I was wondering if that might happen with the wires twisted together. Did you braid them all together or in +/- pairs? To my mind this tweak is more for mechanical damping. Maybe just a loose twist of all four to keep them together and make a stiffer bundle to eliminate vibrations?
I do have some very small tie wraps. A few more tenths of a gram down by the headshell. ;-) Maybe the heavier XV-1s would like that. |
I tried braiding my leads together and got a hum. Separating them as widely as possible eliminated it.
|
Hi Mike! Nice to hear from a fellow edgarhorn-er. ;-)
Thanks for that bit of verification. I fell back to the shrink wrap after deciding not to try to force the tiny screws, and more importantly for me, did not want to give up the finger lift.
Nice tip on the wires. It makes good sense to address the leads. |
Hi Dan,
This is Mike with the Edgarhorns.
I tried the heat shrink(black) on the finger lift a while back and did experience minor improvements; this prompt me to remove the finger lift all together. After readjusting the VTA/VTF to compensate the removal, I hear more of the same improvements.
Another thing I did to tidy up the sound is by organizing the loose cartridge wires. I trim the wires as short as "allowable" and twist them together in a bundle(not too tight). Then I use a dab of rubber cement and spot-bond the bundle to back end of the headshell for stabilization. |
You get red or basic black. No color coordination options at present. :-)
It is certainly safer to remove the cart and arm from the table, no argument about that. :-)
The trick is to use medium-high heat, aim the gun over the headshell towards the end of the finger lift so the hot air is blowing away from the cart. Takes less than 2 seconds. The finger lift and headshell never even warm to the touch. But, everyone should assess their own tools, aptitudes and risk tolerances.
I completely agree with regards to the AS, it does depend on several parameters. I guess if I keep going back and forth I should conclude that AS isn't needed in my setup. |
Lew: As previously stated here, I encountered the same issue as you, and machined a shim myself as a workaround.
http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?eanlg&1246760461&openflup&8&4#8 |
Pradeep,
The benefits are "subtly mild"! Less than removing the damping trough, but audible, depending on system and ears of course.
If you're a klutz then don't bother, but provided you protect your cartridge there should be little risk.
Written instructions (if thorough) often make a task seem more difficult than it really is, and that's true here. Try just looking at the A/S mechanism for 2 minutes with the instructions in hand. Do a mental rehearsal, step-by-step. I think you'll see it's fairly simple. Your decision of course.
Dan,
Good suggestion. I considered that myself but I keep agonizing over the colors. You know how we boys are. ;-)
There's no way I'd use the heat gun with a cartridge mounted. Why take that risk? I'd also pull the leads back and shield them somehow. (Doing this with the arm mounted on my wood TT, scant inches from the edge of the TV, wouldn't be the brightest move either.) Definitely a job for clamping the arm on the workbench.
Regarding A/S vs. no A/S, even if we all shared identical listening biases the decision would still be cartridge specific. It can also depend on how much the suspension has broken in - we couldn't play without some A/S 2-3 years ago, now we can. YMMV applies for all these reasons.
|
Doug, I've recently added a double thickness of shrink wrap, about 3/8" long, to the finger lift. It is butted up against the headshell end. At the time I added this it did seem to clear up some inner fuzzies. Whether this is due to damping or the additional few tenths of a gram I can't say.
Be very careful with the heat gun if anyone tries this. Don't point it towards the cartridge leads or anywhere in the direction of the cartridge. It is quick and easy to set the shrink wrap, just be careful and think about where the heat is being directed.
Also, I'm still going back and forth on some AS vs. no AS. |
Hi Doug,
Many thanks. #12 sounds a wee bit complicated .How would you quantify the sonic benefits : subtle or mildly subtle ? I think I will let it pass for now. Maybe some day I when I have the courage...
Cheers
Pradeep |
Thanks Doug for you reply and thoughts. I talked to Tri and as my
arm is still in warranty he will take care of my mishap.
He did reply that as I suspected the cylinder is used also
for slow movement of the arm. Tri could not have been more
Customer service driven and a very friendly man.
