Eminent Technology ET-2 Tonearm Owners

Dear ET friends,

I've just bought a used ET 2 arm with an old Goldmund Studio (which I'm restoring to look like new, it was damaged badly)

I've bought a 50litre compressor to run the arm, but this is all brand new to me, any other advice would be most welcome.

Biggest question is what cartridge would work on the ET2 with Goldmund, I use a homebuilt Nuvista valve headamp, based on Conrad Johnson, Counterpoint SP 7 valve preamp, 250watt Mossfet power amps driving stacked double Dahlquist.

I've had great success & many years of pleasure from Goldmund Studietto with VdHul MC 10, so I'm tempted by the Colibri XPM or similar as there are special deals on offer, but I've read many conflicting reports & warnings against Colibri on a linear tracking arm.

Its the best sounding modern cartridge I've heard, but very high risk, I can only afford one cartridge which should last for many years, so really can't make a mistake on this. My old MC 10 has been retipped once, still sounds stunning after 27 years... thats what I'm hoping for on ET 2.

Does anyone have experience with Colibri on ET 2 arm please?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Hello Chris,

Thanks a mill for your reply, I started feeling like a dumb blonde novice, (ok lets face it at this stage I am...)

Still setting up the space with the compressor etc, the Studio should be fine now, broken wires repaired, checked speed etc, all good to go, I've lasercut some plexiglass sheets to hide the glue & holes which the previous owner left.

Visibly the ET arm looks fine, hope its mechanically sound, I just always wanted a Studio as extension of the baby Goldmund which has given me 30 years of joy, but I've heard incredible reports about the ET arm, so I will learn slowly. There was no pump, likewise no powersupply with the STudio, I'm using the home built PS from my Studietto which is good.

Hence the compressor which will be linked from a stairwell below, I figured it would work to use the 50l tank as the air supply, not really to run it while playing, if this is a bad idea please let me know, I haven't opened the compressor box yet, just heard its a good alternative?

PS: Not fixed on the Colibri, but it sounded incredible on a friends Dynavector tonearm, despite his warnings that the cantilever angle is not aligned with the cartridge, is difficult to set up, & apparently it swerves very far out on its path playing on linear tracking arms. (from Vusi Khumalo who has posted some well informed threads on this forum)

I can only afford one good cartridge, no mistakes, hence the questions asked, some heavily discounted Colibris were on offer on this site, that's where I picked up the idea. But I've heard controversial feedback whether they are first grade cartridges, hence the concern, I just can't afford a mistake, single dad, university teacher, not a stockbroker!
For the moment I will mount my old MC 10 & learn from it.

Thanks again for the encouragement & advice, it helps a ton to know there are well informed users out there, this is definitely not a walk in the vinyl park...

Thanks Again CT,

Have done a careful 1st setup trying to free the wires as far as possible, the arm came with VdHul silver wires, a little stiff from what I can gather, will only find out what she does once I get compressor connections done with moisture filter, hopefully tomorrow, its been quite a challenge just getting male to female to androgenous etc...
talk about affect vs effect!

Have a loaned MM for these early learning days, till I find my ET feet... but it looks gorgeous with a new clean plexiglass surface to hide the old surface damage on Goldmund acrylic, resprayed the base with quality german metallic black, Goldmund is back to beautiful...

Will test as is before I alter the springs etc, but I hear a majority in favour. My room is quite large, with a T&G hardwood floor, on a stainless steel spiked stand with double glass shelves separated by sorbothane, have to take all this into acount before altering the system.

IMHO Pierre Lurne who I think designed these Goldmund TT's was no slouch, there's a lot of brilliant thinking in there.

Thanks again for all the info, as I've been setting up this machine I realise how much brilliant engineering has gone into the design, its like an open ended musical annotation system, just waiting for someone to understand it...

Dear Ct 0157 (Feel like I'm in Star Wars here...)
& Dear Harold...

Thanks a mill for all the feedback, I'm digesting it all as I'm setting up the TT & ET, had some help getting started from an ET owner as some parts were missing or imperfect, a huge help thanks Gerald!

Have to do a few more mods to the Studio platform, possibly a hole for the air hose to allow free movement for the arm without causing bending stress etc.

I've had some Cardas interconnects made up, will probably hardwire the V D Hul cable from the ET to avoid contacts, with sufficient play, using an old MM magnet just to get started, so many things to learn here!

I can see where your critical comment re Studio springs come from, but surely they are intended to decouple the arm from vibrations? What would you use instead please, I'm definitely interested as I can see how much they move with the arm sliding...

Many Thanks, hope to get music out of there soon which is ultimately the objective!

Best LK

Dear ET friends,

I've just bought a used ET 2 arm with an old Goldmund Studio (which I'm restoring to look like new, it was damaged badly)

I've bought a 50litre compressor to run the arm, but this is all brand new to me, any other advice would be most welcome.

Biggest question is what cartridge would work on the ET2 with Goldmund, I use a homebuilt Nuvista valve headamp, based on Conrad Johnson, Counterpoint SP 7 valve preamp, 250watt Mossfet power amps driving stacked double Dahlquist.

I've had great success & many years of pleasure from Goldmund Studietto with VdHul MC 10, so I'm tempted by the Colibri XPM or similar as there are special deals on offer, but I've read many conflicting reports & warnings against Colibri on a linear tracking arm.

Its the best sounding modern cartridge I've heard, but very high risk, I can only afford one cartridge which should last for many years, so really can't make a mistake on this. My old MC 10 has been retipped once, still sounds stunning after 27 years... thats what I'm hoping for on ET 2.

Does anyone have experience with Colibri on ET 2 arm please?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.