Beginnings of a sl1210 journey....

[chris_s]

So, apart from building Qwin's external PSU which is 90% finished (more to follow), some upgrades i've also done are:-

1. Discarded the horrible rubber technics mat and replaced with a Reso-Mat following reviews/opinions on AOS (thanks folks!) - mightily impressed i have to say apart from it blatantly identifies those bits of vinyl in your collection which arn't exactly flat!!! (even some new 180g vinyl purchased recently!!!)
2. Sumiko HS-12 headshell upgrade from stock technics headshell
3. Upgraded my Ortofon 2m Red to a 2m Bronze (couldn't quite afford/justify the jump to the Black)

I was pig sick of trying to properly setup the damn thing on the technics stock headshell and with the sloped front made it even harder. The Sumiko is completely flat making setup a doddle by comparison plus the Azimuth adjustment means i've now got the setup spot on - the best i've ever acheived.

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Also - setup tip with the Sumiko and Ortofon 2m cart on a techie - given the sumiko has an extra prong on it's bayonet fitting, it won't then slot into the white plastic technics overhang tool. However - after much messing around, if you add the Ortofon cart into the sumiko shell - with the front face of the cart perfectly flush with the front edge of the headshell - bingo - the needle sits at bang on 52mm overhang from the bayonet shoulder! (double checked with digital vernier guage)

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Now just have to run-in the new cart, only done around 3 hrs listening yet and can already hear a nice improvement over the 2m Red - fairly restrained yet as not run in but a lot more balanced, wider soundstage, a lot quieter than the 2m red but generally more a more "precise" sound.

For info - using combination of Dire Straits - Lover Over Gold / Fleetwood Mac - Rumours / Eva Cassidy - Songbird / Muse - 2nd Law as my "tester" albums...


Next upgrade to come is to finish off and properly externalise the PSU - nearly there!

Chris.

[6L6]

You will be utterly gobsmacked at the increase in sound quality and overall awesomeness once the PSU is complete.

[NRG]

- with the front face of the cart perfectly flush with the front edge of the headshell - bingo - the needle sits at bang on 52mm overhang from the bayonet shoulder! (double checked with digital vernier guage)


Don't forget that when tracking force is applied the stylus will deflect forward making the overhang greater than 52mm ;)

It's always best to use an alignment protractor with the correct VTF dialled in to get accurate alignment.

[Macca]

Don't forget that when tracking force is applied the stylus will deflect forward making the overhang greater than 52mm ;)
.

Really? I never knew that. It surely can't make more than a fraction of a millimetre's difference though, otherwise Technics would surely mention it with the instructions?

[chris_s]

i ended up using Ken's (Qwin) tehcnics protractor as i could never get it to work with the Bauerwald one for whatever reason...

Tracked Ken's protractor perfectly though....

[NRG]

Really? I never knew that. It surely can't make more than a fraction of a millimetre's difference though, otherwise Technics would surely mention it with the instructions?

Indeed its not a huge amount Martin, under half a mm by my observations but it does happen and if we're trying to be accurate then lets be accurate! ;)

[Macca]

I'm trying hard not to re-awaken my OCD ;)

[6L6]

i could never get it to work with the Bauerwald one for whatever reason...

The Technics arm isn't made for Bayerwald - it's designed for the Stevenson alignment. You could never get the cartridge far enough forward to make the Bayerwald null points.

[Macca]

I'm sure that I have read that it uses Technic's own alignment - which is close to Stevenson but not exactly the same. A member here produced a protractor for it but I can't recall who it was. I'd recommend getting the little Technics alignment tool though, I found that pretty easy compared to doing it with a protractor, especially the wrong protractor.

[Lynster]

The Technics arm isn't made for Bayerwald - it's designed for the Stevenson alignment. You could never get the cartridge far enough forward to make the Bayerwald null points.
I agree with Macca, I've also read somewhere that the Technics alignment is close to but not quite Stevenson though I personally think its close enough to consider it virtually Stevenson.

Re Baerwald alignment, thats mostly true. I've found that with the Technics headshell, there is not enough length in the slots with most cartridges to achieve Baerwald. E.g. my Shure M91/SAS and Shure M95/SAS cannot but my M97xE/SAS just can and I mean, just. With a Jelco headshell, my DL160 easily does. To be honest though, I've always been very happy using the Technics alignment as the arm/shell as you say was clearly designed for it, the tool is simple to use and in any case, I can't really hear any difference worth worrying about with the carts I currently use.:)

[NRG]

There's a Baerwald Technics arm protractor on Vinyl Engine for 215mm mounted pivot-to-spindle arms. http://www.vinylengine.com/cartridge-alignment-protractors.shtml

It notes the standard headshell won't allow the cart to move far enough forward so an alternative is needed IE Sumiko....plus you will need to twist (change the offset angle) the cart in the headshell for correct alignment.