A site visitor sent me email today:

"Just in case you have not seen the turntables we have manufactured for about 15 years.

www.beercityaudio.com "

Ended the company looks like has two Turntables:

http://www.beercityaudio.com/index.php/tritium-air-bearing-brass-phono-turntable-record-player.html

http://www.beercityaudio.com/index.php/tritium-moving-coil-lp-record-air-bearing-tonearm-turntable.html

I never seen or heard about them but they are look interesting. The largest TT has negative curve of platter. Only god in his wisdom knows why not all high level TTs uses this principle. The site is kind of flimsy and the information about the TT is very limited.  If they use copper then the platters are heavy. It is not bad itself but how do they hoist the heavy platters on bearing. The classic ball bearing will not be effective for 100 points platter and I do not see them to use air, magnets or anything else. I hope they at least to lift the platter from the bearing while it is not speaking…..

Anyhow, it looks like an “unknown” TT. If it is true that it being made for 15 years then the company owner does not perform the ceremonial blow-job to the industry – that is god as well…

Paul S wrote:

Shades of the great-for-5-minutes Versa Dynamics, which spawned a thriving "underground" "support" industry aimed at addressing several frustrating problems that plagued the nearly-wonderful contraption.  I can't tell if the drive belt on this thing is flat or round (better if flat, IMO...), but it is too long by half, and this seems to bother them not at all.  Also, I am always suspicious of the super-short vertical-pivot-to-stylus length, not to mention the Living Hell of all that air under-and-being-released-from pressure all over the place.  Not that the Walker is really good, practically speaking; but how is this one better than the Walker?  (Of course I mean the latest, improved version...) Paul S

mem916 wrote:

No vacuum hold-down.  No suspension. Air-bearing tonearm, but the other way around (ie air is forced through the steel shaft).  I reckon Bicht would laugh at this table.  By the way, if there is an "underground support industry" for the Versa I am unaware of it and wouldn't trust it if it exists.  There is support available still from VersLab (http://www.versalab.com/server/versadyn/players1.html).

Romy the Cat wrote:

I do not know anything about Versa TT.  I spoke with Tritium TT maker (about different subject) and he told me that various platter mass are available for his TT, including 100 pounds platter. Still, as mem916 point out: there is “no suspension”. How long ball suspension will last with 100 pounds platter only god knows. In another side – the “contact” type suspension in my estimation might provide the best bass. Well, since no one use or even seen the Tritium TT is it hard to predict anything. I would not absolutely agree with “no vacuum hold-down” critique. The vacuum hold-down is a controversial feature. BTW, the negative curve of platter that Tritium is way more interesting in my view. Rgs, Romy the Cat

Paul S wrote:

... Among after-market things for the Versa was a system of tanks, hoses and filters designed to deal with the moisture and variable pressure that beset the original system, and there were also various after market pumps, and blimps for the pumps.  I had no idea that Versa was still at it, nor have I kept up with their after-market camp followers. It might be twisted fun to play with a 2.0; but I suppose they are still rare and too expensive for a happy cost/benefit experience... Paul S

mem916 wrote:

Oh, by suspension, I meant the tuned spring suspension that the versa (and many other 'tables) use to isolate the plinth platter, and arm from vibrations coming up through the floor and the stand. I don't think of a platter bearing as providing any sort of vibration isolation so I don't think of it as a suspension.

mem916 wrote:

In general I was pointing out the many differences between the two record players. I know vacuum hold-down has some controversy.  Naturally the manufacturers that offer it will say it is great and the ones that don't will say it is terrible.  For my versa 1.2 I can easily adjust the amount of vacuum applied and the more I apply the better it sounds.   By "negative curve" I guess you mean the platter is slightly dished?  The Well Tempered turntable used that design.  It does work well, but not as good as vacuum in my experience.

Romy the Cat wrote:

mem916 wrote: Oh, by suspension, I meant the tuned spring suspension that the versa (and many other 'tables) use to isolate the plinth platter, and arm from vibrations coming up through the floor and the stand. I don't think of a platter bearing as providing any sort of vibration isolation so I don't think of it as a suspension.     I see, we did misunderstand each other.  By suspension I meant, and always mean the way how platter is handing in its position: ball bearing, air, magnetic, liquid, superconductor antigravity, unobtainium … etc. I never pay attention to suspension of plinth and isolate it from floor and I feel that this is not TT duty, at least not a part of high-end turntables.  I do not insist that my definition of “suspension” is accurate but this is how I use it for years: for me suspension is how platter is suspended, not plinth.    mem916 wrote: In general I was pointing out the many differences between the two record players. I know vacuum hold-down has some controversy.  Naturally the manufacturers that offer it will say it is great and the ones that don't will say it is terrible.  For my versa 1.2 I can easily adjust the amount of vacuum applied and the more I apply the better it sounds.   By "negative curve" I guess you mean the platter is slightly dished?  The Well Tempered turntable used that design.  It does work well, but not as good as vacuum in my experience. I had the vacuum hold-down, Micro Seiki RX- 1500FVG. The hold-down worked great but I did not really felt any need for it. I hardly ever use warped records. I feel that the benefit of vacuum hold-down is to establish with a uniform bund between platter and record. The fanny part is that the leaves of vacuum hold-down act as gaskets between the uniform bund. Anyhow, I was not too wild about is and I found it was not too practical, even on Micro the vacuum hold-down was made in the most friendly way I even seen. Adjusting the amount of vacuum applied to get better sounds? Well, do you do it for each record? There are half of hundreds of records type, different thinness, mass, flexibility est. Do you set own depth of vacuum for each record you play? I do not adjust VTA when I play different record thinness. I assure you that move VTA from Dynaflex to 180g and I assure you that the sonic difference in VTA 100x time more than changing the depth of vacuum. Sure, I would not argue and it you see the improvement (not difference but improvement) than it certainly a way to go for you but it appears too anal retentive for me, at least in context of dally use. The changing pressure I feed my Vibroplane and to change the Vibroplane height also makes some difference in sound. However, I recognize those differences as something that is well beyond of my interest  The Cat