A Tribute to George Merrill and his Signature Polytable
A Tribute
This page is a tribute to audio legend George Merrill and a testimonial to his current top of the line turntable, the Gem Dandy Signature Poly Table, one of a number of remarkable, practical and creative products George has brought to market over the years. The GEM in GEM Dandy is for George E. Merrill. George, with associates, has developed, manufactured, and sold remarkable turntables, and other products, at remarkable prices for years. When you buy a George Merrill product, you are paying for solid quality, not advertising hyperbole. Like myself, George sells directly to the public, eliminating the middle layer of marketing and advertising.
George Merrill's Products
If you want to know more about George's products, there are many reviews available online. You can also visit George's website: www.hifigem.com . Do not forget to review the testimonials for George's products. George Merrill is the real deal.
The GEM Dandy Signature Poly Table
I had been only somewhat aware of George's contributions to the audio world. I was jolted into full awareness when a customer had George send one of his Gem Dandy Signature Poly Tables for installation of my customers 12.2" Woody Universal Tonearm and and his Ortofon Black LBV 150 edition cartridge. LBV for Ludwig Van Beethoven's 150th birthday. I installed and set up the arm and cartridge with great care.
I dropped the stylus into the groove, dropped into my listening position, and found myself immersed in musical magic. This turntable was making greater magic than I had previously heard in my listening room. The turntables I had in service at the time were a Thorens TD124 and a Garrard 301, both good sounding tables, but neither so magical as the GEM Dandy Signature Poly Table.
I wondered whether the magic was primarily from the turntable or from the cartridge, which I had not previously auditioned. I changed cartridges to my longtime favorite, the Dynavector XX2 Mk. II, and listened further. More magic. Yes, it was the turntable, not the just cartridge. Both cartridges were making magic with the Woody Universal Tonearm and the GEM Dandy Signature Poly Table. The Ortofon was a bit brighter, more vivacious. The Dyanavector was a bit warmer, more seductive. We can talk about all the various attributes of good sound . . . bass, midrange, treble, soundstage, imaging, pace, rhythm and timing, but what we hear with the GEM Dandy Signature Poly Table is a holistic synthesis of all these things, and something even better . . . Magic!
It is clear to me that there is a George Merrill GEM Dandy Signature Poly Table in the future of my listening room. Here is a photo of my customer's GEM Dandy Signature Poly Table with his 12.2 inch effective length Woody Universal Tonearm. This is the setup that I listened to, leading me desire this turntable:
This page is a tribute to audio legend George Merrill and a testimonial to his current top of the line turntable, the Gem Dandy Signature Poly Table, one of a number of remarkable, practical and creative products George has brought to market over the years. The GEM in GEM Dandy is for George E. Merrill. George, with associates, has developed, manufactured, and sold remarkable turntables, and other products, at remarkable prices for years. When you buy a George Merrill product, you are paying for solid quality, not advertising hyperbole. Like myself, George sells directly to the public, eliminating the middle layer of marketing and advertising.
George Merrill's Products
If you want to know more about George's products, there are many reviews available online. You can also visit George's website: www.hifigem.com . Do not forget to review the testimonials for George's products. George Merrill is the real deal.
The GEM Dandy Signature Poly Table
I had been only somewhat aware of George's contributions to the audio world. I was jolted into full awareness when a customer had George send one of his Gem Dandy Signature Poly Tables for installation of my customers 12.2" Woody Universal Tonearm and and his Ortofon Black LBV 150 edition cartridge. LBV for Ludwig Van Beethoven's 150th birthday. I installed and set up the arm and cartridge with great care.
I dropped the stylus into the groove, dropped into my listening position, and found myself immersed in musical magic. This turntable was making greater magic than I had previously heard in my listening room. The turntables I had in service at the time were a Thorens TD124 and a Garrard 301, both good sounding tables, but neither so magical as the GEM Dandy Signature Poly Table.
I wondered whether the magic was primarily from the turntable or from the cartridge, which I had not previously auditioned. I changed cartridges to my longtime favorite, the Dynavector XX2 Mk. II, and listened further. More magic. Yes, it was the turntable, not the just cartridge. Both cartridges were making magic with the Woody Universal Tonearm and the GEM Dandy Signature Poly Table. The Ortofon was a bit brighter, more vivacious. The Dyanavector was a bit warmer, more seductive. We can talk about all the various attributes of good sound . . . bass, midrange, treble, soundstage, imaging, pace, rhythm and timing, but what we hear with the GEM Dandy Signature Poly Table is a holistic synthesis of all these things, and something even better . . . Magic!
