J.Sikora REFERENCE User manual

Uncompromising and Extreme Audio Solutions
REFERENCE Turntable
Manual

J.Sikora –REFERENCE Turntable Manual
2 © 2021 Notable Audio Products | www.notableaudio.com
Dear Customer
Thank you very much for your trust and for your purchase of a J.Sikora turntable. Please read this manual
carefully before assembly and first use of your table. Please do not disassemble any of the electronic parts
of the product; this will invalidate the warranty. Only the manufacturer, their authorized service agents, or
distributors are authorized to open any electronic parts.
Precautions:
- Do not plug in or turn on the power supply before the entire turntable assembly is fully completed.
- To avoid the risk of electric shock never touch any power cables with wet hands.
- When unplugging the turntable’s power supply, never pull the power cable out by holding the cord.
Always hold the plug rather than the cord.
- When choosing a location for the turntable, choose a place out of direct sunlight if possible. Avoid
putting the turntable next to devices emitting high levels of heat, such as Class A amplifiers, heaters,
radiators, or ovens. Excessive heat can damage or shorten the life of plastic elements, discolor
materials, and in extreme situations represent a fire hazard. Also, avoid placing the turntable’s power
supply next to your phono preamp. Some phono preamps can generate hum when placed too close
to a power supply
- The shipping box and some elements of the turntable are extremely heavy. Please get assistance
when moving the shipping container(s) and when setting-up or moving the turntable. We suggest
keeping the shipping box and packaging.
About this Manual
This manual contains information on how to setup and use the J.Sikora REFERENCE Turntable.
Supplement information, including setup videos can be found on the J.Sikora USA Reference Turntable page:
https://notableaudio.com/j-sikora-reference-turntable/.

J.Sikora –REFERENCE Turntable Manual
3 © 2021 Notable Audio Products | www.notableaudio.com
Contents
1General Information –REFERENCE Turntable........................................................................................4
1.1 Weight and Dimensions......................................................................................................................4
1.2 REFERENCE Box contents: ...............................................................................................................5
1.3 Unpacking ...........................................................................................................................................6
2Turntable Setup..........................................................................................................................................7
2.1 Set the Isolation Base..........................................................................................................................7
2.1.1 Place the Isolation Base ...............................................................................................................7
2.1.2 Add Isolation Feet........................................................................................................................8
2.1.3 Level the Isolation Base...............................................................................................................9
2.2 Place Templates.................................................................................................................................11
2.3 Place the Spindle Assembly..............................................................................................................13
2.4 Place the Motors................................................................................................................................13
2.5 Remove the Templates......................................................................................................................14
2.6 Grease the Bearing ............................................................................................................................14
2.7 Placing the Platter..............................................................................................................................17
2.8 Place the Glass Mat...........................................................................................................................19
2.9 Mount the Drive Belts.......................................................................................................................20
2.10 Place Arm Tower...........................................................................................................................22
2.11 Change Tonearm Inserts (As needed) ...........................................................................................22
2.12 Re-Level Your Turntable...............................................................................................................24
2.13 Connect the Motors .......................................................................................................................25
2.14 Connect Power Supply ..................................................................................................................26
3Using Your Turntable ..............................................................................................................................27
3.1 Powering On / Off.............................................................................................................................27
3.2 Using the Clamp................................................................................................................................27
3.3 Starting / Stopping the Turntable......................................................................................................29
3.4 Adjusting Speed ................................................................................................................................29
3.5 Getting Your Turntable Settled.........................................................................................................30
4Properly Maintaining Your Table............................................................................................................31
4.1 Bearing..............................................................................................................................................31
4.2 Belts...................................................................................................................................................31
4.3 Cleaning Your Turntable...................................................................................................................31
5Limited Warranty Conditions..................................................................................................................32

