View Full Version : Mini meet in Lancashire
Dominic Harper
19-11-2011, 18:55
Hi guys, we are having a mini meet next saturday 26th here at Northwest Analogue. We currently have space for a couple more people, therefore the first 2 people to reply who wish to attend can come. We have a friend of ours from France who is going to give a talk on accoustics, also the main man from AOS Marco will be attending, besides a few others. It's a good chance for members to meet up, hopefully it will be interesting. We have the Garrard in slate performing and also along with an interesting 12" protype tonearm. Marco will hopefully bring his technics, and we will hopefully have an SP10 in slate. Carl who is gving the talk has said he will bring some room accoustics equipment. I myself will be laying on some food and plenty of tea and coffee.
Let us know asap
BTW anyone that we do have to turn down, we will be doing another mini meet later in the new year.
Cheers
Natalie
rusty bearing
19-11-2011, 20:12
Blast! I,m away that weekend but yes if you're doing it again I'd love to bob over, keep us in mind and have a good time.:)
Dominic Harper
19-11-2011, 20:19
Course we will, when advertising again just either pm us or post a reply and we will definately consider you
Cheers
Natalie;)
Greg2010
19-11-2011, 23:39
Hi Natalie, if there are still places free I'd be very interested in coming over, (only in Accrington so not far to come).
Regards
Greg
Dominic Harper
19-11-2011, 23:48
You have a seat Greg. Look forward to seeing you. PM us for details.
Dom
Greg2010
20-11-2011, 00:20
Thanks Dom, PM sent.
Jac Hawk
20-11-2011, 00:44
my ex and the kids are in Leyland now, so normally i would love to come, but i've just got a new job and i'm working that weekend. damn it!!!!
Hi guys,
I'm sure that this will be a memorable event, with some top-notch kit and music to listen to, so if you can make it, please come! :cool:
Marco.
bogle111
20-11-2011, 11:52
Hi,
If you still have a space I would like to meet.
Regards
Pete
Dominic Harper
20-11-2011, 12:03
Hi Pete, yes you can come, but all place have now been taken.
We don't have anymore space left now, so we can't let anyone else come to this meet. However, Dom and I will be arranging a new meet beginning of next year.
Sorry guys but we will be doing another one soon
Regards
It's great to be popular, eh? :lol:
Looking forward to meeting all you dafties! :eyebrows:
Marco.
We don't have anymore space left now, so we can't let anyone else come to this meet.
Regards
Damn, too late again. Maybe another time.
stewartwen
22-11-2011, 21:41
Unfortunately I will not be able to come to your meet this Saturday. This is due to having to cover for a sick colleague! I didnt find out till this afternoon.
I do apologise for any inconvenience I have caused you.
Stewart
Dominic Harper
23-11-2011, 07:33
Sorry you can't make it Stewart, I thought you were coming David? Natalie has been organising all this so I will have to check with her.
Yeah, David, if you could make it, that would be great! :)
You could crash at our place and go back on Sunday, if you wanted (Wrexham is only about 75 miles from Preston), rather than driving back to Scotland late at night on Saturday :cool:
Marco.
I thought you were coming David? Natalie has been organising all this so I will have to check with her.
Yes, I'll be coming down hopefully.
You could crash at our place and go back on Sunday, if you wanted
Marco.
Thanks for the offer, very kind, but I have a passenger coming with me. In all honesty if I ended up back at yours, I'd probably end up staying for a week or so.
:eyebrows:
How many people are attending, Dominic?
No worries, daftee... Look forward to seeing you there! :cool:
Marco.
Greg2010
27-11-2011, 02:32
Many thanks to Dom and Natalie for their hospitality.
A very pleasant and instructive day for me. Good to meet up with a group of knowledgeable and friendly people.
Regards
Greg
Dominic Harper
27-11-2011, 08:45
Morning after the day before...........
Wow, what a day, I am exhausted after that :)
Many many thanks to everyone that came along and put up with Natalie and myself. I hope everyone had as good as day as we did. Being able to put faces to names and get to know you guys, plus get to know you so much better was fantastic.
Not wishing to single anyone out, but I must say a huge thankyou to David, (Mains Cables R Us) for getting the new mains blocks and leads to me before the day commenced and also bringing some other goodies along.:clap::clap::clap:
I will add some more a bit later when I have recovered some more and also when other folks have posted their thoughts.
