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JRS
05-04-2011, 17:12
I fully intend on getting a jelco 750 for the 1210 when funds allow, but until then I've decided to upgrade the cartridge with something that will work with the jelco and the stock arm so advice on suitable MM carts for around £100-200 if you please
Also, Is there a preference for head shells.

Thanks in advance

colinB
05-04-2011, 17:14
Sumiko headshell works well. Used both a Ortofon 2m blue and presently a Goldring 2500. Both are good.

DSJR
05-04-2011, 17:16
Have you done the feet and mat yet?

Seconded on the Sumiko headshell advice too and didn't I read somewhere that the 2500 series Goldrings are actually made my Nagaoka for them???????

JRS
05-04-2011, 19:54
Both feet and mat are standard. Do they make a whole lot of difference to the
Overall sound?

Tarzan
05-04-2011, 20:06
Hi Jamie, for me the Isoefeet, and Sumiko headshell were my first upgrades, the Isoefeet made a dramatic upgrade for me, and at around £100, they for me are great VFM, they really are works of art, they really do there job, and the Sumiko headshell also made a nice difference for the money, on the cartridge side, Nagaokas work well, Denons, Ortofons, depending on your phono stage etc, anyway have fun:)

MartinT
05-04-2011, 20:33
The Isonoe feet make a substantial improvement, as does a good mat - take your pick from Herbies, Achromat, Blue Horizon etc.

The Jelco can take a good high output MC cartridge such as the Denon DL-160 or Dynavector DV-10X5.

At this level, an external power supply would be the next natural step.

JRS
05-04-2011, 21:04
So, is the goldring 2500 a big improvement on the 1042 which is a dead ringer for the reson cart? There seems to be a big price difference in them. This may sound like a dumb question but how can feet an mats make such a difference? Is it all about damping and if so, wouldn't it be better to wall mount the deck?
FYI it's on floating wall mounted shelf with a speaker below it.

MartinT
05-04-2011, 21:18
The feet are about decoupling, the mat is all about coupling. Both make a difference and the Technics is a sufficiently dead and tonally neutral deck that it reveals the differences rather obviously.

Cliff
05-04-2011, 22:29
Just wanted to add that I just had my SL 1200 tonearm rewired and I am shocked at the transformation. It made more of a difference than the (limited) footer experimentation I had done with things I have around the house. It completely changed the sound of the deck for the better. If you plan on using the stock arm for very long, I would seriously consider maybe having a rewire done early. You won't hear most of what the deck sounds like or can do without one, in my opinion.
My deck with rewire and stock feet sounds MUCH better than it did with stock wire and the best footer solution I had on hand, which was 3 Audio Points brass cones under body of plinth.
As I am in the US, I had a custom version of the Cardas rewire done by KAB.
Cheers,
Cliff

WOStantonCS100
06-04-2011, 02:53
Hey Cliff,

It appears you are confirming what I've read elsewhere; that cones don't seem to work well with the 1200. I'm leaning toward the Isonoe's myself. My other 1200, with the stock arm, has the KAB fluid damper. Have you thought about giving that a go? It was such a noticeable improvement that I put it on and have never once thought about removing it.

Cliff
06-04-2011, 04:24
Hey Biff,

Yes, I have/am thinking about the fluid damper. I almost bought it at the time of my tonearm rewire, but decided to take it slowly and make sure that I thought it worthwhile to continue investing more into the Technics. Well, after the rewire (and new cartridge), I do, most definitely.

I liked the brass cones under the table with the stock wire, but I had no idea just how dull and just plain bad the regular wire was until I had it replaced.
I am not going to even bother with the brass cones now, don't think it would be a good match.

I was ready to get a set of three stillpoints with risers for the table, but I am glad I waited, because now I think I have decided to go with the squishy ball thingies. It will be cheaper and, maybe, a better sonic solution for the way the table sounds now.

