The Mike New Technics Bearing

[DSJR]

Talk about badge snobbery.......

[MartinT]

Blimey, if lusting after the products of one of the best engineering companies in the world is badge snobbery, sign me up!

[DSJR]

It is at their prices

I was informed by Rega that the RB300 bearings were at least as good as the SME V's ball-races/shafts and someone else said that the pipes were sent out on piece-work polishing etc...

I honestly bet that the Jelco's are as good, apart from the fact that they use a detachable headshell.........

There again, I'm probably wrong - I did rather admire the 309 when it was £500 or so!

[Dave Cawley]

The SME bearings have a higher ABEC rating. There is a very nice fixed headshell Jelco!!

Marco has just left, we had a great time, the Mike New bearing producing shed loads of über low and steady bass from the Kraftwerk Live LP's.

Regards

Dave

[MartinT]

I honestly bet that the Jelco's are as good, apart from the fact that they use a detachable headshell.........

My Jelco doesn't have a detachable headshell. I'm relying on memory here, so perhaps Dave C could comment on how the SME IV sounds compared with the Jelco SA250ST? Since I used the SME on a different turntable I can't be sure how they would compare on the Technics.

I do have a Michell TecnoArm(A) and an Ultracraft AC300 lying around, but I don't think either will outperform the Jelco.

[Ammonite Audio]

Marco has just left, we had a great time, the Mike New bearing producing shed loads of über low and steady bass from the Kraftwerk Live LP's.

Regards

Dave

And mine is producing similarly über low and steady bass too! I'm actually rather surprised at the extra bass extension, but very pleased that it is so well-defined. The double bass player on 'Walk on the wild side' could be in the room with me, such is the natural reproduction of string and body resonances. Fantastic!

CD is definitely off the menu for a while.

[YNWaN]

Hi YNWaN,
I have only just joined this forum on the reccomendation of a happy bearing user, I did not know about it before!! So hello everyone and I am encouraged to read that you all seem to be experiencing the ideals that I set when I designed and machined up the first protoype.
I do however have one observation/comment regarding drag.
I did not specifically design any degree of drag into the bearing Per Se, rather it is a function of the extremely close fit between the spindle and the honed "oilite" bearing bush, less than 0.008 mm The oil used is very thin, but still the viscous friction in such a very small clearance causes the very smooth tight feel.

Hi Mike .

I'm afraid the only experience I have of your bearing is holding one in my hand. However, I thought it was worth saying that I thought it was nicely done . After all, it can seem as if the only people who praise a product own it or sell it (neither are entirely objective).

I did wonder if the drag was entirely caused by the close tolerance of the bearing - I have encountered such before. As you say, even low viscosity oils can provide surprisingly high levels of drag if the tolerances are close enough.

It is interesting that the bearing drag was not a specific intention as, whether by intention or not, I suspect that it does impact upon the efficacy of the design as a whole. Anyway, many thanks for the clarification - very interesting

[DSJR]

I was told some years ago by a friend in engineering that higher spec ABEC bearings were only a few quid difference - around a tenner at the time, probably fifteen quid now..

I loved using the 309 and series V though. The M-2 series are apparently very good too for most purposes. Remember, the series V has been out since the mid eighties at least and tooling costs should have been written off many years ago. What's left is pure profit I reckon..

[Dave Cawley]

higher spec ABEC bearings were only a few quid difference - around a tenner at the time

And when the trade price of a Rega arm is £65.00 ............

Dave

[DSJR]

Not that long ago Dave.

Gawd, I'm getting more like Richard Dunn every day (apart from unkind comments on one of his favourite cartridges).

I must have a brain malfunction to go with the 'lurgy.......