Initial impressions of my modified analogue system

[machtman]

For me, this is what valves do so well, done well they make you forget all about the kit and leave you free to glory in the music.

Lovely system BTW, Nick's kit is very good indeed is it not?

Hi, I was already using valves in the phono stage and the amp and didn't expect additional valves in the preamp to make such a huge difference. In fact, until I heard this system, I kept thinking everybody else's HiFi was overemphasising the bass and that I was the only one who like high clear trebles. I've recently heard a Linn high end system at in Edinburgh and then heard Nick's system with his new valve DAC connected to a s.s. amp at his house while he was building the Aikido board into the case. The Aikido changed the sound of his system as well, bringing much more music to my ears than was coming through the DAC alone. His comment was that the DAC was intended to be as neutral as possible and the Aikido was bring warmth in. But that was with digital music and everything was different from my own system. So I was expecting the Aikido to sound good, but wasn't prepared for this total change in emphasis.

As to Nick's gear, I'm wild about the phono stage, which is an improved version over the standard that he sells, including better caps and resistors and internal AN-V silver wiring and Furutech sockets. I was also absolutely wild about the S&B TVC preamp because it has remote control via IR with an Apple remote, magnetic relays and I thought it was the closest thing to a simple wire between input and output. But the Aikido has convinced me that an active pre can have enormous benefits. And although I'm still struggling to define what the differences are, I've now come to realise that I was artificially reducing bass and mid range, and that those do help the music.

I still haven't assembled the NOTTs to see just what the Verdier and Ortofon and 3012 are bringing to the mix. Nor have I tried what difference the new stands are making. But I should be able to come back within a week with a report on how well the system now sounds with digital sound and what my impressions of the two turntables and stands are.

Thanks for the kind words on the system. The last three years since I started up again on HiFi have been a series of very dramatic revelations, of which this set is among the most dramatic.

all my best
Mark


Mark

[YNWaN]

The plywood stand your deck sits on is a funky construction .

Your Verdier TT also interests me. I've not seen one with a veneered plinth before (can't remember any way) - they usually seem to a stone composite (or similar). I also wonder what the semi-circular cutout in the plinth is for (near the arm base)? Is it so that the arm cable does not fowl the plinth when the armboard is rotated to accommodate nine inch arms?

[machtman]

The plywood stand your deck sits on is a funky construction .

This is the new version of the Something Solid stand being made by Mark at Deco Audio. Mark also made a beautiful wall mount for the motor which is hidden behind the stand and is running the Verdier via a black cotton thread.
I had read extremely positive reviews about the Something Solid stands, which were previously made from black steel bars welded together. My contact at Deco Audio, Peter Empson, has continued to give me superb advice and seems to have similar tastes to me. In fact, he was so kind to keep the Verdier at his shop since Christmas after I bought it in Germany to avoid having to ship it again from Ireland. Peter also adjusted the arm and arranged for the rewiriing of the arm, and adjusted the VTA and tracking force. Based on Peter's recommendations of the Something Solid stands and my wife actually liking their appearance, I went for the stand without ever hearing one.
The construction is plywood held together by taut ropes but the boards that things sit on are balsa for the resonance qualities. Until now I've been very happy with having Gingo Audio clouds under my gear, which you can still see under the phono stage and TVC pre. Again I haven't made any comparisons but although the floor is springy, you can stamp on it right next to the stand and nothing happens at the stylus at all.

Your Verdier TT also interests me. I've not seen one with a veneered plinth before (can't remember any way)

This is the Aschenborn, Germany version of the Verdier which is made with explicit approval by Verdier himself. It comes in beech veneer in natural and various colours, and this is the natural color. It also comes with the solid brass armboard but the TT also came with several other armboards if I wanted to play with other arms. The Aschenborn version sells in Germany and in the US. They also have a dealer in the UK but according to Aschenborn that dealer is neither interested nor competent to handle turntables.
Finally, the mat is the Aschenborn A23 mat, which has had rave reviews for various TTs in the US, made of textile. Peter at Deco compared it to the mats they recommend for the Verdier and thought it sounded better.

I also wonder what the semi-circular cutout in the plinth is for (near the arm base)? Is it so that the arm cable does not fowl the plinth when the armboard is rotated to accommodate nine inch arms?

Exactly. With the cutout, you can simply rotate the same armboard into the cutout and mount a nine inch arm.

There is another difference between the Aschenborn Verdier and the original one, namely the suspension is an Aschenborn construction. I have no idea how springy the Verdier is but this one is extremely springy, very different from the NOTTs which is rock solid. One result is that Eschenborn does not recommend mounting a second arm, unlike the Verdier itself, just because the suspension wouldn't be able to handle it. Even the 3012 arm seems to be held together by a wish and a prayer and the rotational angle of the cartridge goes off every so often and needs to be adjusted by twisting back to horizontal.

One very minor problem I'm having is the arm drop, which is too fast if I simply let the lever drop, leading to skipping into the record. When I lower it slowly, waiting for the stylus to touch the vinyl, everything is fine. Does anybody with experience with a 3012 know of a way to slightly stiffen the hydraulic resistance on the arm drop?

Mark

Mark

[DSJR]

Remember, Mark Orr (lovely chap and a keen wind-surfer I understand) does use scientific common sense as well as his and many others' ears to design and fine-tune his stands and they DO work really well. I should add that I sold his earlier models myself and his space-frame speaker stands are absolutely PERFECT for thin-wall style speakers by Spendor, Harbeth, Stirling etc. he also makes some single pillar speaker stands for smaller stand mount speakers which work really well. Obviously, the Sonus Fabers are conceived as a visual thing as much as anything else, so should be used with their own stands for good results

Advert over, but I speak from personal experience where Something Solid is concerned and am happy to plug them

[machtman]

I haven't had the chance to meet Mark Orr yet, although I've talked to him on the phone. But his ad hoc wall mount for the motor is a work of art and was quite inexpensive. And I'm extremely impressed with the sonic and vibrational isolation of the stands. PS they're sitting on Mark's Missing Link feet, which consist of metal circular frames supporting more taut cables under a small tripod sitting in the cables with a hard (plastic?) filling that the spikes go into. Very ingenious design.
Mark

[YNWaN]

Thank you Mark for answering my questions so clearly - very interesting.

Even the 3012 arm seems to be held together by a wish and a prayer and the rotational angle of the cartridge goes off every so often and needs to be adjusted by twisting back to horizontal.

That shouldn't be happening though - the connection between headshell and arm tube must be very loose!

[SquireC]

Great post. Always interesting to hear about different approaches to getting the best sound.

Bit worried about that swivelling cartridge though.

[machtman]

That shouldn't be happening though - the connection between headshell and arm tube must be very loose!

How do I tighten it?
Mark

[YNWaN]

Sorry, I'm not sufficiently familiar with your arm and cartridge/headshell to tell you. GT audio sell your deck, arm and cart - perhaps they could tell you.

[Stratmangler]

One very minor problem I'm having is the arm drop, which is too fast if I simply let the lever drop, leading to skipping into the record. When I lower it slowly, waiting for the stylus to touch the vinyl, everything is fine. Does anybody with experience with a 3012 know of a way to slightly stiffen the hydraulic resistance on the arm drop?

It's a common problem with the early SME arms, and SME no longer service these arms.
It's something to do with the damping fluid leaking out over time.