A big improvement for pennies . . .
- Thread starter CJSF
- Start date
stevebrock said:
What one has to remember Steve, this deck has been directly compared to a 'slate Garad 401', both decks using the same cartridge, amp, speakers and music, the Rega then was still on the RB700 arm. The comparison was excelent, 5 stars being the Garad, modified Rega came in at better than four stars, a top result IMHO.
The Rega haters, can hate all they like, its starts off as a good'un, and can be made a top line TT for not a lot of money. My P5 inc tone arm, cost me £500, then an investment of: £120 for the sub platter, £21 white belt, no need IMHO for the fancy PSU, I still use the glass platter with a 3mm acylic mat, £25 quids worth. The rest of it is simple tweaking and understanding what it does, like for instance, my platter rests on 6 tiny rubber stand offs, it does not actualy touch the metal of the sub platter.
Tone arms, are common to any TT, as are cartridges, so the cost of upgrading here is the same regardless of deck. Therefor, my CJS modified 'P5' is superb value, I'd love a Gyro Dec . . . sonicaly and finacialy I cant justify it . . . eye candy? Hate Regas all they like, facts are facts.
CJSF
I totally agree, my RP6 sounds stunning - to me anyway, even with slight wobble on the platter!
I just got my Dino Mk2 phono today and its gone up another level over the brio phono stage - given all the slating Gandys low mass plinths get they still sound great!
I just got my Dino Mk2 phono today and its gone up another level over the brio phono stage - given all the slating Gandys low mass plinths get they still sound great!
stevebrock said:
Are you sure you're not suffering from "expectation bias"...........It's very contagious, and there seems to be an outbreak atm. :roll:
Ok, as previus thread, my P5 has come under a lot of tweaking attention over the past few weeks, this last week in particular. Some of my work I keep to myself, you may have notised . . . purely becaus of the rather off the wall nature my mind works and the negative reaction it generated, think about it.
However, one area I looked at as an aside initialy . . . 'the Cartridge Man' does a cartridge decoupler, goes against all the well troden pricipals we have been tought over the years, find it here: http://www.thecartridgeman.com/isolator.htm
How much!!! . . . I have looked at it befor, dismissed it as bunkum, never even looked at the price . . . £85, double bunkum! Thought it over a bit more, had an idle morning waiting for a new fridge to be delivered . . . why not? Its about time the cartridge was checked out properly, reballanced and realigned.
So a dig in the scrap box, I design and build RC model aircraft as a hobby too, I came up with the required bits. A piece of beech wood from the TT shelf I built last year, high quality double sided, self adhesive foam pads, I use them normaly for sticking control surface actuation servos in my models and a couple of head shell bolts.
http://i617.photobucket.com/albums/tt254/CliffStone/600headonrw_zps492722a9.jpg
You can see from the pictures, the construction is simple, I have not mentioned the copper mass weight, ignore it, that comes later. The most dificult bit was grinding the bolt heads so that they fitted flush to the Beechwood interface. Drilling and countersinking the wood was delicate too. The bolts are finally superglued in place, its then a simple job of sticking the double sided foam pad to the Beechwood interface, marking a center line and adhearing the cartridge to the foam pad, job done. The assembly is then attached and aligned in the normal way to the headshell.
Looking at 'Cartridg mans' offereing I was confident my version would do the job if the claims and reviews were to be believed. If it does do the job, it throws out of the window all the solid mounting advise we have ever been given?????????
Stylus to record . . . nothing out of the ordinary initialy . . . all that effort for nothing? By the middle of that first track, Hazel had stoped preperig the evening meal and was sitting beside me, we were both spell bound. Musicality had taken over, dynamics, b i g g g g image, extra detail from the backing, vocals were simply awsome in their presence, oh yes and the base line was so tunefull.
In the short session we had on Friday evening, music listening had taken on a totaly new perspective. 'Horlicks hour' followed, neighbour considerate low volume in the early hours had taken on a new 'dynamic', with images half way down the garden, air and detail we just did not know were there before.
Laugh or snear if you will . . . I was certaily sceptical! But proving the point, I aint snearing now, I have a smile from ear to ear.
Copper mass weight? yes thats peculiar to the Audio Mods arm, holds the head shell solid, with mass being added to the counter weight as well, it has a refining affect on the above description.
http://i617.photobucket.com/albums/tt254/CliffStone/600counterweightrw_zps6caef14b.jpg
CJSF
However, one area I looked at as an aside initialy . . . 'the Cartridge Man' does a cartridge decoupler, goes against all the well troden pricipals we have been tought over the years, find it here: http://www.thecartridgeman.com/isolator.htm
How much!!! . . . I have looked at it befor, dismissed it as bunkum, never even looked at the price . . . £85, double bunkum! Thought it over a bit more, had an idle morning waiting for a new fridge to be delivered . . . why not? Its about time the cartridge was checked out properly, reballanced and realigned.
So a dig in the scrap box, I design and build RC model aircraft as a hobby too, I came up with the required bits. A piece of beech wood from the TT shelf I built last year, high quality double sided, self adhesive foam pads, I use them normaly for sticking control surface actuation servos in my models and a couple of head shell bolts.
http://i617.photobucket.com/albums/tt254/CliffStone/600headonrw_zps492722a9.jpg
You can see from the pictures, the construction is simple, I have not mentioned the copper mass weight, ignore it, that comes later. The most dificult bit was grinding the bolt heads so that they fitted flush to the Beechwood interface. Drilling and countersinking the wood was delicate too. The bolts are finally superglued in place, its then a simple job of sticking the double sided foam pad to the Beechwood interface, marking a center line and adhearing the cartridge to the foam pad, job done. The assembly is then attached and aligned in the normal way to the headshell.