Might get the damper and balls together if I decide on KAB's balls(that sounds a wee bit strange).

And thanks for the kind comments on the system.
Cheers,
Cliff

MartinT
06-04-2011, 05:54
I was ready to get a set of three stillpoints with risers for the table, but I am glad I waited, because now I think I have decided to go with the squishy ball thingies. It will be cheaper and, maybe, a better sonic solution for the way the table sounds now.

Hi Cliff

The Foculpods (made of sorbothane) are certainly better than the Technics feet and I ran my deck with them for a year. They represent a median step between the plain awful Techie feet and Isonoes, which give such complete isolation that it's hard to believe.

Ammonite Audio
06-04-2011, 07:11
Just wanted to add that I just had my SL 1200 tonearm rewired and I am shocked at the transformation. It made more of a difference than the (limited) footer experimentation I had done with things I have around the house.

Seconded. When I had my SL1210, I had the tonearm rewired by Johnnie at Audio Origami, and that made it much nicer to listen to. He can also fill the armtube with foam, which may be worthwhile although I have no experience of that. The modest cost ( around £100 iirc) is amply repaid - the Technics arm will never be in the same league as the Jelco but it is definitely worth improving until funds permit replacement.

Mats are very much a matter of taste, since they change the deck's overall sound quite significantly. I would lean towards a 5mm Achromat, lightly stuck to the platter with a very thin smear of Vaseline (it really does need to be stuck down to work properly). Feet are a much more complicated matter: I know that many here advocate Isonoe feet, but I tried them twice and twice found that they did isolate the 'table well, but robbed the musical feel. The best support that I tried was three Stillpoints, pointing upwards and located directly into the alloy base of the deck. Not very practical, but it did sound good!

Finally, Martin is correct in saying that giving the deck a decent external PSU is the most important thing. I used Timestep and latterly Paul Hynes PSUs, but it is quite easy to knock up a DIY PSU for not too much money.

Cliff
06-04-2011, 13:21
Hi Hugo,

That input is very much appreciated. Looks like I might have to reconsider the stillpoints. I had thought for quite a while that they should work really well just like you experienced.

I have always had reservations about those isonones(?) for various reasons and never really considered them. My biggest problem with them is that they appear to use the threaded inserts, which I don't think is a good idea.

Was wondering if anybody has had any experience using the soft copper cartridge stabiliser made by Jelco, I believe, and available from Sound Hifi, I believe is the name? And that would be with Denon 103 and stock Technics headshell. I think I need it for VTA and probably a little extra mass, though the 8 grams of that one seems maybe a little much.

Cliff

Cliff
06-04-2011, 13:57
Just wanted to add for the OP that, although an MC, I really dig my new Denon DL A100, which is an anniversary edition of the DL 103.

I am getting much better results than I did with the Denon DL 103sa. How much of that is attributable solely to the tonearm rewire and not the cartridge is anybody's guess, but I do know that this cartridge did some things right out of the box that the other one never did for me. I like this one so much that I might buy another.

Cliff

Tarzan
06-04-2011, 17:51
Hi Jamie, for me the Isoefeet, and Sumiko headshell were my first upgrades, the Isoefeet made a dramatic upgrade for me, and at around £100, they for me are great VFM, they really are works of art, they really do there job, and the Sumiko headshell also made a nice difference for the money, on the cartridge side, Nagaokas work well, Denons, Ortofons, depending on your phono stage etc, anyway have fun:)

Sorry meant Isonoe feet:)

JRS
06-04-2011, 22:19
Lots of good advice which I've already taken. I've ordered the Isonoe legs from west end dj. Got them for £87. Wish I'd known about this deal though...http://www.oki-ni.com/Music/Isonoe-Isolation-feet-Pack/invt/iso0001slv
Wasted on OKI-NI hipsters. I hoping I wont need the rubber feet and £45 bits of glass:lolsign: Still thinking about the mat. What's the idea behind copper?