Eminent Technology ET-2 Tonearm Owners

@ct0517

I built and using the Siegfried Linkwitz’ LX mini + 2 speakers

https://www.linkwitzlab.com/LXmini/LXmini+2.htm

Siegfried and Nelson Pass (Pass Labs / PassWorks) collaborated and designed an active analog JFET crossover for the this specific system (neighbors in NorCal). Fun build.

https://www.magiclx521.com/epages/17940394.sf/en_GB/?ObjectPath=/Shops/17940394/Products/%22ASP%20mi...

I was a 30 plus year fan of bipolar speakers (Acoustats, Magnaplanar II’s and Tympani’s). I stumbled upon the Linkwitz/Pass collaboration at the San Francisco Burning Amp about 4 years ago. These were also a fun build...and now my final speakers for my lifetime. 

System to drive the LX Mini + 2 system:

Sota --> Wavestream Kinetics phono tube preamp --> Wavestream Kinetics tube line --> Pass crossover

Pass crossover output 1 (full range) to MFA 200c tube mono amps --> LX mini Seas full range speaker

Pass crossover output 2 (woofer) to Audio Research SS --> LX mini Seas woofer

Pass crossover output 3 (sub woofer) to Audio Research SS --> LX subs (Seas)

@stuogawa

Really cool speakers and kit. Congrats
Whenever I put my own time and skills into building and modding components there is always a tendency to want to keep, hang on to those components. There is a pride element with the B&W Electrostatic Speakers I restored last year. I have real problems with speakers. Tonearms are easy there is only one. 8^0
Speakers are like boats to me. Never met a speaker I didn’t like, and could not make work in a room, given freedom in the room. If I stay in a room long enough a system usually ends up in there and speakers take up the most space. Your speaker design is very attractive from this point of view. Case in point, I am having a hell of a time trying to sell some custom Acoustat Model 3’s. I have multiple rooms, multiple speakers, and I am going to one large room. Not really an environment to have people audition the sale of speakers. 8^0 And the records ? I tried trimming some by offering lots for sale. From an interest point of view, one would think I was selling some disease. Unless the records are rock, pop, funk, punk, metal.....
Cheers Chris

Hello all,
Long time away.  I’m about to wander off topic again.  Awhile back I picked up a Denon DL-103M cartridge which I understand many consider the best of the 103 series.  In any event I wasted no time shipping it out to Andy Kim at the Record Doctor.  Andy installed his recommended “upgrade” which I believe was boron cantilever and hyper elliptical stylus.  When I got it back I thought it sounded quite “nice” on the VPI, ET-2 and Garrard 301, Ortofon rigs but nothing to really crow about.   Well, recently I was given a Denon DP-61f turntable in impeccable condition.  (Yep, that’s right, a mid-fi, fully automatic table with adjustable Q no less.). In short order I installed the Denon cartridge and sat back prepared to hear some nice mid-fi music.  Wow, was I surprised.  I’m not sure what’s causing it unless it is just a great symmetry between a Denon table and a Denon cartridge but it is giving my much more expensive rigs a run for their money.  Lots of prat, quite detailed but not harsh and extended on both ends.  A fun 

Considering taking the plunge on a London Decca Super Gold for my ET-2. Was there a consensus about the viability of the current version (SG3) using them with the stock ET-2 aluminum wand tonearm without having a dampening trough?

I'm generally playing VG to VG+ used jazz, country and soul records.  Not beaters, but definitely not pristine audiophile records.  My current Nagaoka MP-110 (which I guess is known as a slightly above average tracker?) tracks just fine.

I also don’t have the ET-provided cartridge alignment card. Given how low the cartridge body rides how hard is it to get the cartridge alignment set? I currently use an old record that I’ve etched aline down from the spindle hole to the outer edge as a guide and it’s difficult to set with my old eyes.

IMO, it's worth the cost to get a DB System alignment gauge for the ET. May be able to print something off of www.vinylengine.com