Floyddroid
22-06-2016, 23:01
Following the last Nebo meeting i was keen to get my hands on a ebony Mpingo spacer which Marco installed into the headshell of Lurcher's techie. I was really intrigued as to the effects it had on the overall sound. Reading in the Nebo 7 thread that me old mate Alan Towell was intent on trying one i posted that i would follow suit. I couldn't believe my luck when a fellow AOS member pm'd me with said item for sale. Result! It was a no brainer at half the retail price so i took a punt.
Installing it into my Sumiko headshell and getting it properly aligned by Alan Towell using his Hi-Fi News test record with overhang guage et al i sat back to hear if it had been worth the effort. After all my scepticism must be forgiven as it is merely a piece of hardwood. Did i notice any difference? f.....g right i did! First up was James Newton Howard & Friends for some eighties fusion and i was shocked to the core at just how different things were.
Gone was some of the glare i had been experiencing and a smoother more rounded presentation could be heard. I have to admit that bass notes weren't as taught though i could not hear any blurring of individual notes. The smoother tonality of the whole spectrum was so tuneful that hours went by before i realised. Yello's Yello Touch album bounced along with much better timbre and richness of tones in the mid range especially brass instruments. Returning briefly to some of my more expensive cartridges Installed into the same type of Sumiko headshell's revealed just what a bargain the Mpingo spacer was. It really did have my humble Denon 103 dancing, blowing away my recently rebuilt Lyra Delos and ortofon Rondo Bronze. Playing Steve Hackett's live at Reading 1981 from his recently released Charisma Years box set was a delight. John Hackett's Moog Taurus bass pedals didn't have the pin point accuracy of the Delos though it did have the considerable heft that i remember so well at these gigs and a more true representation of what actually took place rather than the Hi-Fi interpretation we become to accept as !accurate".
When you consider just how much money can be spent on fancy cables and foo products the Mpingo spacer for beer money really has you scratching your head. Goldfrapp's Story Of I album highlighted the subtle difference it made in my arm/turntable's ability to put a more natural rendition of Alison Goldfrapp's mesmerising voice. Album after album revealed just how well the Mpingo spacer enhanced the musical nature of an already good basic cartridge.:)
I have to thank Marco for the heads up here. Top tip for anyone with a Jelco/Ortofon tonearm and 103 duo. The Mpingo spacer gets the thumbs up fro me and it will be staying put in my turntable system.
Installing it into my Sumiko headshell and getting it properly aligned by Alan Towell using his Hi-Fi News test record with overhang guage et al i sat back to hear if it had been worth the effort. After all my scepticism must be forgiven as it is merely a piece of hardwood. Did i notice any difference? f.....g right i did! First up was James Newton Howard & Friends for some eighties fusion and i was shocked to the core at just how different things were.
Gone was some of the glare i had been experiencing and a smoother more rounded presentation could be heard. I have to admit that bass notes weren't as taught though i could not hear any blurring of individual notes. The smoother tonality of the whole spectrum was so tuneful that hours went by before i realised. Yello's Yello Touch album bounced along with much better timbre and richness of tones in the mid range especially brass instruments. Returning briefly to some of my more expensive cartridges Installed into the same type of Sumiko headshell's revealed just what a bargain the Mpingo spacer was. It really did have my humble Denon 103 dancing, blowing away my recently rebuilt Lyra Delos and ortofon Rondo Bronze. Playing Steve Hackett's live at Reading 1981 from his recently released Charisma Years box set was a delight. John Hackett's Moog Taurus bass pedals didn't have the pin point accuracy of the Delos though it did have the considerable heft that i remember so well at these gigs and a more true representation of what actually took place rather than the Hi-Fi interpretation we become to accept as !accurate".
When you consider just how much money can be spent on fancy cables and foo products the Mpingo spacer for beer money really has you scratching your head. Goldfrapp's Story Of I album highlighted the subtle difference it made in my arm/turntable's ability to put a more natural rendition of Alison Goldfrapp's mesmerising voice. Album after album revealed just how well the Mpingo spacer enhanced the musical nature of an already good basic cartridge.:)
I have to thank Marco for the heads up here. Top tip for anyone with a Jelco/Ortofon tonearm and 103 duo. The Mpingo spacer gets the thumbs up fro me and it will be staying put in my turntable system.