Eminent Technology ET-2 Tonearm Owners

We are always hearing about New Old Stock (NOS) cartridges, tubes....

Here is something you don't see everyday

NOS Base ET2

According to the seller

"This item has never been out of the box."

A quick look at the pics I can't seem to find the armtube. But the coffee has not kicked in yet. Probably buried under the blue foam. If anyone is interested in it, this should be verified with the seller.

(not affiliated with the ad)

Cheers

I asked the seller: it comes with an aluminum armtube. (No affiliation.)

hmm.... 34 watchers on the ebay ad now..wow
this thread ...about to hit 800,000 views - wow - who would have thought ?

When and will any of the 34 watchers commit ?
Kind of like watching the Daytona 500 yesterday ?
the race was a bit of a let down for me.

I would like to personally thank the seller and watchers for providing some temporary cabin fever relief, as we head into the home stretch.

Lets consider something.

I have a Canadian friend who would like to partake in this unique ET2 world and is considering this item.
A used parts complete base ET 2.0, not 2.5 and non-HP, with aluminum arm tube, no pump - sells for approximately $700-800. Give or take.

This NOS one with a base pump has a $900 American reserve. $900 US is now $1132 Canadian dollars. :^(

Add 13% Canadian tax., shipping and customs fees. hmm... :^(

If I was selling this ET2 for $900 Canadian, an American buys it for about $710 US.

BAD ET2 Behavior

If I may be permitted to use the analog of a dog.

Bad dog ....bad, bad dog !

So what do you do when your dog is bad ? You send them to dog school of course !

But we all know that dog schools are really for Dog Owners :^) so.......

EXAMPLES OF BAD ET2 (Owner) Behavior

The ET2 was designed as a unique universal tonearm able to be mounted on a number of different table designs. Some were good even great combos; but in the name of business and sales some combos were not so great and this leads to the first Example of BAD ET2 (Owner) Behavior.

This involved my old VPI HW19MKIV Spring, Sprung turntable.

If nothing else this thread has driven home the message of staying level. The ET2 needs a flat surface and it does not even need to be level since it has its own leveling spikes. But once set - the level of the surface can not change. This VPI table never stayed level - whether due to environmental season changes affecting the self/suspension, and or an ET2 owners careless bump after two glasses of New Zealand white wine.

The above would result in the owner performed maintenance involving turning one of the two Vertical Post bolts to right (re-balance) the situation. The problem builds up over time as one or the other bolt are turned down further, resulting in immense pressure down on the plate, and upwards as well into the Pillar post and the adjoining VTA Block/manifold possibly throwing it out too.

If you want to see the abuse your ET2 has had in the past; undo both vertical pillar bolts and see if there is an indentation from both bolts in the base mounting plate.

Now - how to avoid this problem, and make sure it never happens again ?

1) Choose a turntable that is able to stay level. (in the case of the VPI HW19MK IV - rubber pucks can replace the springs ensuring it stays level.

2) If a turn of one of the vertical bolts is needed for maintenance, FIRST ...undo both bolts so that the pillar post is floating on its horizontal bolt mount. Then re-balance the air bearing spindle by gently turning down both vertical bolt screws as required. Ensuring firm but not rigid contact.

other ET2 Bad Owner examples ...
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I'm guilty on both counts, Ct0517.

I used to rest my turntable/arm atop a pneumatic isolation platform. Sounded great...until it didn't. The platform would lose air, the et2 would register it and then spit out inferior sound. I put up with this for months (trying out various fixes), but I finally had to concede defeat and removed the platform.

One of those 'fixes' was to constantly mess with the vertical leveling screws. For months I did exactly what you say not to do: I just turned the screws tighter and tighter. I should have known better since the first et2 I bought had indentations so deep into the mounting base that I had to sand the thing down in order to mount the pillar correctly.

So, send my dog to school and me to the dog house.