Eminent Technology ET-2 Tonearm Owners

09-09-15: Bdp24
The discussion of a musician's sense of time brings to mind a singer whose timing drives me nuts, and you hear him at many audio shows---Willie Nelson. I don't mind a singer having flexible or elastic phrasing (pulling ahead of or falling behind the pulse of the band), but he jumps so far far ahead it creates anxiety!

By the way, when you hear a recording in which the drummer (or entire rhythm section) seems to be dragging, it's not necessarily of his/their doing. In doing session work, I have found many singers to have trouble "waiting" for the beat coming towards them while over-dubbing vocals to previously recorded backing tracks, and end up "rushing". Don't blame the drummer!

Bdp24 - welcome to the thread.
Could this be a case of some singer "beat deafness", or maybe "weed" influence ?
This could be fun if you could point to some youtube examples that illustrate this?

if I may ask; So as a drummer, has it been your personal experience that the "beat" guys get the best chicks ?

Good to have another back row guy here to balance out things. :^)

Cheers

Hi Chris, BTW the pressurized air bottle is true. :-)
I forgot to answer an earlier question of yours: I prefer to use less counterweights farther out on the I-beam. I prefer it because this way the center of gravity of the arm is more centered along the bearing, and because I have less lever forces on my semi-springed subchassis. It helps to float the arm better across it's way.
It also reduces the maximum lateral mass, effective at "DC", below the resonance frequencies of arm/bearing and I-beam/counterweight.
Less counterweights farther out in effect tunes the I-beam / leaf spring resonance lower down. In the end, this is a more important aspect than the leaf or counterweight looked at separately I think.
I went through many such tests during the 80's and beginning of nineties, taking some of them up in the last years.
I didn't like the single leaf springs with my medium to low compliance cartridges, I preferred the double spring ones - I don't think I have a triple leaf I-beam.
There is another aspect of the I-beam, which is critical / sub-optimal: The weights are not centered around the I-beam, ie. it exerts an offset torsional force on the leaf. This means that any vertical movement of the arm activates a hidden torsional resonance, which slightly modulates tracking force. The vertical axis is the one axis, where you want *absolute* "true inertia", and as few resonant modes as possible, including arm resonances, as it affects the critical downforce.
My feeling is that the stiffer beams control this aspect better than the single leaf beam.
I always preferred the I-beam leaf with a bit more damping than originally provided, using BluTak.

For balancing I move two Blue-Tak "saddles" along the I-beam, and the arm lever extension, to keep lateral forces equilibrated.

My ET2, now with ET 2.5 bearing is an early one. I ordered the bearing for around 0.8 bar (ca. 11 psi) and it still runs OK with ca. 3 psi. Though below ca. 6 psi things go audibly downward, the magic disappearing somehow. In fact the ET 2.5 has "simply" more surface and is therefore already stiffer, but the price is a higher lateral mass, probably 10g more.
Sending the arm from Switzerland to the US - and parting from it - would probably affect my sleep... not in the best way. :-) It works good enough... I'm Just checking lateral balance after adjusting the VTA.

Excellent post Pegasus.

Pegasus
I prefer to use less counterweights farther out on the I-beam. I prefer it because this way the center of gravity of the arm is more centered along the bearing, and because I have less lever forces on my semi-springed subchassis. It helps to float the arm better across it's way.

Check mark.

This is ET 2 - Base 101 SETUP from the manual and IMO has to be the most messed up part of the setup from Audiophiles and especially Professional Reviewers who DO NOT read the manual. (Arthur Salvatore are you reading this ?)
I actually years ago; to see what would happen made up some extra lead weights and loaded up the arm counterweight HEAVY closest the spindle to see what would happen. You can't hurt anything but you may bottom out the spindle on the far side. At one point I seem to recall it sounding like a train coming through the room. Can you imagine Audiophiles loading up the I Beam and with a single leaf spring and playing an eccentric record. Like loading up the car vehicle for that vacation in the mountains! Hmmmm...Why doesn't my bass sound right ?

BTW before I attempted the above, I consulted with Bruce and he told me - Go for it !
So I could learn. Well I learned. I now keep my weights on the tip of the pirate plank.

Pegasus
It also reduces the maximum lateral mass, effective at "DC", below the resonance frequencies of arm/bearing and I-beam/counterweight.

Reducing lateral mass equates to increases in the Vertical Mass = Best Bass in my room.

Newer ET2'ers can think of the teeter totter again. If you weigh 50 units (cartridge) and your friend weighs 70 units (lead weights), your friend will need to sit closer to the middle to balance things. Teeter Totters are the MOST fun when both people are able to sit on the end seats.

The changing variable with the ET2 is the cartridge. As Pegasus indicated position as few lead weights as possible toward the highest number on the I Beam furthest out. If you find you are just missing the end and need to bring on more weight further in - change your cartridge screws. The weight distribution on the I Beam is that important to my hearing.

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Friends, unfortunately the days of cheap Timeters (make first bid - you win and pay $200 shipping) seem to be over.

Timeter Pump

Me thinks Ebay seller Macemedical has discovered this thread :^(

Frogman: Your response on 08-03-15...It seems that you've taken on the word "projects" as a metaphore for (our past correspondence). You seem, to replace the word "projects" for, (as you are saying, "change"? Is it not the same ideal?!

By the way.. I sent Steve McCormack samples of the same material I sent to you, (remember, after my initial contact, (privately), you agreed to my sending it... those terms were that you evaluate it and at some point return it). Later you seemed to have mis-read my initial terms! (His staff is very interested in it and requested more info). Some people are to be respected when they give their word/bond.

You haven't had the basic consideration of even trying to contact me regarding any impressions. Well, would you care to share now?

I will accept the return of that material if you'll be as willing to accept as you were to receive.

Frogman: It seems your "value" has increased since our (conflict). I'm O'k with this as long as you return the material I sent to you, (on my original terms). You then, have free rein to talk about me as you wish.