Eminent Technology ET-2 Tonearm Owners

Hello fellow ET2 enthusiasts. Been a while and I hope everyone is well. Just wanted to share some very preliminary impressions of a cartridge that I have had sitting, new in the box for a few months. I know some of you follow and/or contribute to Raul's MM mega-thread. Several months ago, there was some buzz around a new-found source for the NOS Acutex 420STR. Well, I bit and bought one from the overseas vendor.

After only a few hours of play I can tell you that this is a great cartridge for the ET2. I know some other recent purchasers, while acknowledging that it is very good, were somewhat lukewarm about it overall. Perhaps
synergy plays a major role here, but I can tell you that it is a fantastically dynamic and alive sounding cartridge, with the best bass that I have yet heard from my ET. When I say best I don't mean just quantity. The bass is very powerful, and very tuneful. One of the few criticisms I have had of the ET is bass with a slight softness and lack of definition compared to a good pivoting arm. The bass now sounds as part of the same musical fabric as the rest of the frequency range. It is not a "beautiful" sounding cartridge. It is very direct sounding, with outstanding dynamic gradations,
and fine sound staging. Just wanted to share in case you come across one.

More to follow....

Hi Frogman – that 420str is a very interesting cartridge.
“It is not a "beautiful" sounding cartridge. It is very direct sounding, with outstanding dynamic gradations, and fine sound staging.”
Yes I had a similar experience. In fact when I had it on the ET2 last year, if I can remember right it forced me to move by listening chair a few feet back from the nearfield position. Did you find the angle of mounting to the ET2 armtube odd ? not much clearance for the top two cartridge clips ? Which version I Beam are you using with it – single, double or your own wooden one ?

Bass is subjective like everything else in this hobby. Personally I don’t have any issues with bass on the ET2 setups. This has been verified for me with my Studer 807. The technique I use.
I start the tape and lp going – they are within a couple of seconds of each other. All I do is switch the input back and forth on the dial and can instantly hear the differences between the two mediums playing in my room. The ET2 does “really well” against the tape - in my room. I have my own personal thoughts on the LF “bump” provided by pivots. I also have some info of Bruce’s analysis on the testing he did of pivot arms some years back – if you are interested in it I can email it to u.

Hi Chris, I agree; bass quality can be a very subjective thing. I think you know how I feel about the ET2's excellence; bass included. But I am not talking about a lack in the quantity of the bass with the ET2; it is excellent by any measure. IN MY SYSTEM, the ET's bass can sound just a little bit diffuse (even with the high-pressure pump/manifold) and a little "soft". Over the years that I have used the ET2, I have also used several good pivoting arms including the SME V, Theta, and SyrinxPU3 (which I still own). None performed as well as my ET2 overall, and I agree that they can (particualrly the SME) provide an unwanted bass "bump". The only area where they had any advantage was in being able to provide bass detail of the kind one expects in the midrange; the ability to clearly hear inner texture in bass notes, and clarity of the bass notes themselves in the musical (harmonic) context. A minor issue, but real in my experience. Anyway, I have been surprised by the Acutex's ability to provide bass
quality reminescent of that of the pivoting arms. The bass is tuneful and very speedy, like a good MC. I find the overall sound a little bit dry ("not a beautiful sounding cartridge"), but it only has a few hours of play, and I suspect that it will improve with time. BTW, I am using the double leaf spring. I haven't tried the others yet.

Regards.

Well Frogman – I wasn’t “multi-springing” wth the ET2 back when listening to the 420str last year.
So am looking forward to your tweaking recommendations on it once you have had a chance to spend more time with it. Chris

Frogman,

I would love to see a pic of your wiring setup? I recently acquired an ET-2 on a Sota Sapphire. My wire is a bit worse for wear and appears to have bathed in the damping trough at some point too... I am looking for an upgrade and am intrigued by your description and experiences.

Thanks!