Post your turntable setup...can't get enough of those spinners!

I have mostly just been enjoying my TT rather than tweaking anything. I had a cheapo knockoff tonearm lifter which worked when it felt like it. I switched out to a "little fwend" - this thing is engineered to the nth degree.







it works reliably and was relatively simple to set up.

I did add a different Soundsmith cart - I liked the presentation of the SMMC3 a lot and grabbed a rebuilt zephyr with a contact line stylus.



I think I am done for now

..dB

 

Ah... Super!

If, which I'm not, I was going out there to buy an audiophile turntable, the thing that would stop me is the absence of that automatic armlift. I'd come back with something mid-range* which did not condemn me to being disturbed by my music-induced slumber by click.... click... click... turning peace and wonder into worry about what is happening to my stylus!

That wee thing looks very nice, and looks as if it works very nice.



*I don't have to shop: I have one in the cupboard. Nostalgia brings me to threads like this

 

I had a very similar lift from back in the late 70's/early 80's. Kinda' fiddly to set up, but worked like a charm. Sadly it finally died a few years ago.

Almost identical to this one: Douk Audio Automatic Tonearm Lifter Arm Lift For LP Turntable Disc Vinyl Record | eBay

 

Sorry to dig up a super old post, but I noticed I am also having the speed up issue with my 301. What kind of magnets do you recommend for the brake mechanism and does the placement matter?

 

They were basically disc magnets. I don't have the link of what I got, but here is the one I would get:

N52 4mm x 0.5mm.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/2936307035...C9N6TvDRHq&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

Place one or two on the eddy disc brake to give you better control over the speed. Mine used to run slightly fast (if I recall correctly). This trick solved the issue completely.

 

Here's a build I've been using by EBI Audio from New Delhi, India. Guy has been doing this for some time now. Almost completely out of headphones.

 

When I first got my PX-3, the only change I made was to replace the dried out stock mat with a George E. Merrill mat. Since March I haven't made any other changes. Well, this past month I went on a bit of a journey as I was getting sick of the amount of noise I was getting from the Mani 2 with my LOMC AT33ML/OCC. The fault is really mine, expecting a $150 phono pre to produce +62db of gain without transformers while keeping surface noise and tics and pops to a minimum was asking more than I should have.

Initially I was just going to get a SUT for the AT33, problem solved. But then I thought about how I had not chosen this cart but got it included with the PX-3 and the seller could not remember how many hours he had on the stylus. This led me to thinking I should also get the AT33 retipped or replaced entirely. And that led me down a road of all sorts of options. Sell it and get another LOMC? Switch to HOMC? What about Moving Iron carts/higher end Moving Magnet? HOMC/MI/MM would give me more output so I could remove the SUT from the equation entirely, which would simplify things as I already had a separate mono switcher in my signal path, another aspect of my vinyl system I wasn't entirely happy with.

After some research I ended up going an unorthodox route, but one well in line with my decision to get the PX-3 in the first place. I picked up a used Technics EPC 205C-IIL and have ordered a JICO SAS stylus to replace the stock stylus on it. I wanted to see what a better MM cart could do and the Technics 205C line is up there with the Shure V15 and Stanton carts for high end MM. Technics was still innovating in the vinyl playback space with this line of carts before CD stopped all of that R&D in its tracks.

I'm waiting on the JICO stylus so I'm just using it with the stock stylus at the moment, and this is such an entirely different presentation from the AT33. The Technics is definitely weighted more toward the low end, with propulsive, driving drums and authoritative bass. Mids are rich and thick but don't become syrupy. There is definitely less air and high end presence on the Technics than the AT. I am hoping the JICO stylus with the more advanced needle shape will help bring some of those qualities in. Even if it does not add more air or high end, I still prefer this presentation over the more delicate AT. The fact that I can just pop a new stylus on when one wears out is really nice.

I'll report back when I get the JICO on how, if at all, the sound changes.

 

I am using a fairly basic Project 2XPerience SB , which I have recently updated with an AT OC9XML. Quite a major upgrade from the 2M Silver I was using.
Phono stage is a Project Tube DS2.







Currently listening to a 1964 original of The Beatles , A Hard Days Night album.

 

Finally received the JICO SAS replacement stylus for the Technics 205C-IIL, and it is a major improvement. The stock stylus is hyperelliptical, so not the best detail retrieval. On top of that, the sound is rolled off at the top end and congested compared to my AT33 LOMC. The bass was more prominent too, doubling down on that darker, warmer sound. There is however a richness in the mids the the more neutral AT33 could not match on its best day.

Replacing the stylus with the JICO SAS added extension and air at the top end, easing the congestion and providing a better balanced presentation. Bass was also not so overwhelming, and the overall presentation became more neutral with the added detail and textural retrieval one gets with an advanced stylus shape. The best part is that midrange richness remains, so I get the best of all worlds. The Steve Hoffman/Kevin Gray mastered 45 RPM release of Fleetwood Mac's Rumours sounds absolutely stunning--vibrant guitars, powerful rhythm section, and voices that seem to practically shimmer in the air.

