Hi guys, I'm a new owner here as I am having the ET 2 mounted on a table and shipped soon. Appreciate the thread.
Eminent Technology ET-2 Tonearm Owners
Where are you? What mods have you done ?
I have been using these ET2's for over 9 years now.
I am still figuring them out and learning from them. They can be modified in so many ways. Bruce Thigpen laid down the GENIUS behind this tonearm over 20 years ago. Some of you have owned them for over 20 years !
Tell us your secrets.
New owners – what questions do you have ?
We may even be able to coax Bruce to post here. :^)
There are so many modifications that can be done.
Dressing of the wire with this arm is critical to get optimum sonics along with proper counterweight setup.
Let me start it off.
Please tell us what you have found to be the best wire for the ET-2 tonearm ? One that is pliable/doesn’t crink or curl. Whats the best way of dressing it so it doesn’t impact the arm. Through the spindle - Over the manifold - Below manifold ? What have you come up with ?
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@ct0517 I'm sure it's somewhere buried in this thread, but how long is the long I-beam? I have one that's 60mm and one that's 70mm. Is there one that's longer than 70mm? |
My reasoning for weighing the magnesium and aluminum arm wands is that I just removed my aluminum arm wand to install a magnesium arm wand. The heavier magnesium arm wand should be a better match for my low compliance cartridge. Does anyone know what kind of adhesive is used to attach the metal leaf spring to the I beam? |
Hi Guys - so I conversed with Bruce this past week on this topic.The conversation is attached below. My personal experience is this. Anyone into vinyl seriously who sets up their own rigs could probably become a physics major. All the considerations for vibrations and resonances in the room, and they start with that cartridge wiggling in the groove generating a signal. It doesn't get more analog//mechanical than that. Everyone on this analog forum knows by now, that Linear Tracking guys are a certain type of personality. We are not happy that a pivot tonearm can only track properly at two points on a record, we hate anti skate like cancer; however many of us have secondary setups (we call them secondary) and they include pivot tonearms. But we have (actually) heard the differences between them, and when set up properly you can't beat the resolution of ET2, 2.5. Clean sounding records start to finish. ************************************************************************ Chris, The untold parameter of a pivoted tonearm: To minimize tracking With the ET-2 the side loads to accelerate the tonearm at .55hz So as you add mass, this side load value of the ET-2 goes up I hope this helps - brucet ****************************************************************************** And remember the ET 2.0 and 2.5 are unique in design unlike any other linear tracker. This has been covered in length on this thread. The numbers Bruce refers to were actually tested by him in a lab and apply only to his tonearm. |
Hi Guys Been a really...long time. Life has a way of throwing curve balls even when you think you have planned for changes. We moved house after many (many) years and it has been one challenge after another. Hope this post finds everyone well. Recently found out that Bruce continues to be active and provides support for all his products. IMO - The best test of products is the test of time.
Well, Bruce now has official Eminent Technology shirt versions available for all his products. 8^0 Here is the link. https://www.etsy.com/shop/EminentTechnology?ref=shop_sugg Hope everyone has a great summer (or winter) down under.. |
Yes - I had rf issues with van den hul solid core silver. Going back to copper litz fixed the problem ( and sounded better ) If you have the original wiring loom poor connections can be a source of rf - go through and clean all joints and resolder any dodgy looking soldered joints and check cartridge pin connections are nice and firm. Failing that make sure that the wiring for each channel are a twisted pair - gently winding into a twisted pair +ve and -ve wires will help with the avoidance of rf. |
I would read through the ET manual to get re-acquainted with the setup and maintenance again. Page 25 of the manual shows how you can adjust the cuing mechanism. It almost looks like your cuing got reversed: lever up -> cartridge down. ET website has a link to download PDF manual if you don't still have it. |