On the elevator similarity I was referring to a cable driven
Traction type we use an oil piston devise to slow cars down
In a extreme runaway condition. Hydros use springs instead.
Mike |
Mike,
The same friend who discovered the sonic benefits of removing the damping trough and arm rest recently tried removing his cueing mechanism.
He reported a degradation in sound. Not what he expected or what most of us would predict, but his ears have proven reliable.
He also removed his finger lift and reported good effects. Mine won't budge without a hack saw, so I can't confirm.
|
Mike,
Sorry to hear you've tried that "experiment". :-(
The cylindrical housing's there to contain the fluid, obviously, so I guess the question is: "What's the fluid for?" Your explanation is more sensible and your description by analogy to a (hydraulic) elevator makes sense.
Of course it might just be lubrication for the cam/plunger interface, as I thought, but there are certainly simpler ways to do that.
Your experiment supports your hypothesis, but that still leaves you with a problem that I wouldn't attempt to repair. The fast cueing is presumably due to a bent mechanism, a fluid leak, or both. If the white set screw no longer controls cueing speed I'd contact your dealer or Tri Mai.
Hi Pradeep,
Removing the A/S mechanism is easy and reversible.
1. Remove the set screw that holds the nylon thread.
2. Remove the nylon thread.
3. Carefully pop off the tiny C-clip that keeps the swivelling black hub on the post. Try to stop it flying across the room. I used a jeweller's screwdriver and a spare fingertip.
4. Slide the black hub/dogleg off the post.
5. Gently unthread the dogleg post from the cueing frame. Some come out easily, some may be glued. If it won't budge just leave it - snapping it off is NOT reversible. A snugly fitted one won't vibrate much, you can damp with small O-rings if you wish.
6. Stick all the loose bits in a little baggie.
WARNING: do NOT attempt to remove the post that held the set screw for the thread. You'll screw up the bearings. Damp it with small O-rings if you wish.
To reinstall, find the baggie!
|
The white set screw puts pressure on the rod thats connected to the plunger that goes into the housing. Theres a roller behind the rod that holds the rod tight against the white screw. I cant see why there would be a large housing connected to the plunger/rod if it had no purpose. I believe action is incorporated into the lowering of the arm with as we use in the elevator industry a buffer or strainer that the oil is forced threw in the housing for the right action of the arm to be lowered slowly. If im wrong would someone reply. I lost oil for sure and adjusting the white set screw is not the answer for a slow lowering of the arm.
Wow what a mouse trap this cueing devise is.
thanks
Mike |
Hi Doug,
A quick thank you for the Tips and other sage vinyl advice that I have followed over the years.Its time to acknowledge all the help and the significant sonic benefits. Have been particularly impressed by your ME tip and , at least for me and my situation, the advice to anti stat an lp after play, is spot on. Have implemented #11. It has led to a subtle though not dramatic improvement. Am courious about tip #12 as I don't use the AS. Is this reversible?
Cheers
Pradeep |
Hello Doug, I finally got around to raising the cue with the arm locked bummer. After some time i noted a black oil coming from the point where the cueing lever goes into the cueing housing. Ive tried contacting Tri without any luck as of yet for his view. The arm is dropping much faster since. What do you think.
I was thinking about removing the entire cueing device and listen for results.
It just goes to show you its always something.
Mike |
In trying to mount a vdH Colibri on my Triplanar, I encountered a novel problem; the cartridge is too wide to fit between the folded-down edges of the headshell. Until now, I had never in 15 years of happy ownership ever noticed that the headshell had those edges. Does Triplanar make a shim so that the cartridge can clear the edges of the headshell? I imagine this problem could arise with any wide-body cartridge, like an Allaerts, for another example. What have others done to cope with this problem? In all other respects, the Colibri should be a good match for the Triplanar. |
Hi Doug,
Thanks to you and Joe for your answers to my questions. I am very pleased with my TriPlanar so far and am very grateful for the generous help of you and others her on the forums.
