FEICKERT WOODPECKER

One of the strongest of all the Feickert attributes is an ability to make one forget that they're there. Easy to place and easy to use ... and they don't ever get in the way of the music"

FEICKERT WOODPECKER TURNTABLE

"Technically mature, aesthetically elegant and tonally perfectly balanced: What makes the Woodpecker unique is its enormous neutrality and clarity. In terms of bass depth and balance, theWoodpecker definitely keeps up with significantly larger tables. It is "neutral" in the best sense of the word. With bass, it can restitute a heavy kick at the start of the attack, adding real scale in the "swing" ... a perfect balance. This impression of perfect balance continues in the higher frequency ranges where it plays with a cleanliness and precision that is second to none. Nothing is left out, or invented in any area of the tonal spectrum - there are no phase errors disturbing the spatial focus and sharpness of the stage ... and no artificial recreation of spacial effects that are "not there"

Overview

Fully loaded, without tonearm, at just under $6,000, Dr. Feickert Analogue's Woodpecker is a belt-driven turntable with a proprietary-software-controlled DC motor. The design includes a quick-release sliding-armboard system capable of supporting a variety of 205–300 mm (9″–12″) tonearms. The chassis is 18.9″ wide and 15″ deep, and weighs 29.7 pounds. With its 13.2-pound platter the total turntable weighs in at approximately 40 pounds without tonearm. There are five pushbuttons on the front left top of the turntable near the platter. Three buttons allow speed selection (33/45/78), while the other two are for speed adjustments

The key to the Feickert turntable drive systems is the motor design, which was done in close consultation with its world-renowned manufacturer, Pabst. The result is a feedback-based system in which the controller produces very low jitter levels.

The plinth is constructed of aluminum top and bottom layers with thermally-treated MDF in the middle and sits on specially designed adjustable feet.

Riding on an inverted bearing is a 13.23-lb platter. This 2.36" high platter is made from poly-oxy-methylene (POM). POM is a rather slow compound in terms of propagation of sonic energy, and has resonance characteristics similar to the vinyl used to manufacture records. POM also has anti-static properties which help to suppress clicks and pops in playback. Embedded within the platter are eight 1¾" solid MS58 brass cylinder inlays that are evenly-spaced around, and close to, its outer edge. This evenly 'distributed' metal mass adds significant inertia, resulting in enhanced smoothness to the sound and in more refined inner details.