I am looking for help. So thanks for taking the time to read. I am trying to get my 30 yr old Oracle / ET arm working again. The first thing I did was take the table to the local Audio store. They took a look at it and did not give me confidence that it was worth fixing. Somewhere between transporting the table to the store and taking it back the swing of the tone arm has been significantly lowered. The link below are pictures of the ET https://photos.app.goo.gl/bbQALFNotPbF9Jec8 You can see that the two positions of the tone are are well below the platter. It was not like that before. My guess is that the support that holds the cueing lever in place slipped down. But I do not see any indication of that happening. I know that this is a sensitive installation, it was working fine 20 years ago and I don't want to cause any additional problems. Also any thoughts on the best way to start up using again. I have replaced the large filter that was inline and the aquarium like pump seems to be operational. I did a basic cleaning of the arm and started up the pump to see if all was working. It seemed to go smooth. But I have not tested it on a record. I may have real issues with the Oracle motor. Thanks - Dave |
@ct0517 Agreed Chris - when you build/modify your own DIY equipment, it is personal and relinquishing that equipment is harder. I essentially reached the end of my stereo DIY building...as well as reached the end of working on muscle cars 12 years ago. I am almost done running my final ham radio antenna experiments. I think the key is knowing you can always do more upgrades, builds and experiments, but you have to determine the point at which "you" want to stop; more so if you are still curious about orthogonal areas that require learning something completely new - which takes time to be competent. You end up trading off time and where you want to spend it...tradeoffs. I sold off all my automotive tools and parts (engine crane, ignition analyzers, pullers, carbs, cams, etc) for restoration work. That first "release" was hard to let go. I subsequently sold off my duplicate voltmeters, oscilloscopes, signal generators for DIY stereo and ham radio builds (just kept one scope, one volt ohm and one Weller soldering workstation for future repairs). Selling off this gear / parts was much easier after letting go of my automotive gear and parts. I recently sold off my duplicate stereo gear (no second room gear or backup gear or parts...except spare vacuum tubes) - no sentiment experienced. I will probably continue practicing piano and playing recitals for another 10 to 15 years and call that quits. Maybe I will pickup painting... |
IMO, it's worth the cost to get a DB System alignment gauge for the ET. May be able to print something off of www.vinylengine.com |
Considering taking the plunge on a London Decca Super Gold for my ET-2. Was there a consensus about the viability of the current version (SG3) using them with the stock ET-2 aluminum wand tonearm without having a dampening trough? I'm generally playing VG to VG+ used jazz, country and soul records. Not beaters, but definitely not pristine audiophile records. My current Nagaoka MP-110 (which I guess is known as a slightly above average tracker?) tracks just fine. I also don’t have the ET-provided cartridge alignment card. Given how low the cartridge body rides how hard is it to get the cartridge alignment set? I currently use an old record that I’ve etched aline down from the spindle hole to the outer edge as a guide and it’s difficult to set with my old eyes. |
Hello all, Long time away. I’m about to wander off topic again. Awhile back I picked up a Denon DL-103M cartridge which I understand many consider the best of the 103 series. In any event I wasted no time shipping it out to Andy Kim at the Record Doctor. Andy installed his recommended “upgrade” which I believe was boron cantilever and hyper elliptical stylus. When I got it back I thought it sounded quite “nice” on the VPI, ET-2 and Garrard 301, Ortofon rigs but nothing to really crow about. Well, recently I was given a Denon DP-61f turntable in impeccable condition. (Yep, that’s right, a mid-fi, fully automatic table with adjustable Q no less.). In short order I installed the Denon cartridge and sat back prepared to hear some nice mid-fi music. Wow, was I surprised. I’m not sure what’s causing it unless it is just a great symmetry between a Denon table and a Denon cartridge but it is giving my much more expensive rigs a run for their money. Lots of prat, quite detailed but not harsh and extended on both ends. A fun |
@stuogawa Really cool speakers and kit. Congrats Whenever I put my own time and skills into building and modding components there is always a tendency to want to keep, hang on to those components. There is a pride element with the B&W Electrostatic Speakers I restored last year. I have real problems with speakers. Tonearms are easy there is only one. 8^0 Speakers are like boats to me. Never met a speaker I didn’t like, and could not make work in a room, given freedom in the room. If I stay in a room long enough a system usually ends up in there and speakers take up the most space. Your speaker design is very attractive from this point of view. Case in point, I am having a hell of a time trying to sell some custom Acoustat Model 3’s. I have multiple rooms, multiple speakers, and I am going to one large room. Not really an environment to have people audition the sale of speakers. 8^0 And the records ? I tried trimming some by offering lots for sale. From an interest point of view, one would think I was selling some disease. Unless the records are rock, pop, funk, punk, metal..... Cheers Chris |
