Vintage DD turntables. Are we living dangerously?

Lewm,

I've taken off, and put back on, that bottom cover more times than I care to remember. But the most memorable thing about that experience is just how tight the fit is in there, especially the power cord. So, even though it didn't cross my mind that that could be the source of your problem, it wouldn't surprise me if it was.

At any rate, looking forward to hearing your impressions of the table.

Lewm

As to whether anyone cares how you are making out with your intermittent TT-101, at least other owners myself included, have been following your on again off again saga.

Always nice to have options if the same issue arises.

but I just thought Halco would appreciate my keeping his thread alive.

😎👍

I, being the owner of two TT-81's, also pay close attention to anything related to our DD tables!
(grin)

We all know that the majority of 70s and 80s Japanese DD turntables came supplied with the ubiquitous thick moulded rubber platter mats.....yet a company like Victor, discovered that these mats....whilst damping the aluminium platter....suppressed the high frequency harmonics and caused a kind of bottom-end bloat to the sound.
35 years ago Victor produced a thin (0.5mm) pigskin mat with a fine cut suede finish one side and a lightly tanned finish on the other for their high-end Laboratory models like the TT-101.
I have been using this mat for the last 5 years and have tested many other leather/suede mats which have suddenly become the fashion over the last few years....yet none has quite equalled the transparency and liquid purity of the Victor...👀

Jico has just released a 2 mat set of suede leather mats....and the Victor mat has now been surpassed in my system by the thinner Jico model.
I can imagine many systems where the thicker Jico mat may sound better and at the price that Jico are selling this set for....it's simply a no-brainer for anyone not to try....😎

I'd buy a mint top of the line Sansui TT from the 70's just to look at it !Most Beautiful HiFi gear of any type I ever saw.

Schubert.
Ah yes. For me it was the SR-929.
A work of visual art.

I just did a power cord replacement on my TT101. Sorry that I didn't take pics, but here is what I did:
- I bought an IEC power cord extender - it has male and female IEC ends.
- cut off and discarded the male end - circumcision but less painful
- left about 12" of cord - sufficient for my purpose
- stripped and tinned all three wires
- removed the steel basket and took off the cord pass- thru
- freed the small circuit board where the power cord attaches
- tried to unsolder the two wires but was unable so I clipped them closely
- soldered the power and neutral wires of the new line in place - no order required as shown by the original plug having equal sized blades.
- used a close-by brass circuit bd stand-off to squeeze the ground wire tightly against the chassis.
- wrapped the cord like it was originally so that the male IEC socket sticks out the back when I put the basket back on.
Now I am using a good, shielded, grounded power cord for the TT.
Life is Good.
Gary

Richardkrebs, just so !
I had the SR-929 in my minds eye as I typed the post.
It sounded very good as well.

CT, The nice thing is, my Alfa does not have to be so reliable, as I will not be relying on it except for the occasional spin on local roads. But I do expect it will be more reliable than the TT101 has been so far. FWIW, I owned a Duetto for six years whilst living in NYC with no garage. It never failed me for one second during that time, through rain, snow, sleet, and parking outside.

Bulletin on the TT101. Long ago I had observed that mine works most reliably when the tach is set to "Run", where you see the speed go from zero to 33.33, over and over again. Since I had been getting cocky about its reliability, I set it to the "Hold" option the other day, just for masochistic reasons. I find that it's not so dead nuts reliable when the tach is set to Hold, as it has been on Run. This may be an indicator of where to look for bad solder joints or broken wires, but that's for another day, since it's fine on Run. I am mounting an FR64S and a Koetsu Urushi. Stay tuned.

Has anyone had any direct experience of the new PBN plinth-ed Denon tt's? The plinth is certainly beautiful and looks well designed.

Hi Halcro,

In addition to my TT-81, I also run the VPI Aries. Mods on it include that thick 2 inch acrylic platter. Because of the 'not so subtle differences' between the two turntables, I installed the Accromat from Firm Funk in place of the rubber mat on the Victor. It is a type of acrylic and I now find the two quite comparable in their performance signatures.
I have thought about these leather mats but have never given one a try. Have you ever tried an acrylic mat on your TT-101? If so, how did or does it compare to those leather mats?
BTW: I completely agree with your assessment of the original rubber mat that came with the Victor turntables. I could not replace mine fast enough. It truly was an overall dull presentation when compared to the VPI Aries. Thanks to the acrylic mat, this has been corrected!
Regards,

Halcro

Hi Henry. Thanks for that. I have ordered the Jico mat. The MS copper mat these days is just too expensive

Its a good idea to have 2 thicknesses of the mat. I can try one on each table 😀

It will be interesting to hear how they sound.

