Acoustic Signature Thunder

IN-STOCK

(Optional Black Anodizing $1,750.00 Extra)

Hi-Fi News Review

Acoustic Signature Catalogue

Manufacturer's Website

Thunder is the first turntable we have manufactured with our new revolutionary ‘Silencer Platter 3’ design, one of the most significant improvements in our turntable designs. The Thunder is designed and built for exceptional music reproduction, outperforming turntables costing much more. A 70mm solid aluminium chassis forms the base of the turntable, on which up to three arm attachments can be fitted for either 9” or 12” tone-arms of any make.

The 50mm thick platter is driven by its remotely sited motor and AlphaDIG electronic control offers a perfect supply to the motor. The turntable base has been designed for optimum stability; the large footprint of the table generates more stability, to increase the weight concentration at the base of the turntable. The Thunder is engineered to provide exceptional sound, but its form is also attractively contemporary.

• A 50mm solid turntable platter made of aluminium with Silencer inserts. The platter is made of a very soft alloy to optimize its periodic resonance, and is coated on the rear side with resonance-reducing material. For the Silencer- Platter3 the development target was clearly defined: Elimination of vibration due to impacting airborne sound. Elimination of bearing noise, increase of the gyrating mass. Serious elimination of all frequencies, especially in the range 400-6000Hz. This was achieved by drilling 24 holes into the turntable. The manufacturing process for the precision of these holes was once more refined. The holes are drilled and afterwards separately “line-bored”. This allows a clearance of less than 1/100mm.

• Perfect conditions for the force-fitting of the 24 silencer modules. The “silencers" are now an integral part of the turntable - but highly absorbing. Existing vibration energy is quickly reduced and the Platter is immediately steadied. To avoid unbalances through the additional holes these are manufactured in the same setting as the outer contour. In this way the holes are absolutely true to the centre of the turntable. As you can see, we have done everything to develop a potentially perfect product.

• The bearing is the heart of every turntable. Through fundamental research and development, we have invented a bearing with the ideal performance characteristics of exact fit, extremely low noise, very low friction and long term stability. The platter bearing component is manufactured from special hardened and polished steel, with an extremely hard tungsten carbide ball at its base. The bearing housing uses perfectly matched and ‘aged’ sinter bronze inserts which are self-lubricating; and therefore maintenance free. At the base of the bearing, we use our specially developed ‘high-tech’ material TIDORFOLON. Our bearing runs dry - without oil.

• The external drive motor of the turntable is run by its own electronic controller, called the AlphaDIG. It is a brand new design where fully digital output stages and a quartz locked technology is used. It is impervious to the negative effects of mains voltage fluctuations and household appliances that produce ‘noisy’ mains that can have a very great detrimental effect on AC motors and therefore the turntable performance and ultimately the sound. And a quartz precision DSP then produces a perfect sine wave at 24VAC to run the motor, resulting in a perfectly steady and constant platter rotation. The AlphaDIG control is the perfect design solution.

• The tone arm mounting plates are adjustable. The mounting of any desired tone arm is possible, with a maximum of 3 tone arm mounting plates on one turntable.

• Three adjustable feet for simple macro and micro adjustments to level the turntable.

• The high mass platter (with its inertia) is an integral part of the turntable concept. Very low bearing friction, perfect motor drive control and large platter inertia guarantee perfect synchronization and the best sound. Highest precision manufacturing in Germany guarantees reliability of this turntable. To make sure that every Thunder is exactly the same we produce nearly every part on high precision computer controlled machines.
   

 

Dr Hi-Fi's Technical Review and listening tests coming Soon...

Behold the......'Thunder'.

State-Of-The-Art in German precision engineering. The Thunder is an awesome and most impressive example of a World class Reference Turntable that will never be outdated. Both technically and aesthetically.

This is by far the most attractive and thoroughly well designed Table which I have ever had the pleasure of using. Un-boxing the Thunder for the first time, I still remember that day. Getting blown away and awestruck at the uncompromising manufacturing quality and precision which every part was machined and meticulously finished. It is truly a thing of emeses beauty.

If you are at all interested in achieving the very best in reference level vinyl playback then the Thunder from Acoustic Signature should be on your final short-list. It is my personal Turntable of choice to use in my system daily. The natural competitor to the Thunder is the SME Model 30 Table. Not only does the Thunder outstrip the famed Model 30 at a fraction of the price,  but when you stop to consider what A.S. has achieved in terms of both performance and value you will appreciate what you are getting all the more. I cannot think of another high mass table in this league which we could accurately compare.

Yes, the Thunder has a higher mass than the SME Model 30 but also it is constructed to a smaller footprint. So measuring less in area but weighing more gives a double benefit to the Thunder. The result is an even greater and more rigid chassis because of it's increased mass and also a more dense chassis design.

So while paying less you are actually getting more in real terms. More Mass, More Rigidity and More Performance.

Below extract is taken from SME's website.

