Headshell Replacement for the Technics Tonearm

[CableMaker1]

I was wondering what everyones experiences are with a replacement headshell for the Technics Tonearm. I know these are popular headshells with some of you, so I was thinking of replacing the original headshell with the following headshells to elevate the sound of the original stock arm:

Jelco HS-25
Audio Technica (AT Series perhaps - LH-13, LH-15, or LH-18, but I don't know the headshell differences of these - weight in grams perhaps?)
Oyaide Headshell

I plan to use the Audio Technica Series Cartridges - the af33ev or the AT-OC-9-II (a previous generation of the current model - the III)

In addition, I am in the planning stages of performing some mod work to the stock arm as well. This is my bucket list:
Replacing the original tonearm wiring with 33AWG copper wiring
Using aluminum braided mesh to cover the tonearm wiring - which will help eliminate RF interference
Cotton tubing to cover the aluminum mesh which covers the tonearm wiring inside the tonearm
Damping the inside of the tonearm with plasti-dip
Using my own tonearm cables, replacing the original tonearm cable

Any thoughts or recommendations are greatly appreciated.

Thanks all!!!

[Tarzan]

With those sort of cartridges my Wonga would be on the Oyaide, but then l do have some bias as l have the Record Mat and weight.:)

[belloire]

i can recommend the adc magnesium headshell if you can find one too. i use and ART1 and it was a nice step up for not much money

[Andrei]

Hi Mike
So I take it your avatar is not a pic of your TT??

[DarrenHW]

Hi Mike,

I personally can't comment on headshells, as I am still rolling with the stock headshell. I did manage to find a second hand ADC headshell (as belliore recommends above) a couple of days ago and I'm eagerly awaiting delivery! However I don't know whether this would be the right choice for you, I tracked one down as I have an AT440MLa which is a high compliance MM cart and supposed to work well with a low weight headshell, will this marry up with whichever cart you go with? Have you read this thread (http://theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?550-Headshell-rolling-with-the-SL-1210) there are opinions about the AT LH18, Sumiko and Oyaide headshells here.

Regarding a Cardas 33AWG tonearm rewire I can highly recommend it, I've recently rewired mine and there is a HUGE improvement in musicality and sound staging, I found it quite frankly staggering! I rewired from bayonet to phono stage as i, it's supposed to be a better way to go (no physical break in the cable), ii, it's cheaper! The total material cost was £65.00 delivered, 1.2m cable, 2x Cardas GRCM RCA's and Cardas Quad Eutectic Solder. You could purchase these parts far cheaper than I did, I paid £9.94 per ft for the cable, it is available from KAB for $6.50 per ft! The only thing I'd change would be the RCA's, they're top quality but very heavy and with the tiny cables soldered on it's an accident waiting to happen with my clumsy paws! I plan on replacing this with a DIN connection to my phono stage to provide a friendlier connection.

I'm interested in your plans to use Plasti-Dip in the tonearm, I wasn't aware of this product until reading you post, any thoughts as to how this would work if applied to the outside of the tonearm?

Whilst on the subject of mods;
Do you have an outboard PSU? If not, take a look at this thread (http://theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?28607-DIY-PSU-amp-Regulator). Belloire and I have both performed this mod (still eagerly awaiting your photos Darren:eyebrows:)and it is definitely worth the small financial outlay, my views on the mod are in the thread so I'll not bore you, reiterating my findings which were nothing but positive!
Have you changed the feet? If not I highly recommend Sorbathane feet as a starting point, again substantial improvements in Bass "tightness" and detail for a small outlay.
Also take a look at Andrei's (fresh to market) DIY Platter post (http://theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?29662-DIY-Platter), I haven't had chance to try it yet (need to buy a second hand platter for experimentation) but he has had positive results and is in a far better position to comment as he had far more experience with the Techie than I.

Happy modding,
Darren.

[worrasf]

I recently installed an Oyaide HS-CF in my Jelco and it made a significant improvement to the stock Jelco headshell.
If you want to try a Jelco HS-25 i have 2 in mint condition but my advice would be to go for the Oyaide if you are going to keep the stock Technics tone arm.

