View Full Version : Emi epu 100 tonearm
selfaddict
03-02-2010, 19:03
Hello.
Just bought one above tonearm :eek:.
It was a quick decision and hit on the button, so did not have time to look it in detail. Does anyone know more about this tonearm. There is some info on the vinylengine site:
http://www.vinylengine.com/library/emi/epu-100.shtml
but if anyone would have first hand info, have heard or used it in the past, I would be most great full. :)
The Grand Wazoo
03-02-2010, 19:14
Just clicked on your link & got this.........
#
Traffic from the following URL is not permitted due to forum/pm spam abuse by it's administrators
www.theartofsound.net
Your IP address - xxxxxxxxxx - has been logged by the system and further access to this site may be blocked. The Vinyl Engine website has a zero tolerance policy on spammers.
Not so sure I like being referred to as a spammer - what's going on Admin?
I got my hand slapped when trying to access this link. To make sure I opened the page individually, logged in and downloaded the manual...
Looks to be a very sensible design to me with a stout arm tube, unipivot and hopefully a good cartridge - NOTE THE 68K LOADING REQUIREMENT!!!!!!! The usual 47K loading may cause dullness.
I haven't a clue about stylus availabilty and there doesn't appear to be a bias corrector, but if it needs re-wiring (almost certainly) the service manual is downloadable from VE and Johnie at Audio Origami should be able to sort it if you so desire.
hifi_dave
03-02-2010, 19:18
Hello.
Just bought one above tonearm :eek:.
It was a quick decision and hit on the button, so did not have time to look it in detail. Does anyone know more about this tonearm. There is some info on the vinylengine site:
http://www.vinylengine.com/library/emi/epu-100.shtml
but if anyone would have first hand info, have heard or used it in the past, I would be most great full. :)
It's a dog, a big, fat ugly dog of an arm and cartridge. Total crap...:trust:
Actually, I was just about to buy that but you beat me by 20 seconds or so. If I had pushed the button instead of finishing the last mouthful of Fairy cake it would have been mine...:doh:
selfaddict
03-02-2010, 19:30
It's a dog, a big, fat ugly dog of an arm and cartridge. Total crap...:trust:
Actually, I was just about to buy that but you beat me by 20 seconds or so. If I had pushed the button instead of finishing the last mouthful of Fairy cake it would have been mine...:doh:
I do apologize Dave :ner:. I was sure that if I would think another second after seeing the tonearm with that price, it would be have been gone :eyebrows:. It turned out to be the case :lol:.
It's a dog, a big, fat ugly dog of an arm and cartridge. Total crap...:trust:
Actually, I was just about to buy that but you beat me by 20 seconds or so. If I had pushed the button instead of finishing the last mouthful of Fairy cake it would have been mine...:doh:
It was well regarded in its day; a product of the R&D enterprise of record companies at that time. Decca were working on their cartidges and arms, intended to be used together, so too were EMI.
I don't know if the cartridge can be removed from the arm for retipping, but I'm sure the Expert Stylus Company would be able to help.
As a piece of history: Peter Walker of Quad used to have one. It appeared on eBay about a year ago.
Regards
selfaddict
03-02-2010, 19:37
I got my hand slapped when trying to access this link. To make sure I opened the page individually, logged in and downloaded the manual...
Looks to be a very sensible design to me with a stout arm tube, unipivot and hopefully a good cartridge - NOTE THE 68K LOADING REQUIREMENT!!!!!!! The usual 47K loading may cause dullness.
I haven't a clue about stylus availabilty and there doesn't appear to be a bias corrector, but if it needs re-wiring (almost certainly) the service manual is downloadable from VE and Johnie at Audio Origami should be able to sort it if you so desire.
Hello Dave.
The tonearm will need complete re-wire, so I was also thinking about using Audio Origami, who has been highly recommended to me by many people. The original cartridge is still with the tonearm, so I am hoping to get it running with re-tipping. We will see once it arrives by post...
hifi_dave
03-02-2010, 19:54
I'm not sure just how good this arm and cartridge are as I have never actually seen one except in a shop window around 48 years ago.
I was planning on getting it re-wired by Audio Origami but thought I might keep the cable as is but with modern plugs. If it doesn't sound any good, it would probably be worth more to a collector with the original cable.
