We just set for the review of Audio Vaccine The Legend turntable. I'll soon visit the company premises for the complete coverage of their workshop, philosophy and approach in making of The Legend. Below is Audio Vaccine description of what makes their Lenco so special...
Nowadays it has become very popular to rebuild Lenco turntables. The main philosophy by rebuilding Lenco turntables is, simply, to build as robust as housing as possible and a rigid implementation of the mechanism within. That was the main philosophy of rebuilding these turntables as seen on forum »Lenco heaven«
Nowadays it has become very popular to rebuild Lenco turntables. The main philosophy by rebuilding Lenco turntables is, simply, to build as robust as housing as possible and a rigid implementation of the mechanism within. That was the main philosophy of rebuilding these turntables as seen on forum »Lenco heaven«. We respect the opinions of all the users on that forum especially the philosophy of Mr. Nantis, but it is not always true that there is only one path or philosophy by rebuilding these turntables.
1. Because we wanted that our Lenco »The legend« looks as much as it can like the original, we designed the housing, which looks like the classical turntable that Lenco had. Our base is a little larger and also has more weight. This we believe is very important. We used six layers of 20mm thick birch plywood instead of a lighter and cheaper MDF. For more strength we used three layers of various veneers. The material vibration damping is very important, but with our concept and design it is not on the first place. Why is it so? We are going to tell you that in the next points of this presentation.
2. We did not want to interfere with the original ideas of the designers, that is why we did not do any modifications on the metal base. We skipped any drilling or cutting into the metal base itself. Every metal base of the models L-75 or L-78 are actually unique, not two of them are the same. The diferencess are in the on-off mechanism, different placing and wideness of the holes in the metal base underneath the plane, different switches, different wiring, that we can see from model to model. Idler wheel is also made out of different materials (metal, plastic, metal with holes, ...). The plate rubber is also in couple of varieties, but mainly we can see two different types.
3. We have just removed all the original parts of the turntable that are connected with the tonearm machanism and its functioning. We did not interfere with the on-off switch and speed controler. We have dismantled the motor, cleaned off the old grease and greased it again with high quality vaseline. The wiring of the mechanism is all new. We have additionally stabilized the plate, using special epoxy resin. We added a bronze adaptor to the bearing to reduce noise and mechanical vibrations. That was made all new, different and from different materials. We have replaced the original metal ball with a ceramic one. For greasing of the bearing we have used a special oil. This oil was created by us and is better than that used by manufacturers on other turntables. With the dampers we have looked up to the Lenco model L-78, but we developed our own oil damperd springs and replaced the old 4 springs with ours. With this solution we have actually separated the mechanism of the turntable from the wooden housing. With that we have achieved a softer sound and also more airy and detailed sound. The bass is more accurate and defined. Because the model L-75 in original did not have four springs like the model L- 78, we have modified it and placed our damperd springs also in the model L-75. That is why there is not much difference between those two models. The only difference is in the position of the off-on switch. Should you reguire our turntables can also be assembled the old way, by building the metal base and the housing together without using our damperd springs. But the testing has shown, that our solution on this issue is better hence we use dampered springs. The housing of our turntables also lets us to build in the original springs of the model L-78 but, using oil damperd springs produces better sound results. Our turntable allows us to put the mechanism into the housing in many ways, so every customer can decide, which sound accessories are the best for him. The whole turntable is standing on newly designed footing. They are made out of special synthetic noise-insulating materials, which can carry the whole 30kg weight of the turntable. We have also used special materials to damper vibrations of the metal base of the turntable. But still, every customer has a lot of choices to alter the sound by his taste, with small »tweaks«.
4. The most vunerable part of the Lenco turntable, is the so called Idler wheel, which transmits power from the motor to the plane of the turntable. This wheel is mainly constructed out of aluminium, sometimes plastic and has two or three side holes. The biggest problem is, that the edge is covered with a rubber coating, which cannot be parted from the wheel. Because we are talking of a construction from the 70's, the rubber in most cases is damaged and cannot be replaced. That is why we developped our own idler wheel, where we can replace the rubber on it at any time. We have also noticed that it is quite important, how hard the rubber is, because it effects on the sound of the turntable. You can choose two types of rubber hardness for the idler wheel, which were prooved to be the best through the testing period of our turntables. Also the fitting of the idler wheel is made all new, designed and made out of better materials as the original. We have swapped all the springs in the mechanics of the turntable aswell as the main spring, which gives pressure of the idler wheel on the plane and the motor axle. All these changes have improved the sound significantly.
5. Because we wanted that our Lenco »The Legend« to be as original as possible, we have used just one tonearm. But we have constructed it so, that we can fit the most 9«, 10«, or 12« tonearms, which you can get on the market. There is also a posibillity of building in the tangential tonearms. The place for the tonearm is, regarding on the mechanism, on the optimal place. The members of the »Lenco heaven« forum, where a debate regarding our turntable, have said that this solution is very good. The basis of the tonearm is made out of 10 mm acril and is dampered in the same way as the mechanism of the turntable itself. Four oil dampered springs divide the acrilyc tonearm base mechanically from the metal base of the turntable aswell as from the wooden housing. With this solution there is practically no vibrations on the tonearm.
6. On the backside of the turntable is a standard three polar plug-in, which allows the use of high quality audiophillic cables.
7. For good ventilation of the turntable we have let enough space around the motor itself. Under the bearing of the turntable we have left a cut-out, so that any vibrations of the bearing are easier fixed. Because we have separated the base from the housing, using four oil dampered springs, there is more circulation of the air and so less heat is enclosed in the turntable.
8. We have managed to renew the original rubber mats, which are now as new. However, there are better materials available nowadays then in the 70's, that is why we have developed three different mats from special synthetic sound insulation materials. They can be used separate or simultaneously. Every mat or combination of mats sounds differently, so you can choose which mats are best depending on your sound requirements.
9. Protective cover on the turntable is made by hand out of 6 mm transparent acril and is not made just to protect the turntable from dust, but also to present the turntable in a more atractive way. When using the turntable, it is easy to take this cover down. Opening and closing the cover is also very easy.
Our project of rebuilding and development of the turntable started in spring 2010. After two and a half years of development and work we can proudly say, that we have managed to build a perfect musical instrument out of the old Lenco turntable. Every rebuilt turntable is unique. We have put so much work in every turntable, that it satisfied us with its sound and all other characteristics. In every turntable there is more than 100 hours of work involved. In the development stage we used and tested a lot of different materials to satisfy the technical solutions. We have put in countless hours of testing and listening. Also, we have compared our sound with other turntables.
We know, that we will get some criticism, which is always welcome, but the sound of our turntable has made us sure, that we are on a right path with our concept of the turntable. Through the process of rebuilding the 40 year old Lenco turntable, we have seen that the chassis, the plane, the motor and the majority of other components and parts of the original turntable are practically unbreakable. With all the modern modifications that we have introduced, we can say, that Lenco will be a legend for another 40 years.
We give all the technical support to our costumers, also we inform them about all the modifications that we achieved. We are happy to discuss any specific customer requirements that may be implemented to their product.
Audio Vaccine team: Igor Vučkič & Igor Maček
http://www.hi-fi-center.si/en/audiovaccine.html