Be interesting to hear peoples feedback what they really liked what they learned etc
What a brilliant day - one of the best bake-offs I've ever been to! Thanks again to Dom and Natalie for their excellent hospitality, and to all who attended. It was great meeting you guys :)
I'll post some thoughts of the day after, but right now I'm off to have some breakfast. I didn't get in until after 1pm, so am not long up! :eyebrows:
Laters,
Marco.
Many thanks to Natalie and Dominic for a great day, great hosts and very welcoming.
Was also great to meet so many other forum members and have a good chin-wag.
I'm off for some brekky just now, very tired. After taking a wrong turning I ended up in Blackburn :doh: but eventually found my way home. Didn't get in until quarter to five this morning though. :lol:
Greg2010
27-11-2011, 14:51
One of saturdays lessons:)
There were others but I'm sure someone else will fill you in on those.
As part of the day Dom had invited Karl Brown of Blacksea Audio and criminal records (http://www.blackseaaudio.com /http://www.criminalrecords.eu.com/)
an accomplished audio professional.
Karl brought with him a few items, some tannoy supertweeters, and his PC with sound monitoring software and associated hardware (mike etc) and a
tunable bass trap (looked like a mobile rocket launcher).
I'd taken along a pair of OB's with Audio nirvana 8" fullrange, eminence 15" bass and coles supertweeters with passive crossover to compare with Dom's
Hawthornes. Earlier in the day with various decks and music styles it was evident that my OB's were significantly lacking in midrange and a little over the top on the bass front.
In my room at home I've not been aware of the midrange shortcomings highlighted at Doms. I was a little disappointed at the result, having taken some time to get an acceptable sound from what are a pair of comparatively cheap drivers.
Karl set up his gear, ran the software, explaining the procedure and the graphed results, did a few calculations on Alf's mini-bank statement (first piece of paper that could be found:lol:). On went Marco's Technics to give us all a baseline from which to compare the forthcoming changes.
Karl then set the bass trap using the calcs he'd just done and on again with the technics. The test had revealed a low frequency standing wave in the room of around 180hz, the trap was tuned to eliminate this as much a possible.The immediate result was a significant increase in bass control and a widening of the soundstage, I was probably in the best listening position in the room, and wondered whether the change was as apparent to the others. Marco was sitting next to me, as I turned to face him it was plain from the look on his face that it wasn't just the imagination of old ears and an addled brain (mine not Marco's :ner:).
So, what to do with the information? Back home, I ran some test tones that Karl has on the website. Now things become clearer, my room at home is an acoustic bloody nightmare :eek:, standing waves at all sorts of frequencies, This explains the midrange reinforcement I get, which wasn't present at Dom's thus appearing as a lack of midrange frequencies. What I had done in my ignorance was to alter the attenuation etc on my OB's to sound good in what is a listening unfriendly environment.
Question: Did I know anything about standing waves previously ?
Answer: Yes
Question: Did I do anything about the situation?
Answer: No
Question: Will I do anything now?
:rolleyes:
A big thanks primarily to Dom and Natalie,but also to Marco, Dave(http://www.mains-cables-r-us.co.uk/), Dave(snapper), Alf, Steve, Peter and Karl for making an excellent day
Regards
Greg
Yes, it was great meeting Alf, Karl, Peter, Steve, David, wee bawheid (Snapper) and of course the hosts, par excellence, Dom and Natalie :)
Dom has an excellent system of carefully chosen components, which gel together to create an addictive musical whole. This is the effect you get when sonic synergy has been achieved from a system's constituent parts, and it can only be arrived at by using one's ears as the final arbiter.
I loved his valve monoblocks (can't remember what they were called?) and these formed an enthralling sonic partnership with his (Hawthorne Audio) open-baffle speakers, which were very open sounding and detailed, allowing one excellent insight into the musical programme, but not at the expense of straying into harshness, and augmented by an extended bass (unusually so for OBs), which underpinned beat-driven music with an infectious rhythmic propulsion, driving tunes along with great energy and conviction - excellent stuff!!
The star of the show, however, as the assembled cognoscenti were all lovers of the analogue art of music reproduction, was Dom's superb slate-plinthed Garrard 401, the former being his own design, which was beautifully finished to an immaculate standard, rendering it looking both impressively constructed and also highly tactile to the touch. Dom will need to remind me what tonearm he was using, but it was fitted with a lovely vintage Supex MC cartridge, which had recently been expertly re-tipped by the man himself.