Cheers

Henry and Don, From Henry's first post about the pigskin mat, I got the idea he was saying it was supplied OEM with the TT101, perhaps not with the TT81. My TT101 has what I deem to be its OEM mat, but it sure does not look to be made of any natural material. On the other hand, it is much harder than were the OEM rubber mats that came with my DP80 or either of my two Technics SP10s (Mk2A followed by Mk3). So, what am I looking at? Henry, can you describe the TT101 mat or post a photo? Mine has many concentric ridges in it, running all the way from inner groove area to outermost grooves, also unlike Denon or Technics rubber mats. It's possible that it's not made of rubber, but I don't know what else it could be. Thanks.

I am using a Merrill lead mat glued to the bottom of an Achromat. Very satisfied. Once you add on the weight of the ring and the rather light delrin clamp, the platter gets heavy but no problems.

I am surprised no one responded to my fitting the iec socket. I believe it to be a very worthwhile improvement.

Lew,
You need to realise that when a Post contains a word, phrase or Link appearing in purple writing underlined......that it is 'clickable' and will take to a photo or page which the author wishes you to see....😜
The Victor Pigskin mat is shown by clicking on the purple underlined 'pigskin' in the relevant Post whilst the Jico mats are shown by clicking on the purple underlined 'Jico'.

To avoid confusion....the TT-101 came with the standard ubiquitous moulded rubber mat supplied with all the Victor DD decks.
The Pigskin mat is an aftermarket accessory that Victor created for those whose systems could handle the increased detail....👀
It can be a shock unless VTA is correctly set for the lower thickness....😫

Hi Griff,
I have not tried an acrylic mat....
I've tried the Micro Seiki Cu180 which surprisingly sounds the same as the thinner Jico mat on my TT-101.
I've also tried the carbon fibre Millennium mat as well as various felt mats and about 4 or 5 other leather/suede mats of various thicknesses.
It would be interesting to see how the Jico mat/s sound on your TT-81 compared to the acrylic❓

Hi Shane (Downunder),
I'll be interested to hear what you think of the Jico mats on your P3 and P10.
I notice that you now use the bare copper platter on the Raven AC-3 which puts you in a good position to evaluate the effectiveness of the suede mats.

Please keep us informed....👀😜

I am surprised no one responded to my fitting the iec socket. I believe it to be a very worthwhile improvement.

I suspect it effects a real improvement Aigenga......but we need photos to appreciate exactly what and HOW you did it...❓👀

I find that it's not so dead nuts reliable when the tach is set to Hold, as it has been on Run.

Lew,
If the TT-101 does not display 33.33 and 45.00 when set to 'Hold'....it is not performing correctly...😥
If you have the Manual downloaded from Vinyl Engine....see if the problem is described in 'Trouble Shooting'....❓

Hi Henry,

This Jico mat that you use on your TT-101. Does it fit 'in' the lip of the platter or did you have to trim it a little?
I ask because I am considering ordering one.
Also, how did you connect the link from the work Jico that you typed in one of your above responses. This I ask because I try to learn something everyday!
Best regards,

Henry, Thanks for the tip on the clickable links. As for mats, since I have yet no listening experience with the TT101, I cannot comment on its mat. With my Lenco and my SP10 Mk3, I am a big fan of the Boston Audio Mat1 (for the Lenco) and Mat2 (for the Mk3). (Mat2 is thicker and heavier than Mat1.) I've tried several different mats on each, and the BA mats are current winners. I totally agree about the colorations of the OEM rubber mats as heard on my Denon DP80 and on my Technics tt's. They not only color the music, but I think the rubber mats have colored people's opinions about direct-drive "sound". I wanted also to note that Kenwood was ahead of its time in offering its stainless steel platter sheet in lieu of rubber. But so too was Micro Seiki in offering a copper mat (and a gunmetal platter which can be used with no mat), albeit they are not famed as makers of dd turntables. Kenwood made an optional ceramic platter sheet for the L07D. I have only seen photos of that, but the scuttlebutt is to avoid it. I would not feel inclined to mess with the stainless steel platter sheet on the L07D. Currently, my SP10 Mk3 is receiving the Krebs upgrade and so is out of service. I have been listening regularly to the L07D with an Ortofon MC2000 cartridge (Raul's old favorite MC), and the sound is glorious. I cannot fault it.

