Проигрыватели виниловых дисков — Dohmann Audio HELIX ONE MK3

The Helix One Mk3 is a belt-drive turntable from Döhmann Audio of Melbourne, Australia, a company set up under its own name in 2015 by Mark Döhmann, who earlier played a central part in building the Continuum Caliburn. The original Helix One was the first commercial Döhmann design, the smaller Helix Two followed around 2017, and the Mk3 generation brought a new composite bearing, DC power supply, drive system, armboards, record clamp and platter. The UK price is GBP 64,998.

Key specs that matter

Factory default speeds are 33.33 and 45.15 rpm, with 78 rpm and custom speeds available on request, and the controller checks and corrects rotation more than 130,000 times per second. Standing on its PowerBase, the deck is 600 mm wide, 480 mm deep and 250 mm high without clamp or tonearm. The main chassis weighs 54 kg and the PowerBase 22 kg, for a total of 76 kg. Two armboards take tonearms up to 292 mm (11.5-inch), and some 12 inch arms can be fitted after consultation with the maker. The adaptive power supply accepts 100 to 250 V AC at 50 or 60 Hz. Finishes are Black, Sterling Silver, Graphite and Aurelian Gold, each with a carbon fibre top plate.

Engineering and use context

A custom Swiss-made high-torque motor sits decoupled from the chassis and drives the platter through two belts running on a dual-groove aluminium pulley with O-rings of different hardness, which is meant to cut static and vibration. The 15 kg platter is a triple sandwich of non-ferrous alloy and thermoplastic with a damping mat bonded to it, spinning on a bearing with a single ceramic ball and thrust pad. Isolation comes from a built-in MinusK negative stiffness mechanism tuned to 0.5 Hz vertically and 1.5 Hz horizontally, while a mechanical crossover drains mid and high frequency energy above roughly 100 Hz along set paths. The armboards are removable, interchangeable composite parts that float with the suspension. The PowerBase holds the supply, control software, suspension stabiliser, lighting control and mains filtering, and speed changes use two push buttons on the top plate. A vacuum record hold-down is offered as the separate Helix One Mk3 Vacuum version, and older Helix One decks can be upgraded to the current specification.

Pairing

With two arm positions, the deck can carry a pair of tonearms at once, for example one with a stereo cartridge and one with a mono cartridge, each feeding its own phono input or a phono stage with two inputs. The combined weight calls for a rack or platform rated well above that load.

Alternatives

The Döhmann Helix Two Mk3 uses the same Mk3 technologies in a smaller chassis with a single tonearm position and costs about GBP 19,000 less.