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Thread: 'The Wand' unipivot tonearm: could it be the next budget 'giantkiller'?

  1. #11
    Join Date: May 2011

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    I'm Paul.

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    I think it needs a more rigid mounting with a means of running the phono wires beneath a plinth. The World article is very positive but it needs refinement to be a viable commercial product. Mounting a cartridge looks fiddly also.

  2. #12
    Join Date: Jul 2009

    Location: Hampshire, UK

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    I'm Adam.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Audioman View Post
    Mounting a cartridge looks fiddly also.
    I can assure you it isn't, as there is a nice solid plate securely fitted into the arm tube which the photographs don't really show.

    Setup is actually quite pleasant generally as, although it is a more involved process than with most arms, the instructions are superb and well illustrated.
    Engineers: fixing problems you didn't know you had in ways you don't understand.

  3. #13
    Join Date: Jan 2008

    Location: Wrexham, North Wales, UK

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    I'm AudioAl'sArbiterForPISHANTO.

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    I think it looks decidedly quirky with a Zu-103 strapped to it:





    Certainly way more interesting, and with considerably more potential, than any boring and common-as-muck RB250 or 300!

    Marco.
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    Paul Hynes MC head amp/SR5 PSU. Also modded Lentek head amp/Denon AU-310 SUT.

    Other Cartridges: Nippon Columbia (NOS 1987) Denon DL-103. USA-made Shure SC35C with NOS stylus. Goldring G820 with NOS stylus. Shure M55E with NOS stylus.

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  4. #14
    Join Date: Sep 2008

    Location: West Lancashire

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    I'm Lucky.

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    Surely the Rega arms of chock full of potential? That's why they are the most modded tonearm in history.
    The Man with the suit and the pace. Knee deep in the dead.

  5. #15
    Join Date: Apr 2011

    Location: Dublin

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    I'm Simon.

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    Good question I'm looking for an arm to suit a td124 and a rega seamed the obvious choice because of the prices you can pick up a second hand one for.
    Source: Thorens TD124 Rega RB300, Sumiko bluepoint No2., Cambridge Audio D500 Special Edition CDP, Squeeze box Touch, PC with Trends Audio USB Audio DAC UD-10 Amplification: Croft Micro 25 basic pre, Leak Stereo 20, Trends Audio Class T TA-10, Fisher X100-A Speakers:Impulse H6 Interconnects: Handmade silver and TNT audio CAT5 speaker cables

  6. #16
    MartinT Guest

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    Dull. You'd be better off with a Jelco SA-250ST.

  7. #17
    Join Date: May 2008

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    I'm David.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Darren View Post
    Surely the Rega arms of chock full of potential? That's why they are the most modded tonearm in history.
    The Rega arms are CHEAP and the 250 is easy to strip I believe, never having attempted it. The 300 uses bearings as good as any SME I believe, which are hand-selected for tolerance on their shafts (I had a go myself once on a visit and it's an easy thing to do by "feel") and then carefully torqued up with a custom tool. many of the bodgers out there almost certainly don't have the training or tooling to re-assemble them properly and I can think of one manufacturer who actually makes the arm worse, fitting badly finished add-ons and adding resonances that weren't there before, all in the cause of making for a more "exciting" sound. The only modified Rega arm I'd probably consider, all things considered, is the Michell one, as there's a good relationship I understand between the two manufacturers and they work together in the final assembly I think.

    Nah, the Rega arms are fine, reliable, CONSISTENT and can sound fine on some turntable systems.

    As for the Wand, it looks great and original and I really hope it's the true giant killer it promises to be - I like uni-pivots if they're done right and not too fiddly to use - can't be a*sed these days and the memory of re-assembling countless Hadcocks leaves it's scars I'm afraid, despite their fine subjective qualities...
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  8. #18
    MartinT Guest

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    I had a Michell TecnoArm and it was not bad at all, certainly less dull sounding than a standard Rega. I have to say, though, that the Jelco sounded better all-round.

  9. #19
    Join Date: Mar 2010

    Location: Sheffield

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    I'm Simon.

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    I'm interested in it but not with the current arm mounting arrangement.

  10. #20
    Join Date: Sep 2010

    Location: High Peak, Derbyshire

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    I'm Keith.

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    Quote Originally Posted by DSJR View Post
    Nah, the Rega arms are fine, reliable, CONSISTENT and can sound fine on some turntable systems....
    Indeed they are. I use one and find it fine on my Lenco. I'm not under the delusion that my RB300 is the ultimate tonearm or anything, but it does the job and cost me £85 second hand. Sure I'd love a Dynavector, Ortofon, Jelco or whatever, but some of us have to make do with what we can afford. This isn't jealousy or anything - good luck to those who can afford to spend big on their systems; believe you me, if I ever get lucky enough to find myself comfortably off, I'd be upgrading like crazy too, but that's not how it is.

    Some posters here seem to have a bee in their bonnet about Rega arms, labelling owners of them "boring", "unimaginative", "unsophisticated" and generally foolish and inferior. That doesn't seem to happen with other affordable components and, I must say, I'm getting a bit pissed off with it.
    Keith
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