Hmm then it will be lighter but that photo / lighting doesn't really capture the effect it was just a quick shot with the DSLR on auto and under flash so looks blacker / not as alive as it will.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Marco
Hmm then it will be lighter but that photo / lighting doesn't really capture the effect it was just a quick shot with the DSLR on auto and under flash so looks blacker / not as alive as it will.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Marco
That's absolutely fine. It's never going to exactly match the finish of the T/T, anyway, so if there's going to be a contrast, it may as well be one which shows the natural grain and beauty of the ebony wood! :)Quote:
Hmm then it will be lighter...
Please polish it as highly as you can, too, as there is a shiny effect to the appearance of the MK5G Techy, so a matt finish wouldn't look right.
Yup, sure. "Alive" (and super-smooth, to the touch) is exactly the finished effect I'm looking for :cool:Quote:
...but that photo / lighting doesn't really capture the effect it was just a quick shot with the DSLR on auto and under flash so looks blacker / not as alive as it will.
Also, as discussed, try to use long black allen bolts (if possible) for securing the whole assembly, as I prefer the look of those, or if not, some other fixings with heads that are as unobtrustive as possible, perhaps countersunk, (anything but phillips screws). I'll leave the exact choice up to you. Cheers, dude!
Marco.
I suspect that this thread will be getting updated this weekend ;)
Marco.
Marco drove down with his deck and left it with me for a few hours...
After removing the metal arm plate the first thing I had to do was make some bespoke blind nuts so that a one piece arm board can be fitted with access to the nuts that are recessed.
3 threaded steel pieces - oddly each recess in the deck is different.
They are retained from spinning when you drop the arm board bolts in and locate easily for tightening.
Here's the unfinished sunken arm aboard (needed to allow the Ortofon arm to be low enough and have a nice range of VTA.
I've never seen black saw dust / swarf from wood before! The flash makes it look grey but it really is black.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...2a5c501185.jpg
Trial fitting
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...599955e5b0.jpg
Now with Ortofon arm base mounted. I love proper 2 piece arm bases like this. The FR64 had a similar arrangement.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...8d9d4eecc3.jpg
The recess means you need a shorted allen key so you can get at the VTA bolt - something that was a challenge with the other board Marco was using. I cut one down for this.
Some shots with the arm in place and a spot of finishing and wax polishing done. These are under fluorescent light.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...808c3e8ec0.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...1888ba77f9.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...9b18754340.jpg
On to testing with the VTA set and in the music room with more natural light.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...de86575258.jpg
I made the board to look sympathetic to the curves of the Ortofon arm and the SPU.
We played the deck with Marco's SPU and my Royal N - interesting nuances in sound. The Royal N is a little smoother / refined in the top end. Ideal for classical - the Marco's SPU is more full bodied & with timbre in the mid and bass I like.
Marco tried a deck tap test and thought the Ebony better at damping than the metal board.
It sounded very good.
Marco is now driving home and will no doubt have some comments and report on how it sounds compared to the other arm boards listening on his system.
All in all I am very pleased with the result.
Lovely work Steve :) Looks the business & I'm sure it'll do it to :cool:
Very nice work, Steve. Looking forward to Marco's comments.
Lovely work Steve. I'm sure it sounds as good as it looks.
Not long in and bloody knackered... Drove a total of 435 miles today, but it was worth it! :)
Thanks again to Steve and Marie for their hospitality, and to Steve for the fantastic job he's done with the armboard. When you see it in the flesh, it looks superb and as if it was part of the original T/T! :eek:
I'll be crashing soon, so will offer my thoughts on the sonic differences the ebony armboard (compared to the birch ply and aluminium one) has made tomorrow.
Marco.
P.S Steve, I knew that I'd end up leaving something... The birch ply armboard, alignment ruler, screws and my little allen keys, are all on the table in your garage! So if you could pop them in the post for me, I'd be much obliged! :cool:
Beautiful job Steve. Looking fantastic Marco.
Regards D S D L
Cheers, Neil. The effort has definitely been worth it! :)
Btw, as an aside, on the way to Guildford, Del spotted this little antique/bric-a-brac shop, so we stopped and went in for a look....
