Mana Acoustics Racks / Bright Star IsoNodes Decoupling >> Allo DigiOne Player >> Pedja Rogic's Audial Model S DAC + Pioneer PL-71 turntable / Vista Audio phono-1 mk II / Denon PCL-5 headshell / Reson Reca >> LFD DLS >> LFD PA2M (SE) >> Royd RR3s.
Dont forget the „new” Glanz tonearm which is a really magnificent old school tonearm with jaw dropping sound (and jaw dropping price ) AND it’s readily available .
Beautiful arm I saw it at the Bristol show .. but if we are discussing modded ARs now I think we left 'regardless of price' behind a few pages ago ....
FWIW I'm not particularly a fan of the Helius (or the SME V) indeed I can barely see the point of an arm that doesn't have a removable headshell. A one-cartridge tonearm is a bit like playing golf with one club.
This 1000%
Dont go chasing Rainbows..neutral arm (SME V’s about as good as it gets imo) and pick your flavour with the cartridge.
Like everything else, its all about synergy.
With a properly set up V, jobs a good ‘un, pick a cartridge that makes you happy.
PS
(just dont mount it on one of these? (Hint hint...its all about synergy)
Last edited by Gazjam; 29-05-2018 at 17:11.
AC POWER
Hardwired 10kVA balanced mains powering entire system
AMPS
Meridian 557 power Amp (Modded) / PS Audio BHK Preamp (Modded)
SPEAKERS
Wharfedale Evo 4.4
DAC
PS Audio Directstream (Modded)
TURNTABLE
Pro-Ject X8 balanced output via XLR / Ortofon Quintet Blue cartridge
PHONOSTAGE
Pro-Ject DS3 B balanced Input (TT and Phonostage powered by Pro-Ject Power box RS2 linear psu)
DIGITAL
OPPO 203 (Modded: Linear PSU, i2s output to Dac) - Roon Endpoint, HDMI input used for all things Streaming/ PS5 /AppleTV ... also good for movies apparently?
MUSIC PLAYBACK
Tweaked AP-Linux based Roon Server into Oppo 203 as Roon endpoint
Ipad Roon Remote.
Apple Music/ YouTube via AppleTV, fed to Dac via Oppo HDMI input/i2s output to Dac.
SPEAKER CABLES
Biwired: Duelund DCA10GA (Bass) Duelund DCA16GA (mid & treble) Duelund 12DCA used as jumpers (On "Blackcat Cable" Chris Sommivigo's advice - yup, even with biwire it sounds better - and it does)
INTERCONNECTS
All Balanced: Ghost+ recording studio XLR cables
Well, records are different in what they need, and different genres have different requirements ... I use different cartridges for classical, jazz and rock, or just what I feel like listening to, then there's the whole mono thing where groove sizes vary over time. If you want to get the best out of each specific record then it helps to be able to change easily. I generally set my cartridges up with a selection of spacers and weights so that VTA is consistent between headshells and VTF comes out around the correct value for the cartridge so it's possible to make changes quickly with a minimum of faff. Once you get used to this it would seem like a huge compromise to be stuck with one cartridge the whole time, however good it is.
I don't buy the integrity thing I file that under 'audio myths'.
Not a fan of the SME V it's good, but not musical, like their decks, but quality engineering without question.
I set one of these up recently on new Oracle Delphi MK VI very nice, simple and exquisitely built, rather a damn fine sound as well.
We do not sell them, but they are supremely musical and the very last opposite end of the spectrum to SME as they play music naturally. unforced and just plain rather damn good.
I have listen to tone arms which are far more expensive sound not a patch on these of coarse YMMV
http://www.tonarm.ch/en/products/thales-statement
Coherent Systems
Real high end sound with musicality not hifi
No tonearm should be “musical”...
Its engineering...do the flavour thing with the Cart.
Just my tuppence.
