Triplanar VII tonearm & Koetsu Jade Platinum cart.
I have the same table and arm as you but I have an Air Tight PC-1 cartridge. Great table and arm. I second the response from Thomasheisig. Check out the Doug Deacon thread. I used it extensively in setting up my Tri-planar. Remove the damping trough. Love to hear that Jade sometime. For now the Air Tight is pretty special. |
I must interject that I own a Wheaton Triplanar with a Koetsu Urushi. I tried implementing some of Doug's suggestions. I did not remove the anti-skate weight entirely, but I mounted it as close as possible to the shaft, so that it exerted minimal AS force. I also unscrewed the paddle in the damping trough to the point where it was not making contact with the fluid. These two adjustments had a net negative effect. Overall, the sound was hardened and "peaky", and there was perceptible break-up in the right channel. Adding AS force and re-adjusting the damping paddle eliminated these problems and brought back the sublime sound of this combo in my system. I assumed that Doug's findings simply do not apply to the Wheaton cum Koetsu combination. YMMV and all that. |
Interesting that JerryS just posted a review saying this wasn't all that great a combo. 10audio review |
I wouldn't intentionally pair a TriPlanar and a Koetsu myself. I've heard both components sound better with other partners. The TriPlanar is better suited to more compliant cartridges, Koetsus do better with higher mass arms. Therefore, some of the tips on that thread will apply and some won't. As Lewm discovered, a Koetsu does not track well enough on this arm to implement the low antiskating force that works so well with ZYX, Lyra and other medium compliance cartridges. The fact that he needs the damping fluid to control HF's is another indicator of a less than optimal match. No one using more compatible cartridges like the ones just mentioned needs or even likes the damping fluid, AFAIK. Most of us have removed our damping fluid troughs altogether, to good effect. For those who already have a TriPlanar and Koetsu, I would suggest trying to increase the arm's effective mass. Headshell weights and/or lighter counterweights located farther from the pivot might help the combination work better. Doug |