"In common with this arm the design of the Model 30/2 takes special account of sonic considerations and with equipment of comparable quality can provide a listening experience that allows L.P. sound to be re-assessed. Detail, resolution, and neutrality are of a new order with a dynamic range that does justice to the original sound.

The laws of physics decree that the higher the mass and stiffness of a body the less it will flex and vibrate - and this is reflected throughout the Model 30/2."
 

The Thunder is very much all about over specifying each critical component in the Deck to insane Overkill levels. Nothing has been economised on or shortcut to save a dollar here or there to make the Thunder less expensive. It costs what it needs to cost in order to get the job done.

As a perfectionist, I strongly dislike the thought or even the idea, that a product can and is made more cheaply and of poorer quality and care in order to produce an inferior component and for it to fit a lower price point. Never the less this is very much an economic reality in today's society.

Having said that and having used them all I can attest that each Acoustic Signature Table is made to the same degree of perfection and what I would call, personal pride & care. Even in their more entry level models such as the Challenger MK.II the customer is never disappointed. Attention to detail and manufacturing perfection is not compromised at all.

That is something which Master Engineer and owner Gunther Frohnhöfer would not have any other way. He has personally communicated to me that everything must be perfectly matched and built to the same 'No Compromise' standard for each of their respective models in the range. Only the degree of excessive over engineered extravagance is limited but strictly never compromised upon at the expense of performance.

I have not found this to be the case before in other brands. With Acoustic Signature only the scale of the design has been dialled back as to bring the product into a more reachable market sector for a greater volume of customers to enjoy without infringing on the outright performance and quality per dollar spent. From my studies in marketing I will tell you that this is one of the most complicated and difficult accomplishments which many manufacturers have attempted but failed.

Bigger and heavier with a fully enclosed Tonearm mounting housing which deviates from the Storm and Challenger MK.II models. If this is not the most rigid uncompromising over-engineered chassis you have ever seen on a Turntable in this class, I look forward to reviewing any competing products which may want to compete at the level.

You will carefully notice that the extra mass over the Storm and Challenger MK.II is basically achieved with an enlarged base chassis which keeps the centre of gravity as low as possible. The basic footprint of the Table is approximately the same but the rigidity has been increased even further. This is in contrast to other manufacturers who's offerings take up a considerable larger table top area which makes them susceptible to greater resonant interference. From an engineering view point you with to keep the centre of gravity and the physical dimensions as low as possible and the mass index as high as possible. This creates the perfect combination.

 

315mm x 50mm Solid Aluminium Drive Platter. Complete with 24 Brass silencer inserts fitted into the platter assembly, to further reduce resonance and the bottom face is coated with resonance-reducing material. This is up from 8 that are featured on Acoustic Signature's Storm.

The 45kg Mass Monster with external Motor Drive unit and external PSU.

I offer you to compare this to the alternatives in this price range and you will be convinced that the Acoustic-Signature Thunder offers the best and most advanced features and is Choice # 1

Heavier and bigger 70mm Main Chassis increased from 45mm Chassis which is featured on Acoustic Signature's Storm and 40mm which is featured on the Challenger MK.II.

Shown with optional Acoustic Signature Grip MK.II and Rubber Mat.

 

The below extract from Acoustic Signature describes their exclusive Tidorfolon Bearing better than what I can...

Ordinary bearings rely on a liquid lubricant to allow the platter to spin smoothly. There are several reasons that this is problematic. As the contact point of the shaft touches the bottom of the bearing, it creates pressure, squeezing out the oil from underneath the most critical section of the assembly. So there is no oil on the high-pressure turning point and the wear begins. Also because of gravity the lubricant cannot coat the entire shaft or axle leaving wear points at the top.

The solution is pure genius. The housing of the bearing is machined out of solid aluminium, at the bottom of the shaft sits a special alloy called Tidorfolon (a mixture of vanadium, ferrite Teflon, and titanium). It is noiseless, wear-free, and self-lubricating. Since it is softer than standard plates it allows the axle point to sink into it's surface a little bit, creating more surface area and reducing friction and pressure between the axle and the base. The axle is made of hardened antimagnetic steel and tipped with a tungsten carbide ball. Sinter bronze bushings are used to lubricate the shaft.

The bronze is more porous than usual bushings and is naturally lubricated in a special process. The bronze is heated, expanding its natural pores, and soaked in oil to add even more lubricant. After that it's cooled down and the oil then stays inside the porous parts of the bronze like water stays in a Sponge. As the axle spins the oil impregnated bronze allows the shaft to spin smoothly without the need for an additional liquid lubricant. And another great advantage is that you don't need to keep your turntable spinning.

There is no difference in sound quality to a 15min. running turntable or one which runs 24 hours a day. This is because of the bearing construction. This construction makes sure that from the first second of turning the lubricant is at the place where it should be to work.

Acoustic Signature is so confidant in this product that we guarantee it for 10 years! ! The bearing comes standard on the entire line of tables. One more reason we consider Acoustic Signature to be number one!

Shown with SME Series V Tonearm.

Tonearm's are sold separately.