There was some interesting bits and pieces in the front of the shop, but nothing we were interested in buying, but that changed when we went through the back and we saw a huge pile of records, which turned out to be mostly mint condition vintage classical recordings, from the 60s and 70s, on the likes of Deutsche Grammophon, Decca (FFRR and Ace of Clubs), RCA Victrola, Phillips, EMI (His Master's Voice), etc...
So I grabbed 75 of the best ones (all minty mint - some were even still sealed from new!!) and got them for, wait for it.................... £45! :D :eek: :eyebrows:
I'll list all the different titles in the Classical music section tomorrow. So, all in all, it's been a fab day!
Marco.
Double bonus, that Ebony looks very nice Marco, Interested in your opinion on the sound.
Looks very nice indeed! Steve's made a nice job of that. It will be interesting to hear your thoughts on any differences you hear, Marco.
Those horns of Steve's are pretty impressive in size & performance! Did they float your boat?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Marco
Nice one Marco :)
Always love poking about antique, bric-a-brac, thrift shops, you just never know what you might find in them.
Regards D S D L
That ebony board looks great; made for the deck... :thumbsup: ...which it was. :lol:
Interesting to note is that the SL-150MK2 came standard with a thick hardwood armboard bolted to a non-suspended sub-chassis. I've needed a replacement for mine for sometime. Maybe, ebony is the way to go.
Cheers, Biff!
So, the ebony armboard looks like the dogs danglies, but does it actually sound any good?
Well, I guess the best answer to that question is provided by the fact that, even though I was knackered after having driven 400+ miles there and back to collect my armboard that, despite that, I stayed up until 3am this morning listening to music! :D
I had intended to crash early, but thought 'fuck it', I've got to hear what this is like, so I reconnected and set up my T/T, stuck on Bert Jansch's 'Santa Barbara Honeymoon', which I'd been playing earlier at Steve's, sat back and listened, and was gobsmacked at what I was hearing..... :eek:
I won't go into 'hi-fi magazine reviewer mode', and waffle on with flowery prose to describe what I'm hearing, but it is absolutely obvious upon listening that, sonically, the ebony armboard suits the Ortofon arm and Techy down to a tee. Quite simply, no other armboard I've used, aluminium or birch ply, has made my T/T sound so good!
Having listened now to three different armboard materials, the sonic presentation that they offer is quite distinctive and marked. The aluminium one, which with the Jelco I'd been using for years, is good only up to the point that you hear something else which highlights the slightly hard edge and 'mechanical' signature it imparts on the music. There is plenty of detail, no obvious sonic nastiness, and everything appears as 'present and correct', but with certain recordings it can sound tonally bleached and not allow the natural colour in voices and instruments to fully 'bloom', thus the musical picture is presented to the listener somewhat monochromatically, than in more realistic and vibrant full 'Technicolor'.
Fitting the birch ply armboard cures the hard edge and somewhat mechanical presentation, imparted by the aluminium armboard, and without subduing any detail and information, allows the natural tonal colour in voices and instruments to 'mature' more, resulting in music sounding more convincing and believable, and thus more interesting to listen to. Basically, it removes a layer of coloration responsible for making recordings sound like recordings, rather than closer to real music.
What the ebony armboard does is takes that effect and runs with it further, making all music sound immediately 'right', as if at last the partnering tonearm has the perfect foundation on which to perform optimally. It does everything the birch ply armboard does and more, and in a way which imparts a gorgeously wide-open, massively detailed, tight and dynamic sound, with no sense of bloom or 'thickness', masking fine detail and destroying the music.
In that respect, good though the birch ply armboard was, the ebony one makes music it produces (in conjunction with the partnering tonearm) sound somewhat muddled and confused in comparison, particularly when midrange and high-frequency detail in recordings are being reproduced, and thus in that respect, the birch ply armboard, in comparison, throws a slight veil over proceedings. With the ebony armboard, there is absolutely none of that effect. It simply allows the tonearm and T/T to shine a bright light onto recordings and serve up huge dollops of grin-inducing musical insight.