AC POWER
Hardwired 10kVA balanced mains powering entire system
AMPS
Meridian 557 power Amp (Modded) / PS Audio BHK Preamp (Modded)
SPEAKERS
Wharfedale Evo 4.4
DAC
PS Audio Directstream (Modded)
TURNTABLE
Pro-Ject X8 balanced output via XLR / Ortofon Quintet Blue cartridge
PHONOSTAGE
Pro-Ject DS3 B balanced Input (TT and Phonostage powered by Pro-Ject Power box RS2 linear psu)
DIGITAL
OPPO 203 (Modded: Linear PSU, i2s output to Dac) - Roon Endpoint, HDMI input used for all things Streaming/ PS5 /AppleTV ... also good for movies apparently?
MUSIC PLAYBACK
Tweaked AP-Linux based Roon Server into Oppo 203 as Roon endpoint
Ipad Roon Remote.
Apple Music/ YouTube via AppleTV, fed to Dac via Oppo HDMI input/i2s output to Dac.
SPEAKER CABLES
Biwired: Duelund DCA10GA (Bass) Duelund DCA16GA (mid & treble) Duelund 12DCA used as jumpers (On "Blackcat Cable" Chris Sommivigo's advice - yup, even with biwire it sounds better - and it does)
INTERCONNECTS
All Balanced: Ghost+ recording studio XLR cables
Nice design that, Tony (nice simple lines and looks well-engineered)! Me likes
I know exactly what you mean about the SME V, and echo your comments completely. However, as you know, with vinyl it's all about the sum of the parts, and any number of weird and wonderful ('happy accidents') can occur, combining to create a great sound!
And to my ears there's a bit of that going on, whenever you strap a 'V' onto a Michell Gyro (or Orbe). For some reason (providing the cartridge choice is right), it just works
Marco.
Main System
Turntable: Heavily-modified Technics SL-1210MK5G [Mike New bearing/ETP platter/Paul Hynes SR7 PSU & reg mods]. Funk Firm APM Achromat/Nagaoka GL-601 Crystal Record Weight/Isonoe feet & boots/Ortofon RS-212D/Denon DL-103GL in Denon PCL-300 headshell with Funk Firm Houdini/Kondo SL-115 pure-silver cartridge leads.
Paul Hynes MC head amp/SR5 PSU. Also modded Lentek head amp/Denon AU-310 SUT.
Other Cartridges: Nippon Columbia (NOS 1987) Denon DL-103. USA-made Shure SC35C with NOS stylus. Goldring G820 with NOS stylus. Shure M55E with NOS stylus.
CD Player: Audiocom-modified Sony X-777ES/DAS-R1 DAC.
Tape Deck: Tandberg TCD 310, fully restored and recalibrated as new, by RDE, plus upgraded with heads from the TCD-420a. Also with matching TM4 Norway microphones.
Preamps: Heavily-modified Croft Charisma-X. LDR Stereo Coffee. Power Amps: Tube Distinctions Copper Amp fitted with Tungsol KT-150s. Quad 306.
Cables & Sundries: Mark Grant HDX1 interconnects and digital coaxial cable, plus Mark Grant 6mm UP-LCOFC Van Damme speaker cable. MCRU 'Ultimate' mains leads. Lehmann clone headphone amp with vintage Koss PRO-4AAA headphones.
Tube Distinctions digital noise filter. VPI HW16.5 record cleaning machine.
Speakers: Tannoy 15MGs in Lockwood cabinets with modified crossovers. 1967 Celestion Ditton 15.
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Also **SAY NO** to unjust 'vaccine passports' or certificates, which are totally incompatible with a FREE society!!!
Two cart's, Tom (for two arms), but both stereo, as I don't have mono records. Yes, with your plethora of interests, fixed h/shells would require quite a few decks. Nice thought, but generally impractical for most.
I wonder why many arms are fixed, if it's not the integrity design thing. Costs and ease of manufacture, maybe ? There has to be a reason. In fact (and I'm guessing here), the majority of upmarket arms may well be fixed; SME, O.L., A.O., Reed (?), Thales (as above) etc.