IanMac Bearing

[CageyH]

I have just used some wax to do this.
I added more than KAB suggest, heated it up and put the bearing in place whilst the wax was still in a liquid state.
It was easy to do, and the deck certainly sounds no worse.
Listening to an album I know well, it does sound slightly more focused. I am happy to leave the wax in.

[Ianmac]

Progress.
Silicon poured into the void between bearing and under chassis wall.
[IMG][/IMG]
This has yielded, to my ears, an improvement in resolution and dynamics. Need to do more listening tests but initial reaction is its in there for good !
The measurments made indicated a reduction in noise from 500hz to 20k of around 1 to 1 1/2 db. The noise spectrum using the unmodulated grooves on track 5 of the Cardas test disk is below.
[IMG][/IMG]
I am progressing with my DIY PSU ,prototype is running succesfully. I have to optimise the regulator board layout , size and component count and evaluate sub regulators on other specific parts of the Circuit.
I need a platter with edge damage so I can cut out the motor portion in the centre to allow me to access the electroncs with the motor running.
This PSU is rework of many earlier design principles from threads in the forum which go back a few years so not a lot brand new. But I have the benefit of using a later generation of regulators which offer improved performance in many areas. Using off the shelf components it shouldnt be expensive to build.

Photo of two regs in the old transformer hole giving an indication of size[IMG][/IMG]
Single reg is also shown,[IMG][/IMG] my sub regs will use Surface mount regs so should be a bit smaller

Ill update with a new thread when its complete.

[RickeyM]

Progress.
Silicon poured into the void between bearing and under chassis wall.
This has yielded, to my ears, an improvement in resolution and dynamics. Need to do more listening tests but initial reaction is its in there for good !
The measurements made indicated a reduction in noise from 500hz to 20k of around 1 to 1 1/2 db.

I am progressing with my DIY PSU ,prototype is running successfully. I have to optimize the regulator board layout , size and component count and evaluate sub regulators on other specific parts of the Circuit.
I need a platter with edge damage so I can cut out the motor portion in the centre to allow me to access the electronics with the motor running.
This PSU is rework of many earlier design principles from threads in the forum which go back a few years so not a lot brand new. But I have the benefit of using a later generation of regulators which offer improved performance in many areas. Using off the shelf components it shouldn't be expensive to build.

Photo of two regs in the old transformer hole giving an indication of size[IMG][/IMG]
My sub regs will use Surface mount regs so should be a bit smaller

I'll update with a new thread when its complete.

Will a dual reg mod be doable for those (like me ) who have simply placed the stock power supply in an outboard box?

[vs_jk]

Around 9 years ago, I bought my Technics SL1210 MK2 from the local Guitar Center. That was when these could be had for $400 for a new one! I’ve really enjoyed the Technics over the years and have done some minor upgrades to it and the system I use it in. I bought it with the intention of always keeping it even if down the road I buy another turntable. And along the way, to do some upgrades to it.

Over the years I’ve tried some minor upgrades to the turntable. This includes a few different types of mats. After trying several, I found an acrylic type of platter mat to be the best one. I also put heat shrink on the tonearm which was a surprisingly good yet very cheap upgrade! I’ve also had the opportunity to try 5 cartridges on it. Out of these, the DL103R is my favorite. Unfortunately, I broke the DL103R a couple months ago. But it’s currently at Soundsmith awaiting a rebuild with the ruby cantilever and line contact! So, I know it will be even better when I get it back. Until then, I’m using my backup cartridge which is a Denon DL110.

I’ve been reading about various upgrades available for the turntable and one that has intrigued me for some time is the upgrade to the main bearing. That was also when I stumbled upon The Art of Sound forum. I believe it was a thread about various bearing upgrades which mentioned the Ian Mac bearing. As I read the reactions from owners of this, I knew I wanted one. So, I finally joined the forum after a year of lurking with the intention of contacting him.

I had the good luck of contacting him right when he was putting together a new batch. And was fortunate enough to make the list of people to receive one! I requested one with the oil reservoir. It wasn’t long before IanMac messaged me to let me know the bearing was on it’s way. Which was very decent for him to do as I hadn’t yet even paid him for it. He only requested that I send payment after I had received it and was satisfied with it. What a gentleman!

System:
Technics SL1210MK2 (platter mat & heat shrink on tonearm)
Denon DL110
iFi iPhono
Little Dot MKIII headphone amp (Amperex bugle boy tubes)
Sennheiser HD580 (minor modifications)

I was giddy with excitement when I got the notice from the post office that the bearing had arrived! Taking it out of the package, it seemed to be very well built. Not only is he a gentleman but Ian has remarkable engineering skills!

Even though I really wanted to just put the new bearing in right away, I decided to wait a bit. First I listened to the system using a couple of well known records. I used Cannonball Adderly- Somethin Else and Phish- Lawnboy. Both of these have excellent sonics and are recordings that I’m familiar with.

