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Thread: Magna Audio's custom-made counterweight balance and armboard service!

  1. #101
    Join Date: Mar 2009

    Location: The New Forest

    Posts: 1,855
    I'm Steve.

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    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 View Post
    Hi Steve,


    Try and bring out the natural colour of the wood as much as possible

    Marco.

  2. #102
    Join Date: Jan 2008

    Location: Wrexham, North Wales, UK

    Posts: 110,012
    I'm AudioAl'sArbiterForPISHANTO.

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    Hmm then it will be lighter...
    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!

    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.

    ...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.
    Yup, sure. "Alive" (and super-smooth, to the touch) is exactly the finished effect I'm looking for

    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.
    Main System

    Turntable: Heavily-modified Technics SL-1210MK5G [Mike New bearing/ETP platter/Paul Hynes SR7 PSU & reg mods]. Funk Firm APM Achromat/Nagaoka GL-601 Crystal Record Weight/Isonoe feet & boots/Ortofon RS-212D/Denon DL-103GL in Denon PCL-300 headshell with Funk Firm Houdini/Kondo SL-115 pure-silver cartridge leads.

    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.

    CD Player: Audiocom-modified Sony X-777ES/DAS-R1 DAC.

    Tape Deck: Tandberg TCD 310, fully restored and recalibrated as new, by RDE, plus upgraded with heads from the TCD-420a. Also with matching TM4 Norway microphones.

    Preamps: Heavily-modified Croft Charisma-X. LDR Stereo Coffee. Power Amps: Tube Distinctions Copper Amp fitted with Tungsol KT-150s. Quad 306.

    Cables & Sundries: Mark Grant HDX1 interconnects and digital coaxial cable, plus Mark Grant 6mm UP-LCOFC Van Damme speaker cable. MCRU 'Ultimate' mains leads. Lehmann clone headphone amp with vintage Koss PRO-4AAA headphones.

    Tube Distinctions digital noise filter. VPI HW16.5 record cleaning machine.

    Speakers: Tannoy 15MGs in Lockwood cabinets with modified crossovers. 1967 Celestion Ditton 15.


    Protect your HUMAN RIGHTS and REFUSE ANY *MANDATORY* VACCINE FOR COVID-19!

    Also **SAY NO** to unjust 'vaccine passports' or certificates, which are totally incompatible with a FREE society!!!


  3. #103
    Join Date: Jan 2008

    Location: Wrexham, North Wales, UK

    Posts: 110,012
    I'm AudioAl'sArbiterForPISHANTO.

    Default

    I suspect that this thread will be getting updated this weekend

    Marco.
    Main System

    Turntable: Heavily-modified Technics SL-1210MK5G [Mike New bearing/ETP platter/Paul Hynes SR7 PSU & reg mods]. Funk Firm APM Achromat/Nagaoka GL-601 Crystal Record Weight/Isonoe feet & boots/Ortofon RS-212D/Denon DL-103GL in Denon PCL-300 headshell with Funk Firm Houdini/Kondo SL-115 pure-silver cartridge leads.

    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.

    CD Player: Audiocom-modified Sony X-777ES/DAS-R1 DAC.

    Tape Deck: Tandberg TCD 310, fully restored and recalibrated as new, by RDE, plus upgraded with heads from the TCD-420a. Also with matching TM4 Norway microphones.

    Preamps: Heavily-modified Croft Charisma-X. LDR Stereo Coffee. Power Amps: Tube Distinctions Copper Amp fitted with Tungsol KT-150s. Quad 306.

    Cables & Sundries: Mark Grant HDX1 interconnects and digital coaxial cable, plus Mark Grant 6mm UP-LCOFC Van Damme speaker cable. MCRU 'Ultimate' mains leads. Lehmann clone headphone amp with vintage Koss PRO-4AAA headphones.

    Tube Distinctions digital noise filter. VPI HW16.5 record cleaning machine.

    Speakers: Tannoy 15MGs in Lockwood cabinets with modified crossovers. 1967 Celestion Ditton 15.


