Dr Feickert's Twin - I presume

[Sand Dancin Donkey Walker]

Hi All
The Dr Feickert Twin arrived this morning. This thing is fantastic on unpacking it build quality is very obviously excellent. When finally put together, taking into account I am off the last of 4, 12Hr night shifts and only 3 hours kip. I am massively please with everything about it. The sound is still stunning me now, I really am most pleased, as in some way it was a risky purchase but the whole design of the TT contained all the stuff I have liked and enjoy in the past with various TT's.
The other great device is the Dr Feickert Alignment gauge, brilliantly simple and easy to use and very accurate, have compared it with my other gauges and protractors and they all agree it works and ever so simple looks like it will cope with any length of tonearm.
I've used a lot of big words above, well big to me anyway, I'm not normally prone to over excitement and exaggration but thiis TT is great this has to be the keeper.
Sorry if I have come across as a bit of a git, it's not intended. :)

http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll246/HyCoignitor/Audio%20Home%20Stuff/DFT/DFT2.jpg

http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll246/HyCoignitor/Audio%20Home%20Stuff/DFT/DFT1.jpg

Andy - SDDW

[Marco]

Hi Andy,

Nice one.

Superb looking turntable - respect :smoking:

Marco.

[Sand Dancin Donkey Walker]

Cheers Marco
I'm absolutely knackered but can't stop play records at the moment, I feel a bit of a serious session coming on tomorrow.

Andy - SDDW :)

[Mike]

mmMMmm.... looks very nice indeed.

Can I come and have a listen sometime please? :)
(I live just about within walking distance of Andy :ner:)

Cheers,
Mike.

[Marco]

That's what it's all about, dude :)

What made you go for that particular T/T?

Marco.

[Sand Dancin Donkey Walker]

Hi Guys
I have owned a few TT's over the years from PT's, Audio Note TT3, Nottingham Dais and lastly a Redpoint. I found I seemed to enjoy non-suspended TT's better, I liked and prefered the use of Acrylics and composite materials and also got on better with high mass platters and if anyone has heard the difference a thread drive dose for a suitable TT you just wouldn't go back to a belt etc, though the thread on the Twin is a Kevlar composit material.
As I noted it was a touch of a risk in buying but brilliantly pleased with the end results. The other TT's I considered seriously were the Sheu Das Laufwerk, Nordic Concept Artist, Transrotor, and Acoustic Solid, But the Twin just felt right.
Mike you are more than welcome to nip over for a visit just let me know when there's always plenty of coffee on the go, I might be able to stretch to a tea even.

Andy - SDDW :)

[SteveW]

Andy..Wow.
Love it.
Just checked out their web-site. Doesn't seem to be a UK dealer. How did you get to listen to one?

[Marco]

I think Andy just 'winged it', Steve.

Well done, I say! :)

I did the same thing with the KAB-modified SL-1210 that I imported from America. Sometimes you just 'know' you'll like something.

Marco.

[Sand Dancin Donkey Walker]

Hi Steve
Marco got it right, sort of winged it and intuition, pulled it off this time in a great way. :)

Andy - SDDW

[Marco]

I've always liked high-mass thread-drive T/Ts, and your Dr Feickert Twin reminds me a bit of a Platine Verdier which is one of my favourite decks. The Brinkmann La Grange is another.

IMO, high-mass or direct-drive is the only way to go with a T/T. The idler approach has something going for it, too, a la Garrard or Lenco, but flimsy belt-drives with puny little motors? Forget it!

Marco.

[JonR]

That's a fabulous looking deck, SDDW - may I ask roughly what sort of money one would expect to have to shell out for one of these??

I note you used to own a Dais. I had an opportunity to listen to one of these at a shop dem recently during an open day to demonstrate the new Naim phono stage. Used in conjunction with an Aro and a DV TK Rua I thought it sounded superb - just make sure you don't suffer from back trouble when you try and lift the platter - lol!

