Inspire Hi-Fi Tecno Upgrade Package

[markx]

The Inspire 1200 platters that I have seen have been standard platters that have been post machined to remove the strobe markings and presumably had this aluminium plate bonded to them.

Yes, that is correct. I suspect the 'mass' of the re-engineered platter may be based on the Monarch.

[Marco]

Hi Mark,

Sorry about the delay in getting back to you - just been really busy! Ok, the Inspire Upgrade Package…. My view is that it’s very good value for money and fundamentally addresses many of the weak areas of the stock Technics T/T - and in a way which is a bit different from that of competitors.

Negatives? The supplied 'wood sleeve' is not a proper wooden plinth, and therefore will not impart the sonic characteristics and/or isolation properties, in that respect, of a genuine item. It’s simply a cosmetic covering, albeit the "Sorbo Pod suspension” should provide some effective vibration isolation. How successful that is, however, will depend on the environment the T/T is used in.

I’m not sure the higher-mass platter is a good idea, as my experiments in that area, with the products I’ve purchased which work on that principle, have not been entirely successful. However, if the platter, bearing and PSU have all been designed to work symbiotically with the the T/T’s control circuitry, and crucially whoever has designed it has a fundamental understanding of how that is accurately achieved, then it could work well and provide significant dividends.

Other than the housing itself, there appears to be no reworking/upgrading of the stock bearing - an area which is known as a fundamental weakness of the Technics, certainly in terms of equalling or superseding the quality of that used on genuine high-end turntables, from established hi-fi manufacturers. In that respect, the MN bearing still rules the roost.

However, that said, I’d still be tempted to take a punt on the Inspire package, as you’re getting a lot for your money, especially as the upgraded PSU looks to be a good one, and the whole concept has obviously had a lot of thought put into it. As such, fitted with the right arm and cartridge combo, based on experience with my own judiciously modified SL-1210, I’d expect it to sound superb and compete with some established high-end T/Ts costing many times more.

Perhaps the way to go would be to try the package, and if you like what it does, then fit an MN bearing, as that should simply work in tandem with the existing mods (bearing housing aside) and be a no-brainer upgrade. After that, just kick back and enjoy the music.

I admire Inspire Hi-Fi for the work they’ve put into modifying the Technics, and most importantly, getting it out into the public domain and alerting audiophiles/vinyl lovers to the serious sonic potential these T/Ts have (keeping it at the forefront of people’s minds), and in a way, through effective marketing, that other smaller manufacturers of Technics T/T upgrades haven’t been in a position to do, so well done to them for that.

We must keep the modded Technics alive, despite the efforts of those with a commercial agenda (mainly manufacturers and retailers of certain belt-drive T/Ts) wishing that it would simply die a death…. On AoS, we won’t ever allow that to happen!

Anyway, good luck if you go for it, although I expect you’ll be delighted. If you do go for the Inspire package, please post your thoughts and supply some nice pics, and if I find myself in the Sussex area, it would be nice to have a listen - enjoy!

Marco.

[markx]

Thanks for your input Marco. Yes, I agree the woden plinth is largely a cosmetic upgrade. I suspect the isolation it provides will be no better or worse than the other after market footers out there. The package has clearly been well thought out. I suspect it incorporates many of the design features of the well received Monarch turntable. I don't think the higher mass platter is an issue as there will be no need for the relatively heavy stock 5mm rubber mat. I suspect the total weight of the re-engineered platter + mat will be broadly similar to that of the original platter + stock rubber mat.

I understand your concern with regards the non-reworking of the stock bearing. However, research would seem to suggest opinions on this differ. Both Funk and Inspire believe the bearing to be reasonably ok. Inspire look to improve its performance by upgrading the bearing housing. This is where they perceive the weakness to be. This is identical to the bearing used in the well regarded Monarch turntable. One has to ask, how much performance increase would the well designed MN bearing provide and would it be woth the additional £500 expense?

As you know, I joined the forum primarily to seek advice on how best to modify the Technics. I am coming into some money within the next few weeks. I want to use part of this money to create a fairly decent audio system that I can live with for the long-term. I am happy with my digital front end (Yamaha transport into MF DAC), amplifier (Marantz KI pearl) and speaker choice (Proac D18). It is my analogue front end which I want to improve. I've got a large record collection and I want to do it justice.

I am not a hobbyist equipment modifier (not that there is anything wrong with this). Just someone who wants to improve the performance of his analogue playback. The attraction with the Inspire Tech mods is they collect the turntable, carry out the mods at their premises and return it. It is a one stop shop. Their approach appears to be well thought out and sensible.

I plan to add an SME M2-9 tonearm + Ortofon 2M Bronze. I have arrived at this decision based on user feedback, research and advice. It is simply not possible to demo and trial all the different options available.

I want to stick with a decent MM cart. My feeling is the 2M Bronze should work well. It is renowned for its detail and ability to produce a wide sound stage. These are both areas where the stock Technics lacks in comparison to decent Hi-Fi turntables in my experience. Some criticise the bronze for being modern sounding, having a dry textrual balance and lacking some emotion. However, I would argue my system is fairly musical and if anything errs on the warm side of neutral. For example, my DAC is a lot more detailed than others but works very well in the context of my system.