Scott |
How does a person adjust the short pin that sticks out of the front of the cueing frame? Is this just a matter of putting a bit of pressure on this to force it down relative to the arm cueing support bar? Yes, it swivels down or up as required, pretty easily. A fingertip will do. (I assume that one should make this adjustment with the cueing lever down so as not to put too much pressure on the hydraulics of the arm lift cylinder.) Yes, though the main reason is that it's safer for your cartridge to do this with the arm locked down. The silicone fluid in the lift cylinder is not part of a hydraulic system in the sense you're probably thinking (and as I once thought). It's just a lubricant. Cueing speed is controlled by the white nylon screw, not by the fluid. Nothing you're likely to do will put that fluid under any pressure. Excessive pressures on the cueing mechanism (like raising the cueing lever with the arm locked down) could bend some of the parts. It's unlikely to cause a fluid leak. |
I have been using a tip that I read about years ago on Audiogon for leveling the headshell. (making it parallel to the record surface.)
Find a set of 3x5 cards that have the lines printed on them.
Look through them and find one with perfectly parallel lines. (very easy to see if you look near the edges)
Take that card and carefully fold it in half with a good tight crease so it is a long "V" with the lines on the outside.
With the platter stopped, carefully lower your stylus down to a nice flat record on about the 2nd track.
Place the card (upside down V)on the record behind the arm & cartridge so that the card is on the flat part of the record (away from the label and the outside edge)
Now use a flashlight and look at the headshell and the card right behind it. You will easily see the top of the headshell against the lines of the card - it is very easy to see if it is off parallel.
Now adjust your VTA on the Triplanar exactly.
(The headshell on the Triplanar is installed exactly parallel to its arm.)
This is the best method I have found to start off with a parallel headshell on the Triplanar.
I think you will like it as much as I do.
(I keep the card in my kit)
Have Fun,
Joe
|
In #4, Doug states "Changing the cueing height affects the point where anti-skate kicks in. (Yes, it's weird.) Once cueing height is satisfactory, adjust the short pin that sticks out of the front of the cueing frame. That pin controls where the anti-skate dogleg first engages the knot on the string.
How does a person adjust the short pin that sticks out of the front of the cueing frame? Is this just a matter of putting a bit of pressure on this to force it down relative to the arm cueing support bar? (I assume that one should make this adjustment with the cueing lever down so as not to put too much pressure on the hydraulics of the arm lift cylinder.)
On another note, how is it best to begin to judge whether the headshell is parallel to the record surface to begin to dial in VTA? Is there a tool or trick, such as a stack of flat playing cards or other simple device that Doug or other Triplanar users have employed successfully? I do not really trust my eyes to do this as I do not practice this skill so frequently that I think I am good at it just by "eyeballing it." |
Hi Jfrech,
Glad #11 is working for you too. A friend in LA first suggested it to me and everyone who's tried it seems to agree.
Regarding A/S, reducing it to the minimum needed for clean tracking improves microdynamics, low level detail and harmonics - much like fine tuning VTF. The amount you need varies with the cartridge, its behavior as it ages and even from LP to LP if you have everything dialed in.
After switching to the little O-rings in 2006, we found our cartridge needing progressively less A/S as time went by (also less VTF). A year or two ago it reached the point of needing no A/S at all - zero O-rings on the dogleg and the dogleg itself propped up so that there was no lateral pull on the string.
The next tweak was obvious: if we didn't need A/S then we didn't need the A/S mechanism. It had become just another resonance trap, like the damping trough. I removed the whole thing (2 minutes, no need to dismount the arm) and we heard an improvement similar to removing the trough, though subtler.
Call this #12. Something to try AFTER you've progressed from X number of little O-rings to zero with satisfactory tracking.
Enjoy!
|
So I tried tip #11 this am. Removed the damping trough.
Seems quieter and more transparent. Took 30 seconds. Nice tip ! Thanks for starting the thread years ago!
I'll try the o rings next on the antiskating... |
Thanks Doug. I will try that especially since I have been experiencing some drift. Merry Christmas. When you're in Atlanta you will have to come by. the system is sounding better than ever.