Steve

[CableMaker1]

Hi Mike
So I take it your avatar is not a pic of your TT??

The picture in my avatar is my turntable. This is with the sme 309. My other has the sme v. The only two complaints I have about these arms is that they don't track well with warped records and they don't look as astheticly pleasing as the original technics arm or the jelco. This TT was really made for an s arm.

[worrasf]

This TT was really made for an s arm.

:exactly:

[CableMaker1]

Darren -

Thank you for sharing your experiences. This thread will help benefit others who are reading this article on giving direction if they plan to take their Technics TT to a whole new level. In response to your queries, here is a list of items that I have done to my TTs:


I personally can't comment on headshells, as I am still rolling with the stock headshell. I did manage to find a second hand ADC headshell (as belliore recommends above) a couple of days ago and I'm eagerly awaiting delivery! However I don't know whether this would be the right choice for you, I tracked one down as I have an AT440MLa which is a high compliance MM cart and supposed to work well with a low weight headshell, will this marry up with whichever cart you go with? Have you read this thread (http://theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?550-Headshell-rolling-with-the-SL-1210) there are opinions about the AT LH18, Sumiko and Oyaide headshells here.


I will check out the link. Thanks much for the info. Consensus here and a few other places states that the Oyaide may be the most top-end solution if price is no object on the stock Technics arm, which I plan to reassemble back to the TT, and the others such as yours are worthy contenders if your dollar (or pound) is not as liberally available.

I will be using the Audio Technica MC Cartridges on my tonearms: The AT-EV33 and the AT-OC9ML/II. Both are exceptional performers and reveal great detail on the SME tonearms.





Regarding a Cardas 33AWG tonearm rewire I can highly recommend it, I've recently rewired mine and there is a HUGE improvement in musicality and sound staging, I found it quite frankly staggering! I rewired from bayonet to phono stage as i, it's supposed to be a better way to go (no physical break in the cable)


I plan on doing this with my stock tonearm. I also plan to add an aluminum braid and a cotton tubing which will the wires will run inside of. This will help curb any RF interference that can get into the wires from the tonearm.

I will also use my own tonearm cable that I made. It helps to use nothing but the right ingredients to cook up a top-notch recipe worthy of praise from 5 star chefs!!! Nelson Pass comes to mind as I write this. (No affiliation)




I'm interested in your plans to use Plasti-Dip in the tonearm, I wasn't aware of this product until reading you post, any thoughts as to how this would work if applied to the outside of the tonearm?


Kevin at KABUSA gave me this idea in order to dampen the tonearm. I plan to take up his suggestion.





Whilst on the subject of mods;
Do you have an outboard PSU?

Paul Hynes SU7




Have you changed the feet?

I am using Isonoe Feet to remove unwanted vibration coming into the feet which travels into the TT. don't believe that feet can help make a difference in isolating external vibration from entering into your TT? Perform this test using the stock feet:
1. Place the needle on the record. Do not play it.
2. Flick your finger on the foot of the TT. Any foot will do.

Hear that thump going into your speaker? That is vibrations from the feet transmitting into the body of the TT, into your tonearm, going through your stereo equipment, and outputting that sound into the speaker.

Perform that same test with Isonoe feet (or any of the advertised feet that are dampened will also do a very decent job), and what do you hear? Nothing. Nada. Dead silence - much like my love life. :lol::lol::lol: :stalks::stalks::stalks: (JK folks. Maybe.) :scratch: The Isono feet are really a work of art, and I highly recommend it if funding allows.





Also take a look at Andrei's (fresh to market) DYI platter post

I am using a copper mat on my stock platter on one TT and the Mike New bonded copper platter on the other. I am also using the Mike New Bearing and Bearing Plate on both of my TTs.

The SME arms with cartridges I have on my TTs are excellent performers in the modded state my TTs are in. The weakest point of the SME arms is their ability to play warped records and its visual appeal. My TT setup reveals alot of information on recordings. The reason I plan to mod the stock arm and place it back inot the turntable is to see how well the stock arm can perform with rewiring and damping compared to the SME tonearm. I have always thought of the stock arm (or any silver coloured S arm for that matter) as a thing of beauty. Straight Edge tonearms, not so much. At least, not on this turntable.

