Chris, Trans-Fi needs only a 4 psi aquarium pump, smoothing tank(s), and a good brass needle regulator. No need for an evaporator tank, given the small 2-3 psi differential between the pump and the tonearm. One may be tempted to think of it as a poor man's solution, however in my view its design has fewer problems to solve than a captured air bearing and illustrates the virtue of KISS.
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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Chris, thanks for Bruce's comments. It all makes complete sense, however my question is still not answered. I suppose its academic, but as a point of interest, I fail to see how air would NOT escape regardless of pressure. Air (like water) under any amount of pressue will choose the path of least resistance, so even though the air delivered at the "ideal" pressure will "surround the spindle 360 degrees", some air will still escape out of either end of the spindle; there is no gasket or blockage to stop it. Re Dave's comment about air bearing stiffness: with my HP 2.0 bearing and Wisa pump, if I push on the spindle sideways, it takes very little force to cause the spindle to rub inside the manifold. With the Medo delivering 17-19 psi at the arm (yes, it will do that), it takes a considerable amount of sideways force to cause it to rub. The bearing is MUCH stiffer with the Medo, with a resulting major improvement in sound; particularly in the areas of dynamics, bass tautness and speed, and soundstage detail and stability. |
Hi guys, I talked with Bruce yesterday. My 2.0 HP manifold is two weeks off. There are no 2.5 manifolds nor setup jigs available right now, but there are tentative plans to make a production run of both in the next 6 months or so. Bruce confirmed that the 2.0 HP manifold is a better match for medium/high compliance cartridges and the 2.5 is a better match for low compliance carts (difference in horizontal effective mass with the 2.5 being heavier as noted previously in this thread). We discussed the topic of air pressure and air escape. My interpretation of the conversation is that it is normal to be able to hear some amount of air escaping from the bearing and also to be able to hear a low-level air noise at high volume with your ear to the speaker (Chris's pump test). The amount of air escaping and thus the audibility will increase with higher air pressure for a given bearing clearance, consistent with my experience. After extended listening comparisons, some including my golden eared wife, I have decided that changes in air pressure are audible (similar in scale to VTA changes) and our preference changed with the recording. Keep in mind that this is with the stock 2.0 manifold. Some instruments within the soundstage move forward at higher pressures, creating a better delineated front-to-back separation, but the overall sound is less relaxed and natural, with a change for the worse in tonal balance, particularly on piano. Ended up back at 3.6 psi (at the arm) for best overall performance with the stock manifold. Bruce has said this to me consistently over the years and, being the hard-head that I am, I had to prove it for myself and finally have the proper quality and control of the air system to feel confident in this conclusion. As always, this is MY preference in MY system and YMMV. I feel certain that all this will change with the introduction of the HP manifold, where the smaller orifices and tighter bearing/spindle clearance will eliminate the downsides described above at higher pressures and further enhance dynamics, bass performance and soundstaging as Frogman describes. Dave |
from the Audiophile Club of Athens. A very interesting website with a lot of audio passion like here at Audiogon. I came across a recent visit with a member with an ET 2.5 on a Micro Seiki table. He also has an SME V and ZETA tonearm on the same table. To see the ET 2.5 in action for a bit, scroll to the bottom of the page for the video. http://www.aca.gr/index/meetings?row=2320 to Kyriakos (owner of the ET 2.5) If by chance you happen to visit Audiogon, please stop by and say Hi to us here ! Cheers |
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