MartinQuote:
Originally Posted by MartinT
i sometimes read comments from folk who feel the isonoes make little or no difference , could be they sit their deck on an mdf board which is useless for the isonoes .
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MartinQuote:
Originally Posted by MartinT
i sometimes read comments from folk who feel the isonoes make little or no difference , could be they sit their deck on an mdf board which is useless for the isonoes .
Yeah Chris, that's completely true.Quote:
Originally Posted by chris@panteg
I had the isonoes standing on a MDF shelf, covered with hard vinyl.
Then I put on the shelf a square of glass 1 cm thick, and the sound changed a lot, with more controlled and deep basses.
http://www.boxedspace.com/public3/AO...sOvershelf.JPG
I had a more impressive change, however. Without the glass over the shelf, raising the volume, all the bass frequencies tend to flatten. Since it was the same with the stock feet, at first I thought that was because of my 40 W Class A amp, reaching the clipping limit.
But with the glass under the isonoes, hey, more volume, more bass punch ;)
Indeed, Chris, I find the Isonoes nothing short of extraordinary for their isolation properties. To my ears they took some thickness out of the sound compared with the Technics original feet, lightened the sound compared with the Foculpod sorbothane feet and allow the cleanest sound at high volume of them all. I use glass discs underneath them but I'll bet that those granite coasters would be ideal too.Quote:
Originally Posted by chris@panteg
After more listening, I would add definitely more transparent, microdetails are now coming through with the platter, stiffening plate/bearing and armboard from Mike. All I can think of is that the stock platter was ringing a bit and muddying the frequency spectrum from top to bottom.
The techie now sounds fabulous, highly resolving and very organic.
The upgrade is not subtle. Definitely worth it, for me anyway.
It will be interesting to see if the Hynes PR3HD module changes the sound any, compared to the Kab PSU I am now using.
Hi Paul,
It's the SR5 you want to listen to, which is absolutely phenomenal!
I've got my Techie hooked up with one now, and quite frankly, it's a *MAJOR* upgrade on any PSU I've used so far :eek:
That massively over-specified transformer it uses seems to be doing the business!! I can't wait to hear it with Mike's platter at Martin's place on Saturday............
(A rather shocked and stunned) Marco.
I now have the Mike New base plate and will try fitting it this week. Looks complicated and I won't start unless I think I can finish it by Saturday.
Oooh, lurvely.... Get yer screwdriver out then, dude, as I've a feeling it will make a significant sonic improvement! :)
Marco.
Hi Marco,Quote:
Originally Posted by Marco
I assume the post was directed to me?
The PR3HD is the module in the SR5! Wow, I am now very anxious for it to arrive.
The bearing w/stiffener and platter are a significant upgrade in my view. Martin will definitely not be disappointed :)
Lol - yes! Where on earth did I get Paul from? :doh: :mental: :lol:
Ah, I see.... As I'm not into D.I.Y, I just know the completed unit as the 'SR5'. Well, I can tell you that you're definitely in for a treat!
The sheer weight and power in the lower registers, increased clarity and detail retrieval, and sense of 'rhythmic flow' the SR5 has given over the (already excellent) SR3 is very impressive and extremely addictive.
For anyone who used to have an LP12, and remembers the Norton Airpower PSU, and how it sounded compared to the Linn Lingo and Naim Armageddon, of the day ('bigger' and more powerful), the sonic effect it has on the Techie, compared to other PSUs I've heard so far, is almost identical.
Marco.
I spent most of tonight working on the SL-1210 to mount the Mike New Base Plate to go with his bearing and platter. Mike's instructions were excellent and the only things I can add to them are 1) you really need a vacuum cleaner with nozzle as the shavings and mess get everywhere; 2) there is an additional bit of filing to do which may only be relevant to certain castings, see later.
You definitely need a steady hand, a good clean work area and very good lighting. This is not a job to be rushed!
The kit of parts from Mike. Lovely engineering.
http://www.mtc.me.uk/images/PICT0064.jpg
The deck prepared for work.
http://www.mtc.me.uk/images/PICT0065.jpg
One of the more tricky moments: drilling down the three lugs to create a flat surface.
http://www.mtc.me.uk/images/PICT0066.jpg
The base plate offered up ready for tightening down. Note the casting number at bottom of plate which needed filing down.
http://www.mtc.me.uk/images/PICT0067.jpg
Underside of the chassis with the rubber base and composite middle layer removed. The nuts have been tightened down.
http://www.mtc.me.uk/images/PICT0069.jpg
Showing the bearing and PCB reassembled onto the base plate with new spacers.
http://www.mtc.me.uk/images/PICT0070.jpg
The deck assembled with the platter, ready for the arm to be re-mounted.
http://www.mtc.me.uk/images/PICT0071.jpg
The completed deck. Note the increased ride height.
http://www.mtc.me.uk/images/PICT0073.jpg
Close up of the ride height with a very happy Dynavector and lots of VTA adjustability.
http://www.mtc.me.uk/images/PICT0074.jpg
I must sleep now as I usually get to work for 6:30am, so listening notes to come tomorrow :)
Great photo's Martin , fantastic bit of work you put in there , looking forward to reading about the result ' with high expectations naturally:)
Martin,
Thanks for your observations and comments. You will not believe this!! The diameter of the Base Plate was not arbitarially decided. It was chosen so as to just clear the casting-number which it does on both my units!! There are so many minor variations of the SL1200 over the many years of continous production. In future when this batch of 25 has gone, I will probably increase the diameter to just clear the rectangular block at the top of your image, and then mill a very shallow slot to clear the casting-number.
In fact for the 10 remaining Base Plates I will mill the slot, just for people like you, who make my life difficult!! In fact no one else has mentioned it, so it may only be pertinent for the very latest models.
Mike - mine's a new-ish Mk.2, perhaps you've been working on Mk.5 decks?
Martin,
For some reason I thought that you had a MK5, in fact both my experimental unit and my personal one, are both MK2s although both are early models I believe; one being an ex DJs unit.
Over time there would have been a number of die-mould sets made for the SL1200 and possibly the casting number was not assigned a critical locational dimension.
The fact is that anyone doing what I am doing must contend with these sort of variations. The very big advantage that I have, is that I control all the design and manufacturing myself, so I can react instantly to input from all of you out there, who are fitting my upgrades.
I left the turntable running all day today to let things bed in properly. Playing a variety of records tonight I can hear that the base plate has released more transparency in the area of the shape of notes and their position in three dimensional space. Everything hangs in the air in a wide and (reasonably) deep soundstage and there is precious little indication of two speakers generating it all.
Surface noise and pops/ticks are even more suppressed than before. Dynamics and the frequency extremes are as before (with the bearing and platter) but I detect a possible further tightening of the bass.
I would say that the preferred order of purchase is pretty much the way I have gone: the bearing representing a step-change improvement; the platter bringing about clarity, tonal neutrality and dynamics; the base plate topping it off with a further tuning of the best aspects of the Techie's performance.
Listening to Norah Jones' Not Too Late playing in the other room while I type this, it sounds like she's set up and performing in there. That's the kind of realism that generates goose-bumps.