Oracle Delphi mkI tweaks

this is a great 'table, imho, especially for the money. if ya awreddy got the springs upgraded to mkv specs, i'd recommend doing the counterweight & the bearing mod also - then ya got a regulation oracle mk-v - all except for the motor/power-supply. here, i'd recommend the origin-live motor & p/s - an absolute steal for the money. buy it direct from england for the best price - it should be ~$400. dunno the cost for the other oracle mods - i had mine all done-up at once when i bought my oracle, & i don't remember the total cost of the mods. i tink $400 covered the springs/bearing/counterweight, but i also tink i got a good deal cuz i bought it from a shop in quebec, where oracle is located.

the alphason arm is a good arm, but i dunno how it holds up w/the latest arms. i'd imagine a rewire wood be a cost-effective tweek to make it competitive w/today's best, if its bearing are still in good shape.

good luck, yule enjoy this 'table! :>) doug s.

sedond, thanks. i had been thinking of the origin live motor. can you offer some thoughts on the sonic differences i might achieve if i use it? are we talking wow? whoo-hooo! Whoopeeee! ai chihuahua!! or what?
bless you, baby

Kublakhan; The original Mk-1 Oracle tt was a very musical table. It wiped out all the competition when first issued(including the Linn, but not in the bass). The only competition it had was the Goldmund Studio TT, which got more music off the LP. I still preferred the Oracle'.s tonal balance and airy 3D presentation. The Mk III, Randy will tell you, was the best balanced as the MK 4 lost all the warmth and became analytical. The new one I have not heard. There was a magic to the first one though. It made your LPs sound so musical you did'nt want to stop listening.
Early versions of Mk-1 were supplied with a 2 piece balancing counterweight that made all the springs ride up and down in perfect time. I had mine so perfect that I could bounce the entire subchassis during play( about 2 inches peak to peak!!!!) without the needle skipping. I later abandoned the Oracles for Well Tempered designs but I do miss some of the early Oracle magic. Brooks was a real good Oracle man, but I wouldn't stray too far from the original design. BTW I purchased the Goldmund mat and did NOT like the sound as much as the gummy Oracle supplied mat. If you need a new Oracle mat, E mail me and I'll send you one. I have 3 sealed ones in the closet. Good luck.......Frank

kubla, no, the o-l motor-p/s was *not* a "whoo-hooo! Whoopeeee! ai chihuahua!!" kind of an upgrade. ;~) more subtle, for sure, but still worthwhile, none-the-less. better pitch definition, quieter background. i tink it was worth the money, especially seeing that the original motor is ~20 years old, and mine was quite noisy - who knows how much longer it wooda held-out.

re: "whoo-hooo! Whoopeeee! ai chihuahua!!" - if yu've not experienced this quality analog in yer home system, or are only listening to digital, even in the form ya have now, i predict ewe *will* get this type of reaction from the rig yust as it is. this was definitely *my* reaction when i 1st hooked-up my oracle, even w/the grace 727 tone-arm, which wasn't really well-suited to my 11-gram ortofon cartridge. :>) (i'm now using the o-l modded rega rb-250). my prewious 'table, a highly-modified cj walker cj-55, w/a re-wired sumiko premier ft3 arm, was no slouch in its own right, but the oracle blew it away... and, to be honest, even if it dint, i'd have been happy (as long as it wasn't *worse*!), yust cuz it's so cool-looking, & i've always wanted one, since i 1st saw one when they came out. the fact that it *did* make such a staggering improvement was *way* cool - someting that even amazed the wife... ;~)

happy listening, doug s.

ps - i dunno anyting about the goldmund mat/clamp; i got the upgrade oracle mat also, when i 1st bought the 'table...

I lusted for a Delphi IV for many years before I took the plunge and I've loved every moment it's been in my system. I'm now using a Lehmann Black Cube phono stage with Synergistic Research AC Master Coupler power cord, and I like what it does in my set-up. You may want to consider the Cube in your search for a step-up. I've seen some of the older Delphi's but never had a chance to listen to them critically, Jacques Riendeau insisted the 'tables evolved over time and continued to improve with each new iteration. Not surprised, I suppose they believed in all the changes they made along the way, or wouldn't have introduced them. I've seen and heard the new Delphi V, awesome 'table but more than a little pricey. A year ago I dropped into one of my favourite audio salons here in Montreal, and lo and behold, there was an Oracle Alexandria for $300! Like your table, it was in terrific shape but could benefit from a check-up. I took it to Oracle, and they did a wonderful job tweaking and tuning the table for a reasonable price. Long winded way of pointing out that it may be worth considering sending your table to the good folks in Sherbrooke. They'll recommend mods/upgrades, you can pick and choose which you'd like to have them do. I certainly agree with Doug, well worth keeping your 'table! Jeff