Eminent Technology ET-2 Tonearm Owners

I finally got my ET-2 installed on my VPI HW-19 MK IV ( that has the Super Platter installed ) . Due to the Super Platter being 1/2" thicker than the MK IV platter ( which requires a 1" thick armboard ) I had to have a custom armboard made that was 1-1/2" thick. Because the Super Platter is also 1/2" larger in diameter than the MK IV Platter I also had to have the top 1" of the armboard 3/8" narrower than the lower 1/2" piece so the platter would clear the side of the armboard. Works perfectly.
I tried my Medo AC110 pump with my HP manifold but as another member stated it will only supply 8-1/2 psi.
Since other members have stated that higher pressures than the 7+ Bruce recommends work better I began my quest for a higher pressure source that had relatively low noise ( I had my AC110 in a sound proofed box with a cooling fan in another room and I could still faintly hear it ).
After a lot of searching I found the Silentaire Super Silent 20-A compressor. It's very quiet ( 30 db ). In fact, it's so quiet that the cooling fan I'm using ( the compressor is only rated for 50% operation ) is far louder than the compressor itself. I have the compressor in an adjoining room and there is absolutely no noise audible. With the fan the compressor only gets warm at 15psi and will supply up to 50 psi though running it at higher pressures will cause it to cycle more frequently with an increase in heat.
The compressor is quiet enough to be placed in the same room as your equipment depending on what pressure you're going to run it at and whether you want to use a cooling fan.

Bigalt - congrats on getting your ET2 up and running and welcome to the thread. That Silent Aire is an interesting pump design. Thanks for sharing.
Here are a couple of videos for readers on the pump that I came across. As you say it is not continuous operation. Please let us know how it holds up. It is indeed very quiet.

Silentaire 1

Silentaire 2

All those I know that have strived to refine their ET 2.0 and 2.5 setups beyond basic, setup per the ET2 manual; have discovered that improved air delivery is fully 1/2 if not more of the journey. in discussions with Bruce he indicated to me that the ET arm actually needs only 50% of the air volume to work and the rest gets bled through the manifold per design. Some audiophiles have inserted shims in the manifold edges - and this has been discussed here. As long as we realize that this changes Bruce' design and the pump's requirements.

Also when I had my ET 2.5 made by Bruce years ago I told him I can go as high as 50 psi. He told me do not go beyond 19 psi. He made it clear it was the threshold for the design. So 19 PSI it was set up for. I find it amusing that there are audiophiles (some professionals/reviewers) on other forums that have gone on record to say they used compressors set at 30-40-50 psi with their past ET2 setups; and some not even with the HP manifold. Just the standard manifold.
Hmmm.....

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Banquo - Re; Timeter2000 - This pump of yours is like the mother of all pumps.
Designed for the most important role .... keeping human patients comfortable and alive.
So you are running your ET2 and your air suspension platform with it concurrently ?

Banquo363 - I had been using its little portable brother, the Timeter pcs 414, to good effect.

IMO the Timeter 3500 is the little brother to your pump. Your PCS 414 was more like a new toddler sibling compared to it.
I have tried unsuccessfully to get a 3500 as a back up to my 3000. The shipping was always too much; and now having to deal with the dollar too.

Its been said here before that keeping the pump in the garage is not good thing due to the big differences in humidity with the house inside. You are challenging its active drying system so would be interested to hear how it holds up. Let us know if you see any drops of moisture in the in-room bowl/regulator.

My pump setup is almost turnkey. To make it truly turnkey I thought of maybe putting some cookies on top near the power switch to help train/entice the dog to flip the switch. But my dog would probably eat all cookies at once. So I continue to make the trip to the back bowels of the basement where the pump is housed and flick the switch that gives life to the ET 2.5. What got me thinking of using the dog; once after a long winter listening session I thought I saw a troll down there when I went to turn it off. I don't like trolls.

All this Pump talk.
I can hear non-ET2 readers now.... "You guys are nuts, All these pumps and tubes".

Well I can say for me personally that my digital system fronted by the ARC DAC 8 is very, very good. Very listenable I enjoy digital, and have all digital listening sessions. Especially with music I have only in digital. But my main vinyl rig with modded 2.5 is a large delta over my digital. Once on vinyl I usually end up just turning the DAC and player off as they are plugged into the same outlet so it disengages them.

IMO
Digital is fine and can sound wonderful. As long as it is your only source and you keep well setup vinyl out of the picture, or you could run into problems - if you are the "nervous audiophile" type. Good vinyl needs good gear and good setup.

Such is the grip of this audio disease on me. A good thing in that this Hobby part is safer than racing and it does not void my wife's life insurance on me. She is also able to keep tabs on me. As long as she hears music and feels vibrations coming from the room... I guess she thinks all is ok. When this stops she will know all is not well.

I should note that if anyone living in So. California is interested in acquiring a Timeter aridyne, the guy I bought mine from had 3 more for sale. I have no idea regarding their condition, but unless the motor is toast, everything else is more or less replaceable. You can pm me for his number or go to craigslist to see his ad (he's in orange county).

Its been said here before that keeping the pump in the garage is not good thing due to the big differences in humidity with the house inside. You are challenging its active drying system so would be interested to hear how it holds up. Let us know if you see any drops of moisture in the in-room bowl/regulator. (Ct0517)

Understood, but bringing it inside would serve as my wife's daily reminder that I'm not 'normal'; we don't want that.

Per the owner's manual, I have an additional water trap a meter below my arm. So far no water has made it to the trap--fingers crossed.

Yes, the 2000 is feeding the arm and my pneumatic platform. The latter is too good to leave out of the party. So far I've used only one tap (with a splitter) to feed both. No problems that I can detect. But one of these days I'll run separate lines for each and see whether that's better. The 2000 has 3 taps, so might as well use them. The problem is that doing so will require running another 40 ft of tubing through my kitchen. That's not normal--see above.

Banquo363 - Understood, but bringing it inside would serve as my wife's daily reminder that I'm not 'normal'; we don't want that.

This is a niche hobby and NORMAL, imo is very subjective and relative to the situation.

For example in this comparison ....

What shall we consider more normal here ?

1)
The Air pump placed strategically in the master bedroom "double closet" right next to the wife's sexy red shoes.
A clear transparent tube line following the phone line along the wall hidden from view.
Entering the music room as one aquarium tube.

OR

2)

THIS

All together now ...Holy Moly !

Photo courtesy of

Leo Yeh - Munich Show 2015

The 2000 has 3 taps, so might as well use them.

Reserve the third line and save it for yourself ....for when the music takes your breath away.....

Ct0517
Thanks for your response. I have my Silentaire compressor in another room and also wanted a turnkey operation so I could turn it on & off from my listening room. The solution is one of the wireless ( rf not infrared ) remote switched outlets that you can buy online. Press a button on the remote and on goes your compressor. Another press and it's off. If you have an in line pressure gauge near your et-2 you can tell when the compressor is on and off. Just make sure that your compressor is within the specified operating range of the remote.