Andrew |
HI Albert, I agree, backing up to take out the lash is a good move. There is just less of it now and more repeatable. The other thing that is really nice is the tower itself is a lot more precise, so there is less artifact from whether or not the knurled lock-down screw is tight. There's also an additional scale, so you have relative and absolute readings. |
Andrew,
We've never evaluated the sound with the counterweight screws at different tightnesses. I've always kept them quite snug to avoid weight movement, as you said. This is especially important since I'm back there every day messing with O-rings.
My baseline VTF (sans O-rings) never drifts by more than .01g, and that could be attributable to variations in weighing technique, air currents, etc.
I agree with Ralph and Albert on the improved tolerances in the newer arms. Dan_Ed's VTA threads are notably tighter than mine. It still can't hurt to take up the backlash, as Albert said. Repeatable results really matter since the VTA sweet spot is so tiny - and I sure wish someone could explain that!
Tip #11 (old news to many):
If you don't use the damping fluid, lift the arm and remove the damping trough. It's a resonance trap which feeds airborne energies back into the arm. Removing it lowers the sound floor, a nice little upgrade for free.
Leave the dipping screw in place, snugged down tight. It provides useful effective mass and removing it impairs bass and dynamics a tad (at least with our cartridge, it could vary with others). |
Ralph, I had an opportunity to play with the new Triplanar at the Denver Audio Fest and agree the tolerances have been tightened up significantly.
I still wonder, considering the delicate nature of VTA, if Doug's suggestion might not help eliminate the possibility of error?
It was an easy habit to get myself into when I owned the Triplanar and it insured repeatable results. |
I thought tightening the screws on the weights was a no-brainer. Yes, you can hear that.
Albert, if you are still watching this thread, the Mk7 has a lot less slop in it than the arm that you had!! Especially in adjusting the VTA on the fly, the Mk7 has been a real boon. One of the first things Tri did when he took over the company was tighten up all the tolerances. He's continued to do that, and the newer VTA tower is really sorted out. |
Has anyone elvaluated the impact of tightening the locking screws of the counterweights on VTF drift and sound quality?
Andrew |
Thanks for these great tips, Doug! And thanks also for bringing this thread back to the top so I don't have to search for it. My Triplanar is back from Galibier along with the armpod. Now I can get the arm mounted and tweaked up. |
Tip #9 (10?), stolen from my other thread and added here to help newbies find everything in one place:
Remove the antiskate weight. It's too heavy and limits dynamics with most cartridges.
Since the bare dogleg does not provide quite enough anti-skating force to prevent R channel mistracking on some very dynamic passages, we turned to our favorite TriPlanar tweaking material, O-rings.
McMaster Carr sells O-rings perfectly sized to fit the TriPlanar's AS dogleg.
Go to www.mcmaster.com
- scroll down to "Fastening and Sealing" (in the right-hand column)
- click "O-Rings" (near the end of the section)
- select # 103 from the drop-down list of Dash Numbers
- select "Viton" from the materials choices
- $4.98 for a bag of 50 O-rings
These fit the dogleg snugly and each ring weighs ~1/26th as much as the metal AS weight. Experimenting with a very dynamic EMI 'Rigoletto', we found that 6 rings eliminated all audible mistracking, but 5 rings sounded clearer. Since few records are as difficult to track as this EMI, we opted for 5 rings for everyday use.
The number of rings you need could vary of course, but I like this method. It's quick, easy, cheap and effective.
|
Hi Doug,
I also thought about hacking it off (unscrewing it?). Maybe I can convince Tri to sell me a spare part to experiment with. Hey! If I'm on to something (arm rest and counterweights), maybe I can qualify for a "G" designator on his arms (grin).
It would be only a minor challenge to get an arm rest to land in the right place on a pivoting armboard like yours or mine. The key would of course be reversibility. We don't want to screw anything up.
For all we know, any "bad" vibes coming from the arm rest might be perfectly tuned to cancel other vibes out.
It's easy for us to sit on sideline. OTOH, no designer/manufacturer can try everything, and the results might be very positive. Only one way to know for sure.
If I ever get motivated to make up some alternate inserts for the counterweights, I'll make up some spares.
I spoke with Tri Mai today, and he verified that he and Tim use the same plastics fabricator for the protractor.
