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Thread: Magna Audio's custom-made counterweight balance and armboard service!

  1. #161
    Join Date: Mar 2009

    Location: The New Forest

    Posts: 1,855
    I'm Steve.

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    That's annoying Ron. I clamped the template to it for guidance so all holes lined up - I will have to check the bed on my pillar drill as it can tilt for angles perhaps that was why...
    It is a bit fragile when thin due to it's hardness I have found - the drills clog and heat is a problem - I learned to up and down a lot and stop and unclog but it was still a problem.
    Heat / expansion probably caused the crack - I did not see it. Will drill even slower next time.
    Ideally you would use some washers under the mounting bolts as they are M4 and the holes are as the template M5.
    Also I would guess your blind nuts are the same as Martin's and they are aluminium rivnuts - do not over tighten as the ali is not very strong.

  2. #162
    MartinT Guest

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    Quote Originally Posted by JazzBones View Post
    NO hum at all. My PSU is the TS HE so obviously things have been done differently?
    Ron, I would guess that the Timestep PSU has an earthed negative return, which would provide your deck with earthing. Therefore no hum despite the arm no longer being connected to the deck.

  3. #163
    Join Date: Oct 2010

    Location: North Bucks, UK

    Posts: 562
    I'm Ron.

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    Quote Originally Posted by speedy.steve View Post
    That's annoying Ron. I clamped the template to it for guidance so all holes lined up - I will have to check the bed on my pillar drill as it can tilt for angles perhaps that was why...
    It is a bit fragile when thin due to it's hardness I have found - the drills clog and heat is a problem - I learned to up and down a lot and stop and unclog but it was still a problem.
    Heat / expansion probably caused the crack - I did not see it. Will drill even slower next time.
    Ideally you would use some washers under the mounting bolts as they are M4 and the holes are as the template M5.
    Also I would guess your blind nuts are the same as Martin's and they are aluminium rivnuts - do not over tighten as the ali is not very strong.
    Steve, no worries mate, the ebony armplate is a must for the tekky, I'll be having an all day listening sesh tomorrow when the missus is at her mum's. Being a Linn owner I have learnt NEVER to overtighten the arm board, pillar grub screw or the cartridge itself. On the ebony board I used the mounting screws you provided plus small sized washers of the same diameter only screwed down lightly to secure. It may be worth considering making the screw holes slightly larger to allow tolerance without over doing it? I was able to do this myself easily and you're right the black powder goes everywhere, Bren thought it was either messing about with gun powder or it was something I was sniffing, snuff etc and I got berated for messing up the kitchen work top, it beats my work bench

    For anyone reading this, please note, that as far as I am aware, Steve personally fitted both Marco's and Martin T's ebony boards. On the other hand I provided Steve with a template to work from and I fitted my own board so Steve was not on hand for niggling little sod's law matters that cropted up... this happens in life.

    If you're competent in your skills, buy the ebony with confidence, if not get Steve to fit it for you...okay?

    Finally, I wonder what other hard woods could offer the same degree of performance, Australian Jarrah (ironwood), teak, etc. the mind is overworking folks.

    Cheers
    Ron

  4. #164
    Join Date: Oct 2010

    Location: North Bucks, UK

    Posts: 562
    I'm Ron.

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    Quote Originally Posted by MartinT View Post
    Ron, I would guess that the Timestep PSU has an earthed negative return, which would provide your deck with earthing. Therefore no hum despite the arm no longer being connected to the deck.
    I think thats what it is.... you'll have to get a TS HE, for the price its a good'un mate

    Its strange this earthing malarky business, on a Linn Sondek a Linn arm is invariably connected by earth wiring to both pre-amp, phono stage clamp and also a secondary earth tag soldered or screwed to the metal subchassis. My Ekos only has the earth wire to pre-amp and no secondary earthing to the metal body of my my Tekky and as you have said the ebony is non-conductive.

    The battle for perfection continues.

    As a matter of interest, those with SME arms would have to have a helluva slot cut out of the ebnony board to accommodate the arm, maybe weakening the armboard, any thoughts on this one, anybody

    Ron

  5. #165
    Join Date: Mar 2009

    Location: The New Forest

    Posts: 1,855
    I'm Steve.

