The analog thread.

[deepak]

Why not add some Cinemags to the Pearl?

I did borrow postie's Cinemags for a few months. In the Stax setup (with Blue Hawaii which had ample gain) comparing the Pearl alone vs Cinemag->Pearl the latter just added a bit too much color for my liking. Low level resolution also took a hit. I can understand when people say the DL-103 is a colored cartridge with Cinemags/Altecs.

[luvdunhill]

Deepak, do you have Digipete's Pearl? If not, you can eek some more gain out of it.

Anyone know what the hex key size is to adjust the RB301 arm lift? I don't have one that says "damn small" in my set...

[deepak]

grawk's old one built by thrice. It's not a big deal, vinyl on the Omega 2s is sublime. Even when I had the SUT I was mostly listening to digital on the speakers.

[swt61]

Anyone know what the hex key size is to adjust the RB301 arm lift? I don't have one that says "damn small" in my set...

Mine are listed in fractions of TICE, so you'll need to do the conversion.

[luvdunhill]

grawk's old one built by thrice. It's not a big deal, vinyl on the Omega 2s is sublime. Even when I had the SUT I was mostly listening to digital on the speakers.

ok, well if you decide to do it, it's rather simple and the noise increase was unnoticeable from what I heard.

[mulveling]

I happened upon a chance to try an old and crusty (yes, actual crust) Koetsu Onyx Platinum in my system this weekend. Very little fussing was done over its setup. Talk about eye opening:

• So a cart can be warm and have top-level resolution - the Benz Ref 3 also has a nice and warm sound, but it's nothing like the Onyx overall.
  
• Perhaps the upper-range Ortofon MC sound is too dry/analytical for my tastes. Maybe that was the wrong road to go down.
  
• The Windfeld sounds like boom & sizzle next to the Koetsu. The Windfeld absolutely hits harder in the bass (much tighter and more impactful than any I've heard by far in fact), but you can just swim in the Koetsu's mids. The Onyx really doesn't sear, sizzle, or grate up top, which a nice reprieve. I should've looked again at the cart when additional acoustic treatment didn't help with that.
  
• The Onyx has a much lower noise floor than the Windfeld, which in turn has a much lower floor than the Kontra c and the Benz Ref 3.
  
• I might just be sold on the whole Koetsu thing.
  

To be fair, the Koetsus are a GREAT match for my heavy-ish arm, on paper.

The Onyx will be staying, though I'll have to keep an eye on when it might be time for a rebuild.

There was also a nice Koetsu-branded arm (SA-1100D Mk II, made for them by by Jelco) to try, but I don't think it's quite as nice as my Fidelity Research FR64fx. The headshell with the Koetsu script on it looked fucking cool, though.

[jp11801]

Pete I'd be really interested to hear how the changes impacted the 1200 as I really think the late 70s DD decks are absolutely outstanding.

The Koetsu experience was very different for me, I heard a Koetsu after hearing and being fairly familiar with a Lyra on Al's VPI set up. The Lyra was slightly too thin for my tastes but still very good bu the Koetsu was thick and felt slow (it seemed to rob the music of pace). Different tables/arms could lead to an entirely different experience though. I am intriuged by the A90 (?) from Ortofon probably because of the appearance as much as anything else.

[DigiPete]

I won't have the parts probably for another two-three weeks, arrghhhh!

The deck was already sounding outstanding, this should bring another level of refinement.

[deepak]

My Koetsu experience is in line with jp's. It gets tiring hearing mostly the cartridges signatures record after record. My friend used to be a big Koetsu nut (had 4 or 5 of them iirc), and the DV XV-1s at a third of the cost of the top Koetsu was just all around better.

[mulveling]

You guys bring up a good point with the Koetsu. The balance is night-and-day different from the Windfeld. In fact my girlfriend Leigh would agree with you - said she prefers the Windfeld, because it sounds "clearer and sharper" (my friend Cory is almost certainly going to prefer the Windfeld, too). She's absolutely right, but in my system there is just that damn peakiness somewhere up top that's been progressively driving me crazy (some nights more than others). In fact the Jubilee did that too, and both of those top Ortofons do it to a much greater extent than other carts (much more than the Kontrapunkts for sure). I've run the gamut with VTA, loading, and even acoustic treatments to only minor effect. I do have a fairly live room, with lots of hard flat surface (no carpet ).

The noise floor on this Koetsu really is shockingly low (it does seem to have a bit more effective output, which obviously helps), and that is a factor.

I've also heard the A90 in a similar-ish system (big Tannoy Churchill Widebands with VAC PP tube amps), and the sound is very very reminiscent to the Windfeld, with a bit more resolution.

I would like to try the top Dynavectors at some point.