Cheers,
Thom |
10. Try to stabilize (beef up) the arm rest - maybe some damping clay ?? I wonder if this will have any effect ... could be negative for all I know. One way to find out. Frank suggested I cut mine off and mount an armrest directly on the armboard. That would be shorter, fairly non-resonant and would not feed any resonances it did have directly into the arm structure. I'm quite sure Frank was trying to help, and would take no pleasure watching someone hacksaw away on a TriPlanar! ;-) 11. Play around with the counterweight interface ... maybe machine a harder substitute like nylon or Delrin for the vinyl tubing in the counterweight ... again, this could end up being worse ... only one way to find out. I suppose that would move the resonance frequencies upwards. As for whether that would be better or worse, who knows?! Snap out of it Thom !! You have turntable designs to finish developing for the Audiofest ... yeah, but there it is ... staring me in the face. How can I own anything that's stock ??? Indeed, shame on you! How about getting Frank to make a TriPlanar-compatible armtube? That could be sweet, but I'm not holding my breath! |
Dang !!
I'm already thinking about the arrival of my TriPlanar and Tri hasn't even received my check yet !! I see tip #'s 9 and 10 (or is it 10 and 11 ??) dancing in my head.
Maybe not so much tips as mods:
10. Try to stabilize (beef up) the arm rest - maybe some damping clay ?? I wonder if this will have any effect ... could be negative for all I know. One way to find out.
11. Play around with the counterweight interface ... maybe machine a harder substitute like nylon or Delrin for the vinyl tubing in the counterweight ... again, this could end up being worse ... only one way to find out.
Snap out of it Thom !! You have turntable designs to finish developing for the Audiofest ... yeah, but there it is ... staring me in the face. How can I own anything that's stock ???
Cheers,
Thom |
Hi Doug,
Yes, the protractor is a dead-ringer for Tim's (Turntable Basics) protractor. I believe Tim is also in Minnesota. My only complaint about this protractor is that it falls slightly short of my Ortofon (Thorens? I forget ... I picked it up 20 years ago) mirrored protractor.
With mine, you can look at the cartridge/cantilever head on, and see the reflection of the lines converge as you move your sight-line to the right position. If you can visualize it, you use it the way you might focus an SLR camera with a split image focusing spot.
This is a minor gripe, but an improvement I'd make ... it's the kind of thing that drives someone to manufacture their own ... then again, Frank Schroeder gets a pretty nice setup with his card-stock protractors.
One thing I always forget to do before boxing up an arm is to verify the sight line to the bearing tower. I'm wondering if it is designed for TriPlanar's 233.5 mm p-s distance or if it is a residue from the TT basics design. I'll be getting a "keeper" arm for myself in a couple of months ... plenty of time to experiment.
This sighting in to the bearing tower, I find to be superfluous with setups like yours and mine anyhow ... set the p-s distance as close as you can with a ruler, and then do the fine adjust to land parallel at the two null points. What more does one need to know?
Cheers,
Thom |
Good points Thom.
Keeping the VTA tower grub screw tight is indeed essential except when actually adjusting arm height. Random variations in spindle-to-pivot dimension would be pretty tough to work with!
Also, when aligning a cartridge or measuring VTF, disengage antiskating by slipping something beneath the weight. Otherwise the stylus won't stay put, or at best the arm will be pulled outwards. This may be in the manual, so it doesn't qualify as #10.
It seems quite likely Tri Mai is getting his protractors from the same source as TurnTableBasics. No problem with that, it's a pretty good tool. I bought the TTB protractor on Twl's recommendation long before I got the TriPlanar. Good point about raising the arm when using it though. It is quite thick. Hmm, should I play it and adjust for the tightest mirror-image? |
Great post as usual, Doug
Here's another one - so obvious to you you likely forgot it, but useful to someone who has not handled either a Schroeder Reference or a the Triplanar. Because the bearing pivot is not concentric with the VTA tower on both arms, tip #8 (or is it #9 ??) ...
When dialing in the overhang, make certain that the VTA post lock nut is tightened (the knurled screw on the side of the tower), because this positions the arm properly and fixes the pivot to spindle distance. Without being locked in place, the arm can rotate about the VTA tower and change the pivot to spindle distance.