Every time I hear a good Garrard 401 what immediately impresses me is the sheer solidity and security of its musical presentation - it simply takes everything in its stride, seemingly unhindered by the inherent complexities of the accurate reproduction of music on vinyl, creating a rock-solid presentation, underpinned by a solid and extended bass, which times beautifully, allowing music to develop naturally within its own acoustic space, and to ebb and flow in tandem with the rhythmic pattern of the music, and as such always remains tuneful and never leaden or 'one-note'.
Garrard's, however, are often criticised for their lack of ultimate high-frequency extension, but with Dom's 401, no such characteristics were in evidence, as high-frequencies were delivered with a crystalline clarity which, although incisive in nature, were never 'glassy', nor did they draw unnecessary attention to themselves, but simply blended into the mix, performing their natural role in the musical proceedings. Midrange detail, such as with voices and acoustic instruments, had superb definition and an addictive panache, making for palpable realism and a sense that one was taking part in a real musical event, rather than listening to a mere recording of such.
There was also never, at any point, even the slightest hint of rumble; another criticism often levied at Garrard 301 and 401s, which is testament to both the superb quality of the sample Dom was using, and the first-class structural integrity of his high-quality slate plinth, which I have no doubt whatsoever was contributing significantly to the excellence of the 401's deftly-judged musical presentation. This turntable exhibited both detailed musical analysis and fun-factor in abundance! :gig:
No, let there be no mistake: this was one of the finest sounding Garrards ever to grace my ears and a credit to Dom and Northwest Analogue, whose beautifully constructed slate plinth is undoubtedly one of the finest examples of such on the market, spectacularly elevating the sonic performance of this 'old warhorse' of a turntable to, for me, a standard previously not achieved by offerings from other manufacturers. As such, if you own a Garrard 301 or 401, you owe it to yourself to check out the superb slate plinth designs of Northwest Analogue. My hat goes off to Dom; as they say, the boy's done good! :)
Dom and I agreed that there wasn't much difference between my modded Techy and his 401, which I take as a great compliment, especially considering that my T/T was without its main tonearm and cartridge, and instead was using a borrowed Jelco SA-750 (thanks again to David Brook) and an, admittedly rather good, Goldring G800, fitted with one of Dom's superb elliptical styli - more on that later! ;)
I shall let others comment, should they wish, on any observations they made of my modified SL-1210. However, lunch beckons now, so chaps and chapettes, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to scoff it :cool:
More on the bake-off, later - including my thoughts on Karl's excellent demonstration on room acoustics!
Marco.
Spectral Morn
27-11-2011, 15:43
:worthless:
Not exactly true but did no one take photos, it would help give a fuller picture to those who could not go :(
Regards D S D L
I heard a few good 401s but imagine Doms plinth design and workmanship has taken the 401 even further.
The Hawthornes are nice speakers (Darrel done a great job designing them) and think there is a lot more Dom can do with them to take them up a few more steps, in the past he talked about a slate baffle and theres a few tricks to the tweeters too. The augumented bass really helps very well matched drivers
Dominic Harper
27-11-2011, 15:52
Here you go. Natalie took these shots, so sorry for the dodgy pics :lol:
Marco's Techy and my 401
http://i990.photobucket.com/albums/af30/hifimaster/DSC02305.jpg
Greg's home brew OB's
http://i990.photobucket.com/albums/af30/hifimaster/DSC02300.jpg
The Tsakiridis Apollo mono's and 10" Hawthorne Duet OB's
http://i990.photobucket.com/albums/af30/hifimaster/DSC02302.jpg
Me probrably fitting another cartridge
http://i990.photobucket.com/albums/af30/hifimaster/DSC02291.jpg
Karl of Black C Audio/Criminal Records
http://i990.photobucket.com/albums/af30/hifimaster/DSC02293.jpg
Dominic Harper
27-11-2011, 16:15
Tonearm was an Audiomods, rewired with solid silver and with my own gold plated silver arm lead. Supex had just been fitted with a ruby cantilever and FG S tip. Still needs running in. I wish I had fitted the 12" arm as this has much more bass extension, but hey ho, will hope to have this on for the next meet.
Thank you for the kind words Marco, but you forgot to mention how good the Techy was sounding. I was very impressed with it, especially with the Goldring G800!