On a technical level, this now trades blows with the AT33, and it comes down to what qualities one most values in overall presentation. The AT33 is still more neutral than the Technics, with more overall air and separation between instruments, and transients sound faster for a more "precise" presentation. Dynamics are also excellent. The Technics leans a tad warm, has superior textural rendition, and alluring tone. Given how easy it is to swap carts on the PX-3, I am leaning towards keeping the AT33 as an alternative to the Technics.

 

Well, I have joined the heavy platter club. The differences are what I wanted and more, so I don't see myself ever going back.

The new to me spinner is a Micro Seiki Bl-111 with a Micro Seiki MA-505 mk iii tone arm. For those of you unfamiliar with the Bl-111, the platter is 10 kg of bronze with most of the mass on the outer edge. The turntable including the platter is 36 kg with the plinth being 4” of mostly solid mdf with a large cast iron frame embedded into the wood.

So far, I have stayed with my Music Maker 3 cartridge, but since both the turntable and the tonearm have changed, I don't really know what is contributing to the difference in sound. I know, bad science.

That said, the differences in sound are not subtle. I expected an improvement in PRaT, but it was even better than I hoped for. This thing has rhythm and drive in spades. An unexpected benefit was that some records that had never impressed are now much more enjoyable once the music has the intended rhythm. Somehow related to the drive, there is more deep and solid bass. It's not warm, tubby, or dark but like someone opened the door and let the bass in. I never expected vinyl to match digital for bass or slam, but man this thing slams. Apparently, transients had previously been softened and rounded in my AR, Technics, and AT tables. Who knew? Of course, this thing was premium 40 years ago and it still costs much more than my old tables, so it should be better.

I was pleasantly surprised to find the macro dynamics much stronger and the soundstage wider and taller on nearly every record. I wish the soundstage depth had improved as much, but I haven't seen much improvement on that score. Also surprising, the surface noise has dropped significantly and is only noticeable certain old and worn records.

As a result of all this, I am playing records at every chance I get and seem to be buying records which is filling up my storage space. I have already been experimenting with feet options and belt vs thread drive (using surgical silk). Next up is a mat, a Soundsmith Zephyr MIMC Star, a Uni-Trac tonearm, and a sturdier stand. Hey, vinyl is fun again.

It seems like Micro Seiki doesn't get much attention these days and they are hard to find, but a well cared for Micro Seiki table is a worthy vintage choice.

 

I was just re-reading some of the posts and realized your question was probably directed at me. My bad.

https://pro-jectusa.com/product/phono-box-ultra-500/

Better late than never I suppose.

 

No problem. It was curiosity, nothing more.

 

Neat P58H - 4 speed Japanese idler-driven turntable from the early 60s

aka Shield MO-19

IMHO and experience these aren't quite in the same league as a Garrard 301, 401 or Thorens TD124 but are a worthy alternative to a Lenco or Rek O Kut.

 

Thorens TD147 from 1983 with Elac D 795 E 30 pickup. Mat from Third Man Records in London.

 

This just arrived from Japan to replace an SLB3 I've been running for years.

I was a bit nervous about it making the trip but it appears to have made it ok. Its really clean, its obviously been sitting somewhere for a while and may need a bit of basic maintenance, but judging by the condition it may not need much.

Now, I need to go find a step down transformer to get it plugged in to make sure everything is working as it should.

 

Yeah, I was hoping to source one locally so I could play with my new old toy earlier but I couldn't find one so I ordered the Amazon one.

 

Skipped about 258 steps between a Mani 2 and this recently-installed Tavish Adagio. The SL-1210GR was a pragmatic choice installed last year. I love vinyl, but I have no desire to trip over my own two feet trying to maintain an esoteric/delicate turntable. Absent a potential cartridge upgrade later in the year, this is pretty much my endgame for a vinyl rig. Diminishing returns kicks in really damn fast from here.



Special shoutout to Merrick and Inoculator for their multiple tips, tricks, and near-limitless patience helping me get the Adagio and get it set up.

 

I’m so glad you’re loving it and a 1210-GR is good enough for endgame in my book!

 

Put a Rega RB250 arm on my SL-1200 M3D.

Before:


After:


A little too early to tell if it is making a difference, since the Ortofon 2M pins came right out of the cartridge when I tried to remove the previous clips.

So I had to put on my Shure 97xE with the crap non-stock stylus, and previous this cart was gray and dull, rather warm. And now it seems so have better clarity and depth. It still retained that richness, and still not quite as detailed as the 2M Blue, but this seems wider and deeper and very fatigue free with some decent amount of hi-fi going on.