It is clear to me that there is a George Merrill GEM Dandy Signature Poly Table in the future of my listening room. Here is a photo of my customer's GEM Dandy Signature Poly Table with his 12.2 inch effective length Woody Universal Tonearm. This is the setup that I listened to, leading me desire this turntable:
About the GEM Dandy Signature Poly Table
George's turntable designs are focused on practicality, speed constancy, and reducing vibration and its transfer. Here are some photos of the GEM Dandy Signature Poly Table. The first is from George's web site. In this photo you see the Signature PolyTable table with the Sorane TA-1L arm that George can provide with the table. The lower platform is supported by three legs. The foot of each leg is a Sorbothane puck over an aluminum disk. The fluid damped low vibration synchronous motor supported by the lower platform is fed electrically by a super precise and steady digital motor drive which operates at 33 and 45 RPM, each speed with its own adjustment. A strobe light conducted through a fiber optic tube emanating from the motor controller allows the user to set the speed simply, precisely, and quickly using a separate strobe disk which can be placed atop the platter. The motor has a crowned pully which belt drives a sub-platter supported by the upper platform. The belt is carefully designed to minimize creation of vibration and vibration transfer from the motor to the to the sub-platter. The upper platform is supported and vibration isolated from the lower platform by three Sorbothane pucks. The upper platter is vibration isolated from the subplatter by a layer of cork and rubber material. I found the table to be quiet, simple to operate, trouble free, and a pleasure to use.
George's turntable designs are focused on practicality, speed constancy, and reducing vibration and its transfer. Here are some photos of the GEM Dandy Signature Poly Table. The first is from George's web site. In this photo you see the Signature PolyTable table with the Sorane TA-1L arm that George can provide with the table. The lower platform is supported by three legs. The foot of each leg is a Sorbothane puck over an aluminum disk. The fluid damped low vibration synchronous motor supported by the lower platform is fed electrically by a super precise and steady digital motor drive which operates at 33 and 45 RPM, each speed with its own adjustment. A strobe light conducted through a fiber optic tube emanating from the motor controller allows the user to set the speed simply, precisely, and quickly using a separate strobe disk which can be placed atop the platter. The motor has a crowned pully which belt drives a sub-platter supported by the upper platform. The belt is carefully designed to minimize creation of vibration and vibration transfer from the motor to the to the sub-platter. The upper platform is supported and vibration isolated from the lower platform by three Sorbothane pucks. The upper platter is vibration isolated from the subplatter by a layer of cork and rubber material. I found the table to be quiet, simple to operate, trouble free, and a pleasure to use.
The Photo below gives a better idea of the layered approach to vibration reduction. See the Sorbothane pucks under the three legs, isolating the lower platform from the equipment rack. See the lower platform supporting the fluid damped synchronous motor. See the three Sorbothane pucks supporting the upper platform from the lower platform.
How George Merrill Sleuths Out Vibration
I talked with George about how he tracks down vibration and vibration transfer so that he can reduce them. He told me that years ago he designed and constructed a device he calls the Vibration Intrusion Table (VIT). I picture a variation of a shake table. The operating frequency range of the VIT is .1 Hz to 100 kHz. He also designed and constructed a vibration pickup transducer that he can apply to various parts of the turntable to determine the level and frequency of vibration. He feeds these vibration signals to the Hewlett-Packard signal analyzer pictured below. He says that tuning forks are a useful signal when sleuthing out vibration.
I talked with George about how he tracks down vibration and vibration transfer so that he can reduce them. He told me that years ago he designed and constructed a device he calls the Vibration Intrusion Table (VIT). I picture a variation of a shake table. The operating frequency range of the VIT is .1 Hz to 100 kHz. He also designed and constructed a vibration pickup transducer that he can apply to various parts of the turntable to determine the level and frequency of vibration. He feeds these vibration signals to the Hewlett-Packard signal analyzer pictured below. He says that tuning forks are a useful signal when sleuthing out vibration.
Conclusion
Listening to music with the GEM Dandy Signature Poly Table, I have to conclude that, while George thinks his way through a design, and measures his way through the design, he also listens to his way through the design. George Merrill is the real deal . . . an American original. I hope you become more familiar with his products, in particular the GEM Dandy Signature Poly Table.
Listening to music with the GEM Dandy Signature Poly Table, I have to conclude that, while George thinks his way through a design, and measures his way through the design, he also listens to his way through the design. George Merrill is the real deal . . . an American original. I hope you become more familiar with his products, in particular the GEM Dandy Signature Poly Table.
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Pete Riggle Audio
2112 S. Olympia Street, Kennewick WA 99337, USA
shop phone: 509 582 4548 email: [email protected]
VTAF™ Trademarked. U.S.Patent No. 7630288.
Website content Copyright © 2023 Pete Riggle Audio, All Rights Reserved.
Pete Riggle Audio
2112 S. Olympia Street, Kennewick WA 99337, USA
shop phone: 509 582 4548 email: [email protected]
VTAF™ Trademarked. U.S.Patent No. 7630288.
Website content Copyright © 2023 Pete Riggle Audio, All Rights Reserved.