The other MM carts I have considered are the 2M Black, Audio Technics AT150 MLX, Goldring 1042, Goldring 2500 and Nagoka MP500. The black costs quite a bit more than the bronze. I have read that the AT cart can be tricky matching to some MM phono stages (loading issues). Also, I currently own a AT120e and I am not that impressed - sounding quite thin and unatural in my previous systems. I also own a Linn Adikt cart which I think is based on a Goldring 1042. Not bad but I find it a bit full on, warm and chunky sounding on the technics - not a lot of detail or finesse. The Goldring 2500 is apparently manufactured by Nagoka for Goldring. The Nagoka MP500 looks like an interesting proposition and is available direct from Japan for around the same price as the 2M Bronze.

I wonder if the Nagoka MP500 would be a better choice than the Ortofon 2M Bronze in the context of an SME M2-9 tonearm and my system? I get the impression it is a strong performer in the mid range. It seems to be strongly favoured by Jazz and acoustic listeners. I listen to a very wide range of music (including Jazz & acoustic) and in particular electronica and well produced and mastered dance music. It is very important that I achieve good performance at the frequency extremes. I favour detail and musical involvement.

I would welcome any further thoughts you may have on my cartridge choice options in the context of my proposed system.

[CageyH]

I am surprised that Funk think the standard bearing is ok, as the last I heard they had a new bearing under development.

[belloire]

i have an inspire plinth on my 1210. whilst i'm sure it doesn't impart any partucular 'sonic signature' on the deck, i'm not sure this is a negative. it does, however, look a lot nice than the standard techie (at least i think so....)

in terms of cartridges, consider the Audio Note IQ2 or 3. they aren't cheap, but are excellent carts, the 3 being one of the best MM's available (again, i think so having heard quite a few, but by no means all) they certainly work nicely on an audio note arm on a techie

[Andrei]

I would welcome any further thoughts you may have on my cartridge choice options in the context of my proposed system.

The Inspire upgrades, SME M2-9 tonearm, Marantz Pearl and Proacs suggest to me that your system could do justice to a better cartridge. I think you will get better suggestions if you advise what Phono Stage you are / will be using.

[markx]

I am surprised that Funk think the standard bearing is ok, as the last I heard they had a new bearing under development.

I don't want to misquote Arthur. When I spoke with him he told me the greatest sonic gains are achieved by repacing the platter and the tonearm, much more so than the bearing change. He does acknowledge the bearing can be improved upon. It is Inspire who believe the bearing is generally ok and why they focus their attention on improving the bearing housing. From what I can gather this the is same bearing/housing as used on their well received Monarch turntabe.

[Marco]

Hi Mark,

I don't want to misquote Arthur. When I spoke with him he told me the greatest sonic gains are achieved by repacing the platter and the tonearm, much more so than the bearing change. He does acknowledge the bearing can be improved upon. It is Inspire who believe the bearing is generally ok and why they focus their attention on improving the bearing housing. From what I can gather this the is same bearing/housing as used on their well received Monarch turntabe.

With respect to Arthur, he doesn’t know what an SL-1200 or 1210 sounds like fitted with a completely re-engineered and fundamentally improved bearing, such as the one from Mike New, and neither do I suspect does Inspire, therefore they possess no practical experience in the matter with which to back up their assertions.

Others and my experience of using an MN bearing on a daily basis, having in our systems compared it back-to-back with a stock bearing, and then upgraded the latter accordingly, have a rather different and more informed opinion on the matter.

One fact worth bearing in mind (no pun intended), is that none of the other companies offering aftermarket modifications to the Technics, other than Mike New, has the required tooling or engineering prowess to design a completely bespoke bearing from scratch, therefore is it any wonder why his competitors, restricted simply to ‘tarting up’ the original design, to varying degrees, are universally dismissive of the benefits of installing a completely bespoke and fundamentally superior bearing (engineered from the ground up to be the best it possibly can)?

Think about it...

I’ll get back to you on the rest of your post later.

Marco.

[markx]

The Inspire upgrades, SME M2-9 tonearm, Marantz Pearl and Proacs suggest to me that your system could do justice to a better cartridge. I think you will get better suggestions if you advise what Phono Stage you are / will be using.

Innitially, I will be using the phono stage within the KI Pearl which is pretty decent. I may at some stage in the future invest in a separate valve phono stage. I would prefer to stick with decent MM carts at this stage.

[synsei]

One fact worth bearing in mind (no pun intended) is that none of the other companies offering aftermarket modifications to the Technics, other than Mike New, has the required tooling or engineering prowess to design a completely bespoke bearing from scratch, therefore is it any wonder why his competitors, restricted simply to ‘tarting up’ the original design, to varying degrees, are universally dismissive of the benefits of installing a completely new and fundamentally superior bearing?

Um, are you sure about that and have you examined Inspire's website recently? Now, if I were Inspire's MD I'd take that as a bit of an insult, and a challenge