Eminent Technology ET-2 Tonearm Owners



Where are you? What mods have you done ?

I have been using these ET2's for over 9 years now.
I am still figuring them out and learning from them. They can be modified in so many ways. Bruce Thigpen laid down the GENIUS behind this tonearm over 20 years ago. Some of you have owned them for over 20 years !

Tell us your secrets.

New owners – what questions do you have ?

We may even be able to coax Bruce to post here. :^)

There are so many modifications that can be done.

Dressing of the wire with this arm is critical to get optimum sonics along with proper counterweight setup.

Let me start it off.

Please tell us what you have found to be the best wire for the ET-2 tonearm ? One that is pliable/doesn’t crink or curl. Whats the best way of dressing it so it doesn’t impact the arm. Through the spindle - Over the manifold - Below manifold ? What have you come up with ?
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Interesting Chris....as I have also found the 420STR to act much like a LOMC on my Victor DD in its susceptibility to 'feedback' when the volume is turned up?
This despite the fact that the phono stage gain is set to the low MM value which, incidentally displays no such 'feedback' with 'normal' MMs?

Do you have any thoughts on why this should be the case with the 420STR?

From the nude thread

Perhaps the fact that the 420STR is like a giant antenna (according to Chris and the Professor Timeltel).

Hi Henry – I gave this some more thought. I prefer to label the 420str as a “Nude” cartridge – I thought u would like this name? The 420str has very little “clothing” so why not call it nude. Its not damped and protected to the nine’s like other cartridges so it needs an arm that can pass thru or eliminate resonances really well. If you have any issues with your turntable setup, it will tell you like no other cartridge so far for me. This can be good or bad depending on your perspective.

On a belt or thread drive TT where there is excellent motor isolation, this cartridge has had no issues for me whatsoever. It did however require me to lock things down better on the idler and dd tables, thus its value to me for more than just the sound, but as a test cartridge. I believe that most of the favorable impressions of the 420str here, were with belt / thread drive users ?
Is this not so ?

I look forward to your impressions of it Henry - on your Belt drive Raven when u get your phono stage up and running.

As an update the 420str arrived safely and is with BT.

Slaw – I found a Shawn Colvin - Steady On - LP. :^)
Dear Chris, One may think 'one thread is not the other'
but I got not only 'philosophycal' but also psychological
(involving Freud) disagreement with Lew in the 'nude turntable project'. He persisted in his claim that 'plinth=base' because of the English dictionary (aka
synonym). I as a foreigner was obviously not aware of this 'fact'. That is to say that 'plinth' means the same as 'base'. Aka 'identity relationship' between meanings(??) However he also postulated 'the qualitative difference between a real plinth ' and those 'illegitimate footers'. But because my 'philosophical' opinion is that the meaning of
words depend on the context in which thy are used I mentioned my legs as footers and postulated the opposite. That they are an 'legitimate' base for my nacked or dressed body. However I also mentioned the possibility that in some future time I may need a 'plinth' like an wheel-chair. This I would think will mean some 'qualitative difference' with the previous state of affair but in the opposite 'direction' than assumed by Lew. This interesting (?) discussion was alas ended because of the irritation by some other member: no philosophycal BS in public please ; mail each other if you need.
Regards,
Nikola
I have to confess I wanted to say Nude cartridge on the Nudie thread but I thought I would be chastised so I said it here. :^(

Some like to encase their whole TT system “in” a single base structure. Bring them all together so to speak in one base and therefore plinth. All entry level TT’s start life this way from what I have seen? Appears to be cost effective? We can use your Moldavian plinth holding your SP10 and tonearm/cartridge as an example of this. It is a true base and plinth (IMO) as it holds all the TT pieces on one base.
Now others like to take the TT system pieces apart and see what happens. Motors separated and or the Tonearm on an armpod. On your Kuzma turntable, the plinth is the TT system plinth when you are using whichever tonearm is attached directly to it. However when you use your Kuzma TT with the tonearm that is attached to your armpod the TT “system” base/plinth is not the Kuzma plinth anymore – it is the surface they both rest on. Just my opinion.

Why don’t you start a thread Nikola – How do you define a Plinth ? if you dare.

However he also postulated 'the qualitative difference between a real plinth ' and those 'illegitimate footers'. But because my 'philosophical' opinion is that the meaning of words depend on the context in which thy are used I mentioned my legs as footers and postulated the opposite. That they are an 'legitimate' base for my nacked or dressed body.

Those "illegitimate" footers that you and Lew are referring to (I experimented with as well in this fashion in the past) under a DD or idler only account for the bearing, motor, spindle, platter. This then requires a tonearm/cartridge off on its own somewhere on an armpod. The common base where these “footers” and armpod spikes meet - is the common base and TT system plinth- imo. There is no confusion here for me. This is very clear.

Your own body footers (legs) support your your “whole body system”.
Dear Chris, First of all thanks to remind me about the 'Moldovian plinth' for my SP 10. I totally fotget the thing. I use the original SH 10 B4 plinth with a very solid arm-base which is made from acryl layers gluead together in a shop where they produce name plates with addresses, etc. They use a laser for the purpose so my armbase is cut more precise than any cabinet maker can do.
Regarding your 'base' philosophy. Not to get involved in infinite regress or adding up of meanings, we all are moving at about 700 miles an hour, carried by the diurnal
rotation of our 'mother earth'. For your 'basic base' there is no futher reduction possible. But 'it' moves as Galilei persisted on and got in trouble with the 'mother church'.
As there are those who want to nail the meanings of words to some dictionary to get the correct use of language for all times (the English theachers ?) there are some others who want to nail everything around their TT's in order to sleep well: I deed everything I could think of so my conscience is pure. But alas the 'base of all bases' is still moving.
Btw I was somehow very fond of my own idea to use Lew's argument for the 'plinth' for my possible wheelchair. He is of course immens proud of his slate plinths. And because 'plinth=base' there is no better base for whatever TT than the slate kind. It should be counted as the real estate because of the weight and value.

Regards,

Chris: I think I see what you are saying. For clarification, I have two wall shelves, one supporting the motor and the other supporting the tt, phono stage and SDS. These are both connected to the same wall which has a huge effect on the sound, I agree. I tried to touch on this in my virtual system page. I do believe that it is a huge factor on how the system as a whole performs. I actually have plans for one day to 'rebuild this wall' to my specs. Thanks for reminding me of this, lol. Hope you enjoy the S Covlin. I got the 12" 45rpm maxi single recently. Sounds great!