Super Tweak for Nottingham Space TT

Same results using two different clamps. I have my Spacedeck on a maple cutting board as part of a DIY wall mount. Sounds great. My wife prefers it on the stock plinth (looks), though I do slightly prefer the sound of it directly on the cutting board so I have ultimately overruled after demonstrating to her the difference.

I responded with a general description of the wall mount in another thread on here.

http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?eanlg&1048695087&openfrom&1&4#1

I have a more detailed description, which I will try to find.

BTW, Tom Fletcher, himself, recommends a relatively high mass mount for the Spacedeck, preferably wood, and goes on to say that it will work equally well with or without the stock plinth. Apparently, it was designed to be attractive (some agree, some disagree) and that a composition material was used for best results for those who do choose to us the plinth.

What arm and cartridge are you using with your Spacedeck?

While pleased that anything I might have suggested has been helpful, I am embarrased to have been mentioned in the same breath as Tom when it comes to depth and breadth of those things analog. I, too, have learned a lot on this site, while having been directed down the thorny path a few times as well. After some time it gets to be difficult to separate what you've learned on your own from what you've heard from others.....

The Nottinghams I do know, however, and should you wish to share ideas, let 'em fly!

Ok, I know the OL Silver is a better match, in theory, with the 501, and may very well be in application.

On the other hand, I have a 501 in my Spacearm/Spacedeck combination. The results are excellent, and I have done a comparison to several other cartridges, costing both less and much more than the Shelter, that were supposed to be better matches in terms of compliance. I know a local dealer with 30+ years of experience who recommends the 501 with that combination and has quite a few happy buyers. Over the past six months he has A/B/C/D'd quite a number of carts on this arm and very few have been the equal of the 501.

One thing to remember about the Spacearm, at least I know this is true for the later carbon versions after a discussion with the designer - Tom Fletcher has engineered into the pivot two stabilizing rods (which you can see if you look under the pivot shell). He claims that these specifically placed bars render moot some of the concerns with regular unipivot arms. I am not technically educated enough to measure the difference made by these rods but I will say that the 501 does A LOT more than just "work" with the Spacearm. In fact, and based on experience, saying the 501 will merely "work" on a Spacearm is a total understatement and a disservice to both the arm and cartridge, though I know the person that said such had very good intentions. ;-)

Tom, your explanation is EXACTLY why folks turn to you repeatedly for advise. Call it a respectful curse! :-)

You can check the AA forum for mods to the Spaceram, though I can't agree with your assessment of the Aurora/Silver/501 vs. Spacedeck/Spacearm/501 combos. I HAVE the latter and have sat in on mutliple listening sessions with the 501 in various cartridges and arms, including the Aurora package. To my ears the "no contest" verdict was in the opposite direction. Having heard so many combinations of table and arm with the Shelter, I'd say, IMHO, that the silver can run with the Spacearm but the Aurora is really no match for the Spacedck.