[WOStantonCS100]

The Technics SL-1300MK2, SL-1400MK2 and SL-1500MK2 came with a "meatier" (heavier & nicer) headshell with a nifty slider. See my avatar for a pic. Just in case you wanted to keep things all like-branded... ;) But, beware, some folks are trying to get stupid money for these on fleecebay, at which point I would pass and go for something else. The headshell, as I mentioned, is most definitely heavier than the stock 1200MK2 headshell and, as such, may require the use of the additional weight and/or a bespoke counterweight to balance a stock 1200MK2 arm (depending on the cartridge in use). It does for mine.

[CableMaker1]

Thanks for the tip Biff. You gave me another avenue to check out. Are you using the 1200MK2, or the other SL1X00 varients you mention above?


Excluding the wiring factor, Are the tonearms on those TTs any better than the stock Technics tonearms??? I am not sure if I would want to head down that route since the tonearms would be older than the 1200s, and the bearings may have been worn out or not up to the same quality as the 1200 is.

[DarrenHW]

Apologies for jumping to conclusions, as your thread was concerning modding the stock tonearm I assumed your avatar was a stock picture and that this would be your first step into T/T mods, clearly this is not your first rodeo :doh:! Your plan is very controversial, there seems to be very little set in stone with regard to the modified potential of the SL 1200, apart from the general consensus that the stock arm is not a great partner for an MC cart. This is not intended to be "A Newbies Guide to Sucking Eggs Part II" but merely doffing my (humble) cap to your resistance to follow conventional thinking and hope you'll post the results of your experimentation, as I (and I'm sure many others) will be, very interested to see how this works out. What has inspired you to experiment with the stock arm, I know you've mentioned reasons (warped records, s shape and aesthetic appeal) so why have you chosen not move on to a more exotic s shape arm, is it a matter of geometry, cost, just to try it etc?

Regarding your Plasti-Dip application, do you think this will have a significant effect on the mass of the tonearm / is this part of your design? Do you think a benefit could be gained by applying to the outside of the arm, I ask this purely in my own interest I have seen the heatshrink mod applied to the arm and can understand how this would change the sound but feel (in my extensive experience of owning an SL 1200 since Oct 2013!) that heatshrink would become too hard over time to act as an effective dampener and could have a detrimental effect?

Do you plan on using the KAB Fluid Damper?

Sorry if this is hijacking your thread a little, I'm sure your post was intended to gather the opinions of the owners of the headshells you are interested in and not to educate me!

[WOStantonCS100]

Thanks for the tip Biff. You gave me another avenue to check out. Are you using the 1200MK2, or the other SL1X00 varients you mention above?

Currently, I'm back to using two 1200MK2s. One has an air bearing arm. The other has a stock Techy arm with KAB Fluid Damper.



Excluding the wiring factor, Are the tonearms on those TTs any better than the stock Technics tonearms??? I am not sure if I would want to head down that route since the tonearms would be older than the 1200s, and the bearings may have been worn out or not up to the same quality as the 1200 is.

I wouldn't be surprised if the tonearms on the 13/14/1500MK2 were more substantial than the 1200MK2. I have not any certainty of that, though. Certainly, the platters are heavier and balanced; whereas on the 1200MK2, the lighter platter isn't balanced. The bearings and configuration of the pivot appear to be identical, though the VTA adjust is different. In actuality, the suspended chassis 13/14/1500MK2 decks, especially, the fully automatic 1300MK2 and selectable, semi-automatic 1400MK2 seemed to have been pointedly aimed at consumers. I would imagine most of them have had a much easier life than that of the average used 1200MK2. I don't think I would go through the trouble of swapping the tonearms out, however. After all, wiring in 1978-1979 was what it was in any of the variations. Nevertheless, I wouldn't hestitate to grab the better headshell given a fair price. I'm a bit puzzled as to why Technics chose to go with the rather paired down headshell of the 1200MK2. Perhaps, high compliance carts grabbing the vogue had a lot to do with it; Stantons, Shures, Grados, ATs et al.

