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Gdg
12-05-2010, 17:45
Yesterday the parcel boy knocked at my office door:
http://www.boxedspace.com/public3/AOS_Forum_Starway_to_Heaven_01.JPG

So, what is inside the package ???
Well, there's about two years and half of searching, reading, studying, comparing, inquirying, thinking... and again searching, reading,...

But at the very end, the final ideas come out from AOS forum, where lot of people experienced before and better than me the items I'm going to show you.

Now, let's open the package:
http://www.boxedspace.com/public3/AOS_Forum_Starway_to_Heaven_02.JPG

...and let's pull out all the stuff

this a serious PSU
http://www.boxedspace.com/public3/AOS_Forum_Starway_to_Heaven_03.JPG

maybe is not big, but very very heavy
http://www.boxedspace.com/public3/AOS_Forum_Starway_to_Heaven_04.JPG

WOW ! it shines like gold !
http://www.boxedspace.com/public3/AOS_Forum_Starway_to_Heaven_05.JPG

... and weighs like that either
http://www.boxedspace.com/public3/AOS_Forum_Starway_to_Heaven_06.JPG

...the very first step of the "starway to heaven" (along with some housekeeping tool)
http://www.boxedspace.com/public3/AOS_Forum_Starway_to_Heaven_07.JPG

finally, new shoes for the long ride to the top of the starway. BTW, it's unbelievable how this feet are seriuosly made, for the few money they cost
http://www.boxedspace.com/public3/AOS_Forum_Starway_to_Heaven_08.JPG

I've not installed these jewels (ehm), yet. I planned doing this by the next week-end or two, but I feel the need to thank all the SL 1200 lovers at AOS, (starting from our admin Marco).
But, mainly, I have to thank Dave Cawley, because it really made a seriuos job with his holistic approach to the SL 1200 mods: all the pieces I was searching for, all tested, matched, from the same seller.

Thank you

PS: I'm not involved in any way with Dave Cawley business. The above is just a feedback from an ordinary customer.

The Vinyl Adventure
12-05-2010, 17:50
GOOD MAN! Look at that! You are in for a treat!

DSJR
12-05-2010, 20:24
You could have bought a Spacedeck for the amount all that lot cost....... ;)

Tarzan
12-05-2010, 21:23
You lucky so and so,enjoy it of coarse we do not believe you got this stuff until you post some thoughts( you will love the Isonoes!):)

Marco
14-05-2010, 19:06
Hi Giovanni,

Nice one, but where's the SL-1200 to partner with all your new toys? :eyebrows:

;)

Good luck with your Techy journey - it looks like you go into the same meticulous detail I do when embarking on a project!

Keep us posted of your progress :cool:

Marco.

Gdg
15-05-2010, 17:32
Holà Marco,
I hope by tomorrow to start installing something.
Right now I'm fighting hard with the DL103SA... grrrrrr... nuts too short, counterweight too light... but the HA 500 sounds veeery fine (many thanks you for that ;-). BTW, the HA 500 impressed me about how low noise it is. I didn't beleave that 8-O

Gdg
16-05-2010, 19:50
pfiuuu... what a busy day...

Here we go, all the new pieces in their own place
http://www.boxedspace.com/public3/AOS_Forum_Starway_to_Heaven_09.JPG


just the old junk
http://www.boxedspace.com/public3/AOS_Forum_Starway_to_Heaven_10.JPG


ready, set, go !
http://www.boxedspace.com/public3/AOS_Forum_Starway_to_Heaven_11.JPG
Wow! it works !
Cheers :cool:

You can see my brand new DL 103 SA, also

-
Next: some details with the crazy path to install & setup the DENON DL 103 SA cartridge. But you have to wait some day, tomorrow is a new week of hard work :(

DSJR
16-05-2010, 20:51
Looks great. Which version of 1210 is this one?

Gdg
16-05-2010, 21:41
uh, sorry... :doh: it's an SL 1210 M5G

Marco
16-05-2010, 21:53
Same as mine, Dave - the best one! ;)

Looking good, Giovanni - glad the HA-500 is hitting the spot.... A big loving close-up of it would be good for old times sake! :eyebrows:

So how does it all sound so far? I think you'll have a very nice sounding deck there :cool:

Marco.

Gdg
17-05-2010, 08:22
Same as mine, Dave - the best one! ;)

Looking good, Giovanni - glad the HA-500 is hitting the spot.... A big loving close-up of it would be good for old times sake! :eyebrows:



...so photos of the HA 500 are going to come for Marco... in a few days ;)



So how does it all sound so far? I think you'll have a very nice sounding deck there :cool:

Marco.

well, it sounds wonderfully, but I do believe the system still needs some adjustement and some hour more of run-in, before to "scientifically" go into details of the improvements... so please, stand-by

Oh, BTW, in these days I'm cold, so my ears are not working at their best :lolsign:

chris@panteg
17-05-2010, 10:06
looking good Giovanni, that HE psu looks good ! Dave has done some interesting changes i think .

Marco are you upgrading to the HE ? .