    Protect your HUMAN RIGHTS and REFUSE ANY *MANDATORY* VACCINE FOR COVID-19!

    Also **SAY NO** to unjust 'vaccine passports' or certificates, which are totally incompatible with a FREE society!!!


  4. #104
    Join Date: Mar 2009

    Location: The New Forest

    Posts: 1,855
    I'm Steve.

    Default

    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.



    Trial fitting




    Now with Ortofon arm base mounted. I love proper 2 piece arm bases like this. The FR64 had a similar arrangement.




    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.










    On to testing with the VTA set and in the music room with more natural light.




    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.
    Last edited by Magna Audio; 31-10-2017 at 08:43.
    System: Turntable : SP10 MKII slate plinth, Custom Ebony tonearm board, Arm : Fidelity Research FR64s, Cartridge : SPU Royal N. SUT : Lundahl 1:13. Phonostage : Icon Audio, Streaming RPi/Kali reclocker -> I2S -> DSP XO / Pre / 4 DAC's : WAF Najda, 5 Poweramps : 3 x EL84 SET's, 2 x D class amps on bass channels, Speakers : 5 way front loaded horn system: 2 X Tapped sub 15" LF drivers / 2 X Exponential mid bass 15" drivers / Tractrix 200Hz mid horns with JBL2482's, / Tractrix 550Hz upper wooden horns with factory refurb'd Vitavox S2's / Raal Lazy Ribbons as high frequency tweeters. Wires: good silver or good copper where best suited. DIY RCM.

    Maker of tonearm boards, armpods, Tannoy GRF style speaker cabinets, horn speakers, counterweights and more.
    For more information about my creations and products please click below

    http://fosworld.wixsite.com/magna-audio & on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/magna_audio/

  5. #105
    Join Date: Jul 2010

    Location: North Cambs UK, Earth, Sol, Orion - Cygnus arm of galaxy

    Posts: 11,166
    I'm MadeOfDeadGiantStarsThatExplodedEonsAgo.

    Default

    Lovely work Steve Looks the business & I'm sure it'll do it to
    Bests, Mark



    "We must believe in free will. We have no choice" Isaac Bashevis Singer

  6. #106
    MartinT Guest

    Default

    Very nice work, Steve. Looking forward to Marco's comments.

  7. #107
    Join Date: Sep 2010

    Location: High Peak, Derbyshire

    Posts: 2,241
    I'm Keith.

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    Lovely work Steve. I'm sure it sounds as good as it looks.
    Keith
    Analogue: Lenco L75 with 'PTP5' top plate in heavy birch ply plinth/re-wired Rega RB300/SAE 1000e HOMC Cartridge/Trans-Fi Reso-Mat/Moth RCM
    Files: Voyage MPD/Custom PC/Supra USB/Beresford ASYNCH-1/Beresford TOSlink cable
    CDP: Inca Katana SE
    DAC: Beresford Caiman MkII (LiPo Battery powered)
    Pre-Amp: Croft Micro 25 Power-Amp: Croft Series 7
    Speakers: DIY Frugel-Horn Mk3 ('FH3') + REL Strata subwoofer
    Headphones: Beyer Dynamics DT990 Pro (250 ohm)/Schiit Asgard Headphone Amp
    Cables - Interconnects: Mark Grant G1000HD Speaker Cables: Van Damme Blue
    Mains: Belkin PF30/Mark Grant DSP2.5 & DSP1.0 Rack: Target

    Office System: HP Win8 Laptop/JRiver/MF V-Link2/Beresford Bushmaster MkII/Topping TP20 Mk2/Mission 771e
    Bedroom System: Raspberry Pi/Raspbrian + MPD/HiFiBerry DAC/Topping TP20 Mk2/Mission 760i or DIY Hybrid Valve-MOSFET Headphone amp + Sennheiser HD595


    Gallery

  8. #108
    Join Date: Jan 2008

    Location: Wrexham, North Wales, UK

    Posts: 110,012
    I'm AudioAl'sArbiterForPISHANTO.