[WOStantonCS100]

The picture in my avatar is my turntable. This is with the sme 309. My other has the sme v. The only two complaints I have about these arms is that they don't track well with warped records and they don't look as astheticly pleasing as the original technics arm or the jelco. This TT was really made for an s arm.

I happen to think the your Techy/SMEs look downright sexy. :o Originally, I kept a 1200 with a stock arm on it thinking that it would track things that my air bearing might not. The answer to that was, yes and no. On short fast "ripple warps", the air bearing tracks those like a mad banshee (as I'd imagine Martin's Dynavector would do the same) while the stock arm gets thrown up in the air. However, for overcoming records that skip, I can (sometimes) gradually increase the anti-skate pressure to overcome the problem with the stock arm. There is no anti-skate on the parallel tracker; so, I'm just out of luck there. So... ...two TTs and two arms, it is.

[CableMaker1]

Apologies for jumping to conclusions, as your thread was concerning modding the stock tonearm I assumed your avatar was a stock picture and that this would be your first step into T/T mods, clearly this is not your first rodeo


No worries Darren. The information you provide would be very useful for anyone stumbling into this forum with a stock Technics TT.

I made a step-by-step guide with pictures on this forum years ago when I first joined on how to apply the Mike New Bearing Plate. It turned into a sticky. However, I see that since I last came on the website, it has been revamped since then. I have not been active for a while. With the tonearm rewire which I plan to perform soon, perhaps after the holidays, has me active once again on this website.





Your plan is very controversial, there seems to be very little set in stone with regard to the modified potential of the SL 1200, apart from the general consensus that the stock arm is not a great partner for an MC cart.

Thanks for pointing that out. I did not realize that the stock arm does not partner well with MC Carts. I think Marco mentioned that Audio Technica MC Carts may partner decently with the stock arm. We shall see. Although I know a great deal of this TT, I am always learning something new, which forums like this I am grateful for. I will keep everyone posted with my results.




this is not intended to be "A Newbies Guide to Sucking Eggs Part II" but merely doffing my (humble) cap to your resistance to follow conventional thinking and hope you'll post the results of your experimentation, as I (and I'm sure many others) will be, very interested to see how this works out. What has inspired you to experiment with the stock arm, I know you've mentioned reasons (warped records, s shape and aesthetic appeal) so why have you chosen not move on to a more exotic s shape arm, is it a matter of geometry, cost, just to try it etc?

When I started on my Technics upgrade journey 4 years ago, Jelco and SME with armboards were the only options I knew that would fit into the Technics TT. I went with SME since I worked with Dave Cawley at the time and let him talk me into SME tonearm. I think I also went this way because they used ABEC Bearings which is very high standards. This is what I was looking for at the time, and SME has it in spades. Also to mention, I do not own tools or posses the skills to make an armboard, so I am at the mercy of what is available.

The SME is a great performer, and partners great with the Technics from my experience. I have no complaints in that area. However, when I look at those S-Arms, and what Marco has on his TT now (I could swear I once upon a time saw in his signature that he had an SME V, please chime in Marco!!!), and even looking at those Jelcos, I am salivating at putting back the S-Arm once again. And that S-Arm that Marco has, I want!!!! An Ortofon RS-212D. But I have no idea where to get an armboard for that.

I said it before, and I will say it many times again - the Technics TTs are meant for S-Arms. Some people may not like it, but I think:

1. It is beautiful as-is. Anyone who says it is an ugly duckling I will fight them over it
2. It gives great control. I love that it has 3-Dimentional Arm Control - Tracking Force, Anti Skate, and VTA. And also I love that pitch control. I love the fact that I can play different records at different speeds. The technics answers these important aspects.




Regarding your Plasti-Dip application, do you think this will have a significant effect on the mass of the tonearm / is this part of your design? Do you think a benefit could be gained by applying to the outside of the arm, I ask this purely in my own interest I have seen the heatshrink mod applied to the arm and can understand how this would change the sound but feel (in my extensive experience of owning an SL 1200 since Oct 2013!) that heatshrink would become too hard over time to act as an effective dampener and could have a detrimental effect?

