Model Comparison

Design Notes:

With our modular design approach, several parts are shared across the model lineup - a reflection of how one model spawned another. 

As a small manufacturer, this simplifies our inventory model.  

The consumer benefits, as every model in our line uses the best (and only) bearing and drive system we make.  Additionally, the interchangeability of our platters, confers future upgrade possibilities, as well.

Drive System:

The customer who purchases a re-manufactured Serac, receives the same drive system we specify for our Savoie model. 

This is the same drive system we offer for upgrades to non-Galibier turntables.  A history of our drive systems is documented here.

The year 2026 brings our 5th generation drive system (see link, above) and this most recent release can be retrofited to any turntable we've ever manufactured.  

Bearing:

The same is true for our bearing.  It has been a constant over the entire life of Galibier, with one minor improvement - a shift from chrome thrust balls to ceramic ones.

Generational Differences

Platters

Our Gavia and Stelvio composite platters went through one major change in the late 2000's:  a move from a Teflon surface to the TPI © layer.  This top layer was initially fabricated from graphite and now carbon fiber.

The Gavia and Stelvio versions are described below.

Bases - Armboard Architecture

The transition from the Mk I to Mk II generations marked a shift from pivoting armboards to the more stable, sliding armboard. 

Shortly after release of the Mk II architecture, we released an upgrade for the Mk I turntables:  the Mk 1.5 (sliding) armboard, and this brought performance parity to the MK I generation, although dual arm capability was sacrificed to achieve this.

Designed from the ground up, the Mk II architecture has dual arm capability.

Bases

The Mk I and Mk II Gavia and Stelvio bases hav an identical construction (apart from armboard architecture).  The Gavia is a solid billet of aluminum and the Stelvio has damping chambers filled with lead shot and oil.

Our new (2026) Savoie model is a hybrid design - blending the best features of the Mk II Stelvio and Gavia turntables, employing a constrained layer damping architcture.  The armboard architecture is identical to the Mk II turntables.  

Visually, the Savoie base resembles the Mk II turntables, but the arm mounts are integrated into the base as opposed to the modular (bolt-on) arm wings of the Mk II design.

Finishing

Platters and armboards are finished identically across the models, with platters being black, anodized and armboards being clear anodized.

• The Savoie base, motor pod and front pillar benefit from modern powder coating technology and myriad choices of custom colors are available.
• The Stelvio base, motor pod and front pillar were originally finished in your choice of custom paint colors.  The Savoie finish is being applied to all new turntables.
• The Gavia parts originally had a polished aluminum finish and now also receive the Savoie finish.  Polished turntables on the website are no longer available.

Model Differentiation

Platters:

Stelvio:  at 44.5 Lbs, is our best platter.

• An aluminum carrier with 24 damping chambers filled with lead and oil
• A 14 Lb. central brass layer
• A 1/4" thick carbon fiber top plate - the TPI © layer

Gavia:  a small step down.

The brass layer of the Stelvio platter is replaced with a PVC layer, reducing the platter's weight to 32 Lbs.  We'd put this platter up against any platter from any manufacturer at any price.

Don't underestimate this platter because of the Stelvio's existence.  It's 98% of the Stelvio at half the price.

Serac (PVC):

This is historical in nature, but since we receive a few trade-ins for Gavia upgrades, we document it here.  The solid PVC platter weighs 14 Lbs, and we've found this material to be far more consonant with LP playback than the ubiquitous acrylic platters which have been all the rage over the past two decades.  Enough said.

Bases:

The Stelvio (both Mk I and the current Mk II) employs the same damping strategy as our platters.  Machining these chambers into a 3.5" thick billet of aluminum is an expensive machining process.

The Gavia  (both generations) is externally identical to the Stelvio.  It is solid aluminum, rather than having the internal damping chambers however.

The Savoie is a hybrid of the Gavia and Stelvio employing a constrained layer damping approach.