You are not the first. But you'll have to check over to Lenco Heaven. There seems to have been some issues with the rubber o-ring on the AS Lenco wheel according to some posts from a few years ago. So make sure to ask Simone at AS for the silicone ring.
New idler for Garrard 401
I fitted the AudioSilente idler wheel to my Garrard 401 last night. It took 2 days to get to the East Coast from Italy. $106 inc. shipping. Took 3 mins to fit. Cleaned with alcohol. Oiled both bushes. Home-made packaging is pretty lame. I listened to a few sides before I swapped it in. Alberta Hunter Blues Serenaders live in Chicago 1961 and The New Black Eagle Jazz Band live in Boston 1981. Both great recordings with lots of audience vibe. The 401 has slightly recessed highs with cymbals not as lit up as I’d like. Not anymore. As some (@dover) have noted, it is not only more detailed, there is a noteable improvement in the coherence of the structure of the music. Playing those albums again with the new idler was ridiculous. I thought I’d put on the wrong side! Wider soundstage. Venue size cues revealed themselves. Morgana King is singing to /me/ whereas before I didn’t exist.
Those who have compared idlers with a nice LP12 and hankered after a little of that sublime delicacy that can be a little absent from a Garrard need look no further. I am not kidding. This is a substancial improvement in the portrayal of music. Extended highs that fade forever into silence. Bass is cleaner too -clearing away some mid bass bloom. Then I remembered I hadn’t checked the speed, and it did sound faster. Nope. Perfect. One other thing; surface noise is reduced by an order. Friends, if you have a 301/401 with a perfect rubber wheel, drop everything and buy this idler wheel. It literally changes everything.
Those who have compared idlers with a nice LP12 and hankered after a little of that sublime delicacy that can be a little absent from a Garrard need look no further. I am not kidding. This is a substancial improvement in the portrayal of music. Extended highs that fade forever into silence. Bass is cleaner too -clearing away some mid bass bloom. Then I remembered I hadn’t checked the speed, and it did sound faster. Nope. Perfect. One other thing; surface noise is reduced by an order. Friends, if you have a 301/401 with a perfect rubber wheel, drop everything and buy this idler wheel. It literally changes everything.
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- 18 posts total
If you have an older idler, they can be refurbished by Russell Industries for about $40.00. They do an excellent job and can also refurbish capstan idlers for Ampex and other tape machines. They bought out the old Projector-Recorder Belt Company which used to do this decades ago. http://www.russellind.com/ |
cracker 63 I have to say that the Artisan Fidelity wheel looks almost identical to AudioSilente! Big difference between these idler wheels! Artisan Fidelity's Garrard 301 idler wheel is made from a machined, non magnetic solid stainless steel hub with a permanently molded and bonded outside rubber edge, then cnc ground. Whereas the Audiosilente consists of plain aluminum with a square surface ground rubber outside ring, which I believe is removable, but cannot recall offhand with certainty. |
- 18 posts total