J.Sikora –REFERENCE Turntable Manual
4 © 2021 Notable Audio Products | www.notableaudio.com
1General Information –REFERENCE Turntable
1.1 Weight and Dimensions
Total weight: 115 kg (253 lbs)
Platter weight: 18 kg (40 lbs)
Motor [pcs.]: 4 DC
Speeds available: 331/3, 45 rpm
Dimensions [WxDxH]: 560 x 560 x 380 mm (22 x 22 x 15inches)
Isolation
Base
Table
Chassis
Motor
Arm Tower
Optional
Arm Tower
Tonearm
Not Included
Tonearm
Not Included
Motor
Controller
Motor
Clamp Glass Mat
Platter Belts
Tonearm
Insert
Motor

J.Sikora –REFERENCE Turntable Manual
5 © 2021 Notable Audio Products | www.notableaudio.com
1.2 REFERENCE Box contents:
- 3 x aluminum discs for supporting legs
- 5 x ceramic ball (3 pieces for the turntable’s legs, 1 for bearing and 1 is spare)
- 1 x jar of J.Sikora bearing oil
- 2 x small brush for oil (North American models only)
- 2 x lint free rag for removing any excess oil (North American models only)
- 1 x microfiber cloth for cleaning the table
- 1 x set of silver-colored hex wrenches
- 1 x black hex wrench for adjusting fee
- 1 x set of J.Sikora Monogramed Coasters (3) (North American models only)
- 1 x precision bubble level (North American models only)
- 1 x pair of white gloves (North American models only)
- 1 x plinth with control unit
- 1 x plexiglass stencil
- 1 x platter base with bearing
- 1 x tonearm tower
- 1 x platter
- 1 x glass matt with aluminum puck
- 4 x motors
- 4 x belts
- 1 x clamp
- 1 x Reference power supply
- 1 x manual
- 1 x USB Thumb Drive with all of the J.Sikora manuals
- optional: extra tower for second tonearm

J.Sikora –REFERENCE Turntable Manual
6 © 2021 Notable Audio Products | www.notableaudio.com
1.3 Unpacking
Your REFERENCE turntable ships in three boxes. Be careful, all of the boxes are very heavy!
Any additional Arm Towers, accessories, tonearms, and cartridges will be packaged separately. All elements
of the turntable are packed safely to protect them against damage in transport. The parts are located in
fitted nests in separate layers of foam. The protective cloth can leave lint on some surfaces. Use the included
lint-free cloth to remove any lint before assembling your turntable.
Before unpacking be sure that you prepare a space on which to assembly your turntable. If you think you
may need to re-pack the turntable sometime in the future, we advise that you take pictures of each layer
while you unpack the turntable. Print and store those images with this User Manual. Later, you can use those
pictures as a guide to safely re-pack the turntable.
Isolation
Base
Platter,
Main Bearing, &
Power Supply
Motors,
Arm Tower(s), &
Accessories

J.Sikora –REFERENCE Turntable Manual
7 © 2021 Notable Audio Products | www.notableaudio.com
2Turntable Setup
Warning! We strongly suggest setting up the REFERENCE turntable with the help of a second person. The
turntable is extremely heavy.
Before assembly, be sure that the rack and shelf you will be using for your turntable is level. Carefully check
each direction with a spirit level. The turntable does have leveling adjustments, but it always better for you
to make the major leveling adjustments to the rack and then perform only the fine leveling with the
turntable’s feet. It is far easier to adjust your rack without a heavy turntable on it.
2.1 Set the Isolation Base
2.1.1 Place the Isolation Base
The Isolation Base is heavy, so if you place the Legs directly on your shelf, it may well scratch the shelf. So, a
set of leather J.Sikora Coasters are included for you to set under the Legs of the Chassis during the setup
process to avoid damaging the shelf.
Note where the points of the Feet of the Isolation Base are located. There are two Legs on the bottom of
one side of the Isolation Base and one Leg on the other side.