I am wondering how far I can take these carts now. Ruby cantilever sounds intriguing!!!
It was a stupendous day out for me, both turntables had little difference, both sounded excellent but the main thing I learnt from the day was what an expert Dominic is on his chosen subject, cartridges. Every time he tweaked the arm or cart. the sound got better, I only wish I was as skilled in this area, IMO a true master of his art and an absolutely superb host.
I cannot praise him enough so will end it there and thanks for inviting me in the first place and it was a pleasure to meet new faces and fellow audiophiles.
I have decided to have a bake off myself hopefully before Christmas.
Dominic Harper
27-11-2011, 16:42
Thanks David, your a true gent. Put myself and Natalie down for that please :)
Thanks David, your a true gent. Put myself and Natalie down for that please :)
I will but you need to arrive 3 hours before anyone else to fine tune all my record players :lol:
Thanks David, your a true gent. Put myself and Natalie down for that please :)
And me :cool:
Of course the real star of the show on Saturday wasn't the Techy or your Garrard - it was Natalie's home-made leek and potato soup!! :eyebrows:
Yum yum, mam, top scran!! :)
Marco.
Hi Dom,
Thank you for the kind words Marco, but you forgot to mention how good the Techy was sounding. I was very impressed with it, especially with the Goldring G800!
I am wondering how far I can take these carts now. Ruby cantilever sounds intriguing!!!
Cheers, matey. I was pretty pleased with how the Techy performed in an alien system, but yours simply allowed it to sing! :)
I know that there's a good 20-25% more performance to come from my T/T when I get the Ortofon tonearm and SPU back, so I look forward to demonstrating that to you.
As for the G800, my goodness, what a stunning performance it put in, when fitted with your superb elliptical stylus. It just goes to show how inherently good its generator is. Like we concluded, thus equipped, it can compete with cartridges today at up to a grand, but without having their often bass-light and clinical sounding presentation.
Fitted with your elliptical stylus, it really doesn't sound like a typical MM cartridge, which are often rather either shut-in sounding or rough as dogs, due to having inferior styli and rather crude overall construction, and as a result, are often bandwidth limited. The G800, fitted with your elliptical stylus and nickel cantilever, has a musical poise and refinement about its sound that belies its humble origins. It will be very interesting comparing it with my SPU...
I've been listening to the G800 all day, and being thoroughly entertained in the process... As they say, 'I'm lovin' it'! :fingers: :guitar: :hairmetal:
Snapper's re-tipped Troika was also rather special, and a real credit to your professional skills. More on that later....
Marco.
Spectral Morn
27-11-2011, 17:33
Thank you Natalie for taking the photos and Dom for posting them much appreciated.....back to the Formula One I go.....:)
Regards D S D L
Me and Steve too if space allows and its a saturday :)
Dominic Harper
27-11-2011, 18:11
To be honest Marco, the elliptical tip is only a small part of the upgrade. The most important aspect is the hand made nickel cantilever. This is the real secret to the performance upgrade. The nickel cantilever is a solid rod, 0.3mm diameter so same dimensions as a typical boron cantilever, not as flexible as hollow aluminium, but not quite as stiff as boron.
Ah, nice one... Thanks for the clarification, Dom! Details now added in :)
Marco.
Greg2010
27-11-2011, 18:26
Originall posted by Mains Cables R Us
I have decided to have a bake off myself hopefully before Christmas
I'd like to come along too, if you've room for a small one. Hopefully Marco will have everything in place on the techy by then and Doms cart will have some decent hours on it (if he's willing to get that slate plinth over to yours) could be a stunning day.
Regards
Greg
To be honest Marco, the elliptical tip is only a small part of the upgrade. The most important aspect is the hand made nickel cantilever. This is the real secret to the performance upgrade. The nickel cantilever is a solid rod, 0.3mm diameter so same dimensions as a typical boron cantilever, not as flexible as hollow aluminium, but not quite as stiff as boron.
Well after hearing it I want one. So my advice to anyone wanting a top bollox cartridge for beer money is buy one and send it to Dominic for his up-grade.
The sound improvement was simply startling.
Marco I expect you to get to the post office tomorrow a.m to post the cartridge please to the main man.
