Eccentricity

With vinyl, the word doesn't mean we're off our rocker or just plain strange. But it likely does mean that we're off center more often than not. It takes no genius to recognize that should an LP rotate even slightly eccentric, there'll be mechanical jitter on the needle trying to track a wobbly groove whizzing by. But LPs must also come easily on and off the shaft. It takes no genius to see that the interface includes some slop or else the fit would be too tight and users shafted getting their records to sit, never mind removing them again to play another. Now DS Audio, makers of popular laser cartridges and matching phono stages, introduce their solution to off-the-rocker LPs. That asks why put up with minor pitch instability bullshit when we could hit the bull's eye instead each and every time?

Cynics will retort that it's merely a cure looking for a disease when they've listened to vinyl without an ES-001 for decades already. How to be sure though if we haven't tried it first? Maybe being eccentric isn't as cool as it sounds?