O.K. Fess Up. Come Clean. Sing Like A Canary.
Dan ed, The Expressimo "Lifter" has a very high degree of adjustability. The height adjustment of the "pick up arm" allows you to set it so that the transition from "on vinyl" to "off vinyl" is very gentle. Yes, there is an audible "thump". But even the "thump" is of a low enough volume magnitude, where it should present no problems, even if the previous selection was played at a high level of volume. Also, I installed a small felt "button" on the upright post of the Lifter, so that when the tonearm slides along the "pick up arm" and comes to rest against the upright post, an additional measure of quieting is facilitated. And as you mentioned, it is really just an added degree of insurance for those times we fall asleep or become forgetful. It amazes me that when spending 2-5-10-$20,000 on a turntable, that the manufacturers can't, or simply won't, provide the consumer with an effective means of stylus lift off at end of play. As Twl had mentioned, Teres in the least shuts the motor off. But, if forgotten would still allow the stylus to run in the "circle of death" for possibly up to 30 minutes (depending on the recording). At that point, the damage has already been done. Break out the stylus cleaning kit. AGAIN! In retrospect, I think it's only fair that we all admit, CDs are convenient. Too bad they are not made out of vinyl and can't be tracked with a tonearm. |
Consttraveler, I'm surprised at your response to the Lifter. It WAS a pain in the ass to get positioned correctly, but after that, works flawlessly. Are you aware Expressimo is now making another smaller model that is suppose to have a higher level of compatibility with many more models of turntables? Just a thought. Ed |
Sbank, The original Expressimo version was called "The Lift". The newer version is called "The Lifter". It is smaller and available in Black anodized. "The Lift" is available in chrome only. The Lift is $89.95, "The Lifter", $49.95, According to the owner of Expressimo (Salvatore, "Sal" for short), The Lifter is able to accomodate a wider variety of configurations and tonearm weights. You may want to call him with your specific configuration. He is always very helpful and very pleasant to deal with. http://www.expressimoaudio.com/lift/lift.html |
Consttraveler, I just experienced a blood pressure spike myself. With all do respect, WHAT ARE YOU DRILLING? Are you drilling the plinth? I mounted the Lifter using a small dab of Blu-Tak, That is it. And it has not moved. Sal from Expressimo suggests using a dab of clear silicone adhesive. I would not and will not drill a hole in this plinth for ANY device. Using the Blu-Tak allows minor movement Of the Lifter and rotation around it's own axis for minor adjusting. The smaller model works extremely well with my RB900 tapered armtube. You and I are in absolute agreement regarding the price of this thing. And I would think that the reason he is not providing more accurate mounting information is because these things are so universal. I do believe that he feels if he machines it, you should mount it. Whether that's right or wrong is a whole other subject. As I had said to another Agon'r earlier. Sal is a very nice person. He will do anything within reason to try to help you out. I would not write this thing off until I called him. I have heard of Sal going as far as machining little spacers or brackets to help facilitate mounting one of his products. I would say it would be worth at least a phone call, because when properly setup, these things work like a dream. Best of luck. Regards, Ed. |
Twl, I remember the "Stylift". They have not been mentioned in years. And, I had always wondered about the performance/compatibility of the A/T model. I ended up using the Expressimo "Lifter" because of familiarity with the rest of Sal's product line. I have modified my RB900 using the Expressimo Heavyweight (the newest model) with adjustable weighting. I have to say, it made a difference that is absolutely stunning. It increases the compliance of the tonearm tenfold. It is extracting very subtle information I had never heard before. I also installed the Rega/Expressimo end stub. I can't confirm that it does anything. The "Lifter" actually works very smoothly and quietly. It was a pain in the ass to get positioned correctly but after that, no problems. Regards and Happy Listening, Ed. |