DSC05140.JPGDSC05141.JPG

After listening to few favorite tracks from both albums, I removed the old bearing and did a side by side comparison. There is a substantial difference of weight and solidity with the Ian Mac bearing. I installed it using the directions that Ian included. For the break in period, I decided to just use the Technics oil. Later on, I’ll likely try some different types of oils. So far, it’s had around 25 hours of run in.

Well, did it affect the sound? Is it a worthwhile upgrade? Yes, most definitely it is! There is more focus to the overall sound and not just the lower registers. The bass got better defined but so did the rest of the frequency range. Because of the lowered noise floor, the perception is of being able to hear deeper into the mix and therefore also getting more details such as reverberations. The sound comes from a black background.

Over the past few days, I’ve been listening to a lot of my albums and finding there are new things I’m hearing in them. For instance on Rush- Power Windows, there are moments in the music where on my main speaker system, I can hear holographic transparency. This wasn’t readily apparent on my turntable based system until the Ian Mac bearing went in. I think it’s because it lowers the noise floor and it tightens things up that these types of sonics are more readily heard.

I have no regrets about the bearing upgrade and am very impressed with it. Because the rest of the system is fairly resolving, it easily reveals changes in sound with each tweak. And I can honestly say that the bearing was not a subtle difference.

[dimkasta]

Nice Ian

About the regs, make sure to try the led reference.
And replace the zener regulator as well. It was probably the most infuential for my tests.
What chip regs are you using?

Sent from my HUAWEI NXT-L29 using Tapatalk

[Ianmac]

Bearing tub fill.
Ive listened now for some hours, tonight I will remove the silicon from the bearing housing, relisten and form my conclusion

Rickey, I would hope the twin reg mod would be doable its certainly my intention, but im driving blind re each individuals comfort level in wiring. If you moved your trfo your its not much more involved.

Dimaska, I used LM series regs for some time , (with Led reference), but to get what I wanted I had to use two, one as a floating pre reg. I moved to LT series ( Linear Technology) about a year ago and my technics was changed to LT from LM. These offer much better ripple rejection, transient response and half the dropout V of an LM so 1.5v is now the norm, so lower voltage transformers and lower power dissipation.The component count is about half that required by the LM series.
Im currently using two LT3081's, they are performing well. Im looking at LT3082 for sub regs for the zener you mention, D301 and as a possible upgrade of regulator Q201. Currently trying to find out the current required for the AN6682 but so far no luck in getting a spec sheet.

Its interesting to note your comment re the zener looks like the Cmos chip is more responsive to a good clean fixed supply than I thought. Ill drop a reg in there and listen.
First its remove my silicon and listen and only then tweak the 4011 supply.

[RickeyM]

Bearing tub fill.
Ive listened now for some hours, tonight I will remove the silicon from the bearing housing, relisten and form my conclusion

Rickey, I would hope the twin reg mod would be doable its certainly my intention, but im driving blind re each individuals comfort level in wiring. If you moved your trfo your its not much more involved.

I'm a pretty brave fella who's not afraid to read instructions repeatedly until I can wrap my brain around it After all, my deck had a dual voltage trfo and I figured out how to use just the 120v side when I did the power supply mod and it hasn't burst into flames or let out the magic smoke.

[Dubster68]

Ian PM sent👍🏻

[Dubster68]

Would just like to thank Ian Mac for the fast response and delivery of one of his modded bearings.

Very well constructed loads of help and advice and delivered next day. Also Mickeyb for letting me know Ian had some ready made Was going to buy a Mike New bearing but after import taxes etc it was pushing it out of reach of my budget. The wife keeps mentioning things about a thing called Christmas bla bla bla. So that stopped that idea in its tracks.

Impressions, construction is very good and fitting is straight forward. I know the bearing needs time to settle so I dont know if its a placebo effect as the Bass sounds different in a better way. Also the vocals sound more forward.
Very happy as a new member so far with the support from members of this site who are always willing to help me spend money.

Not good for my funds though

[Mikeandvan]

I also have one of Ians bearings on its way to me, thanks Ian. I've yet to upgrade the power supply though, currently fishing around for a cheaper option. I think the Mike New bearings and other mods such as the funk firm platter are too expensive for the 1210, if your gonna spend £500 + on every upgrade you might as well buy an SP10 or other high end Jap TT and upgrade that instead, or just service it. I guess the 1210s are good for cheaper modding as they are so plentiful. I paid £600 for my 'as new' 1210, it came with Jelco 750D and acromat, thought it was a pretty good price. Currently looking at other mats, such as Isoplats, which again are reasonable money, and as I said power supply, whats good for around £200? I don't rate my 1210 as it is with denser music, but I love it with simpler more sparse stuff like techno, and house, in which it seems to excel.