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    I guess you could have greater thickness like Marco requested even though his was quite deeply dished its still pretty thick and so would be stronger - depends on arm base depth SME mounting require.

    Quote Originally Posted by JazzBones View Post
    As a matter of interest, those with SME arms would have to have a helluva slot cut out of the ebnony board to accommodate the arm, maybe weakening the armboard, any thoughts on this one, anybody

    Ron

  6. #166
    Join Date: Jan 2008

    Location: Wrexham, North Wales, UK

    Posts: 110,012
    I'm AudioAl'sArbiterForPISHANTO.

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    Quote Originally Posted by MartinT View Post
    Ron, I would guess that the Timestep PSU has an earthed negative return, which would provide your deck with earthing. Therefore no hum despite the arm no longer being connected to the deck.
    Me got niento hum-anto, daddy-o, and I'm using an SR7....

    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.


    Protect your HUMAN RIGHTS and REFUSE ANY *MANDATORY* VACCINE FOR COVID-19!

    Also **SAY NO** to unjust 'vaccine passports' or certificates, which are totally incompatible with a FREE society!!!


  7. #167
    MartinT Guest

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    At full listening volume, Marco?

  8. #168
    Join Date: Jan 2008

    Location: Wrexham, North Wales, UK

    Posts: 110,012
    I'm AudioAl'sArbiterForPISHANTO.

    Default

    At that level there is just hiss and a VERY FAINT low-level 'noise' (it doesn't really qualify as hum), depending on where my SUT is positioned

    On another issue, I'm glad that everyone who's had an ebony armboard made has found it a significant sonic improvement. That's what happens when you apply some lateral thinking, and of course have a skilled person on hand, like Steve, who can turn that thinking into a tangible upgrade!

    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.


    Protect your HUMAN RIGHTS and REFUSE ANY *MANDATORY* VACCINE FOR COVID-19!

    Also **SAY NO** to unjust 'vaccine passports' or certificates, which are totally incompatible with a FREE society!!!


  9. #169
    MartinT Guest

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    Today I've had the chance to properly listen some more and the results are really remarkable so I thought I'd try to describe more deeply what I'm hearing.

    Firstly, what I'm hearing is a combination of: Steve's ebony armboard; Paul Hynes' two-stage regulation with split motor control and motor drive feeds; fix to the earth path that improves on the original arrangement.

    1. Ebony armboard: described above
    2. Two-stage dual PSU regs: described here http://theartofsound.net/forum/showp...5&postcount=89
    3. Earthing: rather than the original earthing arrangement where the deck was earthed via the arm's earth cable, the steel arm plate and into the deck at a different point from the PCB earth; the deck and arm are now split in two (insulated by the wood) and each is independently earthed back to the same earthing post on the phono preamp (the deck from that all-important lower-left PCB post), so true star earthing both inside and outside the turntable

    What I hear is incredible midrange clarity and insight. This is partly due to the very low noise floor (there is absolutely no hum and very little noise at listening volumes, so the background is almost entirely dictated by the vinyl and original recording - and I listen fairly loud). The space around vocals and percussive instruments such as cymbals is now better defined, allowing the brain to easily place the performance in its space. Dynamic swell in a good recording can be mind-blowing. Bass is even more textured and potent.

    One example: Van Morrison's Common One is a superb recording, already treasured by me for its wonderful performance, sense of space and very potent bass. Playing Wild Honey, I could really hear the rasp of the brass in the way that I heard it from Steve's horns; an almost dirty noise lacking the smoothing-over that most systems treat horns to. Van Morrison also plays with the dynamic range, lowering his voice to whisper quiet and then shouting out at some points, causing me to reel back. In Haunts of Ancient Peace, the sense of space is far more than I had previously heard and the foundation-shaking bass underpins the whole while leaving his voice ever-present, floating above it, and not at all overwhelmed.

    I could go on but hopefully you get the picture. This is the best vinyl replay I've achieved by quite a margin. I now feel ready to attempt the triple-stage regulation that Paul Hynes has supplied me with, having a proper baseline (!) with which to compare results. Not just now, though; I need to get back to the music

  10. #170
    MartinT Guest

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    Comments? Did it make sense, especially what I hear from brass instruments?

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