From the pics I couldn't see a cantilever on the cartridge but I guess a good company could rectify that as it's not anything exotic.
selfaddict
03-02-2010, 20:13
WWW is full of usefull info:
Manufacturer / Model EMI EPU 100
Effective Length 228.6
Overhang 14
Mounting Distance 214.6
Mounting Pattern 11/16"
Offset Null Points
inner/ outer 59.4 / 104.4
Really happy that found the offset nul points :-)
Tracks at 2.5 grammes and with a fine conical tip of about .6 thou or so. probably very advanced in its day..
selfaddict
03-02-2010, 22:01
I got my hand slapped when trying to access this link. To make sure I opened the page individually, logged in and downloaded the manual...
Looks to be a very sensible design to me with a stout arm tube, unipivot and hopefully a good cartridge - NOTE THE 68K LOADING REQUIREMENT!!!!!!! The usual 47K loading may cause dullness.
I haven't a clue about stylus availabilty and there doesn't appear to be a bias corrector, but if it needs re-wiring (almost certainly) the service manual is downloadable from VE and Johnie at Audio Origami should be able to sort it if you so desire.
Fortunately I can fully adjust the loading with resistors on my phono stage. It has preset for 47 100 and 1000 K ohm as standars, but infinite combination of settings is available by soldering resistors to the type of connector (RCA or XLR) that is not being used and plugging these connectors into the phono stage.
PLEASE let us know how you get on...
Beechwoods
04-02-2010, 05:50
Just clicked on your link & got this.........
#
Traffic from the following URL is not permitted due to forum/pm spam abuse by it's administrators
www.theartofsound.net
Your IP address - xxxxxxxxxx - has been logged by the system and further access to this site may be blocked. The Vinyl Engine website has a zero tolerance policy on spammers.
Not so sure I like being referred to as a spammer - what's going on Admin?
Nothing to do with you Chris. Just something VE decided they'd do in retaliation for some early efforts to drum up support on the VE forum way back in early 2008 when AOS was starting out. Any incoming links from AOS are redirected to that notice... I've previously asked them if we could move on in a spirit of fraternity, but... :)
selfaddict
04-02-2010, 11:30
PLEASE let us know how you get on...
I should get my hifi kit downstairs and unpacked this weekend :).
I will write my first impressions once the arm is fixed to my Garrard. I assume I need to get it re-wired and re-tipped first though.
Beobloke
04-02-2010, 21:14
I used to have one of these! Lovely sounding arm, if a bit soft. Do keep the plastic transport wedge in place unless it's actually installed as the oil around the bearing has a tendency to dribble out otherwise!
selfaddict
04-02-2010, 21:44
I used to have one of these! Lovely sounding arm, if a bit soft. Do keep the plastic transport wedge in place unless it's actually installed as the oil around the bearing has a tendency to dribble out otherwise!
Hello Adam.
Unfortunately that red plastic transport wedge has disappeared according to the pictures :(.
May I ask if you used the original EMI stereo cartridge or is there any possibilities using other cartridges without structural modifications? On pictures Decca cartridges looks to have similar 3 pin attachment, but I do not know if them fit EMI arm :scratch: ?
Increasing the loading to the recommended 68K or even higher *should* restore some treble IIRC.
I had one of these four years ago, but had to sell it on so I never managed to listen to it. Even then, it went for over £300, to Hong Kong, of course.
The cartridge looks a bit like a Tannoy variable reluctance type, definitely not a conventional MM/MC with cantilever and so on. The arm itself is a bit like an industrial version of a Transcriptors Fluid Arm, although it predates that by about ten years.
The pictures I took for Ebay may be of interest:
http://www.thepippin.plus.com/EMI/
I would have inserted them into this post, but they always come out about five times bigger than my screen when I try that...
selfaddict
04-02-2010, 22:02
Increasing the loading to the recommended 68K or even higher *should* restore some treble IIRC.
According to the manual, recommended input impedance is 68K Ohms, but can be used within limits of 50-100K Ohms, so you are absolute right 47K Ohms would be too low and most likely sound dull.
selfaddict
04-02-2010, 22:22
I had one of these four years ago, but had to sell it on so I never managed to listen to it. Even then, it went for over £300, to Hong Kong, of course.
