The analog thread.

[Chekhonte]

You guys have gear that's too good. We need to implement a social program for members of lesser means. Just because I don't have money is it fair that I can't have amazing gear? No, it isn't. I'll be accepting any and all turntables and hd800's. Thank you.

[jp11801]

:pget a job hippie:p

[Chekhonte]

I have a job thank you very much. I clean oil off of small animals that have been slighted by the man. I get paid in tofu.

[Hopstretch]

I get paid in tofu.

You know that's made from small animals, right?

[Chekhonte]

Yes, that's what we do with the animals we clean.

[mypasswordis]

Might as well cut out the middle man and make the tofu yourself. Make 'em an offer they can't refuse.

[jp11801]

PIcked this up Friday, stone mint example of a Denon DP-59L, looks like it just came out of a store in 1983

This one so far is still my favorite but I need to do a better head to head with the Denon

[mypasswordis]

That 59L does look minty fresh and really great. Any reason you're picking direct drives over the other types?

[jp11801]

I would love an idler just to try but finding one in great shape, ready to play is difficult and costly. My best turntable experience was at the VSAC show hearing a 401 in a birch ply plinth out of massive gotu horns.

Direct drives to me sound better (greater focus, dynamics, soundstage) than do the belt drives I have played with, including the LP12, VPI Superscoutmaster, Scout and even the table of my dreams the Galibier Serac. When you get in the post $5k realm and into the upper Galibiers, modded aries from VPI or Raven tables DD is a cheaper and arguably sonically at least as good as many sub 5k belt drive tables.

Edited November 29, 2009 by tyrion

[Chekhonte]

I know that this is a pretty loose forum and all but please stay on topic and give me your gear.

[tyrion]

Here's to hoping you continue to like the Sony better.

[mypasswordis]

I would love an idler just to try but finding one in great shape, ready to play is difficult and costly. My best turntable experience was at the VSAC show hearing a 401 in a birch ply plinth out of massive gotu horns.

Direct drives to me sound better (greater focus, dynamics, soundstage) than do the belt drives I have played with, including the LP12, VPI Superscoutmaster, Scout and even the table of my dreams the Galibier Serac. When you get in the post $5k realm and into the upper Galibiers, modded aries from VPI or Raven tables DD is a cheaper and arguably sonically at least as good as many sub 5k belt drive tables.

I lost you after $5k

The Rek O Kuts are still cheap but mounting a new tonearm will take some work. I asked over at HF and the TT gurus said the options would be to make the slot bigger through the thick steel top plate to fit arms like the Linns or Regas or to mount the top plate sideways (90 degrees) and mount directly on the plinth. I don't know anything about 9" vs 12" tonearms but the majority seem to be the 9"ish variety, with the Linns at 229mm and the Regas at 237mm. Anyone know the best way to make a hole bigger through a thick steel plate without killing oneself?

I was considering getting a belt drive ROK to convert to thread drive but that's just too much work for me right now. I'll keep a lookout for any Garrards or other good TTs on CL.

I know that this is a pretty loose forum and all but please stay on topic and give me your gear.

Do you actually own any LPs?

[Hopstretch]

Anyone know the best way to make a hole bigger through a thick steel plate without killing oneself?

Tice punch? Might be too big for a Rega mount then, though.

[mypasswordis]

Truth. And a hole that is too tight is preferable to one that is too loose, since there's no good way to add that extra bit back in.

[swt61]

My penis will work, but you're gonna have one hell of a big hole!

[tyrion]

My Kenwood KD-650 arrived safe and sound yesterday after two weeks of waiting for that asshole, Dave Schulte (The Upgrade Company). Like Jp's Denon, it looks almost brand new and sounds great. The only downside is I'm not sure I will ever go back to a manual turntable.

[guzziguy]

My first "audiophile" tt was a Kenwood KD-500. That was back in the late 70's and early 80's. I loved that tt. Of course, the KD-500 is a manual. Unfortunately, I left it with a former girlfriend when I went to France and it was stolen when her apartment was burglarized.

I hope that you enjoy your KD-650.

[VPI]

Mike, I have a KD-650 in Texas that I use after trips to Half Price Books to test my new purchases. It is not a bad turntable especially for the 5 bucks I paid for it at a garage sale.

I can't believe what these things are going for online.

[tyrion]

They do go for more money these days, although I did get a decent deal by todays standards.

[mypasswordis]

Seriously, how much work would need to be put into making a hole bigger in a thick metal plate, and what kind of tools/bits would I need? I kind of need to decide if it's worth the effort so I can respond to the guy. Starting to doubt directly mounting to the plinth is a good idea, since the vibrations due to the idler drive wouldn't be completely rid of by the steel plate anymore. Apparently it would also be a good idea to replace the ball bearing and maybe even the idler wheel so this would be a semi-major project.

[luvdunhill]

Starting to doubt directly mounting to the plinth is a good idea, since the vibrations due to the idler drive wouldn't be completely rid of by the steel plate anymore.

agreed. This is why I used a custom island for the motor that isn't connected at all to my steel top plate. They are coupled (non-coupled actually didn't work as well as you'd think), but it's through a massive soapstone block.

[mypasswordis]

Hey, you have an idler!

How did you keep it idler drive after taking the motor out? Or is it still somehow inside the plinth? And was the top plate not even enough to completely kill vibrations?

Edit: Vinyl is the best.

[luvdunhill]

Hey, you have an idler!

How did you keep it idler drive after taking the motor out? Or is it still somehow inside the plinth? And was the top plate not even enough to completely kill vibrations?

Edit: Vinyl is the best.

Yes, the motor is inside the plinth. Imagine a top plate, then a sub top plate, or island maybe in the middle of the plinth. The motor is attached to that and that drives the idler wheel, that drives the underside of the platter. Then imagine a broken router, oh wait, that's swt61's broken router.. I mean, he called it a "trash router" I think?

I'm not sure what you're asking with your last question though. It's pretty much a custom design. I've never been happy with "enough".. I go to the next level of MOAR

[mypasswordis]

Ah okay, and then a giant soapstone box sandwiched between the island and the top plate? And I guess a router could work...

I was just wondering why you bothered with the island and the soapstone, and you answered it nicely. For me, enough is enough, especially when modding the TT makes it start to approach my body weight. This might be interesting, though: http://www.clarisonus.com/blog/?p=96#more-96

[luvdunhill]

not quite. Basically, think of the top layer being a slab of steel. Then a cut out in that slab, or island that isn't coupled to the steel slab. The motor hangs down on this island. Under that is a 1.25" thick piece of soap stone. This implies that there needs to be a cutout in the soap stone for the motor to hang down, and various other cutouts for the idler and the arm. Then the motor island is bolted down to the soapstone, as is the entire steel plate. Then, there is a constrained layer damping layer of.... IKEA cups? eventually, birch ply. Perhaps a few layers of EAR C-1002 ISODAMP thrown in for good measure, then another 1.25" thick piece of soap stone. All in all, around.. what 150 lbs? heh.

The AC motor is controlled via a Mark Kelly kit in fact, an improved "to-be-commercialized" version of what you linked to. It's three phase quadrature drive.. Ironically, I've sorta halted things as I need to shape up the soapstone plinths a bit, as I've gotten the arm board worked out and everything. Then I'll need to complete the birch ply layer.... lots of work, so little time.