J.Sikora –REFERENCE Turntable Manual
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Place the coasters in the approximate position where you would like to Legs to sit.
Ideally with the help of another person, slowly lower the Isolation Base onto the Coasters. Once on the
Coasters, gently slide the Isolation Base to its desired location.
2.1.2 Add Isolation Feet
The next step is to replace the Coasters with the Isolation Feet, which are composed of Aluminum Discs and
large Ceramic Ball Bearings. These parts will act to isolate the table from the shelf
Locate the bag with the three Aluminum Discs. Place the Discs on the shelf.
Next, locate the bag with the three large Isolation Ball Bearings. Note that there will be another bag of with
much smaller Ball Bearings. You will use the small bearing later.
Adjustable Legs

J.Sikora –REFERENCE Turntable Manual
9 © 2021 Notable Audio Products | www.notableaudio.com
Now, place one of the Bearings into the indent on the top of each Disc to create the assembled Feet.
You will now place one of each of the Feet under each Leg of the Isolation Base.
This is one of the trickier steps, so grab a friend to help if you can. First, lift one corner of the Isolation Base
and remove the Coaster. We find it easier to lift the Foot into the foot into the Leg and then lower the
Isolation Base. Doing this with another person will make this step much easier and will help insure you line
the bearing of the Foot with the indent in the Leg. If you lower the Isolation Base without the proper
alignment, you may end up chasing Bearings across the room. While this is no fun, you will not damage the
Bearings. Take a deep breath and try again. Repeat this procedure for the other two Feet.
2.1.3 Level the Isolation Base
If you were not able to level your shelf, you can use adjust the feet on the Isolation Base to level the
turntable.
For
Bearing For Feet

J.Sikora –REFERENCE Turntable Manual
10 © 2021 Notable Audio Products | www.notableaudio.com
Even if you leveled your shelf, sometimes the weight of the Isolation Base can impact the leveling of your
furniture. Center the included Bubble Level on the plinth to determine if your table is level in all directions
(front to back and side to side).
Check Level of Isolation Base
If your turntable requires levelling, insert the black wrench into one of the holes in the Leg on the side of the
Isolation Platform that needs to be adjusted.
Using the wrench, rotate the Leg clockwise to raise the Foot and counter-clockwise to lower the Foot. Repeat
that process as needed with the other Legs.

J.Sikora –REFERENCE Turntable Manual
11 © 2021 Notable Audio Products | www.notableaudio.com
2.2 Place Templates
To achieve the exceptional performance of your REFERENCE turntable is capable of, the table’s four Motors
and Spindle Assembly must be precisely placed on the Isolation Platform. The included plastic Templates
provide a guide for placing these elements.
Please note that the bottom side of the Templates have soft pads that will rest on the Isolation Base. You
must place the bottom side down to avoid scratching the Isolation Base.
Also note that there are the numbers “1” and “2” cut into the templates. When you place the two templates,
you must align those numbers of each piece.
First, place one of the Templates felt-side-down onto the right-hand side of the Isolation Base.
The outer edges of the Template must be aligned with the outer edges of the Isolation Base, as illustrated
below. The top and bottom edges of the Template should sit flush with the top and bottom edges of the
Base. You can check the alignment of the right-hand side by aligning the cut-outs of on the right side of the
Template.

J.Sikora –REFERENCE Turntable Manual
12 © 2021 Notable Audio Products | www.notableaudio.com
Next, place the other Template felt-side-down onto the left-hand side of the Isolation Base.
Link the two Templates so that same numbers facing one another (e.g., “1” faces “1”).
Now move the one large Template so that all four outer edges of the Template align with the outer edges of
the Isolation Base.
Align Here
Align Here
Align Here

J.Sikora –REFERENCE Turntable Manual
13 © 2021 Notable Audio Products | www.notableaudio.com
2.3 Place the Spindle Assembly
The Spindle Assembly is very heavy. If possible, have a friend help you lower it onto the Isolation Base.
Gently lower the Spindle Assembly into the center whole in the Template.
Most likely, the Template will move slightly when placing the Spindle Assembly. So, after setting down the
Assembly, realign the Template with the edges of the Isolation Base.
2.4 Place the Motors
Your REFERENCE turntable uses four high-torque Motors to rotate the Platter. All four of the Motors are the
same.
You will now place each of the motors into the Template cut-outs as shown below. In this example, we
arbitrarily started with the left side and added the motors in a clockwise manner.

