What to do with a TT2?

[surayne]

Can of worms about the bearing issue, clearly... in any case I'm looking to change the arm, so it shouldn't be a problem for me!

The Grace looks nice, but I wouldn't import from Australia. There's a straight Jelco? I thought all the 750s were S-shaped. I've never listened to one, but many seem to regard them highly, particularly on decks like this. They don't seem to come up on the second-hand market too frequently, though.

Perhaps I'll go for a Rega for the time being, then something more exotic. YNWaN, why would you opt for a stock RB300 over something modified?

[shane]

The TT2 suspension will have no trouble with the Jelco. I've seen TT2s used with Dynavector DV505s and I used mine for many years with a Helius Orion, both of which are in the battleship class.

[AlfaGTV]

As an avid fan of Heybrooks TT2, i must say that few turntables comes close on a sound-per-pound value. I bought one some months ago, the elderly version with the welded subchassis, and became so found of it that i bought another. The second one is the newer version with the cast alu framing and the external TPS motor control unit.

I have used them with various Rega RB arms and derivatives with very satisfying results. A little difficult to dress thicker cables though, such as the one on my Origin Live Silver MkIII but once sorted, really good.

I have the newer TT2 now running with a pristine RB-301 which seems like a good match. This will be replaced by a Audio Origami fiddled RB-250 with a TechnoWeight any day now.

The best thing, imo, with the TT2 is that it combines the relaxed and quiet replay of suspended tables with the easy adjustment and fit'n'forget approach of the Rega style tt's.

Regards
/Mike

[DSJR]

Structurally, the RB301 should eat any RB250 no matter what's been done to it, since it's had things done to the pipe and the bearings were always in a different league (properly toleranced and hand-matched instead of brass fittings loc-tited together ), but we'll wait and see what you think

[freefallrob]

I'm running a TT2 at present and also received valuable help and advise from the boffins on here (thanks!), mine was in bits and had to be reassembled (inc. electrical bits eek) but it now sounds lovely, with just a small touch of wow only noticeable on slow piano etc.

It's a welded chassis very early version with the black painted outer platter().

I have had a Linn Basik Plus fitted and now run a standard RB300/Ortofon 2M BLUE on it with a remade arm board (ply). The Rega is FAR better than the Basik plus sound wise.

I use a thin dense foam mat.

One day I may do something with the motor control, off board PSU or something, but I need to upgrade the loudspeakers first me thinks....

Rob.

[shane]

I bought one some months ago, the elderly version with the welded subchassis, and became so found of it that i bought another. The second one is the newer version with the cast alu framing and the external TPS motor control unit.

I'd be really interested in your take on the difference between them.

[Beobloke]

but best of all, an Alphason HR100s or Xenon would be a match made in heaven.

Oh, and if you should by some remote chance come across a genuine Heybrook arm, avoid it like the plague. Some things are rare and desirable. Other things are rare because they're crap!

Two interesting, if contradictory, bits of advice. Presumably you're not aware of who designed and made the Heybrook arm?!

[shane]

Mea Culpa. There were two Heybrook arms. The first dreadful device was a variant of the Helius Scorpio which had all the mechanical integrity of a piece of mature cheddar. The second (which I'd entirely forgotten since I'd left by the time it came along) was built, as you suggest, by Alphason and was probably excellent. Never seen one of those.

[synsei]

Mature cheddar huh? Must have had excellent damping qualities which could be livened up a bit with a good dollop of Branston...

[Beobloke]

Mea Culpa. There were two Heybrook arms. The first dreadful device was a variant of the Helius Scorpio which had all the mechanical integrity of a piece of mature cheddar. The second (which I'd entirely forgotten since I'd left by the time it came along) was built, as you suggest, by Alphason and was probably excellent. Never seen one of those.

Interesting - I didn't know there was an earlier Heybrook arm than the Alphason-designed one. You learn something new every day!