Not sure if introduced myself before but here goes

Dear all

Last year I finally got my wish and built a dedicated audio room in my loft with a suspended floor and walls making a 'room within a room. It's not a huge room so it's set up for an immersive near field experience.

I had been using my Yamaha NS1000m's initially but they overpowered the room. I then bought a pair of Roksan Darius S1's and was totally amazed by the sound. I have been using REW and have conducted various measurements and find I have a nasty dip at 180hz:scratch: I am yet to finalise room treatment - which I will do when funds, and time permit.

I must say that having been a slave to neutrality for a long time - I am being drawn towards the musical and warm since I've had the CAyin CD player which I think is just brilliant.

I'm always open discussion and banter

My pet audio hate are cables...

As such I have:

DNM speaker cables (considering some by vertere)
CD interconnect Vertere D-Fi - astonishing - better than the recommended LAvardin cables which are an awful lot more costly.
tonearm cables: TCI; Nordost Tyr; Cardas Golden Reference
phono stage interconnect: LAvardin

yes yes - I know get all the same.

In terms of my components:

Turntables:

Currently set up
Townshend Rock Elite - with DPS motor, 2 phase power supply, acrylic platter and origin live belt. Mission 774 Arm (Jelco) shelter 501 cartridge, Cardas Golden Reference arm cable.

Making a shelf for:
Amazon Model One with Moerch DP6 arm and Transfiguration Temper V Cartridge
Lenco GL75 with plywood plinth and pickering xsv4000 cartridge

Plinth projects:
JVC tt101/QL10 - to fit a fidelity research fr64
Sony tts8000 - to receive Sony PUA 7 arm and a Helius Omega

Restoration for my wife

B&O 4002 - bought following recommendation by Tim Jarman at HiFi News - it's also beautiful (Hey I like being a tad shallow)

My black Taj Mahal
EMT 950... long story - took apart then lost the notes (idiot I know...)


Phono stage
Vendetta SCP2B
Whest 0.20


CD player
Cayin CD cs 55

Amplifier

LAvardin IT - even when my room was bigger it was perfect - hard to find a replacement

Speakers

Roksan Darius S1
Yamaha NS1000m

Stand Townshend Seismic Stand - second generation air stand

Hello loheswaran. Welcome to AOS.

You have some nice Hi-Fi gear. Feel free to join in the chat, it's a friendly place.


Enjoy the forum,
Geoff.

Welcome to AoS Ioheswaran,

Interesting introduction. You have some fine audio gear there - shame you dismantled the EMT950 and can't put it back together: it is (or was) probably the best TT you have, save being limited by the 929 arm.

What are your tastes in music?

Enjoy the Forum
Barry

Howdy! Welcome to AOS.

Have fun.

S.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Barry

Welcome to AoS Ioheswaran,

Interesting introduction. You have some fine audio gear there - shame you dismantled the EMT950 and can't put it back together: it is (or was) probably the best TT you have, save being limited by the 929 arm.

What are your tastes in music?

Enjoy the Forum
Barry

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Hi Everyone that chimed in

In answer to your question/discussion

The music I was first into was rare groove, funk, soul and acid jazz - I used to do a bit of Dj'ing back in the day - mostly at parties. Once I got my system I started to get into jazz, and have since just opened my mind to all music so long as its good and I like it. I guess that's the best thing with a good high res system - it draws you into the music, and in doing so allows and encourages you to explore more genres.

Recently I was using Tidal at work and found that I have developed a taste for classical - Chopin in particular.

As to the EMT - that is a true tale of woe. Stefano PAsini sold it to me for £350 - I sent it to Fabtech - and electrically it is fine. That said it looked tatty - it did not have an EMT 929 arm. So I got the arm £650 I think. I removed the plinth and sandblasted the paint - and it immediately oxidises as it is cast iron. I got a place to sandblast and immediately epoxy coat it about £120. now the wooden top - looks simple don't it? it aint I got a very good carpenter to custom laminate plywood and make it for me - £350. Both a TSD 5 second hand thinking I could get it looked at by expert stylus £180 - may as well have been thrown away - expert can't do the work and it needs to be sent to EMT to re-do... I have to just send the whole lot to Deutsch Studiotechnik whom I am told are the best restorers of the EMT. I just need to get £2500 spare cash...

The EMT is a narrow line MM version with 'Leno connectors' I need it changed to normal balanced outputs - better still will be standard single ended outputs. That said I hear that the EMT phono stage ain't that good so I may well simply get a connector allowing an external phono stage.

I have never heard an EMT 950 in action. Some say it's far and away the best direct drive ever - others say its nowt special and has little in the way of bass. Who knows? I need to trust my ears on this. If there's anyone with an EMT 950 in the south east please let me know as I would love to hear one singing.

Hello Iohswharan,

Your 950 sounds as if it is custom job, what with being fitted with Lemo connectors in place of the normal XLRs. Not sure what you mean by a "wooden top"? - again sounds like a custom job as the 950 usually comes fitted with a metal and perspex lid, with provision to display the sleeve of the record being played.

I wouldn't say the 950 is the best direct drive ever, but it is very good: its competitors in the broadcast industry are/were the Technics SP10 and the Denon DP100.