Nothing of course is perfect, and thus one must always accept that all music reproduced through a hi-fi system is a compromise, but try as I may, so far, I can find no negative sonic aspects whatsoever with this armboard - it simply does its job without drawing any obvious attention to itself, and so it's difficult to pay it a better compliment than that.
In conclusion, I'm absolutely delighted with the ebony armboard Steve has made for my SL-1210, as both sonically and aesthetically it is in the highest rank. I would wholeheartedly recommend it to all Techy users looking to extract maximum sonic potential from their turntables, and crucially, address (and cure) what I firmly believe is an area of previously unidentified weakness in the way aftermarket tonearms are typically mounted onto the existing chassis. In that respect, Steve's ebony armboard should be considered as the de facto standard for all modified Techies.
Thanks again to Steve for doing a wonderful job - you deserve to sell many more of these babies...!
Right, I'm off now to listen to some more music! :cool:
Marco.
Yes, inevitable - too many bits and pieces. I saw it when I locked the workshop up last night! Will do.
Sounds all right then:) That's good.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Marco
'Good' is an understatement, dude! :eyebrows:
Wait until the allen bolts arrive, and send the whole lot up in a Jiffy bag. A this time of the year, it's probably best to send it Registered First Class 'Signed For', otherwise it's likely to go walkabouts... Churz, dude!
You've got my addy, haven't you? :cool:
Marco.
So Marco, did you drive all the way from Wrexham to Guildford just to pick-up the new arm board?
Re the above.... not known to most people, but the Royal Mail recorded/signed for service is no 'safer' than ordinary mail and is subject to the same delivery standards/methods. The only difference is that you can have proof it gets there and it's easier to take up a claim with Royal Mail should it not arrive. 'Registered' or what most people understand as the old 'Registered' service is the Royal Mail Special Delivery service .... tracked, fully insured with guaranteed delivery times and dealt with entirely differently to standard mail, which is where the recorded stuff goes. I personally wouldn't send anything of value by recorded mail, as it really is not much better than standard mail with a certificate of posting, as the compensation value is exactly the same - i.e. £46.00.Quote:
Originally Posted by Marco
Recorded is really only helpful with low value eBay deliveries, as you can have proof that it got there, should your buyer be less than honest ;)
Yup, but not just to collect it. I had to wait until it was made and then fitted, hence why we went for a nice relaxing lunch in a country pub, while Steve did the necessary, and then we did some shopping locally (well, we only made it into an antique shop, where I spent 2 hours sifting through about 1500 classical records, and bought 75 them, for a steal!) :eyebrows:Quote:
Originally Posted by Tim
Then we had a nice sesh at Steve's place, listening to music on his system. All-in-all, it was a lovely day out, so the drive was well worth it! :cool:
Marco.
Hats off to you fella, that's dedication to the cause and it's really pleasing to hear that old fashioned craftsmanship still pays dividends.Quote:
Originally Posted by Marco
A good days work indeed :cool:
Indeed it was. Steve's really good at what he does. His craftmanship is superb, and so more people should use the services he offers :)
As for distance, well TBH, I'll drive anywhere, if in doing so it results in my system being improved in some way, and in turn my enjoyment of music.
I drove all the way from Wrexham to Penzance, in a day and back, to collect my Lockwoods from Big Ears Audio, and when I was living in Scotland, once drove from Glasgow to Bath, in a day and back, to collect some Spendor SP1s from The Right Note.
If I want something badly enough, matey, I'll do whatever it takes to get it! :eyebrows:
Marco.
:lol: that's what I keep telling Trixey and Bubbles :bum:Quote:
Originally Posted by Marco
I'm surprised that you haven't remarked on my comments, dude - lol.... Trust me, an ebony armboard for your Dynavector is something that you should seriously consider! ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by MartinT
Marco.
Sorry - work prevails. Yes, I have been interested in the ebony armboard project. In my case, it would not be a recessed one, simply a flat plate style. If Steve is going to make a business of it, I might get all the DV measurements and ask him to make me one. It's a simple swap to remove my arm and mount a different plate, my deck already has captive nuts installed.
However - the Paul Hynes internal regs come next...
No worries, Martin. I realise how busy things must be for you just now :)
I think Steve's well up for doing more armboards, and with yours being just a flat-plate style, it should be a piece of piss! Anyway, like you say, get the PH regs done first, and then you can take things from there.