For the same reason, don't forget to lock the nut after adjusting VTA in-play.
A related aside for all tonearms - if you have a cartridge protractor which varies in thickness from that of a record, temporarily adjust the VTA to compensate for the thickness of your protractor before doing your alignment.
It appears as if Tri Mai sources his current cartridge protractors (supplied with the Triplanar) from Tim at Turntable Basics. It's quite thick, and is one case where raising the arm position before adjusting overhang is quite important.
Cheers,
Thom @ Galibier |
LOL. You guys crack me up. |
|
Albert, that must have been Paul.
I hang out at J.C. Pen-NAY in a black shirt,
and pink running shorts of course. ;~) |
Doug, was that YOU hanging out at Bed Bath and Beyond in the pink shirt? :^). |
If I can find a way to mod my old XLM MkII into another UNIverse, it's yours for $79.95!
I just made three feet for beneath our new TT, using nine coasters Paul "sourced" from Bed, Bath and Beyond. (That is so gay - I tried Home Depot, really.) Basically it's a thin sandwich of rubber, cork, steel and felt, four layers constrained by 80+ pounds of rig.
Not surprisingly, we hear the difference between these coasters and the ones we'd been using temporarily, which were just cork. The new ones firm things up quite a bit. Very tight imaging, more air and space around instruments and singers, better depiction of the dimensions of the soundspace. Not bad for $20. |
Doug,actually I've had a ball using various types of Ceramic tiles,that I've married into differing low resonance,and cheap,equipment supports,and shelves.All sourced from Home Depot,bonded with Silicone,and various spike/type configurations.These are mega cheap,and look really great,also allowing for some artistic(layered)effects.Smart mods,like this allows the "chosen" few to accumulate enough spare dough to possibly save for the elusive ZYX UNIVERSE!!Which ain't cheap,as you know!! |
SirSpeedy,
Great story about Herb Papier and your arm. I wish we'd gotten ours before he passed on. I'd have loved to correspond with him, if only to say "Thank you." Sorry you had to get rid of yours.
Obviously we're from the same school when it comes to maximizing our gear. Those of us trained by Twl know that the striker from a matchbook or two lead weights from Kmart's fishing dept. can sometimes do more for a rig than a $1,000 upgrade. The opportunity for effective user involvement is one of the coolest things about vinyl.
Hello Thomas,
Many thanks for that additional idea, which shall be officially known as Tip #8. I'm aware of one person who had to trim the plastic lining in the bevelled donut just to balance his cartridge. I should have mentioned that.
Thanks to all. Hopefully some new user will stumble across this thread and find something useful. |
Hello Doug,
very good info.
I have another one :
The plastic tube in the heaviest donut is normally cut a bit too long ( that means, the heaviest weight isn't really at the closest point to pivot ).
Shorten it with a sharp knife that the length is identical with the drill or move it back with gentle pressure.
With that "mod" this weight will be mounted closer to the pivot and the next one of course, too.
From my experience this is specially for heavier cartridges a superior solution. |
Doug,I think Herb Papier's sucessor simply does not want to mess with a good thing,and is not the original designer,anyway.Let's face it,the arm as is,as you know,is a fabulous piece of ergonomic engineering.It also,IMO,looks incredible, on some tables(imagine it on a BRINKMAN).Sadly,and I mean this,in my case,my dealer screwed up,BIG TIME,when recommending the arm,for my SOTA COSMOS,which did not have enough room in the arm well,to support proper adjustments for the arm.Herb Papier was a PRINCE,and was so distraught,that he made(machined) a special adaptor for my arm,to fit between cartridge and arm.Unfortunately this did not stand the test of time,and I was forced to move on,but was TRULY not happy about it!!!
I have always loved the Triplaner,and really believe that had Herb been around longer,I could have solved my problem.Herb was the kind of guy that would actually call me,at my business,at times,to recommend some new mod to the arm,and offer to do it at his cost,because he was SO PASSIONATE about keeping some customers at the cutting edge.I REALLY loved the guy!I no longer do business with the dealer,though,he'd rather support(ha)digital,and video!
