Eminent Technology ET-2 Tonearm Owners

Hi Frogman

the Forsell is still packed in it's boxes. I hope to be able do a shootout between it and my TNT6/ET2 before too long; will keep you posted.

Exciting shootout ahead. Brings back memories for me. Please let us know how it goes.

Actually Frogman with your knowledge of the ET2; I selfishly would like for you (if you don’t mind :^) - to drill a very small hole (no big deal) in the Forsell and mount your ET2 on it if possible. Compare your ET2 to the Forsell tonearm - on its own home turf. Sort of like vinyls version of “mano a mano” ?
My ET2.5 reached new sonic levels with me once it went onto a table that does not require the thrust bearing. Bearing resonance is real and they (bearings) impart their sound on tables I have owned. Anyone that has tried different bearings and lubricants with their tables know this. Thicker lubricants slow and dull the the music; thinner oil makes it leaner but it loses texture. My JN Lenco bearing is self lubricating. So I was aware of the bearings impact on the sound; but it did not hit home to me until I used a table that had no bearing.
I am willing to bet 100 Canadian Loonies that the Forsell will forse (sic) you to convert the TNT to thread. :^)
Cheers

I may just do that; would be the only fair comparison of the two arms. Interesting comments re thrust bearings; makes complete sense. Re thread drive: I have no doubt its the way to go; just one of the many
unfinished projects and will definitely try it. BTW, spending most of the summer at our upstate place while I play at a couple of summer music festivals and finally had a chance to get the system up here up and running. Vintage Luxman DD has been showing the advantages of DD's pitch stability. But, boy do I miss the tonal qualities of my TNT/ET setup. Also, speed stability yes, but also a strange lack of rhythmic impetus; almost as if the music doesn't move forward the way it should. More tweaking is in order. Regards.

Frogman - I may just do that; would be the only fair comparison of the two arms

That is a review of impressions I would be willing to cough up some coin to read.

something a little different - I came across this.

The man behind this thread. Scroll down to the bottom for a picture of Bruce. His rotary woofer is the only loudspeaker in the world that can reproduce the sound of Niagara Falls accurately.

Falls Fury Rotary woofer

Interesting comments on the Terminator linear tracking arm from Dgarretson on the MM thread who has fabricated a lightweight carriage from carbon finer instead of aluminium....

08-16-13
The wand has dual front and rear counterweights for continuously adjustable vertical effective mass.
Total horizontal mass of arm, cradle, and carbon fiber sled is 45gm, and can be increased by weighting the air sled.
08-18-13:
I've tried it with as little as 35gm horizontal mass and as much as 100gm-- approximating the range of horizontal effective mass from ET to Kuzma airline. So far less horizontal mass sounds better in all instances. This does not hold true for vertical mass.

Just another reminder that the best place for adding lead mass is on the end of a fishing line. It has no place on the ET.

08-19-13: Dover
Interesting comments on the Terminator linear tracking arm from Dgarretson on the MM thread who has fabricated a lightweight carriage from carbon finer instead of aluminium....
08-16-13
The wand has dual front and rear counterweights for continuously adjustable vertical effective mass.
Total horizontal mass of arm, cradle, and carbon fiber sled is 45gm, and can be increased by weighting the air sled.
08-18-13:
I've tried it with as little as 35gm horizontal mass and as much as 100gm-- approximating the range of horizontal effective mass from ET to Kuzma airline. So far less horizontal mass sounds better in all instances. This does not hold true for vertical mass.

Interesting comments from DG as they relate to the Terminator arm. I have only seen pictures of it.

imo - it is not valid comparing the ET2, 2.5 and Kuzma Airline in this manner because although the later Kuzma resembles the ET2 in appearance their design objectives are as different as apples and oranges. This has been discussed here.

Some facts

The Kuzma Airline requires the wires and air tube for damping of the cantilever.
Through private Kuzma owner emails I have learned the Kuzma has difficulty with lower VTF and higher compliant cartridges.
Requires a heavier cartridge with a stiff cantilever. Any Airline owners disagree with this comment? I don't own it and the reason I ask.

The ET2 (2.5) in contrast can play a light high compliant (how about a sonus blue gold at .2gm) or an Acutex 4 series then turn around and play a stiff cantilever on a heavy MC.
The ET2, 2.5 requires neither the tubing or wiring for damping and tracks best with no wiring.

I know this because I use it this way (no wiring) now to level it and have had it track the record this way - once.
I say once because I haven't figured out how to get any sound when I run it this way.

again I ask - how do we make it wireless ?

Johnathan Carr, Peter Ledermann or another cartridge designer if you see this - this thread is at over 150,000 views.

Does anyone have any plans for a wireless cartridge ?
I will buy your beta cartridge even if it means putting in some kind of computer chip in my preamp.

C'mon Nobody likes wires anyway. They just get in the way.

Unless you can set the wires up like Frogman.

http://cgim.audiogon.com/i/vs/i/f/1366422461.jpg

Then we can call it Art.

I have no problem with that.

Remember when phones needed wires. My kids don't - they laugh when I tell them.

The ET2 also has VTA on the fly that doesn't change parameters like VTF.
Set your Airline at the highest and lowest setting and you'll notice your VTF has been altered.
This is an owner confirmed comment.

Does "any" other arm exist that does vta on the fly?
Same thickness records have included cut angles that are random from the different record plants.
How do you guys deal with this?

The ET2 can also be tuned for different compliance cartridges MC and MM.
Cheers