Sub-platter. 3 bronze silicon nitride balls machined from aviation grade alloy.

Switch Pod. 33/45 rpm

I started at the ground down by looking at resonance problems I had worked at CBS records as their engineering dept where the world had to be a very still place . the feet are a composite of cork a carbon composite material hardened aluminium, silicon nitride balls and a non resonant coating.

The next inter face is three adjustable feet machined from a softer aluminium, threaded stainless steel and Teflon.

The plinth is machined from a 65 mm thick solid billet of aviation grade aluminium the shape further reduces standing waves and its mass drains energy very effectively plus providing a stable platform.

A turntable is only as good as the sum of its parts and the heart of ours is the bearing ours is a composite of 4 different grades of aluminium, delrin, Teflon, stainless steel and a copolymer and anaerobic glues the shaft is tool steel with a sintered carbide ball.

Next in the design is the sub platter this has been machined as a fly wheel also from a 65mm billet of aluminium and sits low in the bearing keeping the center of gravity as low as possible which keeps the speed accurate allowing dynamics to be unrestrained.

The top platter is the vinyl interface it is a 25 mm thick piece of dense carbon with a cross linked acrylic coating it is separated from the sub platter by 3 bronze risers each having a silicon nitride ball. The record spindle is stainless steel with a bronze sleeve this drains unwanted energy into an elastermer, aluminium resonance device bonded to the underneath of the platter .

Our clamp is a screw on type made from aluminium delrin Teflon and carbon giving an excellent bond of record to platter and removing warps

The arm tower is a composite of aluminium stainless steel something secret the arboard is a carbon composite.We use a precission swiss motor and controller the motor is in an aluminium tower sitting in 2 acrylic rings and is adjustable the belt is silicon.

Arm tower assembly. Shown with

Graham tonearm.

Spare carbon arm board .

Three feet. Carbon, aliminium and silicon nitide balls

DC motor pad assembly and cable

Bearing housing

When I had arrived at Hugh’s place there were two turntables - one was set up and functioning with a Graham tonearm with an Ortofon Jubilee Mk2 cartridge. This set-up was married to a Belcanto pre-amp, a pair of Nuforce mono amps and Luminus Audio.

Sitting back down Hugh placed each part of the other turntable on the table in front of me and explained what each comonant did and how it was made and with what materials. My first reaction to all of this was that all the individual pieces are a work of art and no doubt when assembled and working would be statement of the art.

The quality was impecable and although I have next to zero knowledge of machining etc, I could well tell that the calibre of this set-up was indeed first class and not the usuall from commercial offerings.Although I am a digital man, I have seen and heard a lot of turntables over that last twenty odd years.

The first thing I must say, is that what I first listen for in any system is the effect of not listening to the system opposed to what the systems sounds like.

Ok, getting on with it, working from the top to bottom (end) I distincly hear no artifacts such as glare or limited treble extension. Cymbols and guitar were tone accurate and extented and had good field placement and attack.

I’m not really a Rick Lee Jones fan, but ‘we belong together’ from the Pirates album clearly showed who ricky was... I have heard her on a few systems and she sounded quite dull.Her voice came through with convincing realism with shades of her limited range just peeking through, this is the reality of a good recording and reproduction system.

I next moved on to Dire Straight ‘ Private Investigations’ simply for the fact of dynamics and extension. I’m going to mension the word ‘speed’ in the proper sense meaning the ability to extrude dynamic range within time with little reliance to volume. Drum impact was excellent and conveyed impact, tone and decay which is so eveident to drum kit using hydraulic skins. Bass was rich without being spoilt with too much flavor while the range went down to satisfy those nice lower regisers.

This is truly a beautiful turntable in all regards...If I can nail everything down to accurate - then really you are hearing the music as indended.

Campbell Hicks

December 2009

The resurgence of turntables over recent years has led to the development of some outstanding designs – in my opinion, none better than the “Danvers-Thomas turntable” developed in Queensland by engineer and audiophile Hugh Danvers-Thomas.

The Danvers-Thomas is a genuine work of art, with all parts - big and small - machined with tender loving care in the pursuit of one thing; the highest possible sound quality. The design is based on solid engineering principles and innovative concepts to isolate the vinyl record from external forces and extract maximum information from the grooves.

The result is a sublime listening experience, with detail retrieval of the highest order set against an ultra-quiet background. The sound has real weight and control, glorious mids and highs, and superbly defined low frequencies to provide that essential sense of rhythm. At the end of the today, it’s the sum of the parts that sets this turntable apart from many others – it simply sounds more “real”!

Rob Woodland

January 2010

Precision machined carbon platter

I visited Hugh Danvers-Thomas’ s home where he also manufactures and assembles his turntables.It was obvious the best parts and materials are used in a design which optimizes the best of todays turntable technology.

The belt drive system uses an expensive precision Swiss motor driving a massive aluminium alloy platter which imparts considerable inertia to the rotation.I had brought my own jazz record with me, one I am familiar with. It was Concord Jazz CJ-78 Sweet Lorraine.On this record Lorraine Feather sings a number of jazz standards with Concords standard backing group.

The music was very dynamically presented with a wide sound stage and there were subtle inflections in the voice I had not heard before.

A very believable audio presentation of female vocals.

Brian Moore.