On a final note(well if you know me,that's never the case)the hobbyists,like yourself,who hold onto quality products long enough to solve their specific needs,are,to me,able to get the best sound from their set-ups.I know more than a few heavily bucked hobbyists that have pricey,and laughably bad sounding systems.To my little group of friends it sems to be a case of "Latest isn't always best"syndrome.Though our MEAN equipment dollar average is considerably higher than a German auto,so who am I kidding? Let's face it,if you have the dough to keep buying the latest stuff,you are NOT going to make the mental,and physical effort(updating,and modding can be quite physical)to extract the most from your stuff.You know what I mean.You seem to have solved the finer points of this perplexing,yet fascinating hobby!!
OOOPS!!Got to go.The French Open just started on ESPN.Have to study the Federer backhand. |
Hodie,
In the right circumstances coathangers can be formidable devices. Remember, 'Mommy Dearest'? The current maker is certainly aware of problem #2. I told him myself and the dealer I installed an arm for also brought it to his attention. A lower durometer sleeve on the cueing support would be a more elegant solution for him to adopt.
Despite these unresolved eccentricities, if you're comfortable with your VI I think you should consider upgrading it to a VII. Two well-eared audiophiles who've heard both the VII and previous versions were thoroughly surprised at how much better the VII sounds. In my own experience it comes very close to matching the finest arm I've heard, and actually beats it in a few areas. Frank Schroeder himself was surprised at how close the Mark VII came to his Reference, and has been very complimentary in several internet postings.
Sirspeedy,
I have to concur, sadly, on your view of Herb Papier's successor. He seems to view his role as curator of a museum piece and has been quite uninterested in making any refinements.
My arm (dealer demo) came with the finger lift firmly attached to the headshell. I've tried to remove it but the screw was fastened with Loktite or something. It won't budge. I'm all for tweaks but I draw the line at hacksaws!
John_Tracy,
Thanks for tweaking my sloppy terminology. You'll get no backlash from me. Of course idea #6 will work on any arm with an exposed end stub. I used it on my OL Silver for a while. IMO this is actually superior to VTF fine-tuning mechanisms, not to mention less expensive. Who knows what sonic baggage all those springs and screws and dials may carry? An O-ring on the end stub is just as easy to use and shouldn't contribute to any resonance problems. |
Tip #6 sounds like just the ticket for fine adjusting the VTF on my OL Illustrious. Now that summer and warmer temps. are coming I may have to trim my setting. BTW, the technical term for slop in the threads is 'backlash'. I did some machining as a grad student and know the drill well. thanks Doug |
Great stuff,and I'm not surprised,considering the source.
That being said,when I owned mine(happily for 3 yrs),I did not attach the little front lift bar,on the side of the headshell.I figured this gave me a tad less mass,and I used the cue instead,to always lift the arm.Just my 2 cents. |
Albert,
If the rubbery protective sleeve on the cueing support bar were just the tiniest bit softer, problem #2 wouldn't exist. There'd be enough friction to keep the arm from sliding randomly left or right during cueing. Maybe your arm was supplied so.
On mine and on one I installed for a dealer's customer the rubber sleeve is so hard there's no "grip" on the armtube. Since antiskating is disengaged until after the stylus is down, the armtube floats willy-nilly in whichever direction the wind's blowing. It's a simple fix though, for those who need it.
4yanx,
It does take getting used to. I guarantee every new user will do the following once: forget to re-raise the cueing lever before moving the arm back out over a new side. This gets very exciting. There's nothing quite like letting go of the finger lift and watching some fancy cartridge PLONK! down onto a record to invoke terror and build careful habits. ;-) |
Thanks for the info, DD. I had to laugh, though, at the idea of having to modify that formidable instrument with sandpaper and a coathanger. Just wondering: is the current maker of the arm aware of these, shall we call them, eccentricities? I'd surely hate to shell out the bucks to upgrade my IV only to have to continue modifying it myself with odds and ends from the garage. Nonetheless, I appreciate your helpful tips.
Hodie |
