Calling all SL-1200/1210 owners!

[thrunobulaxx]

Hi Marco, yes please i had to buy quite a large piece of brass plate and a bloody expensive set of taps (they get more expensive the smaller they are) and a couple more going out will get it back, if they want lower mass i can mill it down to 3 or 2mm.
Depends on the feedback from Neil when he has it mounted and that 3rd weight on.

[Peter Stockwell]

Had a chat with Kevin at KAB today, my bits (PSU, Cardas arm wand and odds & sods) are going to be sent out this week. Now I've got to find some steady hands for the tonearm refit.

[scoobs]

C'mon Marco..what of this Denon MC head-amp then?

[Marco]

Had a chat with Kevin at KAB today, my bits (PSU, Cardas arm wand and odds & sods) are going to be sent out this week. Now I've got to find some steady hands for the tonearm refit.

Way hey, nice one Peter. Bet you can't wait

Did you have a nice holiday, btw?

Nick,

It's not arrived yet, mate. I've spoken to the chap so I should have it either tomorrow or Friday. I nabbed it for £102, so not too bad considering how rare they are.

It'll be interesting to hear how it compares to the A23. I used to use a Lentek (battery operated) active head amp with the 103 in the 80s and have fond memories of the sound it produced. I also like the variable gain on the Denon, so we'll see how it goes. Full review will appear here!

Marco.

[Peter Stockwell]

Marco,

The stuff has been on order for about a month but it's been held up, mostly, because of administrative reasons. Yes, I do want to get the stuff ASAP. I reckon I can handle fitting the PSU lead. Kevin told me it's a question of "snipping" the output from the Transformer and substituting the PSU cable before the Bridge rectifier of standard Technics PS. It's two solder joints.

The tonearm refit I'm more anxious about. I've ordered the 5 turret plate and the phono plate for the exterior. However, I think I'm going to visit a local cable shop that does a range very well regarded cables in France http://www.hifi-cables.fr/Accueil_Fr.htm . And see what they suggest from the tonearm base to the phono stage. They might even do the soldering for me? I'll have to see. Kevin recommends using a temperature controlled solder gun. I don't really want buy more kit to be used only once, There's no room for a workshop in our 2 bedroom flat.

In the meantime the SL1210 is giving a lot of pleasure. I really think that I'll have to wait to get the "right" cartridge until the tonearm rewire is installed. My guess is that the Cardas wire must give a clearer more weighty top end. That's the only thing I miss from the previous set up, I can't help feeling HF extension is curtailed, and as such, robbing the system of that extra feeling of life.

Cheers

[Marco]

Good news, Peter, that things are imminent.

I admire you for going the D.I.Y route with the KAB mods. I'm just too much of a lazy arse and frankly a danger to myself with a soldering iron to contemplate doing things that way! I'm also an impatient f*cker and simply want new gear to work immediately. That's why I ordered the whole lot from KAB, turntable as well, with all the mods already fitted so when it arrived I was ready to play music as soon as possible

However undoubtedly there's more satisfaction with the way you're doing it. I think your idea to get Hi-fi Cables in France to do the soldering is a good one if you're not confident enough or have the right facilities to do it yourself. Make sure though you use Cardas cable as IME it's the best for the job. I've heard the likes of VDH, Kimber and Moth before and IMO none of it is as neutral sounding (which is what you want) as Cardas. So buy a cable loom from Kevin and get the French chaps to fit it.

Your point about HF extension and 'life' is spot on. The stock wiring serves to muddy the top end and make things sound thick and stodgy. Rewiring with Cardas opens the whole sound up and reveals oodles more musical detail as well as tightening up the bass and increasing extension. It's quite frankly a massive difference and one of the main reasons (separate PSU aside) why people can't say that they've heard a 1210 in any way properly until they've listened to one with a rewired, fluid damped tonearm.

Quite simply, you don't hear the benefits of the awesome motor unit properly until that's done.

Marco.

[Peter Stockwell]

It's quite frankly a massive difference and one of the main reasons (separate PSU aside) why people can't say that they've heard a 1210 in any way properly until they've listened to one with a rewired, fluid damped tonearm.

Quite simply, you don't hear the benefits of the awesome motor unit properly until that's done.

Many people can't be arsed to take a non standard route, that's why so many still have LP12s ... , only slightly kidding. Seriously tho', there's a lot to be said about having a standard unit that works perfectly out of the box.

If I'd known how good a standard SL1210 is, then I may well have decided to go for a fully KAB'ed 1210. As it is, I'm interested to know what each mod brings. So when the bits and pieces arrive I'll get the PSU going ASAP, the tonearm is going to be a more protracted process (nice, pun, ok maybe not). However switching the tonearm means that the existing one I can get done by J7, with maybe a one piece cable all the way to the phono plugs. Then I can reswitch, If I'm crazy enough .

I'm looking at footers, What did you say about the isanoes ?

cheers

[Marco]

Hi Peter,

Sounds good. You're going to be one happy bunny when everything's finished, trust me

The Isonoes are great, and definitely improve the sound although in a more subtle sense than major upgrades such as adding the PSU and rewiring the arm... Mmm…let me qualify that, that's in a "subtle sense" on Phase 17 Mana! Results may be more noticeable in a set-up with less vibration/resonance control in place.

Apart from that, in a purely aesthetic sense, they look the absolute business and give a subtle 'bouncy' suspension to the deck. All-in-all I think they finish the deck off nicely and I can't think of a similar product which looks anywhere near as good.

Keep us posted of your shenanigans - with pictures!

Marco.

[thrunobulaxx]

Neil went for a 4mm thick plate with a mass of 12.8g
Here it is on an Eroica i used for precise hole spacing, it will have s/s hex cap head bolts. i have some spare plate left over and can mill it down if anyone else doing the Denon 103 thing wants one, or one of lesser mass, pm me.

Hope you dont mind me posting a pic of your plate Neil.

As i suspected 4mm with 12g mass is a bit much, unless you have one of the 3 pieces of the C/W made heavier, but i will let yomanzi tell you about that

Other than to say he`s going to get sorted with some serious mass as he is keeping the plate on, and reported back its a big improvement with the stripped down and plated 103 C/W loaded with blue tac untill the heavier piece comes

I`m getting some 2mm plate for those less enthusiastic about that much mass

[Marco]

Excellent stuff, John. Make sure Mike sees these pics by posting them on his 'Slow Birth of a Phono Stage' thread in the D.I.Y room.

I think he should get one made for the AT-33PTG to use in his Hadcock, but one of the lower mass options.

Marco.