VTAF for Jelco SA-750D on SL-1210

[Ammonite Audio]

Pete Riggle has confirmed that my VTAF for the Jelco SA-750D/SL-1210 is on its way. He sent this image as a taster:



Being flat, this particular custom armboard means that it will only work with thick mats (like mine). The VTAF is much slimmer than the Jelco collar so the arm should sit low enough, but I may have to cut out a hole in the armboard to make room for the bottom of the cueing mechanism for thinner mats. I might experiment with acrylic armboards, just for fun.

It's difficult to assess from this photo whether Pete has set the correct mounting distance for the Jelco, but I'm sure it will be OK.

It's unlikely to be here before Scalford, alas, as I would have liked to have showed it around. I should be there with Steve (Snoopdog).

[Marco]

Hi Shuggs,

Looks interesting! Keep me posted of developments and we can perhaps have a sesh at your place sometime in the summer

I look forward to seeing you guys at Scalford Hall on Sunday where I will be exposing my rather 'rude' Lockwood Majors to some poor assembled victims!

Marco.

[Dave Cawley]

The standard 750 has VTA adjustment out of the box, so I'm a bit lost here? Do check carefully the 214mm spindle to pivot dimension too!

Does this allow all the cartridge energy to dissipate properly?

Dave

[The Grand Wazoo]

I look forward to seeing you guys at Scalford Hall on Sunday where I will be exposing my rather 'rude' Lockwood Majors to some poor assembled victims!

Just as long as you'll be keeping your crack to yerself, Marco my man. Some folks can't cope with that sort of behaviour (..........pity the poor folks with hangovers on Sunday morning).

[Marco]

Oh, don't worry, but if not I'll wait until well after lunch has been served!!

Marco.

[blake]

The standard 750 has VTA adjustment out of the box, so I'm a bit lost here? Do check carefully the 214mm spindle to pivot dimension too!

Does this allow all the cartridge energy to dissipate properly?

Dave

The Riggle VTAF's main "claim to faim" is VTA adjustment on the fly which would clearly not be for the faint of heart using the 750D stock

I'm a 750D owner and can admit that VTA on the fly might be useful but it is pushing anal retentiveness and audiophile nervosa beyond limits which I'm comfortable with (I don't own or have any experience with the Riggle).

The Riggle also "decouples" the arm from the rest of the table and this is an area in which some disagreement surfaces on what it, in fact, does to the sound. There are those who swear by its "improvements" and those, on the other hand, who claim it negatively effects sound quality (particularly in terms of PRAT); from what I can see (and read), the disagreements are pretty similar to those who feel the Pederson (decoupling) mods on the Gyrodec are beneficial and those who feel they are not.

[Ammonite Audio]

The standard 750 has VTA adjustment out of the box, so I'm a bit lost here? Do check carefully the 214mm spindle to pivot dimension too!

Does this allow all the cartridge energy to dissipate properly?

Dave

Much as I like the SA-750D (and I really do), its pillar fixing is rather loose (sloppy, even); and it's consequently difficult to get the vertical alignment correct, without overtightening the very small grub screw. I demonstrated that to Marco the other week. It's not impossible to set it correctly, of course (particularly with the help of one of Audio Origami's headshell spirit levels), but I have found that this is the key to getting the Jelco to sing. It's very easy to get an awful sound from the arm; in fact easier than getting it to sing.

So, the VTAF seems to be a well-engineered way of ensuring utterly consistent vertical alignment, with the added benefit of easy and fine VTA adjustment (I'm not obsessive about that, BTW, but I do know that it's important). The fact that the arm sits in the VTAF solely under its own weight, and that it's naturally decoupled is interesting - whether it works is another thing, and I shall of course be reporting back on that! As you are aware, I do like to plough an alternative furrow now and again, so hopefully my experiments are of interest to other Technics owners here on AoS.

[Dave Cawley]

the disagreements are pretty similar to those who feel the Pederson (decoupling) mods on the Gyrodec are beneficial and those who feel they are not.

Ah yes! In the latest Hi Fi World there is a review of a 12" 750 that I fitted to a Gyrodec. I mounted the arm plate with solid metal pillars. And that's why my 1200 armplate works so well, they are anything but decoupled! The 750 likes high energy moving coil cartridges and to deliberately decouple the arm in the way proposed here, is contrary to most peoples idea of what is good.

Also matching the right parts to give a holistic system is important, Shuggie has never been overly happy with his 750, but he seems to be the only one using a 2M black?

Regards

Dave

[Snoopdog]

Oh, don't worry, but if not I'll wait until well after lunch has been served!!

Marco.

Marco,

As it will be Sunday, I do hope you won't be 'flossing' with the wife's thong

[Marco]

Hi Steve,

It won't really matter, mate, as the dress will hide it!!

Marco.