You know Darren - I am not sure at this point about if I want to do this right now. The plasti-dip application is cheap, so I don't see any harm having it on hand if I decide I want to go this route. Kevin at KAB gave the recommendation to use it on the inside of the tonearm. If I use it, it will go in there. I am not sure if I want to add heat shrink to the outside because I don't want to dull the shiny finish of the tonearm. However, it may be a better alternative to plasti-dip since it will be more easily removable from the outside of the arm.



Do you plan on using the KAB Fluid Damper?

Not certain yet. I want to get the rewiring done first so that I can hear how well it sounds.



Sorry if this is hijacking your thread a little, I'm sure your post was intended to gather the opinions of the owners of the headshells you are interested in and not to educate me!

No worries Darren. Its a pleasure talking with you and everyone else here!!!

[CableMaker1]

I happen to think the your Techy/SMEs look downright sexy. :o

Its the copper mat that has you attracted to it. :eyebrows::eyebrows::eyebrows:

Thank you.

[CableMaker1]

Just an FYI to everyone here -
I decided to go with the Oyaide Headshell. I should have it here 30 days from now. By then I hope to have my arm rewired and ready for the headshell.

Thanks all for sharing your thoughts and opinions.

[CableMaker1]

Currently, I'm back to using two 1200MK2s. One has an air bearing arm. The other has a stock Techy arm with KAB Fluid Damper.

WHOAH!!! An air bearing arm? How did you pull that off? You need deep pockets to pull that one off!!!




I wouldn't be surprised if the tonearms on the 13/14/1500MK2 were more substantial than the 1200MK2. I have not any certainty of that, though. Certainly, the platters are heavier and balanced; whereas on the 1200MK2, the lighter platter isn't balanced.

I would LOVE to get my hands on a 1500MK2!!!! If I had a wish list on the 1500, I would
1. replace the tonearm wire and use my own tonearm cable on it.
2. use a Mike New Bearing
3. KAB Damper Fluid
4. Isonoe Feet
5. Try my luck with a different headshell

For the 1200, I would wishlist the following in addition to what I have:
1. Balanced platter
2. Digital readouts like that on the 1500MK2

Damn, that's it!!!

That is really all I can think of. For now....

[Macca]

. However, when I look at those S-Arms, and what Marco has on his TT now (I could swear I once upon a time saw in his signature that he had an SME V, please chime in Marco!!!), and even looking at those Jelcos, I am salivating at putting back the S-Arm once again. And that S-Arm that Marco has, I want!!!! An Ortofon RS-212D. But I have no idea where to get an armboard for that.

!!!

Speedy Steve is the man you want to talk to if you want a custom armboard knocking up. I think I am right in saying that is where Marco and Martin T got theirs from.

I'm glad you have gone for the Oyaide headshell as that is on my post Xmas shopping list so let us know what you think when it turns up.

[WOStantonCS100]

WHOAH!!! An air bearing arm? How did you pull that off? You need deep pockets to pull that one off!!!

Vic's Trans-Fi T3 Pro Terminator + Origin Live (Rega) armboard or suitable substitute. Deep pockets not necessary. :)



I would LOVE to get my hands on a 1500MK2!!!! If I had a wish list on the 1500, I would
1. replace the tonearm wire and use my own tonearm cable on it.
2. use a Mike New Bearing
3. KAB Damper Fluid
4. Isonoe Feet
5. Try my luck with a different headshell

For the 1200, I would wishlist the following in addition to what I have:
1. Balanced platter
2. Digital readouts like that on the 1500MK2

Damn, that's it!!!

That is really all I can think of. For now....

