Which, now that we’ve got a handle on the Atlantis DNA, finally brings us to the Reference Transport.
Let’s start with the disc mechanism itself…
The Wadax Reference Transport uses a proprietary transport, dubbed Thor Pro, a total redesign of the original Thor mechanism. The motor and laser mounting are built into a sophisticated cradle, weighing 25kg and consisting of over 30 precision machined parts, in nine distinct materials, arranged to create an extraordinarily efficient and precisely tuned mechanical cascade, close coupled to the 60kg mechanical ground presented by the chassis itself. This is where the extra space comes in. You can – and many designers do – simply throw mass at the problem of mechanical dissipation, bolting the moving parts to a large lump of ‘something’. The Thor Pro’s complex structure uses interfaces between different materials to lead energy away from the motor, disc and reading head before bleeding it into the chassis components. But that is made both easier and more effective if the energy paths are not restricted by space. Thor Pro’s cradle occupies the full width and top half of the Reference Transport’s chassis, allowing spurious energy to take a more linear exit route, minimising mechanical impedance and reflections.
While the Thor Pro mechanism is buried inside the Reference Transport’s chassis, it also involves the unit’s most arresting feature. The deep well in which the transport sits helps protect the spinning disc from airborne vibration, sealed by a striking, five-bladed iris mechanism, that operates in much the same way as the aperture in a camera lens. While it might be tempting to assume that this is just a mechanical and visual uptick over the sliding lid on the (now discontinued) Atlantis Transport, the change is far more significant than that. Both the Wadax transports employ a manual, magnetically fixed clamp. But the dimensions (and effectiveness) of the clamp used in the Atlantis are limited by the need to fit it under the lid. The iris closure in the Reference Transport leaves a circular, central gap, allowing far greater flexibility when it comes to the dimensions and physical characteristics of the clamp, an important consideration when you consider the impact of the disc’s motion and vibration on the replay process. It’s no surprise that the Reference Transport clamp is significantly bigger than the one used in the Atlantis, or that it closely resembles the profile of many a record clamp. Wadax’s research into clamp shape and materials revealed just how influential this element of the transport mechanism is, when it comes to musical performance.
The larger chassis is also mandated by two other performance related factors.
Power supply design (and options)…
Take a look inside the Reference Transport and it’s hard to miss the pair(!) of large, 400VA transformers. With a total capacity as big or bigger than many power amps, you might well wonder why a mere transport demands so much power potential. The short answer is, that it doesn’t. Power draw for all aspects of the transport combined is distinctly modest, so why the two, large toroidal transformers? Two because it allows total separation of the feed that powers the critical reading, motor control and output electronics from the display and operational functions, non-critical processes that otherwise generate intrusive noise. Big because it means that the Reference Transport circuitry never draws more than 5% (generally closer to 3%) of the transformer’s capacity, meaning that the incoming DC is as smooth and quiet as possible, while the transformers themselves not only generate the minimum mechanical energy but are separately housed, mechanically and electrically grounded within the chassis structure. The DC they produce is then fed through multi-stage regulation to the individual circuit blocks within the chassis. The extreme level of this dual physical and electrical isolation acknowledges just how critical power supply and DC quality is to the overall performance of digital circuitry and the musical performance of disc transports in particular.