:)
Originall posted by Mains Cables R Us
I have decided to have a bake off myself hopefully before Christmas
I'd like to come along too, if you've room for a small one. Hopefully Marco will have everything in place on the techy by then and Doms cart will have some decent hours on it (if he's willing to get that slate plinth over to yours) could be a stunning day.
Regards
Greg
No problemo, we can have a turntable bake off as I will have my 401 with SME 309 and my new cartridge, a brand spanking new 1210 with my new platter and Mk II PSU, I will ask Nick to bring his SP10 with hadcock arm, Dom's 401 if he can hire a team of horses to transport it down from Preston. :eek:
It's not on though unless Natalie brings some soup.
Here's one get your bids in now.
Goldring G800 (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/GOLDRING-G800-PLUS-STYLUS-/280779600530?pt=Turntable_Parts_Accessories&hash=item415fc4b292#ht_500wt_1413)
Well after hearing it I want one. So my advice to anyone wanting a top bollox cartridge for beer money is buy one and send it to Dominic for his up-grade.
The sound improvement was simply startling.
Marco I expect you to get to the post office tomorrow a.m to post the cartridge please to the main man.
Lol - aye, nae bother! :)
Marco.
Dominic Harper
27-11-2011, 21:55
Hi everyone, it's Natalie. Firstly, thank you to everyone that attended the meet. Thank you for the kind words, Dom and I are very happy to have hosted the evening. I enjoyed the night and the chance to put names to faces. I'm glad you all had a good time and enjoyed the food, and yes Dave I will happily make some soup for your meet in December. The only disappointment I have is that my pics were not exactly brilliant, but to be fair' I was being rushed by the guys. I would like to thank Carl for his wonderful acoustics, Dave B for his goodies, Marco for bringing his gorgeous Technics, Greg for his great looking speakers, Peter for the lovely Northwest Analogue plaque he made in slate for us, Dave (Snapper) for the kind words regarding his cart repair and Steve and Alf for all their help with getting things in order for the meet.
Now for the P--S taking, Marco my dressing gown was green not pink, you must be colour blind. Please don't say you are:lol: Snapper, going to Blackburn is not the best idea, I think you should invest in a satnav, please don't say you were using a satnav, because that is worse:lol:, Carl, how did you end up in the middle of Preston is beyond me, but at least I managed to find you:lol:, Steve and Alf, if you two come to our house any earlier, you will be meeting yourselves going home:lol:, and Greg if you leave our house any later you will be meeting yourself arriving :lol:Dave B, I have never seen anyone eat soup as quick as did, it isn't called leek and potato anymore, we have decided to call it the Dave special:lol:
Thanks again for the kind words and for taking the time to come to our humble abode and for taking the time to post a response. Dom and I are planning to do this again early next year, and we are looking forward to seeing you guys again and maybe some new faces. It was a really good experience and very enjoyable;)
Cheers
Natalie;)
Gerard124
27-11-2011, 23:27
Sounds like a grand day out, how did you all get on with the Tsakiridis Devices mono blocks?
What is the mat made of on the 401 Dominic?
Of course the real star of the show on Saturday was Natalie's home-made leek and potato soup!! :eyebrows:
Yum yum, mam, top scran!! :)
Marco.
I have to agree, I managed a bowl and a half. It didn't take very long for us to demolish that huge pot of it.
As for the G800, my goodness, what a stunning performance it put in, when fitted with your superb elliptical stylus.
I thought it was the best sounding on the day, with my Troika just behind it, but not by much. The Troika sounded a tad bright on your T/T, but listening to it now, on my system,all Linn, it sounds sublime.
Thanks again Dominic.
Snapper's re-tipped Troika was also rather special, and a real credit to your professional skills. More on that later....
Marco.
:popcorn:
Hi everyone, it's Natalie. Firstly, thank you to everyone that attended the meet. Peter for the lovely Northwest Analogue plaque he made in slate for us,
That was a beautiful plaque and very original present. Maybe you could put up a picture of it Natalie.
Snapper, going to Blackburn is not the best idea, I think you should invest in a satnav, please don't say you were using a satnav, because that is worse:lol:,
Nah, no satnav. I ended up back in Preston about 1am. :doh: It was a slow journey back home though, down to 30mph at some parts due to the wind and rain. Could barely keep the car on the road due to poor visibility near Shap.
Greg, I hope you managed to get your DAC fixed. Re. the Beresford, mine is the TC-7510.
Steve, my Starcastle album has an orange label and was pressed in Canada.
