Проигрыватели виниловых дисков — Michell Engineering Orbe SE

The Orbe SE is a belt-driven turntable from Michell Engineering of the UK, supplied without a tonearm. It takes the suspended sub-chassis and separate motor of the Orbe and packages them in a smaller, less costly form that uses far less acrylic. The UK list price is GBP 5,495, Michell backs it for five years, and two finishes, black and silver, are offered.

Key specs that matter

The deck is 49 cm wide, 37.5 cm deep and 15 cm high, and weighs 13.5 kg. It plays at 33 1/3 and 45 rpm. The platter is 60 mm thick and described as impedance-matched and extra heavy, chosen to damp vibration from the record. Beneath it runs an inverted main bearing that circulates oil with an Archimedean screw, so the bearing stays fully lubricated while the platter turns. Suspension is a three-point spring system holding a sub-chassis in the style of a weighted pendulum. A screw-down Orbe record clamp is included.

Engineering and use context

Isolation is arranged in two layers. Three suspension towers are fixed to a secondary acrylic base, holding the springs and giving height adjustment for the sub-chassis, which carries the platter, bearing and arm. The DC motor sits in its own free-standing housing and never touches the plinth, so the only link between motor and turntable is the drive belt, which keeps motor vibration away from the stylus. Speed is governed by the Orbe Controller, an outboard unit housing a big toroidal transformer, servo motor control and what Michell calls Never Connected circuitry. Because the bearing is inverted, its contact point sits high inside the platter, and the oil pumped along the Archimedean screw keeps friction and running noise down during long sessions. The screw-down clamp couples the vinyl to the platter surface, pressing out warps and letting the heavy platter act as a damper for the disc itself. Height adjustment at each tower allows the sub-chassis to be levelled so that it floats freely on its springs.

Pairing

With no arm fitted, the owner chooses a tonearm and cartridge separately and mounts them on the sub-chassis, and Michell offers its own arms as one route. The turntable then requires a phono stage set up with the right gain and load for that cartridge, and a firm, level support that will not transmit footfall into the spring suspension.

Alternatives

The Michell GyroDec is the better known deck of the same maker, spinning at 33 1/3 and 45 rpm with a quoted speed accuracy of plus or minus 0.1 percent.