Eminent Technology ET-2 Tonearm Owners



Where are you? What mods have you done ?

I have been using these ET2's for over 9 years now.
I am still figuring them out and learning from them. They can be modified in so many ways. Bruce Thigpen laid down the GENIUS behind this tonearm over 20 years ago. Some of you have owned them for over 20 years !

Tell us your secrets.

New owners – what questions do you have ?

We may even be able to coax Bruce to post here. :^)

There are so many modifications that can be done.

Dressing of the wire with this arm is critical to get optimum sonics along with proper counterweight setup.

Let me start it off.

Please tell us what you have found to be the best wire for the ET-2 tonearm ? One that is pliable/doesn’t crink or curl. Whats the best way of dressing it so it doesn’t impact the arm. Through the spindle - Over the manifold - Below manifold ? What have you come up with ?
128x128ct0517
On the base ET2 the end cap clearly overlaps the skinnier spindle.

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Eminent-Technology-2-Tonearm-/321252202495?ssPageName=ADME:B:WNA:CA:3160

The overlap of the end cap on the spindle can be clearly seen in the second picture of this ebay ad.
Not affiliated with the ad.
Harold-not-the-barrel -
The ET-2 is another very interesting tone arm though.

Harold-not-the-barrel - my thoughts exactly over 10 years ago, and still today.
Welcome to the thread. Is there a story behind your moniker ?
Cheers Chris
Dlcockrum PS: I also have a nice stable of MMs: Empire 4000D/III, Signet TK-7LCa, Sonus Gold Blue, Micro Acoustics 530mp and 2002e, Astatic MF200, ADC XLM II Improved, and Shure V15 Type III MR. I read that some of you have liked the Empire with the ET Two. Is that still your opinion? What about the others?

A really nice set of cartridges Dave. You will want to hear them all over again with the HP manifold.

When you are up and running with it let me know if you would also like to experience the "420str". I can loan it to you for a few months.

For everyone on this thread.
I am very glad that Banquo363 decided to chime in here.
You see it was Banquo's personal 420str that he donated.... Bruce received, listened to and provided his review of here...
I am just the holder of it for the moment.

Cheers
Hello Harold, I hope some day to compare an ET to my Trans-Fi-- maybe when I find space to set up the VPI TNT and Kenwood L-07D side by side. Squeezing two linear arms onto one turntable wouldn't leave space for an LP...
Dave/Frogman -
Interesting your comments on going back to the aluminium arm with MM's.
With my aluminium arm I removed the heat shrink and internal foam. This yielded a lighter sound, but cleaner, clearer and less smear with both high and low compliance cartridges -Shure V15Vmr/Denon 103/Carnegie/Koetsu Black.

I also removed the soft teflon from the headshell and epoxied in a piece of carbon fiber. If you dont mind butchering your arm tube a little all you do is prise open the end, the teflon will pull straight out if you can get a good grip on it with some long nose pliers. Then just cut and insert the carbon fiber with epoxy and clamp the headshell up in a vice.

In my view with the low compliance cartridges tweaking the spring counterweight set up is plenty sufficient to get the optimum without having to add mass to the arm tube. I had no tracking problems with low compliance cartirdges in my lightened aluminium armtube. Follow the instructions on counterweight position, ie low mass further out and tuning.

When you go to 2 or 3 springs you are increasing the mechanical coupling of the mass of the counterweight and the cartridge sees more horizontal mass. I still prefer decoupling the spring by loosening the end cap and using teflon wedges to dampen the swinging counterweight motion even with low compliance cartridges.

Frogman you reported hearing more bass notes when you loosened the end cap off. Any update on this ?