lewm

Responses from lewm

Turntable for life
To me, a nutcase is someone who spends hundreds or thousands of dollars on footers without looking at or thinking about the physics of what a footer needs to do and how the problem might be approached using readily available materials. But yes; I ... 
Help me choose a mono cartridge
Smoffat, Please do report your results here.  Specifically, how does the Quintet mono cartridge compare to using just the mono switch?  And do you perceive an additive or synergistic effect for the better, if you use both?  Those observations woul... 
Victor TT 101 vs TT 81
Dear HWS,  Bill Thalmann's shop is about 20 minutes from me, and Bill has worked on my TT101, twice.  Bill has also worked (successfully) on several of my other DD turntables and on one of my Beveridge direct-drive amplifiers. But when my TT101 wa... 
How many use Vintage Hi-Fi systems?
How do you define "vintage"?  The hi-fi era is now arguably 65 years old, if you date the onset to around 1950.  So, vintage could be something from the 50s, but also arguably something from the 80s. Something conceived and marketed in 1985 is now... 
Victor TT 101 vs TT 81
Henry, et al.  I thought you told us long ago that the motor of the TT81, while it may or may not be absolutely identical to that of the TT101, is also coreless.  (I made a claim that it was not, which prompted you or someone else to post a brochu... 
Koetsu RSP Sound Problem
(1) ~2g seems perhaps a bit high for VTF, at least it is for my Urushi.  Have you tried 1.5 to 1.6g? (For all I know without looking it up, the VTF you are using may be the recommended one.) In any case, I would put a few more hours on the cartrid... 
Turntable for life
You read correctly, Peter.  Of course, my way of describing them is meant for laughs, but I do use small cans of Mandarin Orange slices in water (sealed, of course) for footers on both my Lenco and my Denon DP80, which also sits in a slate plinth.... 
Who needs a MM cartridge type when we have MC?
Apropos of nothing, I spent today listening to the Ortofon MC2000 on my Kenwood L07D directly driving my modified Atma-sphere MP1, which has plenty of gain for it with no need for a SUT.  Wow, what a great cartridge!  Of all the tips I ever took f... 
Grace F9 F8 F-9 F-8 Andante F9 F-9 H S Sumiko Pearl Supex Phono Stylus GAS Sleeping Beauty
Thanks, Al.  I am surprised to learn of the 100K recommended load resistance. Perhaps this is part of the reason why my OEM Ruby sounded so great with my Silvaweld phono stage, where I installed 100K load resistors.  However, it sounds less great ... 
Turntable for life
First of all, I am not claiming that any of my "lifetime" turntables (plural) is "the best".  I can only say that I've arrived at a place where I feel no urge ever to make major changes.  I own 5 turntables, but my lifetime keepers in no particula... 
ZYX 'Real Stereo' and Miyajima 'Cross Ring' Cartridges
Miyajima started out to build a superior mono cartridge.  After he reached his goal, which led to his rather unique structure, he then branched into stereo.  I am not aware of whatever may be unique in the design and/or build of ZYX cartridges, bu... 
Your favorite BEACH BOYS LP besides PET SOUNDS
I never get the bit with BB albums.  For me, their ouvre consists of 45 RPM singles.  I love "California Girls", "Surfer Girl", and "409" (or whatever is the title of that song about a 409 Chevy).  They are forever symbolic of my own youth. I boug... 
Turntable Wars- Reviewers take sides
Whether Johnny moved or not, most of those folks are no longer performing in LA or anywhere else.  Bud Shank is one of my candidates for least hyped and most accomplished sax players of all time. However, the jazz scene in most of our major cities... 
Grace F9 F8 F-9 F-8 Andante F9 F-9 H S Sumiko Pearl Supex Phono Stylus GAS Sleeping Beauty
I've now got about 5-6 hours on the Ruby/OCL.  It is producing a "big" and very highly detailed sound.  During the first 2 hours, it sounded tipped up in the treble with not much bass. This is in a Dynavector DV505 tonearm with an aftermarket head... 
Turntable Wars- Reviewers take sides
Henry, True that HP was at one time operating with no advertisers, but word was that he (and some of his top reviewers) would keep gear "lent" for review for indefinite periods of time, as in "forever".  This creates a conflict of interest, becaus...