Проигрыватели виниловых дисков — Esoteric Grandioso T1

The Grandioso T1 is the first turntable in the history of Esoteric, the Japanese maker best known for its disc players and digital sources, and it was created to mark the company's 35th anniversary. It is a three-piece design made up of a main unit, a separate motor unit and an outboard power supply, and it can be ordered with the Esoteric TA-9D tonearm or without an arm.

Key specs that matter

The player runs at 33 1/3 and 45 rpm, and speed can be trimmed by up to 12 percent in 0.1 percent steps. Wow and flutter is rated at 0.06 percent or less (W.R.M.S.). The aluminium alloy platter weighs 19 kg. The main unit measures 497 x 210 x 456 mm and weighs 45 kg in total, split between a 17 kg chassis, the platter and a 9 kg motor, while the power supply is 445 x 132 x 270 mm and 18 kg. A 10 MHz input lets the drive lock to the Grandioso G1X master clock.

Engineering and use context

Esoteric calls its patented contact-free drive the MagneDrive System. A soft iron induction wheel runs around the lower edge of the platter, and the motor cylinder carries vertical strips of alternating north and south magnetic poles, so the platter follows the motor through magnetic force with no belt, idler or physical link. The motor is a three-phase brushless DC type mounted on a 6 mm brass chassis, fed with sine-wave current whose waveform is controlled by a VCXO crystal oscillator. A front-panel micrometer adjusts the transmission torque of the magnetic driver. The Magne-Float system places opposing magnets under the platter and on top of the plinth, cutting the effective mass on the spindle to about 4 kg. The inverted bearing puts the pivot point close to the record surface and uses a stainless steel spindle topped with a steel ball, a PTFE bushing and a PEEK thrust pad. The base is a damped sandwich of two aluminium plates around an MDF core, its footprint is asymmetrical with the front feet set 86 mm wider than the rear, and four suspended feet combine coil springs with acrylic resin tubes. A thin washi paper mat covers the platter.

Pairing

The TA-9D is derived from the Ikeda IT-345 and has a removable headshell, so cartridge swaps are simple. An optional armboard lets the chassis carry up to three tonearms, and boards exist for SME, Graham Phantom, SAEC WE-4700, Glanz, Primary Control FLC, Reed 5T and 5A and Durand Tosca arms. Owners of other Grandioso components can add the G1X clock for a shared reference across the system.

Alternatives

The Esoteric T-01 brings MagneDrive and a Magne-Float platter to a lower price point.