BitLess Posted August 21, 2015 Share Posted August 21, 2015 One more question: I saw in an earlier post that you have an Ortofon 2M Red on your AR. Are you happy with that cart? Is it pretty much plug and play compatible with the Jelco arm/headshell? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allenh Posted August 22, 2015 Share Posted August 22, 2015 Yea mine has the stock Jelco. Mine was a little beat up when I got it, so I did the vinyl nirvana spring upgrade, pulled and re-lubed the cueing lever, had to solder a broken tonearm connection, pretty basic maintenance. Not really upgrades though. It's kind of become my favorite table. I have a project 1.3 which I don't really have any complaints with, but the AR's practically non existent noise floor makes it seem more musical or something. Hard to put my finger on it. It's because it's a sprung sub chassis table, too my ears they are always more musical than fixed tables or normally sprung tables where the whole turntable is sprung rather than just the sub chassis. The low noise floor is because they are in effect double isolated from whatever they are sitting on. I've tried a hell of a lot of very expensive tables and always come back to the sprung sub chassis tables like the Pink Triangle's, MRM Source, Voyd and SystemDek which both became Audio note, Linn, Thorens and of course AR I prefer proper sprung tables so much that I went to the trouble of building a sprung sub chassis direct drive table because I couldn't find a commercially made one, I did find one in the end Micro Seiki made one but it seems they are a rare thing, there are a few direct drive tables where the whole thing sits on springs but that defeats the point and just doesn't work like a proper suspended sub chassis. For your EB101's rewire the arm with Cardas wire out to RCA's on the back and use a thick acrylic platter mat in place of the original, also make sure the suspension is correctly set and that the grommets are all good and also the bearing is properly lubricated, you will then have a table you have to spend a shed load of money to get anywhere near. If you want to go a little further you can use an acylic base board and something like neoprene feet for better isolation. Enjoy your proper turntables you have no need to replace them with anything new Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kannibal Posted August 22, 2015 Share Posted August 22, 2015 Can we never use the term "musical" to describe how a piece of hardware sounds? Kthanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BitLess Posted August 22, 2015 Share Posted August 22, 2015 It's because it's a sprung sub chassis table, too my ears they are always more musical than fixed tables or normally sprung tables where the whole turntable is sprung rather than just the sub chassis. The low noise floor is because they are in effect double isolated from whatever they are sitting on. I've tried a hell of a lot of very expensive tables and always come back to the sprung sub chassis tables like the Pink Triangle's, MRM Source, Voyd and SystemDek which both became Audio note, Linn, Thorens and of course AR I prefer proper sprung tables so much that I went to the trouble of building a sprung sub chassis direct drive table because I couldn't find a commercially made one, I did find one in the end Micro Seiki made one but it seems they are a rare thing, there are a few direct drive tables where the whole thing sits on springs but that defeats the point and just doesn't work like a proper suspended sub chassis. For your EB101's rewire the arm with Cardas wire out to RCA's on the back and use a thick acrylic platter mat in place of the original, also make sure the suspension is correctly set and that the grommets are all good and also the bearing is properly lubricated, you will then have a table you have to spend a shed load of money to get anywhere near. If you want to go a little further you can use an acylic base board and something like neoprene feet for better isolation. Enjoy your proper turntables you have no need to replace them with anything new Thanks for the tips, Allen. I think it was actually one of your posts from a few months back that first got me into researching the various sprung chassis turntables. I finally settled on the AR because I love its understated design. As far as doing a rewire on the stock Jelco tonearm, how difficult a process would that be to do on my own? I have virtually no soldering experience, and very little experience with electronics, beyond stripping some speaker wire and attaching banana plugs to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allenh Posted August 23, 2015 Share Posted August 23, 2015 Thanks for the tips, Allen. I think it was actually one of your posts from a few months back that first got me into researching the various sprung chassis turntables. I finally settled on the AR because I love its understated design. As far as doing a rewire on the stock Jelco tonearm, how difficult a process would that be to do on my own? I have virtually no soldering experience, and very little experience with electronics, beyond stripping some speaker wire and attaching banana plugs to it. It's not difficult provided you have a steady hand and a decent amount of patience plus being able to solder. I would practice on an old arm though becasue once you are past the point of no return if you failit's going t6 be expensive to get someone else to do it.Don't do it with the arm fitted to the table, it's easier with the arm loose in your hand, and treat it with a lot of care as it's a fragile thing. You link the new cable to the old (preferably by soldering it together) and then pull the new cable through with the old. you only pull the red, white,green and blue through and be careful with the black core if you have one as this is fixed to the body of the arm internally and is a bugger to fix if you break it. I tend to pull from the headshell end toward the plug end but it's whichever you feel most comfortable with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allenh Posted August 23, 2015 Share Posted August 23, 2015 Can we never use the term "musical" to describe how a piece of hardware sounds? Kthanks. That must be the voice of a man who doesn't enjoy a bouncy turntable, I will convert you one day that is my mission Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kannibal Posted August 23, 2015 Share Posted August 23, 2015 If only it is that easy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mesi Posted August 24, 2015 Share Posted August 24, 2015 I have always had amps with built-in phono stages, so I never got round to getting a phono preamp. But I was always wondering whether I was missing out ob something, so I ordered a Vincent PHO 8.First few hours in, and I love it! Sound is fuller, lows are way more present, and the noise floor is significantly lower. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sad Heart Posted August 24, 2015 Share Posted August 24, 2015 I have always had amps with built-in phono stages, so I never got round to getting a phono preamp. But I was always wondering whether I was missing out ob something, so I ordered a Vincent PHO 8. First few hours in, and I love it! Sound is fuller, lows are way more present, and the noise floor is significantly lower. I've been eyeing the Vincent Pho-8 to replace my Cambridge 551P. I heard the sound is more dynamic and life-like, which is what I'm after. So I think I'll bite the bullet on this after I get my amp and speakers. Glad to hear you are enjoying yours! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 24, 2015 Share Posted August 24, 2015 The top the phono, and the bottom an off board PSU? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sad Heart Posted August 24, 2015 Share Posted August 24, 2015 The top the phono, and the bottom an off board PSU? Correct. You can tell by the model name: Pho-8 - Phono Pho-8ps - Phono Power Supply http://www.vincent-tac.de/en/product-types/phono-preamplifier/pho-8/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 24, 2015 Share Posted August 24, 2015 I was too lazy to google it, so thanks for the quick response. That seems like a really nice preamp for the price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sad Heart Posted August 24, 2015 Share Posted August 24, 2015 I was too lazy to google it, so thanks for the quick response. That seems like a really nice preamp for the price. No worries. Yeah, I forgot to tell you about it. Pre-amp was a little lower on my list, but I've only heard good things about the Pho-8. It's on my list for sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 24, 2015 Share Posted August 24, 2015 No worries. Yeah, I forgot to tell you about it. Pre-amp was a little lower on my list, but I've only heard good things about the Pho-8. It's on my list for sure. You're on a full out upgrade quest it seems. Preamp is low on my list as well, but it's worth a look. Their PHO-700, the tube amp, looks awesome as well. Great reviews on both. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sad Heart Posted August 24, 2015 Share Posted August 24, 2015 You're on a full out upgrade quest it seems. Preamp is low on my list as well, but it's worth a look. Their PHO-700, the tube amp, looks awesome as well. Great reviews on both. That I am. Pretty much upgrading everything but my table since I'm breaking the current amp and speakers away and giving the table the full analog set up it deserves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allenh Posted August 24, 2015 Share Posted August 24, 2015 You're on a full out upgrade quest it seems. Preamp is low on my list as well, but it's worth a look. Their PHO-700, the tube amp, looks awesome as well. Great reviews on both. I haven't heard any of the current Vincent line but a friend used to be an importer for it here in the UK and what I heard I was impressed with for the money, there was a hybrid integrated amp (valve/tube pre and solid state power) at the time that was very nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sad Heart Posted August 24, 2015 Share Posted August 24, 2015 I haven't heard any of the current Vincent line but a friend used to be an importer for it here in the UK and what I heard I was impressed with for the money, there was a hybrid integrated amp (valve/tube pre and solid state power) at the time that was very nice. More good news. : ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 24, 2015 Share Posted August 24, 2015 Just grabbed a JA Mitchell record clamp, to hopefully flatten out a few warped records I've gotten lately and to flatten out everything a bit better. It's a pretty interesting system, since it using it's screw mechanism instead of weight to keep the record flat against the platter. Hopefully my new mat arrives tomorrow so I can test it out, since my current mat has dots that will not work with the clamp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jlegg Posted August 24, 2015 Share Posted August 24, 2015 Just grabbed a JA Mitchell record clamp, to hopefully flatten out a few warped records I've gotten lately and to flatten out everything a bit better. It's a pretty interesting system, since it using it's screw mechanism instead of weight to keep the record flat against the platter. Hopefully my new mat arrives tomorrow so I can test it out, since my current mat has dots that will not work with the clamp. I have been eyeballing one of those as well. I'm interested to see how it works out for you. I've read nothing but awesome things about them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dethrock Posted August 25, 2015 Share Posted August 25, 2015 I've got one I use on my Pro-ject turntable and it's been awesome. I can't necessarily say I've heard an audible difference, but the way it holds the record down at least gives me some peace of mind. I don't know how much they are in the US but it was around $80 here in Canada. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 25, 2015 Share Posted August 25, 2015 I'm looking to use it more for warps than for better sound quality. It seems like a nice little clamp. It only weighs 2.6 ounces, so it will not affect the motor at all. The inside of it grabs the spindle when you screw it down. It's nice and sturdy, all metal, and locks on well without doing anything visibly noticeable to the spindle. I can't wait for my new mat to arrive to test it out on a bowled record I just got that skips like crazy. Edit: I paid $57.90 shipped for it from an ebay seller. It got here in 2 business days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xspinzx Posted August 25, 2015 Share Posted August 25, 2015 I have been meaning to grab one of those clamps as well. I have a handful of minor warped records that skip due to it not being flat down on the platter. The YouTube video review I saw was great and the price isn't bad at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jlegg Posted August 25, 2015 Share Posted August 25, 2015 I grabbed a black/black J.A. Michelle clamp from eBay, same seller in sure, at $62.90 shipped. I have one record that I paid $130 for and I recieved it with a bowl warp. "NM" lol... It'll be the first record I try out with this clamp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 25, 2015 Share Posted August 25, 2015 I finally used my clamp today. It worked great on one side of the record, the other side still skips like crazy. The warp on it is kind of odd, and seems really sharp on the one side while the other side is more bowled. I don't hear any differences sonically with any other record, so not sure if it was worth it. Not digging the new "cork antistatic" mat either. It's super staticy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jlegg Posted August 26, 2015 Share Posted August 26, 2015 That's no good. I've read applying a little downward pressure to the clamp before tightening the top part helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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