@ct0517 I built and using the Siegfried Linkwitz’ LX mini + 2 speakers https://www.linkwitzlab.com/LXmini/LXmini+2.htm Siegfried and Nelson Pass (Pass Labs / PassWorks) collaborated and designed an active analog JFET crossover for the this specific system (neighbors in NorCal). Fun build. https://www.magiclx521.com/epages/17940394.sf/en_GB/?ObjectPath=/Shops/17940394/Products/%22ASP%20mi... I was a 30 plus year fan of bipolar speakers (Acoustats, Magnaplanar II’s and Tympani’s). I stumbled upon the Linkwitz/Pass collaboration at the San Francisco Burning Amp about 4 years ago. These were also a fun build...and now my final speakers for my lifetime. System to drive the LX Mini + 2 system: Sota --> Wavestream Kinetics phono tube preamp --> Wavestream Kinetics tube line --> Pass crossover Pass crossover output 1 (full range) to MFA 200c tube mono amps --> LX mini Seas full range speaker Pass crossover output 2 (woofer) to Audio Research SS --> LX mini Seas woofer Pass crossover output 3 (sub woofer) to Audio Research SS --> LX subs (Seas) |
So given those factors, a cartridge with a compliance number higher than 20 should pair best with my current tonearm setup? Hi Djspinner From a numbers view point it would be the most "plug and play".... but here's the thing. I can tell you that there are people here that are using very low compliance carts like the Denon 103 with the aluminum armwand, and they have made changes in their kit to improve "the sound". Some have modified the actual aluminum armtube itself, added less resonant wrap to it, or filled the head of the wand with material. Others have made other modifications further down the chain of gear. fwiw also I run all MC cartridges with no load. If your preamp/phono stage can take it and stay stable...try it. @stuogawa Hi Stu - what speakers are those in your room? Cheer Chris |
@stuogawa @djspinner et al Bruce is around. He just responded to my email.
With that. We all recognize that Bruce will not be around forever, but this tonearm IMO is indestructible. I mean, if its disassembled in parts in its box, and you accidentally leave it on the driveway and run it over, that's one thing. Barring an accident it will outlive all of us. Its biggest threat is moisture in the air line and minerals deposits, that can land on the manifold blocking air flow and movement. Even then the ET2 manual can be downloaded and does a great job of explaining how to clean it. Unlike mechanical bearings that go dry and stiff, if you have a good trap for moisture there is nothing really to do except maybe keep it covered when not used for protection against dust. Pumps are easily replaced. JMO |
@ct0517 End of November 2020 I was having my Sota Saphire restored by Sota. Since I had the ET2 removed (before I shipped table), I called ET; I was checking in to see if there was any other maintenance / updates that I should have done by ET. A gentleman responded, not Bruce. I could be wrong, but I don't think Bruce is working (maybe retired?) with ET anymore. The gentleman said ET focusing only on speakers now; I think I recall him saying the machining was just too labor intensive so they are just focusing on speakers. I don't even think they are doing any more service work. Not sure about parts, but I suspect they are selling off whatever non speaker products/parts related to arms left in inventory...as mentioned on their website re. buying an ET2.5. |
BTW - constant VTF isnt’t the issue of the arc-block for VTA adjustment. It is the constant (zero) overhang with different VTAs. Increasing VTA by increasing the height of the pillar of a radial arm, the arm shortens in the horizontal plane. Thus overhang is reduced:... by 0.5 mm for a 9" arm with a change in VTA of 3.8 degrees... which IMO is close to academical... :-) The VTF varies with height if the counterweight is "underhung" or "overhung". Ie. if the centers of gravity of arm tube / cartridge and the counterweight "connect" below or above the horizontal bearing. This is the case with most univipots and strongly with the Well Tempered arms. What is special with the ET2 is that one can perfectly balance this (if one wants to and knows what to do :-). |