I've actually talked to Mike about the possibility of making a bearing for the 1500MK2. I've just got too many other projects going right now to waste Mike's time/money prototyping; but, it's certainly on my wishlist, as well. The motor/magnet is slightly different; retooling would be necessary. Then consideration needs to be given to the suspension. If weight becomes an issues one could find it's cousin, the armless 150MK2 which is not suspended but has the same looks and digital readout. Unfortunately, the KAB Fluid Damper is not an option due to the VTA adjustment on this deck (thumb screw/lock). :(

A PSU/controller for the 1200MK2 (a-la the SP-10MK3) would be lovely. Maybe someone could convince Paul Hynes to......................... ;)

And, yes, the copper is lovely. It's kind of hard to get an all copper mat over here, these days.

[twotone]

Steve's armboards are wonderfull and relatiavelty speaking not that expensive.

Circa £100 for an ebony arm board made by a craftsmans to fit a Micro Seike MA-202 vs a Greek another aluminium/SS armboard at £50, total no brainer for me.

And, rewiring the stock arm vs a new/different sh tonearm?

Total double no brainer for me.

The stock tonearm is good but...

[Qwin]

CableMaker1 - In response to some of your first posting.

Making the internal tone arm wire more rigid by applying coax shielding is not a good idea as it will affect the freedom of movement of the arm/track-ability/record wear and/or antiskate.

In any case, the techie tonearm is alloy. Ground the arm/headshell and you have effective shielding for the wires inside.

I use Cardas cable, 4 x 33 AWG with Teflon wrap and integral coax shield. I strip the coax and Teflon back from the portion in the arm and run a separate wire from the coax to the armtube/headshell and from the coax to the TT chassis. The whole cable including outer sheath is only 3mm diameter, I run this direct to my phono stage and ground the coax their.
It’s worked extremely well on the three arms I have done this to, no hum what so ever.


As for stuffing the arm tube and experimenting with different headshells, this can be tried but be aware that you are changing the geometry of the tone arm slightly by doing so. The headshell and cartridge weight is positioned on an "S" shaped arm to counterbalance the arm bend relative to the centre line. by changing this relationship you can induce twist to the arm which loads the bearings differently. I'm not saying don't try it, just be aware that your antiskate may need a different setting to what you are used to afterwards.
I have a theory, that a lot of the Inner Groove Distortion (IGD) problems associated with this arm are caused by bad cartridge/headshell combinations from a pure mass point of view. I cured most of my IGD problems by going back to my stock headshell and the cartridge in place when I bought the deck, some combos work better than others.;)

Some of my arm modding:

http://www.jkwynn.co.uk/TechArm_HTML/TechArm_Thumbs.html

[CableMaker1]

Ken -

Thanks for your input. Here is where I stand with the tonearm modification:
The new wiring is in the tonearm. The tonearm wire inside the tube is covered with braided coax shielding. A thin piece of packing foam, slightly thicker than a piece of paper, is wrapped around the braided coax shield inside the tonearm. Once the wiring leaves the tonearm, going into the armbase, there is no shielding or foam around the tonearm wire. The foam inside the tube is to dampen the tonearm, which it seems to successfully do. The arm is not assembled into the turntable yet.

The next stage is to take the tonearm wire from the armbase into RCA Jacks that it will connect to and place it inside braided coax shielding.

Let me know if this is a desirable direction to go in or if my tonearm modification should take a different direction.

Thanks.

[Qwin]

Hi Mike

I am in the middle of wiring mine, which should be finished and running by the end of the day. Arm/Bearing/PSU/Reg mods in the build.

I see where you are with your additional internal shielding, the important thing (as I am sure you are aware) is to make certain the leads are flexible and unrestrained as they leave the arm and take the bend into the base. I stripped everything off mine at this point including the Teflon wrap and just have the twisted pairs. Leave a reasonable length of slack unshielded in the base to allow for arm travel and you can add extra shielding after this as well if you wish. It’s not really needed as the metal base and its cover do a pretty good job in that respect. All the metal is grounded in the stock set up, as can be seen if you try and do some continuity checks in various places across it.

I personally have never encountered hum problems, except when a stray strand of copper was shorting, the techie seems well sorted in that regard, providing the wiring hasn’t been altered. The reason I am using the shielded cable is that the continuous run I have is both arm wiring and phono lead in one piece and it’s more to do with the latter. I will be posting pictures of my project when complete.