Atma-Sphere Model 208 Turntable

Years of tweaking vintage turntables has resulted in the turntable that we call the 208. It looks very much like the Empire 208 from the early 1960s; that's where we started. We retained the original styling as a tip of the hat to the original design.

So the 208 idea started out as a turntable tweak project: first we tried a modern tone arm. Then we tried several methods of damping the platter, including a new platter pad (requiring some machining on the platter). Finally, the original turntable had a fabulous look, but its plinth was made of cast aluminum that was less than 1/4" thick over much of its area (despite appearances) and rang like a bell. Damping compounds helped but we thought we could do better. So we made a new plinth, machined out of solid 6061 3/4" aluminum, built to accept the remaining original turntable parts (the power switch, motor and platter bearing). The new plinth features an anodized finish much superior to the original shellac finish.

The result, still looking the part of the original Empire 208, is a new turntable. It is extremely rigid, having superior coupling between the tone arm base and the main bearing (crucial for proper bass and transparency). The new turntable thus lacks the loudness cues and coloration of the original. Although we were just having fun seeing what we could do, the result rivals any turntable purporting to be state-of-the-art.

When the original Empire was new, it featured wow and flutter specs that were unmeasurable at the time and have remained much so to this day. It is one of the most speed-stable machines ever built. Getting rid of resonance is what brings it into the 21st century.

FEATURES

• AC synchronous Pabst motor
• Solid Machined plinth
• Single piece cast and machined platter
• added damping for resonance control

In order to build a 208, an original Empire model 208 or similar is required; later models with suspensions (models 498, 598 and 698) cannot be used. The new plinth has to be machined for the new tone arm to be used with it (we're using a Triplanar right now, an SME V is shown in the picture). The original platter has to be machined to accept a modern platter pad (resulting in a nice spindle ideal for use with a record clamp) and is treated for resonance. New motor mounts and improved belt are installed. The total cost for the operation is $3700.00.