Dave (MCRU) I hope you weren't too late for you night out. Very nice gesture handing out the freebies and thanks for the mat.
Once again, BIG thanks to Natalie and Dominic for hosting such a great event.
:cool:
Dave (MCRU) I hope you weren't too late for you night out. Very nice gesture handing out the freebies and thanks for the mat.
the M62 was shut on the way back, nuff said!
Dave (MCRU) I hope you weren't too late for you night out. Very nice gesture handing out the freebies and thanks for the mat.
the M62 was shut on the way back, nuff said!
I got stuck in that as well. Took me three and a half hours to get from Preston to Sheffield.... Not very happy. Always something doing on the M62.
the M62 was shut on the way back, nuff said!
Oh dear, sorry to hear that.
Did your wife give you a good spanking for being late?
:spank:
:lolsign:
Hi David,
I thought it (the G800) was the best sounding on the day, with my Troika just behind it, but not by much. The Troika sounded a tad bright on your T/T, but listening to it now, on my system,all Linn, it sounds sublime.
I agree. I do think that the all-Linn part is significant, as no doubt the Troika would've been voiced for use in a Linn system, particularly on an LP12 with an Ittok (now Ekos), or an Aro. However, it is testament to how good the G800 is, when fitted with Dom's nickel cantilever-equipped elliptical stylus, when it's competing favourably with MC cartridges, such as Troikas, re-tipped or otherwise! :eek: ;)
On that subject, even though, as you've observed, I don't think it was the best sonic match for my T/T (and perhaps Dom's system), your re-tipped Troika sounded very impressive, having greater clarity and lower levels of subjectively audible distortion than I've heard before from any other Troika, together with an ability to tease out inner musical detail in recordings and present it in a way that allowed great insight into all genres of music, certainly all those we listened to that day.
The 'bouncy', rhythmic, extended bass and addictive musicality, renowned of the Supex-based Linn cartridges, which I love, still remained present and correct, and indeed was heightened to new levels, allowing tunes to be swept along at pace and with an infectious 'flamboyance'. Therefore, Dom's mods to the Troika have not only improved it, in terms of neutrality and accuracy, but retained and further increased its recognised 'fun factor'.
I have no doubt whatsoever that in your all-Linn system the re-tipped Troika will sound excellent, and I look forward to hearing it when I next pop up to Scotland, which hopefully may be before Christmas :cool:
Dom deserves great credit for his excellent cartridge re-tipping service, which is both cost-effective and offers a quick turnaround, and as such it receives my highest recommendation. The end results speak for themselves, and I would therefore urge people to give him a try, particularly if you're unwilling to wait in ESCo's ever-increasing queue for cartridge re-tipping....
Those also looking for high-end MC performance, on the cheap, should find a tired old Troika and send it to Northwest Analogue for re-tipping. Trust me, you will be amazed at the results! Excellent stuff, Dom :clap:
Marco.
alfie2902
29-11-2011, 03:30
Looks & sounds like a great day was had by all!
http://i990.photobucket.com/albums/af30/hifimaster/DSC02305.jpg
That 401 looks very nice indeed, loving the slate plinth! The rack looks rather tasty too!
The Funk platter is still on the Techy too. Have I missed the comparison with the Mike New platter?
Dominic Harper
29-11-2011, 04:04
Blummin el Marco! Thank you for that!
I must admit to having a preference for cartridge work over all else I do.
Cartridges have always fascinated me and it's a great sense of achievement when I can resurrect someones pride and joy. Quite a few cartridges are just crying out for improvements with better cantilevers and tips. Cost cutting and market sector placement being reasons why some cartridges/styli are manufactured the way they are.
But then you have the oddball vintage gems that get rediscovered such as the G800. I still surprises me how good this cartridge can sound. Maybe it was just a fluke that it performs so good with modern equipment.
When I tried the bog standard G800 it seemed obvious it had merit, but just needed some work. The nickel cantilevers I make were a fortunate experiment.
I was trying to find a material for cantilevers which did not suffer from some of the flexing issues hollow aluminium ones suffer from. Hollow aluminium cantilevers flex an awful lot if observed under the microscope. Boron is superbe but incredibly difficult to obtain. Ruby and sapphire are even better but there is a longevity issue with these and must be treated with great care.
