Heybrook TT2 vs Linn LP12 (A/B comparison... almost)

[mimoser]

[…]
Sound:
Not compared it directly to my LP12 but feel it sounds similar but lacking in some bass weight. It defo has loads of insight and detail in the midrange and is very musical.
[…]
I'm rather enamoured with the Garrard 401 Idler sound and the Direct Drive SP10mk2. Was good to read that Shane was also spinning his own Idler.
Somehow I would like to get more of the Belt Drive mid range transparency and blackness while keeping the steady pitch and slam of the Idler. I think the DD is sitting in between Belt and Idler sonically.

Using a really rigid arm with a countersunk balance weight improved things on the TT2 as well as the LP12 for me. Without losing the midrange details this cleans up the bass a lot. It did not bring forward the midrange details on the LP12 though- That’s why we kept the TT2 and I sold the LP12 …

present state of the TT2:

16mm birchply fixed through with two stainless screws, rewired RB250, Michell VTA and fingernut, steel stub, Expressimo heavyweight, Stanton 681eee with Pickering 625e stylus, Tonearm cable by back25beat10.

Heed Orbit2 and Trichord Dino Mk1:


Result: detailed mids, fast and controlled bass, detailed treble (as far up as I stil can hear with 47 :-)); dynamics are absolutely on par to my dynamics refernce, a Yamaha CDP-930 from 1992.

YMMV, but this is it for me at the moment, need nothing "more"
Michael

[shane]

Congratulations to Shane for ironing out some basic flaws 20 odd years ago

Awwwww shucks!

The idler's very much a back-of-the-mind project I'm afraid, so Don't hold your breath!

I did have a go at cobbling one up from a couple of bits of slate and an Akai 4000DS motor (story here http://www.world-designs.co.uk/forum...ead.php?t=1894 ), and was very much seduced by the drive and slam that came with it, but then I found a really early TT2 on Ebay and had to buy back a bit of my history. It may not have the sheer balls of the idler, but it's musically more complete.