The ebony armboard is defo worth doing, though. In your system, you'll easily hear the difference! :cool:
Marco.
I have now ordered an ebony armboard from Steve, customised for my Dynavector. I'll be dropping the deck off with him hopefully later this week :)
Hehehehe.... Nice one, Martin. If you want the best (and I know you do) you know it makes sense! ;)
Check out Steve's D.I.Y horns, while you're there :eek:
Marco.
I'm excited as Steve has completed the ebony armboard and, from his photos, it looks superb. I'll be collecting my deck tonight so a further report will come soon.
Meanwhile, I think Steve will post some of his photos of the work done.
Excellent stuff, Martin... I think you're going to like this ;)
Marco.
P.S Steve, please post all pictures on this thread, rather than starting a new one, as I'd like all your armboard designs to be kept in the one place - ta!
Here are some pics of Martin's ebony armboard. All taken under fluorescent light but on different settings flash / non flash to give an idea of texture blackness.
About half as dished as Marco's needed to be. I can make them to any depth.
Equally pleased with how this ones turned out.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...6e6e33a220.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...3203d7389a.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...e06daa79a7.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...ff517ab4e7.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...526a18b2aa.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...94a46975c1.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...2021228b36.jpg
Thanks, Steve. I can't wait to get my baby home :)
Mine's being made at this point of posting. Linn geometry to fit my Ekos AO modified, silver wire (Kondo), damping and tagging from cartridge pins to SME pillar fitting for arm cable. Steve said that my arm plate and yours have come from the same lump of ebony so in a way I quess our 1210s are related :)Quote:
Originally Posted by MartinT
The Linn arms were developed with fiber arm boards in mind... may get one made for my Sondek LP12 at some stage?
Please, someone don't tell me that an armboard made from Ivory (not allowed!) would sound better still as I beginning to collect as many arm boards as t/table mats, Bren reckons I've developed a fetish :eyebrows:
Ron
I believe I held your piece of ebony in my hand. It's solid, wieldy stuff.Quote:
Originally Posted by JazzBones
Good luck with yours and let us know how it sounds :)
Actually separate lumps but might be same tree, as I can only get one board out of one piece due to the way I hold the piece for turning work.
They are very solid indeed.
Yup, I can see where you're at Steve, can't wait to get mine :) Any idea when I should receive my ebony?Quote:
Originally Posted by speedy.steve
Had a day long sesh today and my present ali laminated board (4 layers) sitting proud on just three nuts sounded bloody marvellous, if the ebony thrashs that then I'll be on a high without chemicals :whistle:
Cheers
Ron
Hi Ron,
How's it going, matey? Hope you had a nice Christmas and New Year :)
Nice one on the ebony armboard - you won't regret it! How's the MN platter doing - have you fitted it yet? :cool:
Marco.
Yours is looking fab, Martin! :stalks:
Can't wait to hear what you think when you have a listen :D
Marco.
Martin picked his up this evening and then we hit the horns for a while.
I have to do some family duties now but might finish it later this evening or def tomorrow.
BR
Steve
Quote:
Originally Posted by JazzBones
Hi Marco, yes had a good Xmas and a quiet New Year. Fitted the MN platter (*) next day after getting it from you. It now has two layers of Funky's Acromat (total 10mm thick) bonded to the platter with Vaselene jelly spread. The two Acromats have their total flat sides bonded together giving one area without air gaps. Sounds bloody marvellous and possibly the best of both worlds, hybrid MN/Funk platter. Believe it that the MN platter MUST have the combination of MN bearing fitted to the MN base plate (six securing bearing screws on flange) then gasket compound to the Techy deck with gasket compound and then bolted down with five flanged locking nuts (miltatary spec). My deck sits on a Townshend Seismic sink (bellows<spring) and I have dispensed with the Isonoes in favour of Origin Live rubber feet with this total combination, as it stands, IT NOW BEATS MY LP12 which is no slouch. Have taken pictures but just can't get the hang of posting 'em.... don't have a black belt, 5th dan in computerjitsu combat. Better at the mechanical side of things :doh:Quote:
Originally Posted by Marco
Cheers
Ron :)
Your Linn's gone off and needs me to put my Guru magic on it to make it annihilate that Jap DJ deck you've lavished all that love and money on :D I bet there are still dealers that would tell you this too (thinking of one 50 miles or so north of your location...).
Seriously, glad you've got your Techie sounding fantastic Ron. So much less faff once it's done :)
Thanks again, Steve. It was fascinating listening to your horns - such a different presentation and so fast with exquisite micro-detail.Quote:
Originally Posted by speedy.steve
I've set the arm up and given the deck a quick spin. What I hear the ebony armboard doing is negating a slight edginess that the steel board was imparting to the presentation. Nothing too obvious, but I would call it greater tonal expression - making the music more coherent if you like. I will have much more time tomorrow to listen and the SR5 will have fully warmed up again.
For now, quite apart from the fact that it looks superb, it seems that ebony has proven to be an excellent interface between arm and deck.
'lo David, nice hearing from you again. My LP12 is still good with a few changes I did myself, has more warmth but my fettled Tek 1210 with all the mods really swings and kicks arse and is now my number one deck. Don't get me wrong, the LP12 is still one helluva deck when properly fettled by a non Linn fundamentalist :eyebrows: Its easier to cue on the Tek than the LP12, no bloody wobbly platter and armboard for starters.Quote:
Originally Posted by DSJR
Have a good new year Dave,
Ron
Great fun, aren't they? And so beautifully made! :)Quote:
Originally Posted by MartinT
Excellent. That's exactly the traits you should hear. The ebony armboard removes a tonally 'bleached' and 'pinched' quality to the sound, that the commonly available metal boards impart, when used on the Technics, but which only becomes fully apparent when this signature has been removed.Quote:
What I hear the ebony armboard doing is negating a slight edginess that the steel board was imparting to the presentation. Nothing too obvious, but I would call it greater tonal expression - making the music more coherent if you like. I will have much more time tomorrow to listen and the SR5 will have fully warmed up again.
Once the SR5 has been fully warmed up and you've settled into the sound, you should notice music being delivered with a broader, more richly textured tonal palette, bass having more definition and texture, and high frequencies sounding sweeter, and as extended as ever, but without the slightest hint of grain. In short, the whole sonic presentation of your T/T should be much more musical.
That's precisely it.Quote:
It seems that ebony has proven to be an excellent interface between arm and deck.
Enjoy! :cool:
Marco.
Interesting Martin. I'm glad the initial impressions are favourable.
I might have to make one for my SP-10 / slate deck at some point and play it against the Gunmetal one I currently have.
And here's Jazzbones' all machined and drilled.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...9321f7eb04.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...071e02c728.jpg
Gorgeous, Steve. Did you establish what arm that is for, I cannot think of one requiring six holes? It's a short arm, too.
Hi Steve, its a beauty mate, received today at 12.15pm, delivered by my blonde postie, Wendy who has been trained to bang harder on my front door if it looks like being a Hi Fi item.... I'm mean thats what you tip 'em for at Christmas innit?Quote:
Originally Posted by speedy.steve
Will be giving it a high gloss polish over the weekend.
Thanks again
Ron
Hi Martin,Quote:
Originally Posted by MartinT
The ebony arm is to accommodate my AO modded
Ekos tonearm, following Linn's geometry. In fact only three holes are used but there is allowance for offset if needed. Incidentally, this armboard would also accommodate the Jelco 750 (which I also have) and I would imagine it would take the latter's performance up to a higher level.
When I've fitted the arm board I will let you and all know the outcome, I expected it to be nothing but brilliantly wonderful :)
Off to fit and fix now.
Ron
And here's me thinking of drilling out my spare MDF TD160 arm-plate for a Rega arm, as although the TD125 has left Tringsby Towers, the TD160mk2 is still here in the loft looking very sorry for itself :)
Further thoughts on the ebony armboard just confirm my initial findings: there is a sense of harmonious music-making with terrific delineation of fine detail in the soundstage. It's in the 'in-between' spaces that I notice more going on, such as mid-left and mid-right of stage. Non-edgy, untiring and it just sounds right. It also looks fab!