Hi all & Dj... Just my thoughts: Your selection of cartridges is tasteful, even mouthwatering... Generally there is only one sort of cartridges I'd rather stay away except for a wish to abuse time, like to teaching a rhinoceros to dance. This is the combination of high horizontal compliance with low damping. This means Deccas, maybe the DJ Decca (double tie-back string) mightwork - this would be highly interesting. (It's worth the hassle, but...) Myhigh compliance B&O MMC1 (root of the Soundsmiths) works *superbly* even if it shouldn't. This is because it's "well behaved" = damped. The new ATs are higly interesting - I'd look maybe more for the 500 series and a Shibata tip. I read a careful review in a german journal where they hinted at a slightly more upbeat character of these vs. the more refined (aka. slightly over-civilized) 700 series. (There are technical reasons for that). They play in the league of the Ortofon Black. The Nagaoka I don't know, the Grado might be less damped (mechanically) and a bit more characterful=" musical !!!". The Denon and Hana seem to be winners. Specially the Denon but maybe the Hana too will profit from a 5g brass "shim" between headshell and cartridge. This worked wonders with a DL 103 in a friends Thales Simplicity arm. There are IMO no reasons to expect different on the ET2. The lower compliance of these two MCs will make setup somehow easier specially on a springed subchassis turntable. |
So you would advise against me lugging around two 45 pound SOTAs to a DJ gig? Ha! I do love fine tuning the VTA while playing records, but it takes a very steady hand, given my springy table suspension system. Thanks for the detailed explanation on compliance. I'll probably stick with the current I-Beam length. It looks like the previous owner may have cut the I-Beam shorter (to the 6 mark) in order to allow the dust cover to close properly. The threaded rod that holds the lead weights in place has to point inward to avoid sticking out as well. Given the range of cartridge options out there, I'd like to try to match the cart with the tonearm setup as it stands, especially given the range of quality cartridge options. Once I get more comfortable with the table adjustments and possible modifications, then I may revisit. So given those factors, a cartridge with a compliance number higher than 20 should pair best with my current tonearm setup? |
Thanks for the PM Tim - as it alerted me to the thread. Guys, I have been away and am in the middle of moving house. My gear is being consolidated into one large room. I have decisions to make regarding speakers. 8^0 Hello Pegasus and welcome to the thread Stu and DJspinner. Djspinner - I have my doubts that you are going to use your new kit for DJ work 8^0 Congrats on the ET 2. The ET 2 design allows for "any" cartridge to be used by swapping out armtubes and I Beam leaf springs. Also with its patented worm gear VTA system, does not change VTF when you raise and lower VTA. All other tonearms regardless of design change VTF when you adjust VTA. Someone name another? This makes the ET2 still IMO one of the most advanced tonearms on the planet, and from my personal experiences the most advanced. Your choices DJspinner. AT VM-540ML 40 x 10-6 cm/dyne AT VM-740ML 40 x 10-6 cm/dyne Nagaoka MP-150 18 x 10-6 cm/dyne Grado Opus3 Compliance: 20μm/mN Denon 103R 5 x 10-6 cm/dyne Hanna E 17 x10-6cm dyne As a general guideline in the numbers above. the higher the first number, stick to the aluminum armtube. As you go lower (15-20) consider getting the Carbon Fiber or Magnesium Armtubes from Bruce Thigpen. Definitely get Bruce to send you the new longer I Beam with double leaf springs. This longer I Beam eliminates half the counterweight needed and this increases vertical inertia. From my experience the double leaf spring works better with all cartridges except those with the highest compliance. So we are trying to (for those looking to better the sound) match the better armtube and leaf spring to the cartridge compliance. You will hear the difference if that is your pursuit. This compliance word that we keep hearing about, I simply refer to how springy and soft/hard the suspension of cartridge is - that holds the cantilever/stylus in place. The softer/springier the suspension the higher the first number. I think of Cars that come with buttons now that change the suspension from soft (cushy ride) to hard (sporty). Those that are fans of vintage carts.....that suspension has hardened over the years lowering the compliance. We can still get music from a cartridge that is not matched to the better suited ET2 armtube/leafspring setup. It just won’t sound as good as what you can get from a well-matched combination. These types of choices that change "real mechanical aspects", are part of what makes IMO, this analog hobby so much more interesting and involving than digital. Can there be a better hobby during a lockdown ? unless you are moving house.... Stay safe, stay well. |
