Eminent Technology ET-2 Tonearm Owners

slaw, when you ask "Is the Hurst motor a springboard for (their) motor controllers?", are you speaking of Phoenix Engineering and their motor controllers, or VPI and theirs? It seems logical to assume that VPI controllers were developed specifically for the Hurst’s they install in all their tables, so I’m guessing you meant Phoenix Engineering. Design engineer and company owner Bill Carlin developed his motor products for use with any and all AC synchronous motors, including VPI’s of course. Bill knows a LOT about motors, and his postings on the VPI Forum site contain deep design details, a source of great information about turntables and their motors. The PE products are not only quite a bit more sophisticated and advanced than VPI’s, but also cheaper. Too bad they are no longer available! New, anyway.

As I do with just about everything I buy used, I completely disassembled the VPI HW-19 I recently acquired. Once in pieces, I discovered that the little rubber grommets that are part of the motor stand-offs that separate the upper and lower motor mounts had broke apart, a common problem with the HW-19, I learned. I replaced them in the manner I mentioned above---with E-A-R Isoloss Sandwich Mounts, a direct, easy-to-install swap. I also discovered that the table does NOT have the Hurst motor it left the factory fitted with, but rather a Bergerlahr, a German company. Their motors are well regarded, and considered to be of higher quality than those of Hurst. I reckon either the original wore out and was replaced with the Bergerlahr, or it was installed by a former owner as an upgrade.

ct0517, I have been reading on the VPI Forum about using thread in place of the stock rubber belts on their tables, and will eventually get around to trying that.

Slaw -
ct0517,

Have you ever tried different motors on the VPI TTs you’ve owned?

@ct0517---Well, I do own two of Bruce’s speaker models, LFT-8b and LFT-4. My not having an ET arm is the result of long ago choosing the Townshend Rock as my turntable. A linear tracking arm can not be used with the Rock, due to the table’s damping trough.

I’m of the opinion that a system is best assembled from the two ends inward---the phono pickup and the loudspeaker (both transducers) first, then the tonearm and the power amp. I believe the speaker should be selected before the amp, the amp then chosen by it’s suitability for use with that speaker. Likewise, the pickup first, then an arm particularly appropriate for the chosen pickup.

Chris, as you know, I am also a long-time Quad ESL owner, and I got myself both a Bedini 25/25 and a pair of Atma-Sphere M60’s with which to power the Quads. I chose the Townshend Rock as my turntable because of my love of the Decca/London pickup; the Rock is THE table for the those pickups, for reasons I won’t go into here.

I saw and heard the Oracle Delphi/ET-2 and VPI HW-19 & TNT/ET-2 many times at Brooks Berdan’s shop (Brooks’ two favorite arms were the ET and the Graham). But since I prioritize the pickup over the arm, and the Rock is the best table for the pickup, never got myself an ET arm. I got the VPI HW-19 with the intent of installing the spare Townshend damping trough I have on it for a second London. While looking around for an arm to put on the VPI, I became aware of the TransFi Terminator. I was intrigued when I saw a London Reference mounted on the arm in pictures, and subsequently learned that TransFi owner/designer Vic used the Reference himself. Since the Terminator is only a little over a grand, I thought what the heck, I’ll give it a try. I have no idea how it compares to the ET arm, so if I end up liking the TransFi maybe I’ll consider looking into it. Though the ET and the TransFi are both linear-tracking air-bearing arms, they are very different from one another.