Thanks for your concern re the TT101 on "Hold". There is no problem in terms of displaying 33.33 or 45.00. It goes right up to display those two speeds and holds those numbers firmly. The problem is that occasionally it will go into its typical failure mode after 3-4 minutes: the tach lights go out, except for the decimal point, and the platter coasts to a stop (no brake effect). It's as if someone pulled the plug, except the power lights are all "on". If you then re-start, it will work fine, as if nothing bad had happened. So far, in the nude, it has been dead nuts reliable when set to "Run" but does crash as described, about one out of 10 times, when the tach is set to Hold.

I agree with Halcro’s assessment of the thin Jico mat. I have about 8 leather mats (some are diy) and I’ve tried many different configurations (stacked in various order), and the thin Jico one comes out on top (so far). The Jico mat extends over the lip of the victor’s platter unlike the OEM pigskin and my 47 Labs deerskin mats. I believe this is important, because I have found that if the outer rim of a record touches the bare alu platter, one can hear a sort of ringing. That was one reason I was stacking mats.

Aigenga: your iec post piqued my interest, but you don't say in what particular way(s) 'life is good' with the new cord. Can you elaborate?

I followed your lead on another matter: swapped out the stock ball bearing with a 4mm SiNi one. Thanks for posting the dimensions on the bearing. I can't say I heard a significant difference, but one visible difference I noted is this: the OEM ball bearing is scarred by 'grooves'--caused by either the bottom of the spindle or by the thrust pad (go here: http://cgim.audiogon.com/i/vs/i/f/1425847335.jpg --for some reason mark up tags are not working)--while the the harder SiNi is not.[n.b.: audiogon's system compresses my pic so the grooves may not be very clear; trust me they're there and are easily visible in the original pic). One would surmise that this increased bearing wear would have sonic consequences over time.

While the bearing swap did not result in anything significant for me, I can report that a change in lubrication did. I had been using Redline 20 wt race oil, as recommended by the Kenwood l-07d guru. Recently, audiogoner Doron suggested I try Royal Purple XPR race oil. I bought the 5w-30. The RP is significantly more viscous than the Redline and this resulted in greatly differing platter stop times (i.e. the time it takes for the platter to reach full stop after pushing the stop button/pulling the plug). With the Redline (at 45rpm), it took 1 minute 10 seconds to stop; with the RP, it took only 43 seconds. One can easily tell the difference between the two oils by how the platter responds to one’s hands. With the RP, the platter feels like it’s running on molasses; the Redline like running ON TOP of water.

Given these observations, and before I gave the RP a listen, I declared victory for the Redline (for surely the higher the degree of freedom of motion the better?). The declaration was premature. The RP yielded a lowered sound floor and a darker background. Evidently, the RP does a better job supporting the ball bearing at its contact point with the plastic thrust pad, thereby lessening (eliminating?) one significant source of noise. One way to confirm this is by adding weight to the platter and seeing whether it affects stop time. Both Doron and I confirmed that adding weight (in my case, I tried a 580g and a 770g weight) does not affect the RP (in both our cases, at 33 rpm the platter stops after 30 sec irrespective of weight). On the other hand, the Redline was down to 50 sec (from 1min) with the 580g weight.

Presumably, at some higher weight, even the RP would be affected. RP sells lighter race oils and I’m tempted to see whether one can achieve both freer motion and superior support.

This then is a consideration for those of you adding significant weight to the tt 101’s platter (perhaps this is part of the reason why the light weight leather mats sound so good?). Of course, whatever benefits accrue from adding really heavy mats and rrecord weights may mitigate the effects of increased bearing noise, so YMMV. And for those who have not changed out the oil on your 30+ year old tables, I’d strongly recommend you consider it (despite Victor’s assertion that the oil never needs changing). It’s so easy to do that even I can do it ☺.

Just be sure that the OEM thrust pad is suited to the silicon nitride ball. Bearing technology is complex.

