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

[MartinT]

Martin picked his up this evening and then we hit the horns for a while.

Thanks again, Steve. It was fascinating listening to your horns - such a different presentation and so fast with exquisite micro-detail.

I've set the arm up and given the deck a quick spin. What I hear the ebony armboard doing is negating a slight edginess that the steel board was imparting to the presentation. Nothing too obvious, but I would call it greater tonal expression - making the music more coherent if you like. I will have much more time tomorrow to listen and the SR5 will have fully warmed up again.

For now, quite apart from the fact that it looks superb, it seems that ebony has proven to be an excellent interface between arm and deck.

[JazzBones]

Your Linn's gone off and needs me to put my Guru magic on it to make it annihilate that Jap DJ deck you've lavished all that love and money on I bet there are still dealers that would tell you this too (thinking of one 50 miles or so north of your location...).

Seriously, glad you've got your Techie sounding fantastic Ron. So much less faff once it's done

'lo David, nice hearing from you again. My LP12 is still good with a few changes I did myself, has more warmth but my fettled Tek 1210 with all the mods really swings and kicks arse and is now my number one deck. Don't get me wrong, the LP12 is still one helluva deck when properly fettled by a non Linn fundamentalist Its easier to cue on the Tek than the LP12, no bloody wobbly platter and armboard for starters.

Have a good new year Dave,

Ron

[Marco]

Thanks again, Steve. It was fascinating listening to your horns - such a different presentation and so fast with exquisite micro-detail.

Great fun, aren't they? And so beautifully made!

What I hear the ebony armboard doing is negating a slight edginess that the steel board was imparting to the presentation. Nothing too obvious, but I would call it greater tonal expression - making the music more coherent if you like. I will have much more time tomorrow to listen and the SR5 will have fully warmed up again.

Excellent. That's exactly the traits you should hear. The ebony armboard removes a tonally 'bleached' and 'pinched' quality to the sound, that the commonly available metal boards impart, when used on the Technics, but which only becomes fully apparent when this signature has been removed.

Once the SR5 has been fully warmed up and you've settled into the sound, you should notice music being delivered with a broader, more richly textured tonal palette, bass having more definition and texture, and high frequencies sounding sweeter, and as extended as ever, but without the slightest hint of grain. In short, the whole sonic presentation of your T/T should be much more musical.

It seems that ebony has proven to be an excellent interface between arm and deck.

That's precisely it.

Enjoy!

Marco.

[Magna Audio]

Interesting Martin. I'm glad the initial impressions are favourable.

I might have to make one for my SP-10 / slate deck at some point and play it against the Gunmetal one I currently have.

[Magna Audio]

And here's Jazzbones' all machined and drilled.

[MartinT]

Gorgeous, Steve. Did you establish what arm that is for, I cannot think of one requiring six holes? It's a short arm, too.

[JazzBones]

And here's Jazzbones' all machined and drilled.

Hi Steve, its a beauty mate, received today at 12.15pm, delivered by my blonde postie, Wendy who has been trained to bang harder on my front door if it looks like being a Hi Fi item.... I'm mean thats what you tip 'em for at Christmas innit?
Will be giving it a high gloss polish over the weekend.

Thanks again
Ron

[JazzBones]

Gorgeous, Steve. Did you establish what arm that is for, I cannot think of one requiring six holes? It's a short arm, too.

Hi Martin,

The ebony arm is to accommodate my AO modded
Ekos tonearm, following Linn's geometry. In fact only three holes are used but there is allowance for offset if needed. Incidentally, this armboard would also accommodate the Jelco 750 (which I also have) and I would imagine it would take the latter's performance up to a higher level.

When I've fitted the arm board I will let you and all know the outcome, I expected it to be nothing but brilliantly wonderful

Off to fit and fix now.

Ron

[DSJR]

And here's me thinking of drilling out my spare MDF TD160 arm-plate for a Rega arm, as although the TD125 has left Tringsby Towers, the TD160mk2 is still here in the loft looking very sorry for itself

[MartinT]

Further thoughts on the ebony armboard just confirm my initial findings: there is a sense of harmonious music-making with terrific delineation of fine detail in the soundstage. It's in the 'in-between' spaces that I notice more going on, such as mid-left and mid-right of stage. Non-edgy, untiring and it just sounds right. It also looks fab!