The cartridge looks a bit like a Tannoy variable reluctance type, definitely not a conventional MM/MC with cantilever and so on. The arm itself is a bit like an industrial version of a Transcriptors Fluid Arm, although it predates that by about ten years.
The pictures I took for Ebay may be of interest:
http://www.thepippin.plus.com/EMI/
I would have inserted them into this post, but they always come out about five times bigger than my screen when I try that...
Many thanks for charing the pictures :).
According to your pictures, your EMI tonearm had mono cartridge. I have found out that EMI manufactured mono and stereo cartridges. Mono cartridge had red dot on the front of the cartridge body and the stereo one had white dot.
Beobloke
05-02-2010, 08:39
Hello Adam.
Unfortunately that red plastic transport wedge has disappeared according to the pictures :(.
May I ask if you used the original EMI stereo cartridge or is there any possibilities using other cartridges without structural modifications? On pictures Decca cartridges looks to have similar 3 pin attachment, but I do not know if them fit EMI arm :scratch: ?
My arm came with both the stereo and mono cartridges, so I never used any other type as the stylii on both were fine.
As mentioned by other posters, increasing the loading did help to balance the overall sound, but the arm /cart is still quite a smooth performer in the best sense of the word!
selfaddict
06-02-2010, 09:59
I got the tonearm yesterday and it turned out to be a really lovely piece of engineering. It is fully aluminum construction except the arm lowering link which is steel.
All the damping oil has disappeared, so I need to get some. If I remember right Audio Origami sell damping oil, so when I send the arm for a complete re-wire I will get the oil as well. The oil reservoir is huge :eek:, I do not know is it meant to be full or what.
Is it best to test while playing what oil level gives the best result? Am I right to think that more oil you have more damping against resonance the arm has? Is there a limit when damping goes too far and starts to affect the sound quality:scratch:?
I have taken couple of pictures of the arm. I had to take it apart because the lowering mechanism was snapped in two, which is easy to fix. I also need to make a arm for the lowering mechanism which has been missing for a long time I think.
But once it has been re-wired and re-tipped I am sure it will be a good match to my Garrard. The seller actually said that it came from Garrard 301 when he bought it few years ago.
I keep you posted once something new happens :).
You know, these days with computerised lathes etc, it probably wouldn't cost a fortune to make an arm such as this, but limited production and greedy-high profit margins screw it completely for people like me.
selfaddict
06-02-2010, 19:16
Bit of a sad news :brickwall:
I was talking with The Expert Stylus Company and there is no change to get the cartridge re-tipped :(. He said that he has done a lot of these but 15 years ago had to stop refurbishing them because there were no parts available anymore. So now I need to think what to do next. I really like this Little arm and want to get it up and running again. One option would be to somehow fix headshell on the end of the arm. This would enable me to get it re-wired properly with 4 wires to stereo and I could use "normal" cartridges with it. Would anyone has any ideas how to do this?
I found a picture which shows that it has been done before...
Seriously, ask Johnnie at Audio Origami...........
selfaddict
06-02-2010, 20:42
Seriously, ask Johnnie at Audio Origami...........
I have been talking with him earlier and he was happy to do the internal and external re-wire for the tonearm. Do you think he would be able to do the headshell modification as well?
II understand that he's good with metalwork and he may be able to fabricate a headshell for you. Ask him :)
twelvebears
07-02-2010, 18:29
I have been talking with him earlier and he was happy to do the internal and external re-wire for the tonearm. Do you think he would be able to do the headshell modification as well?
The man's a genius with tonearms, I doubt there's much he can't do...
dave2010
27-02-2010, 06:38
Obviously I was stupid. I had an EPU-100 which I bought with a Garrard 301. Would have been over 30 years ago. I fear I actually binned the EPU-100 as I couldn't figure out how to get it working, and it looked rather tacky. I later (much) sold the Garrard for 15 pounds. I've still got a 401 somewhere though, but I should probably have kept the 301. The rumble was bad though, but I hear that some upgrades largely remove that, but at considerable cost.
Powered by vBulletin® Version 4.2.3 Copyright © 2026 vBulletin Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved.