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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 ?
ct0517
slaw's avatar
slaw
22,628 posts
 
Manitunc: I haven't been following this thread as closely as I should...the reason is posted below.

If you've read through from the beginning, I found THE answer to the surge tank/filter that eluded most of us 20 + years ago. For around $100.00 bucks, you can have it all without the usual "placement" issues of the past.

PM me, I'll give you the info.

"For whatever reason, I've never received updates to my inbox for anything I've posted or responded to on A'gon. This is mostly why I never respond. I've tried to address this with A'gon for years, no resolution..."
ct0517's avatar
ct0517 OP
2,041 posts
 
Frogman - I hope you don't mind me referencing this post.
But it was a sort of an - awakening - for me in truly understanding how this ET2 works.

01-09-12: Frogman
****Throwing weight at the I-beam near the spindle pivot does not increase the arms rigidity.****

Exactly.

BTW, there is a (not particularly elegant) way to experiment with lowering the I-beam compliance without use of the double spring. You can wedge (carefully, of course) a very thin piece of some very rigid material cut to fit that space, into the cavity between the spring and outer end of the counterweight cap/clamp. This will effectively allow LESS horizontal movement of the I-beam. I think you will all be very surprised at the
difference in sound.

Ain't this fun?

IMO - based on my own experience
If you want to get at beyond - lets say for example 7/10 with the performance of your ET2, you need to understand how the I Beam tuning can work for you in your own room/setup as it is a resonance hobby. The resonance of the Ibeam goes higher with a stiffer IBeam - this has been discussed here.

Play with it - make it gel with your cartridge.

fwiw - at this point even with a single leaf spring and no tuning it is still my reference tonearm. This tuning just makes the delta bigger with the others.
ct0517's avatar
ct0517 OP
2,041 posts
 
If you want to get at beyond - lets say for example 7/10 with the performance of your ET2, you need to understand how the I Beam tuning can work for you...

fwiw - looking back now when this thread started, I can say I was at 6.5 - 7 with my ET2, ET 2.5 setup. This is a personal subjective number. I feel now I am around 7.5. thanks to everyone on this thread. Much to learn.

As we all know there are two parts to optimization of the ET 2.0, 2.5.

1) Arm setup
2) Air delivery

When the thread started I ranked the importance of the two as far as sonic upgrades went
1) 40%, 2) 60% based on my private experience.

With the help of this thread I can say the percentages for me are now 1) 45%, 2) 55%.

The gap is closing. As I learn more I hope to make them equal.

Cheers
frogman
7,497 posts
 
****As we all know there are two parts to optimization of the ET 2.0, 2.5.

1) Arm setup
2) Air delivery

When the thread started I ranked the importance of the two as far as sonic upgrades went
1) 40%, 2) 60% based on my private experience.****

Completely agree. In fact, I am convinced, given the dramatic effects of varying pressure, surge tanks, cleanliness of the bearing, etc., that the Holy Grail is a gas-powered compressor with large storage tank, so that the pulses of the pump's action can be eliminated completely; akin to battery-run power supplies in electronics. Alas, I have to draw the line somewhere.
richardkrebs
427 posts
 
Frogman.
"gas powered compressor with large storage tank"
This is kinda what I'm using now. It is a small shop air compressor. oil less type. It pumps the tank up to 120psi and switches off. Switching on again at 80 psi. The output is fed thru two regulators in series, bringing the pressure down to 18 psi for the arm.

Doing the Chris T stylus on a stationary record test, results in zero noise change out of the speakers at full volume.

The compressor turns on too frequently at present, about every 7 mins, so I will be adding an auxiliary tank to increase the time span but this is not a priority since... I hear a slight, I think, maybe, possibly, increase in noise while the compressor is running but if it is there at all, it is minute.
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