News

Kronos Audio Products to Introduce Lower Priced Sparta Turntable at the International CES Show

Michael Fremer  |  Dec 23, 2013

Canada-based Kronos Audio Products announced the introduction of Sparta, a lower priced edition of its dual platter turntable design. The new dual platter $21,000 'table (introductory price) is similar in concept to the more expensive Kronos Limited Edition and Kronos PRO models.

The dual-platters, spinning in opposite directions and driven by separate motors are said to solve the problem of "torsional forces" the company claims are inherent in typical spring suspended sub platter 'tables where the sub platter frame rotates in synch with the platter. In other words, as the platter spins, it produces frame movement because no platter, no matter how carefully balanced, is perfectly balanced.

While these torsional forces can be damped, the company claims its engineering completely eliminates torsional forces in its suspended designs, thus providing the isolation suspended 'tables can provide, without the torsional movement downside.

The company also claims that because the platter and arms of non-suspended designs are not isolated, both vibrations produced from within the system and those produced in the outside environment easily find their way into the system, producing sound that is "harsh, aggressive and glassy".

Naturally manufacturers of such turntables will beg to differ and probably have their own reasons to offer for why a dual platter, dual bearing, dual motor design produces its own set of issues, both mechanical and sonic.

The Kronos Sparta appears to be a beautifully manufactured and physically attractive design.

COMMENTS
John C Freeman's picture
Submitted by John C Freeman on Tue, 2013-12-24 08:09

Well that is as clear as Mud.

Michael Fremer's picture
Submitted by Michael Fremer on Tue, 2013-12-24 13:17

I assume the part about spinning platters and suspended 'tables is transparently clear and that the rest is the "mud" part? If not I will further elucidate!

John C Freeman's picture
Submitted by John C Freeman on Tue, 2013-12-24 13:49

Since I just own a Music Hall turntable, I find sentances like the following to be beyond comprehension;  "While these torsional forces can be damped, the company claims its engineering completely eliminates torsional forces in its suspended designs, thus providing the isolation suspended 'tables can provide, without the torsional movement downside."    Torsional to me means a twisting motion or force.  Without this twisting force the platter wheather it be sub or otherwise does not spin.   So I sometimes consider such stuff nonsense.  Now if I was told that sub platter merely conterbalances the top platter, I would think that is valid statement.  However I would think that the additional motor(s) required to drive the sub platter may cause more problems than it solves.  I hope my thoughts are clearer than "Mud."  But you shsould know that I do enjoy your columns and opinions. 

Michael Fremer's picture
Submitted by Michael Fremer on Wed, 2013-12-25 09:25

The point they are making ( I think) is that a spinning platter on a suspended platform will produce a rocking motion. It will not be merely side to side but will be "torsional" and include twisting or bending motion on a sub-microscopic level. This is especially problematic on 'tables where the  motor is on another platform (usually below).

SME deals with this by damping the entire upper suspended member. Oracle recently added three silicon troughs adjacent to each suspension tower and these seem to work quite well. The latest Oracle is a far more solid sounding 'table than previous designs.

Kronos uses a second platter spinning in the opposite direction to counteract the force produced by the main platter but they need to better explain how this accomplishes the stated goal. 

Bigrasshopper's picture
Submitted by Bigrasshopper on Tue, 2013-12-24 15:22

Visually, I find this table much more approachable than the original.  I prefer a design aesthetic that is cohesive rather than one where complexity is on display.  I'm not qualified to evaluate its effectiveness though it would seem that the trade off in suspended tables is an inability to take full advantage of the stability of mass.  The table can always be placed on a separate damping platform.  Isolating the arm from the motor/ bearing seems worthwhile, it's not clear how that is accomplished here.  Kuzuma's newest table claims to do this, I think, in an unsuspended design, though it's also unclear just how that is accomplished.  This is more skeletle, where the Kuzuma relies on a massive carcass.  That aesthetic is too boxy for my tastes.  

mikerr's picture
Submitted by mikerr on Fri, 2013-12-27 12:10

Take an old toy top (for instance) like a 1970's Whizzzer or Battling Top that spins very fast and with a lot of force...Spinning at their fastest, they can develop such a turbulent motion that the top can actually start jumping around.

I can see that if you had the same situation on the other end of the same axle spinning in the opposite direction that it would dampen that turbulence considerably.

Thanks Mr. Fremer

Michael Fremer's picture
Submitted by Michael Fremer on Sat, 2013-12-28 09:05

I can see your point with tops, but the question for a turntable design is does the second motor and associated mechanical "stuff" produce noise and vibrations that offset the possible benefits as you describe. Not a problem for tops of course. I'd like to measure wow and flutter with just the the top platter spinning and then with both spinning...

vinyl1's picture
Submitted by vinyl1 on Sun, 2013-12-29 18:04

.....and got to spin some of my records on a Kronos.  He is an interesting character, and really believes in what he is doing.   Whether his theories are true or not, I couldn't say, but he does get excellent sound from his tables.   

He is also one of those guys who loves to flip through the $1 bins and pull out interesting old records to play.   He definitely had some rather unusual LPs in his box at the show, rather than reissues of the same old stuff that everybody uses.

X