Wilson Benesch is launching a new turntable that it describes as the result of more than 20-years of collaborative development. “The GMT One System is a ground-up optimised turntable design that represents a coherent unified solution. Developed under the project name ‘Mondrian Project’ – the GMT One Systemwhich has benefited from grant funding from both the UK and Europe (on-going), allowing the company to draw upon the expertise of Professors, Doctors, Engineers and Design Engineers working at the forefront of cutting edge of advanced research within their respective fields.
“The GMT One System has a recently patented magnetic gear technology which shifts the paradigm by redefining a completely new mode of drive, the Omega Drive. For generations, the historical methods of providing “accurate drive” have stood unchallenged. The Omega Drive attains unprecedented levels of accuracy and virtually zero noise thanks to the axially orientated binary bearing design at its heart.
“Any high precision system, especially those where measurement and transcription are concerned, rely upon structural stability. Wilson Benesch introduces the Alpha Isolation System to compliment the Omega Drive. Developed in partnership with an industry leading optical measurement system isolation company, the Alpha Isolation System achieves levels of isolation that functions at the microscopic level where resonance is a major concern just as it is in vinyl transcription. Pneumatic rams that are electronically monitored provide precise levelling. Even if the system is disturbed during use, it will re-adjust within milliseconds to zero. The resonant frequency of the system is 1.7 Hertz.
“Three new tonearms will be available to use with the GMT One System at its launch. The new tonearm designs take the concept of vinyl transcription into the 21st-century. The reference tonearm Graviton features a high modulus, geometrically optimised single piece carbon fibre tube. The armtube is further enhanced by a sandwich construction that achieves an industry standard in terms of specific stiffness. Joining Gravitonis a low mass design, Moment and a low-medium mass design, CTi-30. All three tonearm assemblies are based on uni-directional enhanced carbon fibre that is further enhanced by both carbon nanotubes and graphene. Each design is complete with headshell and counterweight components that have been additively manufactured using state-of-the-art manufacturing technologies. Both 3D printed carbon-fibre – polymer components and powered sintered grown titanium components have been realised, achieving optimised geometric forms from aerospace materials technology and in the process a new benchmark in terms of performance within the industry.
“The GMT One System frames current technologies and renders them in the past. Imagine physically manually adjusting the VTA on a tonearm from the position of the turntable, whilst trying to hear the nuanced differences. Now envisage the future, being able to make the same adjustments remotely from your listening position to within 2.5 microns – a degree accuracy within VTA adjustment that has prior to now been unthinkable. The Piezo VTA remote control adjustment system, like all sub-systems in the design, is a result of collaborative contributions made by so many.”
The GMT OneSystemwill be launched at the High End Munich later this week and available in the last quarter of the year, price has not yet been confirmed.