[Sand Dancin Donkey Walker]

Hi JonR
I was in a position to spend most of yesterday with my music on, and by far the most time was with the TT ( 90% ). As for the cost - Her Hum, quick cough and sheepish look to myself - All told the full package was over the 4K mark. Silly money when you think about it but it was affordable to me and a present for 6 months really hard work in my new job, now fully passed out to run an extreamly highly volatile Chemical plant solo.
As for the Dais a fantastic deck I ran mine with a Graham Phantom, I was persuaded to sell it and with hind site maybe shouldn't have do so, but did anyway. Given the chance I could quite happily live with one. But all things considered the Dr Feickert Twin is sonething else, though I beleive the tonearm is a major part in the whole thing.
The back will gradualy get better I'll just keep taking the medication.

Andy - SDDW

[Sand Dancin Donkey Walker]

I've just bought something to play with as part of the turntable. Will report later in the week, quite possibly from the Intensive Care Ward. But could be a quite interesting result ( from an Audio point of view )

Andy - SDDW

[Mike]

I assume you mean that you could be in intensive care having 'something to play with' surgically removed?

Once SWMBO has discovered the cost, that is!

I'm quite sure that if I bought the same TT I wound be having it removed from me. Or at least offering up a pair of 'soft body parts' on a platter!

:(

[Sand Dancin Donkey Walker]

Mike

I will post the pics when I'm sorted.

Now that's got you thinking hasn't it.

Andy - SDDW

[Sand Dancin Donkey Walker]

The Granite block in place, what an effort.

http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll246/HyCoignitor/Audio%20Home%20Stuff/DFT/DFTGranite2.jpg

Andy - SDDW

[Mike]

Looks marvellous TBH!.... Erm, but it's not exactly a sandbox is it! :scratch:

;)

[Sand Dancin Donkey Walker]

Ha Well
After I asked about the sand boxes etc, I am considering building a sand box and will do one of a couple of things with it.
Use the Granite block in the sand box
Buy another Granite block and use that in the box
The better option is to get a smaller more managable piece of granite, which I have and use that.


Anyway I have given myself something to think about. Will get use to the changes with the TT before I do anything else. Don't want to confuse things with too many changes, I've done that before, and I'm easily confused.

Andy - SDDW

[Mike]

[quote=SandI've done that before, and I'm easily confused.[/quote]

Sorry, what were you on about?... I'm a bit confused.:scratch:

[Marco]

Andy,

I'm interested in obtaining one of the Dr Feickert alignment tools. Any idea where I could buy one in the UK or will I need to import one from Germany?

Marco.

[Sand Dancin Donkey Walker]

[quote=SandI've done that before, and I'm easily confused.[/quote]

Sorry, what were you on about?... I'm a bit confused.:scratch:

What I was trying to say was. I have in the past made more that one change to my gear at same time, then ultimately been confused about where the sonic changes came from. But sometimes it is the result as a whole that counts, and not the small individual bits.
Any clearer - quite possibly not. :)

Andy - SDDW

[Sand Dancin Donkey Walker]

Hi Marco
You can buy them direct fom Dr Feickert, give him a call his English is very good and he is a nice guy. Alternatively you could give Keith at AngelSound Audio a call, as I think he is going to sell these Alignment Protractor in the UK.
You get the Alignment Jig and a hard vinyl disc ( LP size which is at least 200g vinyl type thick ) it is very easy to use and as accurate as they come. I have compared it with quite a few others, like the Clear Audio Alignment one and others and it is excellent. The LP disc is double sided and has Strobe marking on and Overhang markings. The other nice thing is you can decide which Alignment system you wish to use. The Baerwald or Lofgren versions.

http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll246/HyCoignitor/Audio%20Home%20Stuff/DFT/FeickertAlignmentJig.jpg

Andy - SDDW

[Marco]

Yes I think I'll treat myself to one of those.

Correct cartridge alignment is one of the most important parameters to get right on a T/T. Apart from setting the VTF with a stylus pressure gauge the rest (VTA, azimuth, anti-skate) I do by ear or by eye, and even VTF I always fine-tune by ear. I don't use test records.

But the accuracy of the Dr Feickert tool appeals to me, as I'm seriously anal when it comes to making these adjustments :)

Marco.

[Mike]

I'm seriously anal when it comes to making these adjustments :)

Marco.

