Jason's Techy T/T blog and the arrival of the Jelco 'big boy' c/w

[jonners]

Some recent updates on my rig:
1. I scrapped my Sumiko & Al spacer/weight combo and picked up a Audio Technica LH-18 headshell. This is a no brainer if you're using a Denon 103 on a Technics 1210. The headshell is great and cartridge alignment is automatic with the threaded holes.

Today I received the LH-18 that I bought from Marco (thanks for the fast delivery, M.) I totally agree with Jason and Marco that it's a great upgrade. When you say cartridge alignment is 'automatic', Jason, you presumably mean that the threaded holes ensure that the cart is square in the headshell? To and fro alignment can still be adjusted as necessary by moving the shell in relation to the connector housing.

I'm using a rosewood spacer 4mm thick and I've added mass to the counterweight by wrapping lead strip around it. The lead is 2cm wide and 0.4mm thick, with a sticky backing. It does the job well.

I've also got my newly-arrived Newcomb TR-91 transformers installed. I haven't found much about these on the net, but one or two people seem to reckon them. I had to do a bit of rewiring so that I could use the 200 ohm inputs instead of the 50 ohm, and I had to change the earthing arrangements to eliminate hum. The sound I'm getting with these is excellent, and I can quite see why many folks favour using transformers with the DL-103.

[jakwb]

Hi John,
Yes, I love the pre-threaded holes. I installed my Jelco tonearm over the weekend and have some updates to share later.

Quick one though - I quickly realized I needed a spacer with the 103 on the AT LH-18 and fashioned a crude one out of oak wood - about 3mm thick. Sounds like you did something similar John. Do you have any pics of your set up? Or pics of how you modified the counterweight?

I devised another inexpensive home fix for that one that lets the counterweight ride closer to the pivot. Do you know what a steel shaft coupling w/ fixed nut is? I screwed one onto the back of the tonearm like an aux counterweight and now my stock counterweight isn't all the way at the end of the arm.

By the way,I did check out the pics of your Rosewood armboard. It is quite nice. I admire that kind of woodworking talent. Wish I had the skill.

Jason

[Marco]

Today I received the LH-18 that I bought from Marco (thanks for the fast delivery, M.) I totally agree with Jason and Marco that it's a great upgrade.

Hi John,

No worries mate. I try to be as efficient as possible: customer service, and all that. I guess it's a discipline that comes from running your own business

Regarding counterweight balances and the Jelco SA-750D, I would urge anyone using a 103 in a heavy headshell (LH-18 or 'weighted' standard headshell) to invest in the new 'big boy' Jelco counterweights. These (once reversed onto the back of the arm tube) allow the c/w to be positioned almost right up against the bearing (pivot point), when optimal VTA of 2.7g has been achieved, thus reducing inertia and making for a pretty big sonic improvement.

You might think that your DL-103 sounds great at the moment in a heavy headshell on an SA-750D with the stock counterweight balance teetering on the end of the arm tube, *BUT* I can assure you that you're probably only realising 85% of the potential of the cartridge. Installing one of the new heavyweight c/ws adds solidity and authority to the sound, with bass gaining significantly in terms of depth and weight - honestly, it's not like the 103 is lacking in that area, but with the heavyweight c/w in place it's as if another octave of extension has been added, and the increased bass weight is as tight, tuneful and rhythmic as ever with an optimised 103! The bigger counterweight also makes the arm look rather more 'grown-up' and sexy.

Form a queue now to Dave's website, folks, as this one is a total no-brainer

With regards to spacers/'cartridge stabilisers', I'd say that in terms of thickness, 3-4mm of brass metal is about right (lighter materials will obviously need to be thicker in order to provide sufficient extra mass) as this should give significantly more flexibility with VTA and also enough added mass to 'bolster' the stock headshell on most tonearms (even when a Sumiko is used, which is identical to the stock headshell on an SA-750D). Be careful, however, that you don't overdo the mass, as any more than a maximum of 20g (including cartridge leads and fixings) is liable to make the sound 'thick' and overblown, rather like the effect of dialling in too much VTF.

Anyone adding spacers to an LH-18 should bear this in mind especially, as there is already 18g in place without cartridge leads and screws, so I would recommend that the screws used are as light as possible to keep the added mass to a minimum when adding spacers, which really should be made from plastic or as light a material as is available.

Marco.

