this unique plinth design architecture achieves is a dead silent, stable, inert base which exhibits no unusual or erratic in room resonance characteristics during playback which directly contributes to its transparent, lively and musical demeanor.  Aiding to further reduce any residual DC motor vibration we have employed a proprietary Quiet Core active bearing drain module featuring integrated Stillpoints isolation technology.  Stillpoints Ultra 5 isolation devices are included as standard equipment, which during listening tests proved superior to purely passive component footers.  To operate the Technics Sp10Mk3 NGS, the user may opt for speed selection and Start/Stop functionality through the outboard aluminum interface module connected by a shielded umbilical cable or directly at the primary power supply chassis controller selector buttons. (Note: If providing donor Technics Sp10Mk3 unit, a credit will be applied.) 

Technics Sp10Mk3 NGS Production Videos -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXlWJ6f7F6A

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWyVegWb_CE

Preliminary Service Details:  Phase tracking timing bench test, Frequency and reference oscillator motor level calibration, Master Clock Crystal and auxiliary main board inspection, Power supply voltage and rails adjusted and scope checked, Removal of factory mechanical brake mechanism,  Bearing cavity flush, scope inspection and cleanse, Bearing shaft micro polished and re lubricated using low viscosity hydrodynamic bearing oil prior to reinsertion, worn factory thrust pad replaced with advanced military grade copolymer with ultra low coefficient of friction, unit seated in and tested for minimum 50 hours.


Technics Sp10 Mk3 base motor Information (Data provided by Vintage Knob Database):

"By the time the SP-10MK3 was withdrawn, Yamaha, Sony, Kenwood or Pioneer all had since long abandoned that segment of the still financially valid high-fidelity market.

In comparison to its predecessor, the SP10Mk2, the drive itself sees its weight doubled from 9,5kg to 18kg. More precisely : the platter of the SP10 MK3 weighs as much as the entire MK2 drive.  The SP-10MK3 is mechanically based on Technics' SP-02M cutting lathe.

Starting torque of this new ultra-low speed brushless DC motor allows a 16kg/cm spec - twice as much as that of the 1975 SP-10MK2 and... sixteen times as much as the original 1969 SP-10 !
This means a full speed ahead in 30° of a full rotation or 0,25s.

The inertia moment of the 10kg platter is of 1,1 ton/cm2... The platter has a 1,5cm copper alloy core (inner platter), supported by a diecast aluminium outer platter.
1,1 ton/cm2 is, btw, the equivalent of 1000 tonearms all tracking at 2g.

The power supply houses a very beefy and resin cast transformer (inside) and the speed and start/stop controls plus the ± 9,9% pitch control in 0,1% steps (outside).  The boosted signal-to-noise ratio reaches 92db.

The EIAJ changed its DIN B measurement method in 1981 to "better measure what the ear hears".
This had the effect of raising signal-to-noise ratio by about 20dB, whatever was measured."

Motor: brushless DC motor, electronic rectification, quartz-controlled phase-locked servo circuit
Platter: 320mm, 10kg copper/aluminium
Speeds: 33, 45 and 78rpm
Pitch control: 20%
Starting torque: 16kg-cm
Build up time: 0.25s to 33rpm
Braking time: 0.3s from 33rpm
Speed fluctuation by load changes: 0% within 10kg-cm
Wow and flutter: 0.015% WRMS (JIS C5521)
Rumble: -92dB (IEC 98A weighted)
Dimensions: 369 x 113 x 369mm
Weight: 18kg net

Technics SP10Mk3 NGS by Artisan Fidelity

Overview / Specifications:

Primary Direct Drive Motor - Technics Matsushita designed SP10Mk3 Brushless DC Motor
External Logic Controller - Technics SP10Mk3 Factory unit / serviced / 2 year warranty
Interface Module - On/Off and 33/45/78rpm selector switch and Ground post
Proprietary Heat treated / aged Aircraft Aluminum Magnesium Alloy Exoskeleton plinth design, constrained layer damped Panzerholz and advanced Copolymer composite infrastructure.
Quiet Core Bearing Drain - High Mass Active type using integrated Stillpoints technology
Finish - Micro Suede (Black, Automotive base color determined by client)
Dimensions - 628 x 528 x 153 mm
Instrument Weight - 105 kgs. / 232 lbs.
Platter Mat - High Purity Copper based alloy precision CNC milled (Replaces factory Technics stock rubber mat)
Armboards - German Panzerholz, Stainless Steel and Marine Brass optional, accommodates - (2/ea.) 9"-12" effective length tonearms including tangential and fixed bearing types.