I'm the proud new owner of an ET-2.0 attached to a SOTA Star Sapphire and looking for cartridge advice. Tonearm has the original aluminum wand single leaf spring on the I-Beam. I've seen the yellow sticky, but I'm still learning about the concept of cartridge compliance. It came with a Shure M97xE with who knows how many hours on it and sounds "fine". I put my newer Nagaoka MP-110 on and that was a noticeable step up. I'm shopping around for $200-400 cart and wondering what would take it to the next level (and pair well with this tonearm). Anybody have experiences with these on the ET-2: AT VM-540ML AT VM-740ML Nagaoka MP-150 Grado Opus3 Denon 103R Hana E or any other suggestions in that price range? |
Hi all, I thought I would post and say hello. Sota Saphire (non vacuum); original owner when I purchased in 1985. ET2 with the carbon fiber wand Shelter 901 mark 3. I put my pump and air tank (2 liter bottle) in the garage wall. https://photos.app.goo.gl/WbKvb5MEAq9hGfAq8 After using the Sota for 35 years, I turned in my Sota to Donna and had her team completely restore/upgrade (Dec 2020) my Sota (mag lev bearing, Eclipse controller / motor, chassis, platter upgrades). I noticed a material difference in the noise floor drop immediately. Picture of our music room: https://photos.app.goo.gl/Cr4AW1VgXBQatBE38 I have never had an operational problem with the ET2; it was setup very well when Sota/ET2 were the hot ticket back in the mid 80’s. -stu |
Best wishes - & hopefully less long states of mental hibernation or coronation... I wanted to bring to your attention this jewel of a technical discussion from Pierre Lurné: https://www.tnt-audio.com/sorgenti/lurne_air_bearing_e.html now, well... :-) - even a french emperor walking the naked truth may be clothed by invisible (very, very) small pieces of textiles covering some sensible parts of the body (impeding some directions of clear vision). Even if he's called Prince Pierre Lurné who built one or two of the most beautifullly and perfectely crafted one point tonearms. (Which sound excellent too.) - split horizontal and vertical resonances are rather an advantage than a drawback. (I've not seen or read ever convincing proof of the opposite, and Moerch is following this path with his top arm). - therefore some of the cartridges with remarkably good bass do feature distinctively different compliances in both planes leading to the same split resonances with conventional tonearms. (eg. Decca, all true mono cartridges like Myajima). - Listening, measuring and comparing the vibrations on the headshell of the ET2 vs. the vibrations on the outer bearing housing with a measuring coupler showed a remarkably similar frequency response at least up into the upper midrange. Ie. the air bearing seems to be pretty stiff & well coupling to audible frequencies. The ultrasonic spectrum hitting conventional roller bearings, seems to me rather a multitude of metal to metal resonances of scattered and reflected energy back into the arm modulated by slightly elastic and moving point contacts. Ie. a process prone to a certain alu-foil on comb quality, a form of distortion. So I think the air bearing grounds vibrations rather well - and without introducing variable noises (except those inherent to the air film itself, which are like a very low level stable white noise). |
@bdp24 Eric not sure if you saw the question above. Can you please provide more detail on how you created this tank circuit?I have had a couple emails asking about this circuit. If you have any information on this, pls post. Thanks Chris Hope this post finds everyone well. Stay Safe, Social Distance, Stay Well . |
bdp24 - Harvey lead me through how to create a tank circuit to combat the electrical resonance inherent in Decca’s, which surprisingly affect tracking. Eric, Can you please provide more detail on how you created this tank circuit? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LC_circuit I am sure other Decca cart owners (potential and existing) on this thread would appreciate the info as well. I am of the belief that good phono preamps have the electronic circuit design qualities, to deal with electronic resonance. But I never owned a London or Decca. In my "Panic Room" , my preamp that I use has a hot rod mode - One flip of the switch bypasses all circuits except what is needed to create the simple signal. I run MC's at 47k, the noise floor is very low, and I use unshielded single shot wiring direct to the preamp. **************************** Ah Chris, it is an RM-9 you have, not a 10. I guess I forgot I own both Eric. See my virtual system - click on the avatar. A few years ago my RM9 was totally rebuilt by a local person and was well - let's say it was turbocharged. It was built up a little. RM9's can be used with the Quads as long as one has self control. Obviously an over kill situation. But it provided me at the time with a glimpse of the "tone" I wanted with the Quads, and that led me eventually to the RM10 years ago as well. My Achilles Heel is speakers. Like Boats have not met one I didn't like and could not make work. I don't mess around with amplifiers. and I don't get emotional about them. They are Slaves for the speakers. They better work. I don't tolerate downtime, and IMO amps are the most likely component to fail in the chain. My RM9 bettered 200 wpc OTL monoblocks in a shootout some years ago. As you know RM9's became too expensive (for whatever reason) for Roger to continue to make. I believe they were a special order item only. How the RM9 compares with Dan's Krell 600 that is own is very interesting. |