Did you measure a "lowered sound floor", or is that a subjective judgement based on listening to LPs? These racing motor oils are designed to be used in engines turning several thousand RPM. I am surprised that one good oil would be noticeably superior to another good oil in a tt turning at most 45rpm. But on the other hand, Howard Stearn (L07D guru and surgeon, not the radio shock jock) swears by the Redline for the L07D, and nothing else, as you mentioned. So I guess I should not be surprised that for another table with a different bearing material a different (brand or viscosity?) motor oil might work better. My guess is a 5W-30 Redline would probably perform like the 5W-30 RP.

How do you access the bearing in your TT101? I can envision doing it either from above or below. Once you do that, have you had issues with the platter height? (I think you earlier reported that you did.) Thanks.

Thanks to Henry pointing out the clickable links, I was able to see the photos of the Jico mats. I definitely do not like the fact that the mat hangs over the edges of the platter. Most all LPs have a "lip" around their circumference. Optimally this lip should hang out in space over the edges of the circumference of the platter or platter mat, so the playing surface can be in contact with the platter or platter mat. Having this lip on the LP in contact with the mat would tend to lift the whole playing surface of the LP by a fraction of a millimeter or so off the mat. Just my opinion, but I do not care for that characteristic. I would try to trim the mat so to avoid that issue.

Did you measure a "lowered sound floor", or is that a subjective judgement based on listening to LPs?

The latter, Lewm. It was the proverbial, "I could hear things (on very familiar records) I never heard before" bit. I did buy a mechanic's stethoscope. I placed the probe on the spindle shaft and the bottom of the motor: I didn't hear anything. Suspecting that the scope is not sensitive enough, I put it on a DD table I use to clean records: a hum could easily be heard. Of course, this does not get me very far, since I didn't probe the old bearing or the redline.

Your suspicions re a heavier weight Redline oil are duly noted. I might test that out in the near future, either a heavier weight Redline or a lighter weight RP.

The bearing is accessed from below; you'll need to flip your table upside down. Then unscrew the giant brass screw; it may be secured with some kind of cement that you'll need to remove first.

Your problem with your tt 101 is puzzling. I recall you saying that you could hear your platter scraping. Did you fix that? There are two ways to adjust platter height: the bearing screw at the bottom of the table or shims between the motor and the chassis (there should be 2 of them on each of the 3 screws that secure the motor. Note that with the screw, there is a range that yields the correct motor height(s). Outside that range, one gets one of three things: scraping platter, errant rotation, or complete locking. The easiest way I've found to find the right height is to take black bottom cover off and place your table inbetween two suitably spaced endtables. This way you can access the screw from below while the table is running. Just make small turns to the screw (clockwise--as seen from below--to raise platter). I know you have a stethoscope: use it to hear whether the platter is scraping.

I take Lew's point about the Jico mat overhanging the platter's raised metal edge.....
On the other hand, with the original Victor Pigskin mat which doesn't overhang......the vinyl record's outer edge is then resting on the metal edge whilst the rest of the disc is resting on suede....👀
With the Jico mats, the whole record is in contact with the leather...😎
Which is better I prefer to be determined by listening...rather than theoretical speculation....😏
There is much we simply cannot scientifically yet explain in the complex chain known as 'vinyl'....😡

Hey Don,
See my response to Lew about the overhanging mat....
If you are already able to post a 'clickable' Link using the 'markup tags'
then use the last one to create your own title....
Press the 'Preview first' button before 'submitting' to ensure that it works correctly.
You may have to practice a little....😜
Good luck..

In relation to any of the mats discussed I must add a caveat......
I have only used them with a heavy record weight which I think is essential.
I haven't even bothered doing any serious listening without one...so I could be found guilty of 'unscientific' or even 'nonobjective' evaluation......😫

As far as the benefits of the IEC socket, I have three:
1. Cleaner power to the turntable provided by a well designed and shielded pc.
2. A much better ground for the table and if you are plugging it into the same power conditioner as your phono-pre and other components you will have it on a single ground plane.
3. Less transmission of electro-magnetic noise into the air right near highly sensitive receivers such as your cartridge and phono-cable. This is due to both the better ground and the shielded cable.

I hear less noise - especially less 60 cycle hum. YMMV

Gary

As far as the mat goes. I have two needs: I want to deaden the ringing of the platter sufficiently, and I want to absorb the vibrations of the record without deadening the sound. Bad vibes and good vibes. That is why I am using a sandwich of lead to dampen the platter and the Achromat which is made of a foamed vinyl that can absorb the excess vibrations but is hard and smooth.

