The Savoie
Coming - Spring, 2025
The Savoie is named after the Haute Savoie region in the French Alps - the province where the Col du Galibier (Galibier pass) is located.
We wrestled with a new name and debated christening it the Stelvio Mk III.
Ultimately, the changes we've implemented are so dramatic, that this turntable demanded a new name, and the Savoie it is (pron. sav-wah).
Savoie - Modular and Convertible
The Vision
- Take Mk II Stelvio to the next level
- Make it convertible: "hot swap" between belt and idler drive
- Develop a new drive system
- Carry forward the Stelvio's flexible, and dual arm mounting architecture
- Employ "next step" isolation
Savoie - Belt Version
The Savoie has been a years' long effort, as we refused to merely "dress up" our Stelvio Mk II and call it a day.
Successive prototypes stripped away the fat, and what remains is simplicity itself.
Idler fans and belt fans - be prepared to explode your biases.
We could not have raised the bar with either architecture had we not explored and developed both.
With every improvement in the belt drive, we had to return to the idler version for it to catch up. The reverse held true as we brought more of the idler's virtues to the belt implementation.
Key Features
- Modular drive configuration (idler or belt) - ease of service, and "hot swaps" are possible.
- Arm mounts and bearing/platter are mounted on their own isolation platform.
- Dual, 12″ tonearm capable.
- Mk II armboard architecture carried forward to the Savoie. 12.5mm of fine, Vernier adjustment range for pivot to spindle distance. Experiment with multiple alignments.
- Left and right arms mounts are mirror-imaged. Positions can be reversed - both for setup ease as well as for any other reason.
- 3 phase, sine wave generating controller architecture
- Gavia TPI© platter standard (Stelvio TPI© is optional)
- Identical bearing as the Stelvio.
Isolation ...
The arm mounts and bearing assembly are on their own isolation platform and we'll have more to say about the underlying technology in the coming days.
You're eyes aren't fooling you. The bearing module is a combination of stainless, brass and bronze, and tips the scales at 17 pounds!
As quiet as you can make a drive system, isolating the arm mounts and bearing from it has a dramatic effect on the noise floor.
Rear Module - Bearing & Arm Mounts
and Modularity
Drive Module
The drive module comprises the front half of the turntable. This is the section you swap out to shift gears to idler drive - a 10 minute operation.
Not to be underestimated, this modularity also confers a servicing benefit - a philosophy we've embraced since the first turntable manufactured by Galibier.
Should your Savoie ever need servicing, the last thing we want you to have to do is ship an entire turntable to us.
Here's what one of our customers had to say about the prototype ...
"
Thank you for hosting us in your lovely home last weekend. My thoughts:
The original conception of the platter, base and bearing have been re-validated. This part of the design ranks with the best available. The long term viability of the design is a wonderful testament to your initial engineering conception.
The rim drive is a revolutionary (as opposed to evolutionary) development. I have heard just about every contender for “best turntable in the world”.
What I heard on Saturday night is the best vinyl I have ever heard…and second place isn’t that close.
Based on what I heard Saturday evening, the new drive system fulfills the promise of Galibier and what compelled me (and many other customers) to purchase Galibier turntables. I feel you absolutely owe it to your loyal customers to complete the rim drive and make it available as an upgrade sooner rather than later.
As a loyal customer and public advocate of your products, I have waited for this level of upgrade and am looking forward to getting delivery of either a prototype or finished drive system soon. I expect you will want input and validation from current owners, please let me know when a test unit will be available.
MZ
/ Bellvue, WA