[mulveling]

It's been over a week - still addicted to the Koetsu sound. I've gone back and tried each of the Kontra/Benz Ref/Windfeld. Just can't do it anymore. Relatively, they all sound too harsh and bright. My room might well be a contributing factor (lots of hard surfaces) but adding a few more panels did far less than fiddling with cartridges. Maybe it is an expensive tone control, and maybe it isn't The Kensingtons should be a touch warm naturally, so..something was up. Also, let me not discount the fact that my heavy arm (16-22g effective) is a much better match for the low compliance Koetsu.

Like I mentioned earlier, Leigh prefers the "sharp, clean" sound of the Windfeld, but she's always listening way way off-axis - sometimes in the other room under a heavy pillow

Time to consider selling all the carts and starting an "oh shit" fund to get a replacement/repaired Koetsu and/or play with some other carts/arms at some point.

[grawk]

new denon direct drive table:

Denon Celebrates 100th Birthday With Gorgeous Turntable

http://www.twice.com/article/456194-Denon_Marking_Centennial_With_Special_Edition_Series.php

The anniversary collection goeson sale worldwide on November 1, supported by a consumer promotion programwhose details will be released Oct. 1. The products consist of the DCD-A100 two-channel SACD/CD player, 2x80-watt twin-mono PMA-A100 integrated amp, DP-A100 direct-drive turntable, AVR-A100 9.2-channel AV receiver, and DBP-A100 universal Blu-ray player, all at a suggested $2,499 each. The DL-A100 hand-woundturntable cartridge and AH-A100 over-ear headphones round out the lineup at $499 each.

Edited August 23, 2010 by grawk

[Torpedo]

Looks cool, kinda like it, but for the champagne metal parts. Or is it the light?

[Voltron]

That's like a bling version of Matt's Denon. Looks pretty sweet.

[Torpedo]

They're launching anniversary headphones too. Nothing to be excited if they're using the same D5000/D7000 Fostex drivers.

[luvdunhill]

I'm getting some PCBs made up for an active rumble filter. It's a sallen-key 3rd order with an 18 hz corner that results in -18dB at 8Hz and -.2dB at 20Hz with group delay under 20 ms. Cost will be $8 plus $2 shipping to the US. It's 100% SMD construction. I'll attach a schematic. They'll go quick, so let me know soon.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]3546[/ATTACH]

edit: dunno wtf the forum software is doing, but it seems to be auto resizing?

Edited August 23, 2010 by luvdunhill

[DigiPete]

Gents,

Just finished installing Mike New bearing with stiffening plate, platter and SME armboard on my Technics last night. Let the table run all night at 45 rpm.

The new platter makes this table a tank, weighing in at least 10 lbs heavier than the stock platter

(which seems like a toy now, as does the Timestep armboard, which is feather light compared to the thick solid copper armboard I got from Mike).

So far so good. I hear more realistic voices with more weight, the bass is a bit more defined and organic, and the highs also sound a bit more natural;

just sounds more analog than before. All in all, a good, though costly set of mods.

Only place left to go at this point is to transplant the bearing, platter and tonearm into a solid slate plinth, or something like that

Oh yeah, I forgot, this is with the KAB PSU. Works just fine.

I have the higher performance PSU module on order due in next month from Paul Hynes.

[morphsci]

So are those check carbons from all the checks you wrote for the vinyl rig?

[DigiPete]

So are those check carbons from all the checks you wrote for the vinyl rig?

ha ha !! Might as well be

I decided to not use the leveling feature of the feet, because as you unscew them to raise the table, they get wobbly.

So these are my interim shims

[diebenkorn]

keep us updated on the kab vs pr5 psu's (note vested interest in these). How much is the New platter?

[DigiPete]

keep us updated on the kab vs pr5 psu's (note vested interest in these). How much is the New platter?

platter must go with the new bearing/stiffener plate, about $1200 with some discounts applied

[zippy2001]

Pete, your turntable looks great, I'd love to give it a listen some time.

I now have a vintage Sony turntable collection. (2) PS-X555ES, PS-X600 and PS-X40.

I really like the ease of setup and sound of the PS-X555ES turntables.

[deepak]

Anyone running a dedicated mono cart? I'm curious if anyone is getting less noise on mono LPs vs a stereo cart. If you know if the cart has vertical compliance or none that would be helpful to know as well.

[deepak]

Thought this might be of interest to some of the high rollers- there is a UK dealer that has S&B step ups for sale, supposedly different internal construction from the TX103. Copper and silver versions for $900 and $1300 respectively. He is on Ebay and Audiogon.

[luvdunhill]

Thought this might be of interest to some of the high rollers- there is a UK dealer that has S&B step ups for sale, supposedly different internal construction from the TX103. Copper and silver versions for $900 and $1300 respectively. He is on Ebay and Audiogon.

Any measurements available?