I also use a very thin (1mm) disk of rubber that is about half the diameter of the record label,with a center hole for the spindle, over the achromat. Combined with the Merrill clamp it forces the whole playable area of the record against the mat. This prevents slipping and chatter and helps the mat to do its job.

Perhaps I would be better off with the lead mat mated to a leather mat. I wouldn't want the record touching the aluminum platter or not being evenly supported. So the combined mat would need to be thick enough.
Gary

I hear less noise - especially less 60 cycle hum.

That's exactly what I wanted to hear from you, Aigenga. Thanks.

Regarding ringing of the platter, be sure that on the underside of the platter resides the OEM rubber ring like "mat"

Over time the bonding can loosen and the damping rubber ring will come lose, without this material the platter is better suited to announce the second coming.

A good point Totem....
Rubber platter pad

Hi Henry aka Halcro

I now see you put the leather mat directly to the platter, not on top of the rubber mat like the Jico play pictures😀

I am a little worried as I dont use a record weight with my P3 or P10 as it sounds better without. The same platter or is sunken a bit with the lip around it. The thin Millennium mat did not get over the height of the platter lip so the lp was sort if touching it.

I have tested the P3 rubber mat ( it is very thick) and it has sounded better than the thinner Technics mat, Boston 1, Millennium, SAEC steel mat and Living Voice mat.

So the leather will be interesting

Hi Shane,

I can't see where you see the leather mat on top of the rubber mat in the Jico pictures....👀❓

Banquo, Re platter rubbing. There was indeed one point in time where I perceived noise coming from what sounded like platter rubbing, only audible at 45 rpm, and I reported it here. However, the noise or rubbing sound, or whatever it was, disappeared as mysteriously as it had appeared in the first place, with no treatment or cure from me. There's been no issues since, and the TT101 is dead silent. Which is kind of why I am reluctant to lubricate the bearing, since that opens up a potential new can of worms. Nonetheless, I certainly agree that when Victor stated that the bearing would need no service "for the life of the turntable", they did not envision that a few old farts would be resurrecting them 35 years later.

Aigenga, Is it fair to say that the benefit of your IEC socket is the capacity to use "modern" power cords? It's the power cord itself that affords the real benefit. Where did you connect the third "ground" wire from your IEC plug to the chassis? I have done similar to vintage equipment, except I choose to dispense with the IEC interface. I just choose a suitable modern power cord, buy a length of it from Michael Percy, and then solder it directly to the power transformer. My favorite cord for this purpose is XLO; there are two types made by XLO, one more costly than the other, of course. Mainly they differ in wire gauge, but the conductors are of high quality, 3 wires, shielded, and in a head to head comparison with other boutique power cords, the XLO came out ahead (at least in my imagination). Kimber 8TC speaker cable also makes an excellent power cord (I'm using it on my Lenco), as does Goertz ribbon-type speaker wire, the heavy gauge version. My TT101 has to prove itself reliable enough to be worthy of this embellishment before I will go to the trouble.

Lew, brief power cord story -

One of my best audio buddies (who we unfortunately lost last year) had decades of experience with electronics, audio components, and on-site recording. So he approached problems with a background of technical knowledge, yet he kept an open mind to experiment, even when it went "against the rules".

His old school side was content with decent quality Belden PCs and only smiled at the pricing for most of the aftermarket "audiophile" PCs. Until one day he needed a longer than standard PC and couldn't find a Belden long enough. However he did have some spare Kimber 8TC and so fabricated a PC of the needed length rather than go shopping. The improvements with the Kimber made him a believer that standard PCs can indeed be improved upon.

With the release of the Pioneer PLX-1000, which addresses the vibration issues of vintage DD turntables, there's no need to live dangerously. It's in current production, you'd be buying it under warranty, and it's a very affordable $699.

Johnny, I am very glad that the new Pioneer exists, because it will be attractive to those who fear "living dangerously" with vintage DD's, and it may help, like the Technics SL1200 did, to spread the word of the virtues of DD. But what "vibration issues" are you referring to?

Pryso, Someone wiser than I once told me that a good speaker cable usually makes a good power cord. In my experience with the Kimber 8TC and the Goertz copper ribbons, this axiom has held true so far. It suits my contrary nature, as well.

03-09-15: Lewm
Johnny, I am very glad that the new Pioneer exists, because ... it may help, like the Technics SL1200 did, to spread the word of the virtues of DD. But what "vibration issues" are you referring to?

Maybe resonance would be a better word, though resonance is a form of sympathetic vibration.