Marco
17-05-2010, 10:29
No worries, Giovanni - I look forward to reading your report when you're ready :)

Hi Chris,

Possibly, it's certainly firmly in the equation along with a few others. I'm waiting until Dave has the new platters ready and then I can audition various PSUs in conjunction with a platter.

What are you doing PSU/platter-wise? :cool:

Marco.

chris@panteg
17-05-2010, 11:19
Not sure yet Marco , its going to have to wait after the purchase of the 309 and thinking about summer hols , but i want to keep a keen eye on the new platter and HE psu .

If you upgrade Marco i will be most interested in your findings

But before that my next purchase will most likely be a proper MC

The Vinyl Adventure
17-05-2010, 11:42
i erd, on the old grapevine like, dave now 'as the prototype platter in his possession :)

Mike_New
18-05-2010, 05:41
Hamish,
You erd correct, I shipped the first one to Dave some 10 days ago. I have now machined up 5 platters from blank billets.
The one concern is how to provide a grip on the platter when mounting or removing. The platters weigh about 11.5lbs and are not easy to grip, as the Technics plinth does not provide for any access beneith the platter for fingers!! I have incorporated a 7mm cross-section resonance damping insert which Dave thinks is ingeneus! However with this inserted into the outer peripheral groove it is difficult to sustain a positive grip on the platter.

I could drill and thread two holes into the top of the platter for lifting handles, a la the SL10 type models, however I am concerned that this will detract from the appearance.

I am open to opinions from all people interested in obtaining one. And Dave will probably have his own ideas.

Mike New

DSJR
18-05-2010, 07:05
If a mat is used the holes won't be seen..

Marco
18-05-2010, 07:05
Hi Mike,

Good stuff - thanks for the update. I think it's just a matter of refining the appearance now, and Dave's a bit of a perfectionist in that respect, which is no bad thing! :)


I could drill and thread two holes into the top of the platter for lifting handles, a la the SL10 type models, however I am concerned that this will detract from the appearance.


Personally, I would go with that option. As long as they're done neatly (as I'm sure they will be) it'll be fine. The mat will hide the holes, anyway.

The last thing anyone wants, I suspect, is for it to be a ball-ache taking the platter on and off... Ease of use/fitting is every bit as important as a sexy appearance! :cool:

Guys, what do you think?

Marco.

Tarzan
18-05-2010, 07:21
Is there any pictures or more information available on this platter:).

Gdg
18-05-2010, 07:26
Yes, there is any pic around?
I'm just curious about the platter having or not the strobo dots... :scratch:

chris@panteg
18-05-2010, 09:09
Something like the SP10 mk3 ,This would be my preference :)

Marco
18-05-2010, 09:12
I like it, Chris!!

Mike, could you replicate that arrangement? :)

Marco.

DSJR
18-05-2010, 09:15
The NAS Mentor had an 84lb main platter and had a crude bar type "handle" with solid Allen bolts for lifting and placing - a real problem when the thing was five feet off the ground. Thank heavens the wall it shelved to was made of engineering bricks and almost impossible to drill into at the time...

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q8/DSJR_photos/MentorDecca.jpg

chris@panteg
18-05-2010, 09:35
Fortunately the Techie doesn't need such a high mass platter .
The excellent motor takes care of that :)

The Vinyl Adventure
18-05-2010, 09:47
The big holes in the current platter also alow access to adjust the break. I doubt that's intentional as the pcb dust cover is normally in the way, but once that's removed it is quite nice to be able to fine tune the break without having to remove the platter... I imagine with a massier platter that will be of use too... ... Just a passing thought
I asume the break will still stop the new platter? Does it have to be turned up quite high?

sondale
18-05-2010, 17:47
The NAS Mentor had an 84lb main platter and had a crude bar type "handle" with solid Allen bolts for lifting and placing - a real problem when the thing was five feet off the ground. Thank heavens the wall it shelved to was made of engineering bricks and almost impossible to drill into at the time...

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q8/DSJR_photos/MentorDecca.jpg
I used to have the Mentor Reference (the original), it came with a solid steel base plate which Tom thankfully changed after a couple of years to a wooden base.

I returned it to Tom a few years ago when I could no longer straight arm lift it!

The Hyperspace is now beginning to seem the same.

So I got a Technics SP-10 for which I am building a heavy plinth - oh dear:lolsign:

Alan

Mike_New
19-05-2010, 05:48
I have added an image of the platter as mounted onto my testbed SL1200.
I would seem from what you say that two threaded holes in th top would be the best approach.
I will do this and post another pic.
Mike

REM
19-05-2010, 06:44
Looking good, what diameter for the platter did you finally decide on?


Cheers:stalks:

Mike_New
19-05-2010, 07:39
The one you see is 300mm. I reasoned, as seems to be the case, that most people will want to use mats of some kind with the new platter so I decided leaving it at 300 would be the better approach. Also as with the label counter bore, I decided to not incorporate this, as a double clearance (on the platter and the mat) could cause problems if using a centre weight.

