Eminent Technology ET-2 Tonearm Owners

Hi Dave

Sounds like you are really enjoying your setup and music. You know it got me thinking. Some people seeing this thread in the Audiogon Analog list for the first time may be wondering ...... how the hell does an Audiogon thread about a tonearm of all things, reach 1,238,000 views on 1500 posts ?

I think this is because.

1) The thread contains good information on the ET2 tonearm from actual owners supported with information that has been got from Bruce Thigpen directly. It dispenses with the many audiophile myths on the tonearm, some from professionals in the business - shame on them :^) ....  and with air bearing tonearms in general.

2) There is also good information for audiophiles/music lovers in general.

3) There are good stories. :^)

But I think you said it best and it mirrors my experiences.

I have not yet heard the full sonic capability of this arm despite many years of audio partnership.

As the weather starts turning colder vinyl will be helping me to keep warm. Turntables have come and gone as have cartridges. My ET 2.5 has remained and will continue to do so.

My only issue right now is I want a second newer Timeter Arydyne air pump but ...their prices have skyrocketed - is it any coincidence with this thread ?

and the dollar exchange as they are all coming from the US is just terrible for Canadians. Can’t justify it.

I am reminded of my first email to Mr. Verdier who made my turntable and his email response back to me some years ago.

Dear Sir,
Thank you for your message.
A gap of 1cm is absolutely normal.
Can you tell me more about your curious tone arm?
Please accept my best regards.
J.C.VERDIER

Many North American audio products are not well known in Europe.

:^)

Cheers Chris

Hi Chris,

You are and always have been the perfect patron/owner of this thread. Totally agree with the points you made re: the overwhelming enthusiasm perpetually demonstrated in this thread and the resulting post count. Who wooda thunk it? Outstanding job, buddy!

The point I attempted to articulate the other day was that I easily recall three, four, and sometimes many more helpful, enthusiastic, and occasionally argumentative responses from the ET Two-faithful to a newcomer’s inquiry. It struck me in reading your multiple but lone responses to tequila that we may have hit an engagement lull by our old buddies and friends, myself included.

Tequila’s inquiries define the opportunity for us all to share our love for and experiences with this superlative tonearm. Let me lead by example in belatedly offering tequila (and others) any and all help and support that I can, being a long-time owner/lover of a VPI TNT/ET Two rig. This is a great combo IMHO and benefits tremendously from a few simple and inexpensive tweaks that I learned from you and frogman (and others). I tried to dutifully describe my mods in the "My System" section for this purpose:

https://systems.audiogon.com/systems/3778

Be sure to click on the easy-to-overlook "Toggle details" button to read my comments. I still humbly acknowledge being on the perpetual learning curve with my analog setup (and my system in general).

Best to you as always Chris,
Dave

Dear @dlcockrum : """  or, most recently, improvements in my system that show I have not yet heard the full sonic capability of this arm.... """

I don't know which kind of system improvements you made it but what you experienced can't be attribute for that system audio link name it tonearm. What about the Orpheus that's a great performer that with system improvements always shows it at best conditions.

When we make system improvements and we can listen a better system quality performance that speaks, before any other audio system link, a lot about the quality of the source ( cartridge. ) and speakers and from here we can " figure/imagine " how all the other system links conttribute to it.

Btw, I know very well your speakers, as a fact I like it Thiel, your Classé units and the Krell. I owned the DR-7 and DR 3-VHC and had in my place the Thiel 7 and that Krell too.

I don't know if you already made the REL subs set up for it can works only from 80hz down its capacity low bass frequency where in this set up the Thiel's be running as " satelite " ones.

Anyway, I made my points.

Regards and enjoy the music,
R.

Hi Dave

your ET2 set up looks textbook good :^) , with the obvious wiring, air tube connect mods over stock to improve on the original design, which tried to satisfy the tonearm being mounted on practically any turntable - other than a very lightly sprung one. All it needs is one drilled hole for the spiked mounting plate.

As we know and discussed here there are many TNT setups with ET2 arms. The TNT was originally designed for the ET2. There was a business collaboration between Harry and Bruce. Harry then I assume, (he can tell us otherwise if he likes) made up his own tonearm and they said goodbye to each other.

The many TNT and HW 19 VPI/ET2 setups are a reminder of this past relationship and can not be ignored. Even with Harry's marketing sense.
Kind of like that past girlfriend you still hold pictures of, and were afraid to introduce to your mother ? ....

Your attention to detail is great (I imagine for the whole room) and I really like the thread on the TNT. That thread setup on my previous TNT moved the TNT into the same league for pace and tempo with my other tables at the time. But it trumped them in musicality. Trumped them.....hah hah to my American friends. :^)

In fact my modded TNT at the time is what convinced me to eventually acquire the string drive designed turntable.

Nice pics (its unfortunate we can't link pics direct from our virtual system into threads anymore.  An excellent shot of how to properly set the weights on the I beam - where many (including the professional reviewers) go wrong IMO because they do not take time to figure out how the arm works. I am referring of course to reading the ET2 manual, or ask Bruce, or ask us here. :^)

in a nutshell **** FWFO**** fewest weights furthest out. I just made up that acronym. This FWFO gives you the highest vertical inertia (aka the BEST BASS) and is discussed in the ET2 manual. This is also "one" of the reasons the super light 420str has such outstanding bass on an ET2. Like the bass players in the group sound after drinking cappuccino.

There is of course the famous Audiogon "German" group who set their ET2's up with the most weight possible in, closest to the air bearing spindle. Long time ET2 owners know what this does to the setup. We can discuss if anyone likes. One from this German group actually makes his own tonearm now.

Cheers 

Hi Raul,

Thanks for the feedback. I am grateful for your helpfulness to me over the years on the MM thread. I still enjoy my Empire 4000D/III in my vintage system, as well as the other MMs I picked up, many of which were recommended by you.

You are correct, the statement you quoted from my earlier post is poorly stated. What I intended to say was that as my system improves, I feel that I can hear more of what the ET can ultimately do, and, perhaps my system has not yet caught up to the sound quality this arm can provide, i.e. it never seems to be the "weak link". Thanks for keeping me straight.

Thanks also for your thoughts on my component selection. Certainly not the visually-flashiest equipment around, but the older, often more-utilitarian looking, but time-proven SOTA pieces from Jim Thiel, Dave Reich, and Charles Hansen always make great sound for me.

Regarding the RELs, I have had them for several years and always set them at the lowest possible crossover point (A1) and at a very conservative volume. The big Thiels don’t need any bass enhancement, but loading the room with the REL’s LF sound pressure seems to improve imaging and openness in my system.

One thing I think is spectacular and unique to REL is the high-level input fed from the system’s amplifier(s) outputs that seems to make the REL mimic the sound of the upstream components, helping it integrate better than most. Wouldn’t mind the slam of the best JL Audio offerings though ;^)

Glad to see you here on the ET thread, Raul. If you don’t still have an ET Two in your stable, why don’t you pick one up so you can join our journey to ET perfection, perhaps sorting through a few of your cartridges to clue us in on the great ones. ET Two’s would suddenly start selling for 3X+ their current price if you become infatuated with it... ;^)

Dave