Brad -You are taking imo ...the right approach with this taking the setup in steps. Maybe its the project manager in me talking, but I think there is just too much to take in here (the way Bruce thinks) Steps are needed in the learning. There is also imo too much to un-learn if someone is coming from many years with a pivot arm. I honestly feel that someone with no pivot tonearm experience might have a better shot with this tonearm.
The I Beam system with leaf spring and weights brings a fourth dimension that we have discussed here. Never seen a professional view discussed in a paper or online anywhere that demonstrated a good understanding of it outside of the manual. Except here ...... but we are all just a bunch of music lovers. 8^)
The people (Audiophiles) I know from say 15 years ago - a few people who tried the ET2 were coming from years with a pivot arm and just could not seem to get around the idea of removing weight on the I beam and sliding the weight further back to get VTF; since on a pivot arm one normally just slides the back weight forward for more VTF and backward to get less VTF. Here you remove/add weights to get to the highest number on the I Beam- that's the objective. It's a different game. If one wants to set it up as designed. You can put on heavier or lighter cartridge bolts to achieve this as well.
One other person I remember and this is definitely going back 15 years; had a 6 figure system and was selling the VPI MKIV with the ET2 on it that he had just bought recently. He also owned Dunlavy towers, an Allnic preamp, Nakamichi TT that adjusted for the record, and the Dynavector tonearm. This ET2/VPI setup he was selling became my first ET2. He could not figure out why it wouldn't work past the first track on an LP. The problem ended up being the pump - low on PSI. I ended up replacing it with the Medo with a computer fan next to it to cool it. The funny thing is I wrote at the time to A Salvatore about this and he ended up putting my verbage in his blog.
Look forward to hearing about your progress.
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Hi Harry -
"When you get snowbound you gotta get Bruce's second run long "plank".
It is not possible Harry, to snow bound a true Canadian.
The temperature however is another thing on its own. My bones alert me 24 hours prior to cold coming. The good thing with cold and this crazy hobby - my room heating system (Music Reference Tubes and or a Krell Class A Amp) produces dry dry air. Just what the ET2 likes.
Cheers Chris