Ah Chris, it is an RM-9 you have, not a 10. I guess I forgot ;-). I had a talk with Roger about which to use with the ESL, a conversation I can share at another point in time. Onto the Decca/London!: My first Decca was a Blue, and I, like Colloms and Fremer, couldn’t live with it. I got myself a moving coil (A Supex, with a Levinson JC-1 head amp), and forgot all about Decca’s. I got out of hi-fi (traveling too much, never living in one place long), but was drawn back in the mid-80’s. I discovered the writings of Harvey Rosenberg, who was just starting New York Audio Labs. He, along with Ken Kessler of Hi-Fi News & Record Review, were the world’s leading Decca fanatics and experts. I wrote Harvey a letter, and he looked up my number and gave me a call! He gave me quite a Master’s Class in Decca usage: the cartridge can not just be dropped into a system in place of a "normal" cartridge. THAT’S why I have been using the Townshend Rock table ever since. The Decca’s (and to a lesser extent the London’s) demand not just mechanical damping (provided by the Townshend trough), but electronic as well. Harvey lead me through how to create a tank circuit to combat the electrical resonance inherent in Decca’s, which surprisingly affect tracking. Did you see the review of a lower-priced London by Art Dudley in his Stereophile column a few years back? Worth reading. Ken Kessler has not lost his love of Decca/London’s (I’ve discussed them with him at CES, where I unsuccessfully attempted to get him to sell me one of his Garrott Decca’s) has been covering them for years; his reviews are of much more value than those of Colloms and Fremer. And lastly, the London’s are not nearly as fickle as were the Decca’s. And the Reference---at $5295, not a "Decca" to dabble with ;-)---is VERY different. Just as the QUAD ESL is not for everyone, or all systems, or even all music, so too with the Decca/London. But for my priorities, there is no alternative. My first loves are songwriting, singing--both melody and harmony, and acoustic instruments. At that, both the Decca/London and QUAD ESL are unbeatable. In addition, tomic601 is quite right: NOTHING reproduces drums as do Decca/Londons. The transient attack, the head-snapping dynamics, the explosiveness, the startling aliveness, the "immediacy"; the cartridge is the equivalent of a direct-to-disk LP, like hearing The Who with Keith Moon up close, which I did twice! |
Tom - I believe that is the one that we were discussing earlier with UberW - Kevin. Buyer/Seller negotiations did not go well ? *************************************** Re; My "Room is the Master" -comments .....of course there will always be exceptions. In my situation....one Savannah Cat....has been known to shutdown whole rooms and prevent ESL speakers from being charged up. **************************************** @bdp24 bdp24 - Yes, the RM-10 is great on speakers other than the QUADS, but it is totally inappropriate for, say, Maggies (the RM-200 is good on Maggie ribbon tweeters, though). Plus, Roger used the ESL (and the Vandersteen Model 2) for his load in the design phase of the RM-10. Eric - I wasn’t referring to the RM10 amp. The amp I was referring to was this one. **************************************** bdp24 - The Decca/London sound is SO different, and unique unto itself. No other pickup I’ve heard makes LP’s sound so alive, so much like live music, and that is true regardless of the arm it’s mounted on, the amount of wear on it’s stylus, etc. Ok so what is your honest opinion Eric, of these reviewers opinions.....please. I ask because I have no opinion, never owned, and their reviews imply it is not an every day cart. Martin Colloms re:Jubilee But not everything fared as well; in terms of both music and noise, it was difficult to predict what I was going to hear when I dropped the stylus in a groove. Some records that are silent when tracked by the Lyra Titan were full of pops, ticks, and other garbage through the London. |
Seeing a 8 year old thread that's still going with the OP is encouraging. Having a little time on my hands, the thought of my own franken table(10 year old VPI Classic) with a linear arm, intrigues me. Who in SoCal has the knowledge to do such as mod?Since Berdan is a different place now, who is the linear god in LA? Just kickin around random thoughts... I haven't done anything audio for awhile. |
