The Mike New Technics Bearing

[worrasf]

Thanks for the clarification Martin

[Andrei]

Do you mean physically, or it hasn't yielded improvements for you?

It has yielded no improvements. Installation went fine by following the instructions from Mike New and supplemented on Hi-Fi Pig (A forum member I think and a big thanks to him!). I've checked my installation and the bearing is sitting correctly. My provisional conclusion is that this is due to my existing bearing having serviced and/or being relatively new. It is still early(ish) days so I am going to give it more 'run-in' time. I can also check to see how long it spins by itself by switching the TT off and counting the revolutions it takes to stop. I am then going to re-install my original bearing and do the same test and also some listening.

[Mike_New]

Concerning the mounting of my Bearing.
Those of you who have fitted it (or have removed the old bearing for whatever purpose) may have noticed that there are 3 raised areas around the three screw holes. For improved total contact with the much larger flange of my Bearing, these raised ares can be removed and the whole mounting area made level with a flat file.
I have never mentioned this before (except in the case of fitting my Bearing Base Plate) because I was concerned that this action may cause the bearing to be too low and cause the outer edge of the platter to rub on the chassis.
However I believe that maybe I was too cautious, I will include the advice in the Installation Instructions if you believe it is the right thing to do.
Also having done this you can experiment with using a thin washer of material between the flange and the chassis which may produce interesting results.

[Mike_New]

Andrei,
I would suspect that you have other issues with your SL1200 which are masking the improvement, that my bearing obviously offers. (based on the reports of nearly 200 users). Have you checked the mounting of your arm for looseness? or even the verasity of your electronics?

[Andrei]

Andrei,
I would suspect that you have other issues with your SL1200 which are masking the improvement, that my bearing obviously offers. (based on the reports of nearly 200 users). Have you checked the mounting of your arm for looseness? or even the verasity of your electronics?

It is producing good results both before and after the bearing. It is just that I have heard no improvement. As mentioned I will re-install the old bearing and see how that goes. I'm going away for xmas so wont be doing anything major till then.

[worrasf]

Concerning the mounting of my Bearing.
Those of you who have fitted it (or have removed the old bearing for whatever purpose) may have noticed that there are 3 raised areas around the three screw holes. For improved total contact with the much larger flange of my Bearing, these raised ares can be removed and the whole mounting area made level with a flat file.
I have never mentioned this before (except in the case of fitting my Bearing Base Plate) because I was concerned that this action may cause the bearing to be too low and cause the outer edge of the platter to rub on the chassis.
However I believe that maybe I was too cautious, I will include the advice in the Installation Instructions if you believe it is the right thing to do.
Also having done this you can experiment with using a thin washer of material between the flange and the chassis which may produce interesting results.

Hi Mike
I hesitate to teach my grandmother etc etc but I'm not sure about this suggestion. I know for a fact that with your bearing fitted and with those 3 lugs still untouched the heads of the 3 thrust plate bolts are only a hairs breadth from the base of the bearing well. I know this because I tried using a silicone putty to seat the bearing in and on removing the cast the bolt heads had pierced the silicone but there was about a 1mm layer in the centre of the thrust plate. I'm now using KAB wax instead which is easier to mould and ensure the bearing is fully home. So I think removing the lugs will just result in the bearing being supported on the 3 bolt heads.

Steve

[Mike_New]

Hi Stephen,
Yea I cannot dissagree with you, you probably have one of the chassis with a slightly shallower well depth than the one I used as the guide when I decided on the bearing depth. which gave a clearance of about 3-4mm. One always has to allow for the 'worst case' situation.

[JazzBones]

HI Stephen/Worrasf,

When I first replaced the stock bearing with the MN I just did a straight swap out. I preferred this to the stock bearing, the deck itself was brand virginal new. Must mention here that I was still using the stock platter with copper mat at the time, subsequently replaced by the MN Ali/Cu bonded platter still in use today . At a later date I bought and installed the MN bearing base plate which Mike N had provided an additional three mounting holes so that the base plate could FIRST be bolted to the flange of the MN bearing and then this assembly secured to the chassis by five bolts as used by MartinT and Cable Maker on here I believe. After this had been accomplished the three new threaded screws (from MN) bolted both the bearing and B/plate down in the usual manner. MartinT had super Araldited his bearing assembly but as far as I am aware did not use the additional MN base plate to bearing flange bolts x 3 that I have used and mentioned herein. I completed this fixture by not using Araldite (if you go this adhesive route it is a permanent fixture as MartinT has outlined) but by using a breakable automotive gasket paste twix mating flanges of base plate and chassis pan this would allow me to disassemble the fixture if required. The KAB wax has interested me but will require the assembly I have achieved to be taken apart again... Herself would not welcome the idea of the dining room table been taken over again... she will never accept the fact that the said dining room table also doubles as my work bench!

Merry Xmas and 2014 everyone

PLEASE NOTE CAREFULLY!!! adding a MN bearing base plate requires accurate skill with drill and soft metal drill bits (MN instructs on these) and there is practically zilch leeway if you/anybody effs/stuffs this up!!! Skill/knowledge plus steady nerve is a requirement to do this fixture successfully but it has been done and I've probably over played this?

With all of MN's goodies and an recently final upgrade of outboard PSU I've come to journey's end with my 1210 and just sit back enjoy and marvel.

Somewhere on this forum CableMaker outlined his bearing plate assemble pictorially and our venerable Marco did so for me. Me and photobucket do notlike one another?

[worrasf]

Thanks for that Ron. I'm pretty comfy with drilling to tight tolerances but have decided to let the base plate pass me by. While I will never know for sure I reckon the added support and stability provided by the KAB wax is likely to be giving me a fair proportion of the benefits to be gained with a MN base plate - the improvement in bass articulation with the KAB wax was readily noticeable. I probably will go down the road of changing my Vantage Audio platter when funds permit but I really am undecided as to whether this will be the Funk or MN but I'm leaning towards the former which I understand has the more neutral presentation of the 2.

Steve

[MartinT]

MartinT had super Araldited his bearing assembly

Only the base plate is bonded to the chassis, the bearing itself is free to be removed!

I really am undecided as to whether this will be the Funk or MN but I'm leaning towards the former which I understand has the more neutral presentation of the 2.

Having compared them, I don't think I agree with this. The Funk has a mild upper-mid recess which the ETP does not have, making the latter the more neutral of the two, and certainly more detailed in the very important voice range.