I find the improvements in the PLX-1000 to echo my own tweaks to my SL1210 M5G: I found that there was an upper midrange glare whose frequency corresponded to the "ping" I heard when flicking the hollow aluminum tonearm. I wrapped the tonearm with PFTE pipe thread tape, the "ping" disappeared and so did the "glare."

I swapped out the stock footers for a combination of brass cones and Vibrapod cones and isolators, plus an isolation platform made of 3-1/2" thick butcher block cutting board and silicon gel pads. This lowered the overall noise floor and improved inner detail, dynamics, and clarity.

The PLX-1000 has a rubbery damping sleeve lining the tonearm. It has much improved feet, the aluminum top has been replaced by much less resonant and more rigid zinc, and there are polymer damping layers internally to further quell random vibrations and resonances.

Over the 8 years I've had my SL1210, I found that the audiophile dogma aimed against the direct drive mechanism was misplaced. There was nothing wrong with the Matsushita direct drive mechanism; it was their rudimental knowledge of vibration control that made the Technics sound dark to the point of murky compared to the belt drive turntables (e.g., Linn) that came along soon after that specifically directed their design at quelling resonances. The designs were effective, but mistakenly attributed their success to the belt drive, not the spring suspension and other isolation techinques.

Every time I did something about resonance--KAB's fluid damper, the tonearm wrap, a sorbothane mat, record grip, cones and isolators, butcher block, etc., the turntable sounded cleaner, more propulsive, more dynamic, quieter, and more linear. It looks like the Pioneer now has most of these virtues right out of the box.

Henry

See link with mat on top of rubber mat

http://stylus.export-japan.com/images/ltm/turntablemat05_l.jpg

http://stylus.export-japan.com/images/ltm/turntablemat03_l.jpg

Lewm: Where did you connect the third "ground" wire from your IEC plug to the chassis?

With your ultra transparent casing you should be able to see what I am referring to pretty easily. The main circuit boards are stacked using hexagonal brass rods that screw together and screw into the chassis. I unscrewed one right near the small circuit board where the pc connects, removed the small lock washer at the base of the rod where it screws into the chassis and put my tinned and flattened green wire into that space, and tightened it down.
Easily done.
Gary

For those of you that have platters that have a raised lip - it is a very easy job for a competent engineering workshop to remove the lip ( without upsetting the balance) which would enable you to run any platter mat, or alternately reduce the height of the lip so the record does not touch the aluminium platter.

Shane,

I don't believe that it's a rubber mat under the Jico leather mat in that image...?
It looks to be more like a rigid plastic mat like the Achromat...?
I have friends who like to use a leather/suede mat on top of a rigid one (especially metal) like the Cu180...in combination, the two mats can often ameliorate any stringency in the upper harmonics...
I really can't imagine using a leather mat on a ribbed rubber one...but hey....you can certainly try it...😜

Gary,
My problem with changing the power cord on the Victor is.....where do I stop❓👀
The TT-101 plugs into a 240v to 100v step-down transformer which itself plugs into a PS Audio Power Regenerator which itself plugs into the mains.
Do I need to change all three (two of which are hard-wired)❓😫

Do I need to change all three (two of which are hard-wired)❓😫

Henry, Yes.
You are an audiophile and a diy guru.
You started this trend and opened our eyes, so why stop. lol

Over time the bonding can loosen and the damping rubber ring will come lose, without this material the platter is better suited to announce the second coming.

Thanks for the tip, totem395. Upon inspection, the adhesive securing some parts of my rubber ring had indeed dried out. I couldn't tell just by looking; I had to peel back the outer rim of the rubber (the adhesive is applied in square blocks roughly midway inbetween).

Readers of this thread will know that my victor experienced a resurrection, but now that my ring is secured, I have perhaps put in abeyance the second coming?

Henry, the goal would be twofold. One get a good ground for the Victor and two put a long pc on it so that you can get all that equipment far away from the cartridge and tonearm cable. Does that seem reasonable?
Gary

Thank you for the kind words Audpulse...😎
I am grateful and truly humbled....😔
If I've in some way helped you and others to achieve better sound from vinyl....I can ask no more....🎼
Regards
Henry

Hi Griff,
I've ordered a 5mm Achromat....but the 1200 which allows for the edge lip of the platter (named after the Technics 1200 because of the same problem).....
So....I'll see if there is still some improvement to be had...❓👀