BERGMANN AUDIO                            Manufacturer's website
We are excited about being able to offer you the new, state-of-the-art Bergmann Air bearing turntables. Watch for the newest table to the Bergmann lineup coming very soon. All of the great Bergman features priced at $12,000. See it in action at the California Audio Show July 2011.






 

Sleipner~ Refererence Table / Arm
$48,000

A conversation with John Bergmann:

"Hi Johnnie,

- How does the Sleipner sound compared to the Sindre?
Sleipner sounds bigger, more authority and more relaxed. It's simply- even more enjoyable.
At the CES, many visitors were surprised when they realized we were playing analog -they thought it was a CD playing because there was no typical record noise.

- Did you add a grounding post to the back of the Sleipner?
Yes, there is a grounding post on the back of Sleipner.

- What is the total weight of the Sleipner?
The total weight of the table is about 90 pounds.
The air pump is near 50 pounds.

- What is the delivery time once an order is placed?
Normally delivery time is app. 2 months -mainly because of the motor/controller delivery time.
But I have put motor controllers on stock for this first production.

- Have you got the final shipping crate designed?
I've found a wooden box/pallet. The inside packing will be the same as the new inside packing on Sindre, high quality thick solid foam.

Any other comments about the Sleipner would be welcome.
Plinth:
The plinth is a 7 layer sandwich construction, made in 4 different materials. This construction is stiff and 'dead' when knocking on it, but not 'overdead' which can kill the life and overtones in the music.
Available in shiny or silky mat finish.

Feet:
The plinth is standing on 3 special designed adjustable feet. Different feet will have a different influence on the sound from the unit. The coupling between the unit/feet/shelf is much more 'direct', rather than a threaded feet.

Platter/bearing:
The platter floats on air, as the Sindre, but it's also centered by air, which means that the bearing noise is even lower!
No oil is required, as there are no mechanical contact - it will "last forever"...
Furthermore, the platter has a vacuum hold down, which will flatten and doing a powerful grip on the record. The record can be changed without turning off the vacuum pump.
I consider to offer the record mat in different materials, which means the customer can "fine tune" to the preferred sound character.

Tonearm:
The carbon armtube/headshell is handmade in one piece, to optimize the stiffness. Assembly of the parts in the complete tonearm is optimized to obtain an optimum stiffness and resonances control.
It can be adjusted in all angles, in one step at a time. VTA can be adjusted when playing. All adjustments are done from the topside.
Sleipner is even more user friendly than the Sindre, when set up and daily operating.

Power supply:
The separate power supply is the same ultimate design as the Sindre. Furthermore, it contains a digital motor controller. In the bottom side of the motors rotor, there is a disc with 1024 counts/rev., which is monitored and regulated by the motor controller, 500 times per second, which secure an ultimate speed stability.
The motor and controller is designed to fit each other, constructed by the specialist in small drive solutions (Faulhaber) in Switzerland.

Air supply:
The air supply is a heavy construction, and contains both air pump and vacuum pump, and with the filters and condense drain as in Sindre. "

 





Sindre Airbearing Turntable
$21,000

Sindre is a traditional air bearing turntable / air bearing tone arm combination. The platter floats on a thin air film centered by a spindle, and mounted with a linear tracking air bearing tone arm Sindre is extremely simple to adjust and operate. The air supply is so noiseless, that it can be placed in the listening room.

Plinth
Sindre is built around a 88 mm massive block, in a 3 layer fibre board. The plinth is hung up stiffly to secure an optimal stability for the linear tracking air bearing tone arm The plinth is placed on 3 adjustable spikes to make level adjusting simple. Spikes are chosen, rather than other solutions, because of their stability. Spikes are made of a stiff material and secure the turntable's horizontal adjustment. This method forms a glaring contrast to soft feet which, in time, will collapse. At the same time, the spikes provide the smallest contact surface as possible to avoid vibrations from the substructure from being transmitted to the turntable.

The back panel of the plinth contains:

1. WBT plugs to provide the user with the option of using his or her preferred interconnect.

2. Air flow adjustment for the tone arm and the platter. Both easily accessible and user-friendly.

3. Air supply entrance and motor control connection.

Air bearing
Sindre's bearing is the closest you will get to Sleipners ultimate bearing solution. The air bearing consist of two aluminum discs between which the air supply creates a thin frictionless air film. The spindle is centered in a bearing housing made of a very hardwearing and extremely frictionless technical polymeric. The material, which is vibration muffling in itself, has a five times longer life than bronze bearings.

Platter and the clamp
The 3.2 kg sub platter, which is made in solid aluminum, provides, in combination with the 4 kg acrylic platter, a well-balanced, vivid and dynamic reproduction of the music. When the clamp is screwed on the taps thread, the sub platter, platter and record gets tightened into one heavy and very stable rotating unit. An O-ring in the bottom of the clamp prevents the record in slipping on the platter. In this way you prevent the record in causing small, fast decelerations.

Tone arm
The tone arm is a linear tracking air bearing tone arm It tracks the record as it was pressed. A linear tracking air bearing tone arm can be made in several ways. We have chosen the following construction: A long fixed air pipe with small vents creates a frictionless air film on which a sliding pipe gently floats. The arm tube is mounted on this sliding pipe. In this construction you avoid an air tube which inevitably interferes with the arm's freedom of movement. This type of arm is simple to adjust perfectly. The tone arm is made in a very hard aluminum alloy to secure the best stability as possible. The arm tube is made of carbon fibre - again to secure the best stability possible. The head shell, made in the same hard aluminum alloy as the rest of the tone arm, is completely parallel with the sliding pipe, which results in a perfect azimuth. The internal wire is twisted in one piece from clips to plugs to avoid extra soldering in the extremely sensitive signal path. The tone arm has a VTA adjustment and perfect horizontal adjustment of the air pipe is possible, independent of the plinth. The tone arm can be moved forward and backward on the plinth. Adjustment tools are enclosed.

Motor control

Air supply
The air supply has been the object of our greatest attention. The air must be even, clean and dry. Impulses from the pump are absorbed in an encapsulated reservoir. This results in an even air flow to the air bearings. The air supply is fitted with a filter which prevents small dust particles from entering the system. This filter is replaceable if necessary. Furthermore, there is a container for the accumulation of condensation. The condensation container is placed on the back of the air supply and is easy to empty. The pump we chose is very reliable, and the noise level so low that it can be placed in the listening room.

Upgrading
Sindre can be upgraded to battery power. You simply connect our battery power supply via the LEMO plug outlet on the back panel of the turntable.

Technical data
Turntable: Air supported platter, centered by a steel spindle/low friction polymer bearing. DC motor.
Belt driven.
Plinth: Solid fibre board.
Platter: Acrylic, 4 kg.
Sub platter: Aluminum, 3.2 kg.
Total weight: 23 kg.
Dimensions: 475 x 500 x 210 (D x W x H)
Tone arm: Linear tracking air bearing tone arm Hard aluminum alloy/carbon .
Effective mass: 10 gr.
Motor control: 33 & 45 rpm.
Air supply: Silent, clean, dry and smooth airflow.
Weight: 8.4 kg.
Dimensions: 415 x 210 x 220 (D x W x H)

The Absolute Sound Review, Sept 2010
Hi Fidelity Review, Jan 2010

© Loggie Audio 2009