    Default

    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!

    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!
    Main System

    Turntable: Heavily-modified Technics SL-1210MK5G [Mike New bearing/ETP platter/Paul Hynes SR7 PSU & reg mods]. Funk Firm APM Achromat/Nagaoka GL-601 Crystal Record Weight/Isonoe feet & boots/Ortofon RS-212D/Denon DL-103GL in Denon PCL-300 headshell with Funk Firm Houdini/Kondo SL-115 pure-silver cartridge leads.

    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.

    CD Player: Audiocom-modified Sony X-777ES/DAS-R1 DAC.

    Tape Deck: Tandberg TCD 310, fully restored and recalibrated as new, by RDE, plus upgraded with heads from the TCD-420a. Also with matching TM4 Norway microphones.

    Preamps: Heavily-modified Croft Charisma-X. LDR Stereo Coffee. Power Amps: Tube Distinctions Copper Amp fitted with Tungsol KT-150s. Quad 306.

    Cables & Sundries: Mark Grant HDX1 interconnects and digital coaxial cable, plus Mark Grant 6mm UP-LCOFC Van Damme speaker cable. MCRU 'Ultimate' mains leads. Lehmann clone headphone amp with vintage Koss PRO-4AAA headphones.

    Tube Distinctions digital noise filter. VPI HW16.5 record cleaning machine.

    Speakers: Tannoy 15MGs in Lockwood cabinets with modified crossovers. 1967 Celestion Ditton 15.


    Protect your HUMAN RIGHTS and REFUSE ANY *MANDATORY* VACCINE FOR COVID-19!

    Also **SAY NO** to unjust 'vaccine passports' or certificates, which are totally incompatible with a FREE society!!!


  9. #109
    Join Date: Nov 2008

    Location: North Down /Northern Ireland/ UK

    Posts: 19,484
    I'm Neil.

    Default

    Beautiful job Steve. Looking fantastic Marco.


    Regards D S D L

  10. #110
    Join Date: Jan 2008

    Location: Wrexham, North Wales, UK

    Posts: 110,012
    I'm AudioAl'sArbiterForPISHANTO.

    Default

    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!

    I'll list all the different titles in the Classical music section tomorrow. So, all in all, it's been a fab day!

    Marco.
    Main System

    Turntable: Heavily-modified Technics SL-1210MK5G [Mike New bearing/ETP platter/Paul Hynes SR7 PSU & reg mods]. Funk Firm APM Achromat/Nagaoka GL-601 Crystal Record Weight/Isonoe feet & boots/Ortofon RS-212D/Denon DL-103GL in Denon PCL-300 headshell with Funk Firm Houdini/Kondo SL-115 pure-silver cartridge leads.

    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.

    CD Player: Audiocom-modified Sony X-777ES/DAS-R1 DAC.

    Tape Deck: Tandberg TCD 310, fully restored and recalibrated as new, by RDE, plus upgraded with heads from the TCD-420a. Also with matching TM4 Norway microphones.

    Preamps: Heavily-modified Croft Charisma-X. LDR Stereo Coffee. Power Amps: Tube Distinctions Copper Amp fitted with Tungsol KT-150s. Quad 306.

    Cables & Sundries: Mark Grant HDX1 interconnects and digital coaxial cable, plus Mark Grant 6mm UP-LCOFC Van Damme speaker cable. MCRU 'Ultimate' mains leads. Lehmann clone headphone amp with vintage Koss PRO-4AAA headphones.

    Tube Distinctions digital noise filter. VPI HW16.5 record cleaning machine.

    Speakers: Tannoy 15MGs in Lockwood cabinets with modified crossovers. 1967 Celestion Ditton 15.


    Protect your HUMAN RIGHTS and REFUSE ANY *MANDATORY* VACCINE FOR COVID-19!

    Also **SAY NO** to unjust 'vaccine passports' or certificates, which are totally incompatible with a FREE society!!!


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