Agreed 100% Chris. Except (;-): 1- The Decca/London sound is SO different, and unique unto itself. No other pickup I’ve heard makes LP’s sound so alive, so much like live music, and that is true regardless of the arm it’s mounted on, the amount of wear on it’s stylus, etc. 2- Yes, the RM-10 is great on speakers other than the QUADS, but it is totally inappropriate for, say, Maggies (the RM-200 is good on Maggie ribbon tweeters, though). Plus, Roger used the ESL (and the Vandersteen Model 2) for his load in the design phase of the RM-10. I love your -----> master/slave illustration! The room, finally getting the attention it deserves. I just received notification my carton of Vicoustic Multifuser DC2 diffusers have landed (from Germany) in Chicago. I should have them the middle of next week, unless the virus is slowing things down. Stupid virus (uh oh, is that joke too "insensitive" for the now-easily offended?). I’ll bet there are people who want it to just go away so they can get back to their, say, golf course ;-) . |
Eric - Firstly understand that I respect your choices and approach. With that. Bdp24 - It’s just like one’s favorite loudspeaker requiring a certain type of power amplifier, one which may not be as good with any other loudspeaker. I have that amplifier that plays all speakers well. And I have that tonearm that plays all cartridges well and can be mounted on most any turntable. A few posts up read about the Linn LP12 / ET 2.5 project currently underway. I think the transducers should be the first components chosen when assembling a system, the two opposite ends of the chain (ignoring for the sake of this discussion the room). Then the most appropriate components moving towards the center of the system (the pre-amp) chosen to optimize the transducers. That’s my system philosophy. It's been my personal experience, this being a Quest centered around resonances and vibrations to get a signal - that the more capable turntable/tonearm and less capable cart - will outperform - the more capable cart which is on a less capable tonearm/turntable. so... In my Audio Quest the objective has been to get to a .....Constant...... with the Turntable / Tonearm . The Cartridge becomes the ......Variable. The Cartridge is the wearable, ever changing variable, like tires on the car. Replaceable. Now here is the "thing". What tonearm can play all cartridges, and be mounted on many turntables; for the above analogy is not possible without this tonearm capability. The ET 2.0 and 2.5 are two versions of such tonearms. just saying.....¯\_(ツ)_/¯ You obviously know that’s a good approach by having a Music Reference RM-10 for your QUAD ESL’s. I have 3 available rooms of varying sizes and materials with 4 kits set up. A kit being any whole system which satisfies Audiophile primal needs. In all The Rooms... - The Room is the Master ----> The Speakers are slaves to the Room ----> and Amplifier is the Slave to the Speaker. |
True Chris, and for one reason: Choosing to go with Decca (and later London) pickups, the best LP playing system to install them in was, and is, the Townshend Rock (for reasons I won’t go into here) That table prohibits the use of a linear tracker, of course. I have been listening to LP’s on that combination for 30 years now: a London Super Gold on a Rock Elite Mk.2, with a number of different arms, currently a Zeta. It’s just like one’s favorite loudspeaker requiring a certain type of power amplifier, one which may not be as good with any other loudspeaker. I think the transducers should be the first components chosen when assembling a system, the two opposite ends of the chain (ignoring for the sake of this discussion the room). Then the most appropriate components moving towards the center of the system (the pre-amp) chosen to optimize the transducers. That’s my system philosophy. You obviously know that’s a good approach by having a Music Reference RM-10 for your QUAD ESL’s. I’ve never agreed with the idea of choosing a power amp first, then looking for a loudspeaker it can drive. Transducers are the "voice" of a system. For myself, the character and abilities of the Decca and London pickups are more important than the arm they are mounted on. But I recently got myself a couple of old VPI’s just for fun (and for a song), and happened to see a pic of a London Reference mounted on a linear tracker that looked like it was made from a children’s Erector Set (remember those?): the Trans-Fi Terminator. If Brooks were still around, and I had more disposable income, I would print out this whole thread and have him set me up an ET. But the Terminator is SO cheap, and so simple, it was just irresistible. It’s no ET, but the one Vic made me has the last of the silver wire he had: a straight shot from the cartridge clips to the KLEI RCA plugs on the far end. I’m waiting to get back from Harry the TNT bearings I sent him for refurbishing with Si3N4 ball bearings I sent along, the Terminator going onto an Aries 1 (with a TNT-5 platter). |