Marco
19-05-2010, 08:02
Hi Mike,


I have added an image of the platter as mounted onto my testbed SL1200.
I would seem from what you say that two threaded holes in th top would be the best approach.
I will do this and post another pic.
Mike

Looks great! :)

Threaded holes would be ideal... Some sort of lifting devices/hooks which screw into the holes (as shown in the picture on the SP10 Chris posted earlier) would also be good, or make the holes (un-threaded) big enough to get your fingers into....

Incidentally, how would you describe the improvement in sound compared to the old platter (just briefly)?

Marco.

Tarzan
19-05-2010, 08:45
What will be the cost of the beast Mike?:).

Mike_New
19-05-2010, 09:15
Tarzan,
The cost of the platter will be of the order of Stg650.00 from Dave, check with him what his exact price will be. The freight costs with fuel surcharges do not help!!

Mike_New
19-05-2010, 09:20
Marco,
The improvement in sonics on my owm SL1200MkII, would seem to come mainly from a more defined lower frequency resolution and a tighter overall performance in the mid frequencies. I am using a OL modified Rega 250 with a Rondo Blue MC and valve phono amp.

Marco
19-05-2010, 09:25
Hi Mike,

Sounds good! What about any reduction in feedback when the stylus is placed on a record and the preamp turned up - when you tap on the top of the T/T, can you hear anything, or perhaps less than you did before with the standard platter? :)

This is one of the improvements I'm looking for. I presume also that the new platter, unweighted, doesn't ring like a bell! ;)


Stg650.00


What's "Stg" - how much is the retail price of the platter in UK pounds?

Marco.

The Vinyl Adventure
19-05-2010, 09:35
sterling

Marco
19-05-2010, 09:48
F*ck me - it'll have to be good!!! :eek:

Marco.

chris@panteg
19-05-2010, 10:10
£650 + £425 for the bearing and then there is the HE psu , i think for me its a step too far.

As my deck is at the moment without the 309 its still under 1k with all the upgrades .

With these in place in would need to outperform an SP10 mk2 ? surely, like i said earlier i will be going for a genuine MC cart before anything else but very interested if anyone takes this big leap ! .

Marco
19-05-2010, 10:44
It's a lot of dosh, for sure, but I can understand why it would cost that amount. Apart from anything else, like Mike says, the shipping costs from Oz certainly don't help.......!!

However, the price doesn't scare me off, *providing* that to my ears it offers a level of sonic improvement which justifies the expenditure - and for that I need to listen.

I guess the best way to judge things will be to assess the sonic effect of the new platter and the HE PSU (or Paul Hynes, etc) together as a pairing, as I'm sure that this is where the major improvements will be heard.

Anyway, as soon as Dave releases the new platter for sale, I shall audition it along with an HE PSU (and stock Timestep PSU, if it works), and also the Paul Hynes, as I should be taking delivery of the latter next week. I shall then conduct a full review of everything in conjunction with my Sound Hi-fi-modified SL-1210 for everyone's perusal :cool:

Watch this space, folks!

Marco.

chris@panteg
19-05-2010, 10:55
Hi Marco

You have gone further than most in modding and tweaking the 1210, and it will be interesting indeed to to read how you get on with it .

Marco
19-05-2010, 12:57
It'll be interesting finding out, Chris.

As I've pretty much given up on the idea of buying an SP10 (I'm not sure it's worth the hassle), maxing out the performance of my SL-1210 to the highest possible level is now the goal, so it'll be interesting how far that can be taken from its current position :)

I have to admit, part of the attraction for me too is in owning a quirky, 'race-tuned' bespoke piece of equipment. You will know this already, as my system is littered with similar examples of such.

I guess that I just like to be different and hate following 'convention'... It usually results in achieving superb audio performance, too! :cool:

Marco.

chris@panteg
19-05-2010, 13:32
I think the SP10 is probably worth the hassle but i have to say i am not convinced Slate is the best type of plinth , Albert Porter's looks the most interesting to me .

But yeah Marco it is the same for me but add to that its ease of use and put it almost anywhere appeal i like .

Gdg
19-05-2010, 17:59
I will add more words about. SL 1200 is a product currently marketed, not a vintage one. You can buy it brand new, if you like, and you can find spares everywhere, at honest prices. And the simple fact that this TT had a larger circulation during the last 30 years, for both professional and home use, more company & people around the world invested in aftermarket mods and upgrades, at affordable costs. Can you figure out how much will cost to me, from Italy, finding, buying, servicing an SP 10?

Maybe, at the very end of the upgrade path, my SL 1200 will gave me something less in sound quality than a SP 10 MK II at its best could, but sure I spent (or, I should say, wasted) less money, too.

Oh, I was not talking about the fun of doing some DIY I couldn't do with the SP 10. If I do wrong, well, with a few money I'll buy back a new stock tonearm, or a new strobo light, or a new start/stop button, or a new upper plinth.

And, please, just don't talk about other kind of TT.
I have too many reasons to hate belt driven TTs. Full stop.

Or anyone knows about currently marketed DD TT (for home use not for DJs) other the SL 1200? If you do, please let me know.