I have more plans for the lowly G800. I have a spare body here and will re-wind the coils to create a low output version to see if this will improve its performance even further, plus I would love to try a ruby cantilever and Fritz Gyger S tip also. This is a very expensive upgrade, but I think it was proved on Saturday the potential this cartridge has.
Going back to the nickel cantilevers, I am more than welcome to offer this to people wishing to experiment on their cartridges. Nickel cantilevers have to my ears a very natural sound being somewhat of a halfway house between alloy and boron. I make these cantilevers from scratch and thus are pretty time consuming to manufacture.
Given time, I will have at least one completely new cartridge hand built from the ground up. If there is anyone out there with the facilities to help with a cartridge body please get in touch!
I am training someone at the mo to do some of the turntable work so I can spend more time on cartridges.
The Funk platter is still on the Techy too. Have I missed the comparison with the Mike New platter?
Look out for that one later today! ;)
Marco.
Dominic Harper
29-11-2011, 10:11
Hi Guys, Just a little off topic, Marco and Dave B did you leave anything at ours? I have your album Dave Thomas and Taylor You can't blame love, and Marco Julie Doiron Woke me up, The pretty things midnight to six. Dom and I have decided to put them up for auction and see what we get for them, we will happily split the proceeds:lol::lol::lol:. Anyway, just letting you know that we have all 3 albums and will bring them to the bakeoff if that is ok. I'm not happy sending them through the post because they may get damaged, but if you really want me to I will do.
Thanks
Natalie;)
LOL! I bloody always leave something behind at bake-offs... It was that shexy green dressing gown of yours distracting me! :lol: :lol:
Leave them there for me please, Natalie. I'll pick them up when I pop over again once I've got my 'proper' arm and cartridge back :cool:
Marco.
Wot?? Natalie's green dressing gown is worth more than that!
Marco.
Dominic Harper
29-11-2011, 13:43
Hey! lets just get a few things STRAIGHT. Firstly, I had a red sparkly top with black leggings and boots, I looked bloody good as well you know it:eyebrows:;). Secondly I had been up and about since 6 a.m. making sure everything was ready, after you lot had fed your faces and I had washed up and made brews for everyone, I put my dressing gown on over my leggings and top and led down for 30 mins because I was knackered. Yes the green dressing gown doesn't really do for me, but my cats love it. :lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:
Cheeky Sod a tenner:lolsign:
Natalie;)
Wish I'd have spotted this one if only for the chance to meet the cats again!
Dominic Harper
29-11-2011, 14:20
Hiya Geoff, hows it going mate? I did try to ring regarding the meet. Anyway, we are going to do another one in the new year your welcome to that and bring those lovely sounding Shahinians if you can. I would like a listen to them through Dom's 401. But if you can't, just one of those gorgeous decks of yours, as you know I'm not fussy :lol: Seriously though you are more than welcome to come to the one in the new year. I will put you down first on the list and first to contact. I know how busy your are with work.
Cheers
Natalie;)
Thanks nat hope you're all well
Please make sure I get an invite as I would like to bring some special goodies I am working on for an evaluation by experts.
Dominic Harper
29-11-2011, 19:26
Please make sure I get an invite as I would like to bring some special goodies I am working on for an evaluation by experts.
Of course, how could we leave you out David;)
Natalie
bogle111
30-11-2011, 08:00
I apologise for leaving it late to say Thank You to all for a splendid day. My first day meeting some of the people here including some very interesting observations. It is the pressure of work at present.
Especially to the host and hostess, Natalie & Dominic. Yea, you did work hard, and it was appreciated. A big Thank you from West Wales. The housecoat? Not being a housecoat sort of guy, I can't comment!!
What sort of Cart. are you looking for Dominic, an MC or a MM? I have some in the drawer.
Snapper, the CD was listened to all the way home - enjoyable and a different mix than I would usually listen to in late night driving. Had to dodge too many tree bits on the road to be able to really concentrate too much. Still only 2 & a half hours to get home.
Thank you also to Dave re the 45 spindle, pointy one: think I got an idea how they would make a decent foot.
Good to meet everyone though I am lousey with names, but never forget a face.
And thanks Marco for putting this site together so that people may enjoy. First time in about 16 years being in the company of hifi/music loving people. Yes, really good.
Gerard124
18-12-2011, 15:29
The test had revealed a low frequency standing wave in the room of around 180hz
Dr Brian Cox demonstrates 'Standing Waves' (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-16200089)
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