Oh, I don't know....

Is it really only applicable to your 'adjustments'...? :lol: :eyebrows:

:concertina:

[Sand Dancin Donkey Walker]

Thought it worth while dropping my post from the Sand Box thread - or not as the case may be - here, sort of linked together I suppose.

Well having had music on for the last 4 hours or so and mainly vinyl, I am really pleased with the results for the addition of the Granite block. A described earlier Mid range definition and imagery is improved and also the bottom and is deeper and defined but the bass notes run better ( poor description I know ) I think what I am saying more tuneful and musical. In fact the improvements are across the board the top end is open and defined and has a slightly less edginess to some aspects of the sound, more obvious on a hard played Vibraphone like on Dave Grusin ‘Discovered Again’ LP. An all-round :smoking: result
A well worth while investment in improvement. I am sat here with a grin on my face similar to photo below – Only I’m not as pretty as the pic.

http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll246/HyCoignitor/Audio%20Home%20Stuff/BigGrin.jpg

I hate trying to describe a sound or change in sound. I am not very expressive, though I hope I have got across the basic ideas of my thoughts on the subject.

As a though on another subject it would be good to catch up with some new faces, and with that in mind have considered doing a ‘Bake Off’ ( I hate that term ) sometime. So my question is would there be any interest. With the shifts I work it could be any time during the Week or Weekends. Let know if there’s interest and we’ll get something arranged.

Andy – SDDW

[Mike]

Yup... Count me in!

:eyebrows:

Cheers,
Mike.

[pure sound]

Yes I think I'll treat myself to one of those.

Correct cartridge alignment is one of the most important parameters to get right on a T/T. Apart from setting the VTF with a stylus pressure gauge the rest (VTA, azimuth, anti-skate) I do by ear or by eye, and even VTF I always fine-tune by ear. I don't use test records.

But the accuracy of the Dr Feickert tool appeals to me, as I'm seriously anal when it comes to making these adjustments :)

Marco.

I've recently been trying the Loefgren alignment courtesy of J7's Audio Origami protractor. I really like the way that plays. I think the Feickert is based on the same geometry.

[Sand Dancin Donkey Walker]

Hi Pure Sound
I have J7's alignment protractor too. Very good it is as well. The only problem I find with that type of protractor and most of them have this issue, is you need to very accurately align the long line at the axis of the tonearm that then aligns the grid to be able to setup the cartridge. You only need to be a mm or so out with the axis alignment and the cartridge grid has movesd a significant amout. Having said that I alway check against another alignment tool and it is usually J7's and always proves accurate and simple to use. Another inportant factor is the cost, J7's is unbeatable at the price.
In practice I use the Feickert tool to set the tonearm up from scratch and then check with the J7.

Andy - SDDW

[pure sound]

I'd agree, it does need some care & I had to trim a little from the end of the AO protractor to get it into the correct position or it would foul parts of the SME arm. Once set properly there is a really good sense of precise focus which I've never quite had using SME's own protractor.

There used to be a very easy to use device called the Cart A Lign, a boomerang shaped protractor with an inbuilt mirror where the grid was. It too relied on being lined up with the bearing point but I think it was Baerwald geometry rather than Loefgren. I lost mine along well as my Technics electronic tracking force gauge during a house move. :(

[Sand Dancin Donkey Walker]

I would agree with your sentiments regarding getting the alignment correct and also with the never quite right thoughts with the SME protractor. The 'Cart A Lign' one is a new one to me. Which of the 2 Alignment geometry's do you prefer, Lofgren or Baerwald. Mind you that is almost a thread in it's self really. :)

Andy - SDDW

[Sand Dancin Donkey Walker]

Here is another Alignment Gauge I quite like, it allows you to change the Overhang of the cartridge and is nice and simple, but only when you have set the Effective Arm Length first.

http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll246/HyCoignitor/Audio%20Art%20of%20Sound/AlignmentGaugeColour.jpg

Andy - SDDW


If it looks like the one below - you have serious problems, never got any good results from using this one, I wonder why??

http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll246/HyCoignitor/Audio%20Art%20of%20Sound/AlignmentGaugeColour-1.jpg