The Tech' Gallery

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Originally Posted by The Barbarian

I thought it was at first but dismissed that, drawing a blank just thinking maybe it was a bespoke counterbalance weight.. like you i doubted it would fit the 'Ekos'.. very interesting..

Aye Ron i got out my way to be different anorl.. :eyebrows:

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I was also surprised that the c/wt would fit on the Ekos arm wand but it slips on without too much play allowing movement back and forwards and being low slung it can be moved sideways but the knurled wheel at the top is gently pinched after the arm has been balanced. This is alot easier than Linn's own c/wt. Once the Iso is correctly and vertically secured, grub screw gently nips security of weight, there is no likelyhood of it drifting, unlike say the Jelco's c/wt. The Ekos is the arm I have lived with for along time so I know its strengths and weaknesses well. I like the fact that cartridge tracking weight can be dialled in (always and independently check with a stylus balance gauge) as well as anti skate. All this makes life easy. On my particular specimen both tracking and anti skate are more or less spot on and confirmed by using ones lug holes for the final okay. It was sure luck and not design that this combo worked for me as I was fully expecting it to be a 'don't go there' exprience... just goes to show that sometimes experimenting is a good thing and to go against what is taken in the gospels of HiFi :idea:

I don't discuss my system much on here, not because I don't luv ya all brudders and sisters, but I use 30 year old classic Naim gear (there are those out there who go apoplectic at the mere mention of the N brand) which I have slowly tweaked, see oak feet for starters, came about because I got pissed off with the supplied rubber feet going flat and split with age so on a whim replaced with RA oak cones, no more probs with feet and they sounded better too.

I have recently changed caps (to Kendeil) and regulators in my pre-amp psu and the pre-amp itself has new 'made in the USA' boards which I'm breaking in. I'm very enthusiastic about these changes I have made. Also, contrary to Naim's own dictum, I use non-naim interconnects, UK made and not expensive... I'm becoming a rebel, vote for me on 7th May!:lol:

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Originally Posted by DSJR

I believe Jelco made all the Ittoks and I also think the very first Ittok-esque arm was a short-lived Jelco (designed by Ito-San?) that Linn may have bought the rights to. [edit] A VERY long time ago and this arm's roots may be partly buried as is the real LP12 direct ancestry

I also seem to remember Linn saying that the last Ittok LVIII's were the same as the first Ekos arms (colour aside). If this is true, then how come the all but doubling of the price from LVIII to Ekos? Many early Ekos arms suffered glued-up bearings too and Linn replaced these for a while, but charged a small fortune thereafter (I don't know if Ron's arm had iffy bearings, but glad it's been breathed on by someone who knows them intimately).

Back in the dark ages, we sold Ittoks to go on all sorts of decks from the Systemdek and Logic 101, but also the Luxman PD-300 (IIRC) and even a Thorens 160 and Axis... No reason at all why an Ekos shouldn't be used with a Techie if the arm-board is carefully selected.

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Dave, I sent my arm to Johnny Neilsen/Ao who checked everything out and did the mods for me and gave all a clean bill of health... You may remember I bought this arm off a mutual friend (Paul) in Luton when he switched to a V5?

I think Linn never gave due credit to the likes of Jelco for their work on badged Linn arms, same goes for non-accreditation of Tom Fletcher for the Naim Aro I would say, they did borrow one from Tom and told him a uni-pivot wouldn't work, lurvelly innit!

A hardwood arm board on a Techy is mandatory for a Linn arm, I also use one inconjunction with a neoprene 1mm gasket twix arm plate and chassis. The Linn arms were designed to go with LP12's own composite lossy armboard after all.

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Originally Posted by DSJR

I believe Jelco made all the Ittoks and I also think the very first Ittok-esque arm was a short-lived Jelco (designed by Ito-San?) that Linn may have bought the rights to. [edit] A VERY long time ago and this arm's roots may be partly buried as is the real LP12 direct ancestry

I also seem to remember Linn saying that the last Ittok LVIII's were the same as the first Ekos arms (colour aside). If this is true, then how come the all but doubling of the price from LVIII to Ekos? Many early Ekos arms suffered glued-up bearings too and Linn replaced these for a while, but charged a small fortune thereafter (I don't know if Ron's arm had iffy bearings, but glad it's been breathed on by someone who knows them intimately).

Back in the dark ages, we sold Ittoks to go on all sorts of decks from the Systemdek and Logic 101, but also the Luxman PD-300 (IIRC) and even a Thorens 160 and Axis... No reason at all why an Ekos shouldn't be used with a Techie if the arm-board is carefully selected.

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I am informed by someone who knows about such things ;) that the Ittok was designed by Fidelity Research; and it may have been built by a division of Denon. Look at the Ittok's construction and design elements and you will see its parentage quite clearly.

Regarding your other points regarding the Ittok and Ekos, Johnnie at Audio Origami would be the man to confirm if there's truth in what you say.

Impeccable taste as anticipated by me! How do you think about the copper/ally MN platter? I think there are not many of them around since the Funk MkI and MN ETP received rave reviews by AOS members. I personally dislike "plastic" platters and also think that the high mass of the metal platter is beneficial to the sound. The only fly in the ointment is a slight tendency of the platter to ring when tapped (and of course when playing music!). I suspect al ot of enthusiasm for the ETP an Funk is the better damping of said platters.
Do you think the Oyaide rubber mat helps here? I'm using a Boston mat 1 (graphite) but the ringing is still there.
Anyway good to hear (read) from you again.

Michael

PS.: The chrome bumper Naim amps were their best and most involving, I fondly remember the goosebumps I got when listening to music reproduced through a Nait1!

Latest incarnation:-

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...6/IMG_2076.jpg

And whole system:-

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...6/IMG_2141.jpg

Nice, clean and tidy look, Adam.

One might have thought with everything else being Linn you'd have gone for a S****k :)

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Originally Posted by keiron99

Nice, clean and tidy look, Adam.

One might have thought with everything else being Linn you'd have gone for a S****k :)

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Thanks Keiron,

It just came down to 'synergy' with amps and speakers (active).
I have a Sondek (amongst others) but it is now bettered by the Technics.
After much swapping of arms, carts, bearings etc etc I finally have the Technics in a pretty awesome place sonically and to be honest I'm not sad to leave the Sondek behind!

Here is my standard mk2(although is has blue LEDs and a LED target light)https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8078/8...bf7c37db_b.jpgTechnics SL1210 MK2 by matt barton, on Flickr

pretty new arm :)

http://i1233.photobucket.com/albums/...psgqzdmiux.jpg

it's an acoustic solid WTB211, which is a 'made by ortofon' special. based on the AS212S

Fantastic looking arm. Aren't Ortofon arms made by Jelco?