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To those with multiple tables/arms/cartridges

How do you 'play' your system?
For 30 years I had only one turntable, one arm and one cartridge......and it never entered my mind that there was an alternative?
After upgrading my turntable nearly 5 years ago to a Raven AC-3 which allowed easy mounting of up to four tonearms......I decided to add two arms.
RAVEN
A few years later I became interested in Direct Drive turntables and purchased a vintage 30 year old Victor/JVC TT-81 followed shortly after by the top-of-the-line TT-101 and I designed and had cast 3 solid bronze armpods which I had lacquered in gloss black.
TT-101
By this time I had over 30 cartridges (both LOMCs and MMs) all mounted in their own headshells for easy interchange.
STORAGE

Every day I listen to vinyl for 3-4 hours and might play with one cartridge on one arm on one table for this whole day or even two or three days.
I then might decide to change to a different arm and cartridge on a the same table or perhaps the other.....and listen to the last side I had just heard on the previous play.
I am invariably thrilled and excited by the small differences in presentation I am able to hear....and I perhaps listen to this combination for the next few days before again lusting after a particular arm or cartridge change?

Is this the way most of you with multiple cartridges/arms listen?......or are there other intentions involved?
128x128halcro
griffithds
852 posts
 
To all,

Thanks to my friend and comrade Nikola, I am now a 3 table owner. Actually the 2nd table is to be "put down in the the basement" as my comrade suggested. It is the UA-7045 arm and a TT-81 table. Let the party begin!
nandric's avatar
nandric
4,086 posts
 
Manitunc& Halcro, The obvious and precarious question related to our 'sound memory' is : if one can't hear the difference after, say, one hour , why bother? Anyway one can reach huge savings if this argument is, uh, sound.
lewm
13,118 posts
 
Don, If you are like me, you owe your lust for a Victor turntable to Halcro. At least I do. I recently bought a QL10 (TT101 in plinth cum UA7045 tonearm). It was initially not working, and I bought it in full knowledge that it was "broken", but today in the hands of Bill Thalmann, it works!!! Neither Bill nor I know why.

I think I am going to try the plinth-minimus approach with this one. It is well suited for that.
manitunc
795 posts
 
nandric,
hearing a difference is not the same as making qualitive observations. Of course, gross differences can be heard, but I am referring to subtle ones. Is there a little more air, a little tighter bass, a little more clarity on the cymbals, a little more forward in the midrange. That is a lot easier to determine in 5 seconds between switching inputs, not so much after an hour, and the loss of concentration while changing and aligning a cartridge. If you can, more power to you. I can't. Not with any certainty anyway.
griffithds
852 posts
 
Hi Lewm,

Before I made the TT purchase, both I and Nikola tried to contact you. We must have the wrong or you have change you email address. It was thought that perhaps you had a Denon TT you might be willing to part with. Neither of us got a reply so we both felt perhaps you were not interested. Your above rely makes me wonder if you ever got our messages?

Regards,
Don
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