Hello Barry

the wooden top - I meant the trim between the cast iron plinth and the metal frame.

in fact Pasini still Hass a picture of the deck on his website:
http://www.stefanopasini.it/EMT950E_for_tweaks.htm

I also have a spare new platter for it too.

In fact Pasini gave me his book about the history of EMTs and certain serial numbers explain here they would have been used/sold - hence in Italy they had the light on the right hand side - BBC commissioned the idea body version - some 929's have a slightly shorter arm adopted for SME style head-shells as opposed to the Neumann EMT fitting. LEMO connectors are, if I recall, fitted to EMT's sold to Switzerland (don't quote me on this).

All said and done - to get the best out of an EMT it must be set up by a pro ho know his stuff - so I'll bow to the superior technician

Hi Ioheswaran,

I understand now:

http://www.stefanopasini.it/images/E...r%20tweaks.jpg

I too have a copy of Pasini's book "Deutsches Perfektion": an authorative history of EMT, with much useful information. My EMT is a 930st. It was sourced from Hungary, and according to the serial number was built in May 1974; so over 40 years old.

I would encourage you to have your 950 refurbed; it may be expensive, but you will end up with a superb direct drive turntable to be proud of.

I absolutely love Deutsch Perfection in terms of history and detail - that said there is nothing comparative in the critique - if that is hat you can call it. All said and done Stefano Pasini is an absolutely lovely and decent man - a true enthusiast. In fairness Stefano sold the deck to me on the premise that I ould get it up and running and bring the old Bauhaus (in the true sense of the Ord) Beast back to life.

Alright then - from November I am gonna put aside £250 a month for year then get it fully refurbished - quote me on that - I feel I've let the EMT brigade down.

Fnnily enough on a forum - I think WBF - someone did a speed measurement and it just does not waver at all. I am particularly curious as to whether or not it 'searches' for speed accuracy as levelled by belt drive aficionados - not sure if my ears have sufficient metronomic precision.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by loheswaran

I absolutely love Deutsch Perfection in terms of history and detail - that said there is nothing comparative in the critique - if that is hat you can call it. All said and done Stefano Pasini is an absolutely lovely and decent man - a true enthusiast. In fairness Stefano sold the deck to me on the premise that I ould get it up and running and bring the old Bauhaus (in the true sense of the Ord) Beast back to life.

Alright then - from November I am gonna put aside £250 a month for year then get it fully refurbished - quote me on that - I feel I've let the EMT brigade down.

Fnnily enough on a forum - I think WBF - someone did a speed measurement and it just does not waver at all. I am particularly curious as to whether or not it 'searches' for speed accuracy as levelled by belt drive aficionados - not sure if my ears have sufficient metronomic precision.

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I can't say I've ever been irritated by a direct drive in the same way as I have by belt drives, suspended ones in particular. I've never heard one of these 'pro' EMT decks though .. quite curious .... I have to say the aesthetic is a wee bit challenging for a domestic space but maybe that's just me.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by montesquieu

I can't say I've ever been irritated by a direct drive in the same way as I have by belt drives, suspended ones in particular. I've never heard one of these 'pro' EMT decks though .. quite curious .... I have to say the aesthetic is a wee bit challenging for a domestic space but maybe that's just me.

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I have to say that whilst my belt/string drive Amazon sounds brilliant - very clear, and fluid with great sound staging, I noticed that on busy passages there is an apparent slowing/smearing. My Townshend with the DPS motor - which his a high torque Berger lahrs - doesn't have that problem - the belt is an original live so transfers the torque better.

There are some very knowledgeable people that sear by each topology for a different reason - I am curious if its the same art and cartridge in the same set up they really can tell the differences to the extent they claim - it's part of the reason I am fiddling around with other decks.

As to the EMT looks - yes - it is a hard sell. But its form does genuinely follow function and is not a fake attempt at Bauhaus. All said and done, as and hen I eventually get it restored it will be in a dedicated audio room. The B & O ill be in our lounge - that said - most hifi is pretty disjointed in appearance unless you go for a one make set-up like the bang and Olufsen

Quote:

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Originally Posted by montesquieu

I can't say I've ever been irritated by a direct drive in the same way as I have by belt drives, suspended ones in particular. I've never heard one of these 'pro' EMT decks though .. quite curious .... I have to say the aesthetic is a wee bit challenging for a domestic space but maybe that's just me.

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I had forgotten about this thread…

About a year ago Dusch Stuiotechnik did a full overhaul. It was magnificent and flawless with a new EMT tsd15 cartridge - I say was because one of two nieces crept into my hi Fi room and attempted to do scratch djing and killed a £1500 cartridge. Benjamin has repaired the cartridge. At the same time I noticed a new noise had crept in and sent the boards back and I need to do a bit of fiddling once back.

It’s a nightmare post brexit to deal with customs.

Anyway getting back on track. The deck is stone cold silent in the extreme and utterly unflappable. The neutrality is anything but dull and sterile. I’ve heard master-tape a few times and the deck is very close to that sound. Bass was tuneful and very quick and the treble just sounds very ‘right’

I’m missing my EMT.

I still enjoy my other decks for different reasons but at present it really holds a place in my heart