[jonners]

Hi Jason

Here's a pic showing the modified counterweight. As you can see, the lead strip is wound concentrically round the weight. The strip is 2cm wide, which happens to match the length of the weight. It's necessary to set vtf with a balance now of course, since the calibrated dial won't be accurate.

[Marco]

That's a good idea, John - like it!

Where's a good place to buy the lead strip?

Marco.

[jonners]

That's a good idea, John - like it!

Where's a good place to buy the lead strip?

Marco.

"Lead flashing for dolls' houses", would you believe! http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Lead-Flashing-...742.m153.l1262

[Marco]

Nice one - I'm sure that'll be of use to people

It certainly provides an inexpensive, if less elegant, solution to those needing the extra mass of the larger and heavier Jelco counterweight balance.

The other thing I would recommend to people is the sonic and adjustability benefits (in terms of VTA) of fitting Dave's new bespoke arm plates for the Jelcos. These are made in Germany and are built to a very high standard to match the finish of Technics SL decks - either the silver SL-1200 or black SL-1210.

Not only do they look fabulous, adding rigidity by creating a firmer platform to which the arm base is fixed (and I suspect lowering vibration transmitted into the main part of the arm as a result), but it also improves the sound quite markedly, as the base of the arm plate also sits lower into the recess of the deck, thus allowing the arm itself overall to be lowered by a significant margin, facilitating more accurate adjustment of VTA, and obviating the need for headshell spacers when using a DL-103.

All of this (including the addition of the Jelco heavy counterweight) I've had carried out recently by Dave and it has noticeably improved the performance of my 1210, along with another little device*.

After experimenting quite extensively recently with headshell spacers/weights with a combination of headshells and my DL-103SA on the SA-750D I have found that the best sound is obtained by fitting Dave's new arm plate (or if one similar can be made via D.I.Y), which allows the arm to sit lower in the deck, facilitating the accurate setting of VTA, together with a suitably heavy headshell (17-18g as standard) with no added spacers/weights fitted on the headhell and the cartridge firmly coupled (but not over-tightened) to the headshell. In my system at least, headshell spacers degrade the sound, possibly through adding resonance and/or creating a 'lossy' form of coupling, providing of course one can add the necessary extra mass (and achieve correct VTA) by using a suitably heavy headshell and appropriate arm plate without the need for adding headshell weights.

It's similar to the effect gained by using only one (good) mat on the 1210, rather than a series of mats (say an SDS Isoplatmat and a Herbie's) - the Herbie's (or Dave's) mat alone works much better due to a firmer coupling of the mat to the platter (and the record to both), and so it is similarly with a cartridge and headshell. As always though, this may be system and/or set-up dependant so it's one to suck and see, however results and experience suggests that it is probably the way to go where possible.

*The Time-Step PSU (yes, I've now done the comparison and in my system the TS outperforms the KAB - see separate review later)

Marco.

P.S I'll move some of these posts to a dedicated thread in Analogue Art later.

[jakwb]

the base of the arm plate also sits lower into the recess of the deck, thus allowing the arm itself overall to be lowered by a significant margin, facilitating more accurate adjustment of VTA, and obviating the need for headshell spacers when using a DL-103.

Hi Marco,
I am using Dave's arm plate and agree that is fantastic. It fits perfectly and provides a very secure mounting for the Jelco. Regarding the VTA however, I was having an issue using my 103 in LH-18 with out a spacer.
I used this combination in my stock Technics arm and the back of the headshell would only be a few mm above the record surface but this was never an issue unless the record was very warped.

When I put the combo (w/o spacer) on the Jelco arm, the arm was riding so low that it was rubbing on the arm rest and the arm does sit lower so the back of the headshell was virtually touching the record surface. That's why I added the spacer.
I am puzzled about how to get the VTA correct and use a 103 w/o spacer on a headshell like the LH-18.

Also, thanks for confirming that Dave does sell a heavier counterweight that fits the SA750. I thought I saw one on his website.

Thanks
Jason

[Dave Cawley]

The arm rest is adjustable, but the LH-18 rides too low in any arm, hence my solution that gives a total of 20gm mass with the standard headshell





Regards

Dave

[jakwb]

Hi Dave,
What is the mass of your Cu spacer? 6grams?

I have found that issue with AT headshell. I know I didn't need anymore mass, so I made a spacer from wood. It weighs under 2 grams.

Does a spacer have any impact on the sound of the 103? For example, does a Cu one sound different than Al or wood?

Jason