Looking at 'Cartridg mans' offereing I was confident my version would do the job if the claims and reviews were to be believed. If it does do the job, it throws out of the window all the solid mounting advise we have ever been given?????????
Stylus to record . . . nothing out of the ordinary initialy . . . all that effort for nothing? By the middle of that first track, Hazel had stoped preperig the evening meal and was sitting beside me, we were both spell bound. Musicality had taken over, dynamics, b i g g g g image, extra detail from the backing, vocals were simply awsome in their presence, oh yes and the base line was so tunefull.
In the short session we had on Friday evening, music listening had taken on a totaly new perspective. 'Horlicks hour' followed, neighbour considerate low volume in the early hours had taken on a new 'dynamic', with images half way down the garden, air and detail we just did not know were there before.
Laugh or snear if you will . . . I was certaily sceptical! But proving the point, I aint snearing now, I have a smile from ear to ear.
Copper mass weight? yes thats peculiar to the Audio Mods arm, holds the head shell solid, with mass being added to the counter weight as well, it has a refining affect on the above description.
http://i617.photobucket.com/albums/tt254/CliffStone/600counterweightrw_zps6caef14b.jpg
CJSF
That looks interesting CJ, nice pics aswell.
Cheers for sharing
CJ have you ever been over to vinylengine forum lots of very friendly tweakers there.
Very friendly full stop compared to some forums.
http://www.vinylengine.com/
Cheers for sharing
CJ have you ever been over to vinylengine forum lots of very friendly tweakers there.
Very friendly full stop compared to some forums.
http://www.vinylengine.com/
CnoEvil said:Are you sure you're not suffering from "expectation bias"...........It's very contagious, and there seems to be an outbreak atm. :roll:
:shame: lol.
chebby
Well-known member
CnoEvil said:Are you sure you're not suffering from "expectation bias"...........It's very contagious, and there seems to be an outbreak atm. :roll:
Here's an outbreak of 'expectoration bias'.
chebby said:CnoEvil said:Are you sure you're not suffering from "expectation bias"...........It's very contagious, and there seems to be an outbreak atm. :roll:
Here's an outbreak of 'expectoration bias'.
Thaa rit is......and oi certainly wurrn't expectorantin' anythin' loike they, then.
CnoEvil said:stevebrock said:
Are you sure you're not suffering from "expectation bias"...........It's very contagious, and there seems to be an outbreak atm. :roll:
no not at all, there is more air around vocals and to my ears that is an improvement over the brio phono
stevebrock said:
Yup, i was being (just a little) facetious......I'm all for the freedom of hearing.
CnoEvil said:Are you sure you're not suffering from "expectation bias"...........It's very contagious, and there seems to be an outbreak atm. :roll:
I was rather under whelmed in expectation terms when the stylus first hit the record, it took me a few minuites to realise just where this home made gizmo was going . . . simple question Cno, have you tried anything like it?
CJSF
stevebrock said:
Steve, there is a lot that can be done befor you get to new amps and the like. A problem I see with the cartrige isolatore, mine ads 4mm to the VTA hight, 1mm for the self adhesive pad (most shop bought pads are 2mm thick) and at least 3mm for the wood interface. Thats a lift in the VTA stakes of 4 or 5mm, plus anything extra for the cartridge? All can be overcome, but a little inginuity will be needed?
My Audio Mods arm has loads of VTA adjustment, curently running at +9mm VTA lift!
In my humble opinion worth the effort. One is curently thinking, where next? Do I want to or need to change TT horses? I think the next move is focus back onto the Valve Phono stage, upgrade the valves, a cheap cost efective option, making the most of quality information retreval?
CJSF
:? . . . I would have thought this thread would of generated a much stronger debate over the 'less than solid' mounting of a cartridge in a tone arm. Why sould it work . . . or why cant it work . . . I am therefore talking out of my rear end?
CJSF
CJSF
plastic penguin
Well-known member
plastic penguin
Well-known member
chebby
Well-known member
This forum is strange, get something that is cheap, diferent, has merit in that it works . . . and yet no one accepts the fact or even considers that it is worth the effort of consideration, a little thinking outside the box?????????
Perhaps all like spending money, or doing things the hard way, eventualy disapearing down the little hole in the middle . . . :? cleaned that up a bit Buy a new pair of speakers, new amp, cartridge . . . never consider making the kit you have work at its best, to give value for money? Why did I bother :doh:
CJSF
Perhaps all like spending money, or doing things the hard way, eventualy disapearing down the little hole in the middle . . . :? cleaned that up a bit
Buy a new pair of speakers, new amp, cartridge . . . never consider making the kit you have work at its best, to give value for money? Why did I bother :doh:CJSF
chebby
Well-known member
CJSF said:
He who is silent is deemed to agree...
CJSF said:
... thus you can assume silence is agreement.
The point is argued eloquently by Thomas More (played by Paul Scofield) in 'A Man For All Seasons' during the trial scene.
plastic penguin
Well-known member
CJSF said:
Know the feeling. About three years ago when I posted I'd found a unused mains flex, that cost nowt, and boosted the sound no-one gave a monkeys. :?
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