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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
nandric's avatar
nandric
4,086 posts
 
Dear Henry, That is exactly what the 'Einstein who is not Einstein' suggested to me as 'solution' to my problem: plug in one cable in the (same)inpunt, then unplug this one
and plug the other one instead. My idea was that an single switch for the other input would solve the problem. Not so according to the designer of the (balanced) Einstein
phono stage. This switch will cause the worsening of the performance according to the designer. I have no idea about the truth in this situation but I solved my problem by purchasing the Basis Exclusive with two separate phono-pres and consequently two separate inputs for my two tonearms.
lewm
13,118 posts
 
Dear Nandric, I have to agree with Einstein who is in this case at least an "A" student. Putting a simple switch at the output of the tonearms will inevitably degrade the sound of both cartridges, because the signal voltage is so low in magnitude at that juncture, and because even very good switches have some micro-reactance. However, it may be possible to achieve switching by the clever use of relays such that the switch is not in the signal path, maybe. But that's why the multi-phono-input phono stages we've been discussing do have separate discrete RIAA stages for each pair of inputs. Once the cartridge output is amplified and equalized, it is less damaging to switch it.

But I confess, I installed a switch in my MP1, so I can change the cartridge load resistance from 100R to 1000R to 47K. I choose to believe I can hear no problem from that.
nandric's avatar
nandric
4,086 posts
 
Dear Lew, Thanks for your explantion . I at last understand what the problem with the 'simple switch' is. I thought that those 3-4 cm extra wire for a second input would cause no problem of any kind. But I am glad that I noticed this 'peculiarity' of the Einstein pre and asked about. An error of $10000 is different from one of, say, $1000. However I don't understand what you mean with 'A' student. Except of course if you mean the 'A' of A ndric.
halcro's avatar
halcro OP
2,664 posts
 
Dear Nikola,
I would trust your 'Einstein who is not Einstein'.
Besides which.......plugging and unplugging terminals and inputs keeps them nicely clean and free of tarnish and/or corrosion.
thuchan
1,009 posts
 
Dear Lewm,
i tried both ways, a switch with relais (Manley switch) and the silverswitch of Dertonearm. While the Manley is a really good design I stayed with the UNIswitch. Of course you always have a degrading when putting units in between the lines but this unit keeps the qality in a very satisfactoy way.

Another option is going for the EMT JPA-66 with four tonearm connections (one MM, three with inbuild SUTs) and two line connections. This is in my eyes the most versatile and best sounding tube phono pre, also and especially regarding MMs.
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