What to do with a TT2?

[surayne]

I was lucky enough to pick up a Heybrook TT2 recently and am pretty impressed so far, it's giving my P3-24 a run for it's money! It only has a Linn K9 on the end of a Basik Plus tonearm, and I was wondering if anyone had thoughts on what I should look to tweak first.

Apparently the Basik Plus won't work well with MC carts, so transferring my Denon DL-160 from the Rega isn't an option. Should I keep the Basik Plus and opt for a good MM cartridge? What would work well? My phono stage is a Trichord Dino.

Or should I look to change the tonearm altogether? I'd be spending around £250 or so for the tonearm, so an Ittok or similar is probably out of reach - I would be looking for something used. I've thought about modded Regas, Jelco or older SME arms; I'd then use the DL160 to start with.

[sq225917]

Speak to Guy, (Puresound). he used to work for them and purchased all their inventory when they closed. He knows the decks inside out- and His SME V with Koetsu Black sounds stunning on his TT2

[Stratmangler]

The DL-160 was supplied originally with a metal headshell weight for use on lower mass arms.
The weight fits between the cartridge and the headshell, so it acts as a spacer too.

[YNWaN]

Sq's advice to contact Guy is spot on; Guy is a great chap, very genuine.

One thing worth knowing is whether your Heybrook is one of the early ones with a welded steel chassis or the later cast aluminium chassis - take the base of and have a look.

[surayne]

Thanks chaps, I posted on another forum and Guy very kindly weighed in with some thoughts, I was just wondering if folks in these parts had any other suggestions. Would love an SME V and Koetsu black but I think I need both of my kidneys for the time being!

I did pop off the base and it looks like mine has the cast aluminium subchassis; the arm board is the longer, earlier version though, and there's no speed control. I may think about an external PSU at some point but it would seem sensible to sort the arm and cart out first.

[Macca]

I've used an MC on a Basik Plus with no problems at all (Goldring Eroica). According to my dealer at the time it would happily accept MCs from further up the range too. I've also tried Nagaoka (MP30) and Ortofon 540 Mk11 MM carts and could recommend either as good match. An A&R E77 was a bit thin sounding but still acceptable. I also tried a K9 but that sounded very thin although fast and fun (with the right recording) with it.

[YNWaN]

I would be temped to fit a Rega RB300 or 30l - get a new drive belt too

[DSJR]

The RB arms will need a new board made up as they're longer than the Linn. The Basik Plus will take suitable MC's but it's too light for many and we've been all round the houses on knackered counterweight inserts already recently for me to bang on yet again..

At the time, the basik Plus was around the £100 - £120 mark and this translates today to £250 to £300, or £600 in Linn money for the rather silly Akito, which promises to be summat it isn't - a serious upper middle priced tonearm - IMO of course.

Seriously, Guy is the main chap to take advice from since we're only bystanders in all honesty. If you can get a new board made up and if your deck has the superior (to me) cast sub-chassis, then the cheapest good arm to go for is the RB301, and get it re-wired professionally later on if desired.. An external decent power supply for the motor is a good idea too.

[shane]

My first choice would be a Rega. A lot of people are a bit sniffy about them but it's a good solid piece of engineering. Preferably one of the earlier ones without the plastic three-point mounting.

Alternatively, a unipivot like the Mayware would be worth a try, but best of all, an Alphason HR100s or Xenon would be a match made in heaven if you can find one underneath that pile of rocking-horse poo. Wouldn't need to change the armboard either.

You say that "apparently" the DL160 doesn't work in the Basik+. That may be true, but have you tried it? Don't believe everything you read on forums. Find out for yourself. If it sounds good, it is good.

Oh, and if you should by some remote chance come across a genuine Heybrook arm, avoid it like the plague. Some things are rare and desirable. Other things are rare because they're crap!

[The Grand Wazoo]

.............or £600 in Linn money for the rather silly Akito,

£600 for an Akito Dave? You must be kidding!
I posted something here well over a year ago pointing out exactly what you have done - the price then was about 900 quid but things have moved on a bit from there by now.
Take a look here if you want to know how to print money through tonearm sales.


..........found that old post. It was in 2008!!

In 1986 the LVX was £114 while an RB300 was £90.
The Akito, although a little better than the LVX (also made in Japan by the way), it's not by that much. The last time I looked it was just nudging £1000, while the RB300 is £188 today. I tried to find a price for an Akito just now, but I think Linn dealers must be too ashamed to publish this atrocity (and so they should be).