J.Sikora –REFERENCE Turntable Manual
14 © 2021 Notable Audio Products | www.notableaudio.com
Route the each Motor’s Umbilical cables from the rear of the Motor to the rear of the Isolation Base. Do NOT
plug the Motors into jacks on the back of the Base now. You will do that later.
2.5 Remove the Templates
You no longer need the templates, so remove them from the table and store them back in the shipping
containing.
2.6 Grease the Bearing
Warning! The included Bearing Oil can leave stains which are difficult to remove. Carefully follow these
instructions.
Vigorously stir the oil in the jar until it has a uniform consistency. As shown below, properly mixed fluid is
fairly thick. Note how the liquid clings to the brush.
There should be no lumps at the bottom jar. Using the included brush, put a small amount of the oil onto
the indentation in the top of the bearing. Never use a cotton swab, as it can leave residue on the bearing.

J.Sikora –REFERENCE Turntable Manual
15 © 2021 Notable Audio Products | www.notableaudio.com
Next, place the small ceramic ball in the indentation. Note from image below that no gloves were worn in
this step. It is too difficult to place the Bearing while wearing gloves. Also the Bearing Oil will permanently
stain the gloves.

J.Sikora –REFERENCE Turntable Manual
16 © 2021 Notable Audio Products | www.notableaudio.com
Now coat the Ball Bearing and the entire Bearing with a thin layer of oil. You do not need a lot of oil, but you
do want to cover the whole Bearing.
Should you get grease on anything other than the bearing, use the provided Cleaning Cloth to remove any
excess grease.

J.Sikora –REFERENCE Turntable Manual
17 © 2021 Notable Audio Products | www.notableaudio.com
2.7 Placing the Platter
Once again, we encourage you to enlist a friend to place the platter. It is very heavy.
Carefully align the opening in the middle of the Platter with the Bearing. Gently place your platter over the
Bearing. Be careful do you don’t hit the Bearing with the Platter. Also be very careful not to pinch your
fingers.

J.Sikora –REFERENCE Turntable Manual
18 © 2021 Notable Audio Products | www.notableaudio.com
Check to see that the platter spins without any resistance by rotating the platter by hand. The Platter should
spin freely.
If there is any resistance, repeat this step.

J.Sikora –REFERENCE Turntable Manual
19 © 2021 Notable Audio Products | www.notableaudio.com
2.8 Place the Glass Mat
Warning! Be careful with the mat—the glass section can break if it is dropped, struck, or overly-stressed.
Damage caused by any of these conditions is not covered under warranty.
The Mat is supplied in two parts: the aluminum Center Disc and the outer Glass Disc.
Place the Aluminum Disc over the spindle with the indent side down. Next, place the Glass Disc over the
Aluminum Disc.

J.Sikora –REFERENCE Turntable Manual
20 © 2021 Notable Audio Products | www.notableaudio.com
2.9 Mount the Drive Belts
Each Motor has a Spindle with four groves, one for each Belt. Since there are four Motors, you will loop one
Belt into place for each Motor.
We prefer to attach the belts on the following order:
•Front Motor –Lowest Groove on Spindle
•Back Motor –Second Groove from Bottom of the Spindle
•Left Motor –Second Grove from Top from Bottom of the Spindle
•Right Motor –Top Groove of the Spindle
For each Belt, loop it around the platter and into the appropriate Groove. The next set of images shows of
attaching the first Belt.
J.Sikora uses square belts for improved strength and stability. Because the Belts are square, they can become
twisted when they are but in place. Be sure to remove all twists for the table to work optimally.
The easiest way to remove any twists to the slowly rotate the platter with one hand and use the other hand
to untwist the Belt.
Spindle
Grooves