Eminent Technology ET-2 Tonearm Owners

I’m not sure I know what Bruce’s "new Aluminum Base" is?

Harry
The part the longer grub screws he is sending you go into. The actual tonearm base. Bruce came out with a solid Aluminum one - very substantial difference in weight - I own one. So Bruce now offers an Aluminum Joint (Gooseneck) and Aluminum Base. I also think he is going to be doing a run on the longer I Beams too.

Just a note recalling here over coffee - past Et2 owners have put some divots into the original Carbon Fiber tonearm base from improper tonearm level adjustments. Some have even put a crack in it.

Very important when leveling the tonearm to back out the vertical bolts first then re-balance with them. It can be habit to just do the side that you think needs an adjustment. This is wrong and over time stresses the parts, and that critical base that holds all the goods. So back out the vertical bolts first, visually look to see they are not touching the base; then just re-balance them. I balance using gravity. Make the teeter totter float with a little blue tac on the weights, same weight as the cart. leave it next to table for future reference. Its been years since I have had to level adjust. That’s one of the things a better table brings.

I can recall the HW19 mk4 being frustrating in how it could go out of level fairly easy if not careful with those springs. You can go with pucks Harry - but then you will need to replace the plinth feet with springs, pneumatic feet, or some other type of isolation. 

I hope you can get back to the music soon too.

Cheers Chris

Well, I guess my wife is right; I really am a pack-rat. All this talk about arm boards for the HW19 got me thinking and looking in my "equipment graveyard" cabinet where I keep all sorts of stuff not needed nor used for many years in some cases. In one of the drawers I found not one, but two HW19 black acrylic arm boards drilled for the ET2. Harry, as another option for you and as an opportunity to scratch your tweaking itch, if you want one of them you are welcome to it, gratis. You could sandwich it with your existing one for approximately the same height as the "thicker arm board"; you would of course need longer bolts which I know are available at Lowes (or VPI?). You could also experiment by putting a thin layer of some sort of damping sheet between them; sure to change the sound a bit (resonance!). Don’t know why, but one of the boards is 7/16" thick and the other 8/16" thick; the thinner one is in better cosmetic shape and both came from VPI. Neither is bad cosmetically but you can always put yours on top. If you are interested pm me your address and I will send it to you. Re washers: delrin would be good, but I would experiment with metal as well just for fun, and I suspect that simply the act of "suspending" the armboard a bit away from the metal subchassis would have more of an effect as it would surely change its resonance somewhat and more than whether the washers are metal or not. Always fun to experiment.

^^^^
They should come out with a new show on the History channel - American Audiophile Pickers.

very nice gesture Frogman. 

Or, "Audio Storage Wars". I’m sure I am not alone and God knows what else I have in that cabinet. Rules: we get to look over (from a distance) at the audiophile’s room and system and then bid, without looking inside, on the "Miscellaneous old stuff" drawer or box. Old Supex? Telefunkens? Tice "Magic Clock" (I’m showing my age)? One never knows.....👍

Audio Storage Wars would assume someone went through the stuff and organized it - sort of  - to put it in the locker :^)

on a related note.
this past winter I brought my son downstairs and went over everything with him. I put a price on stuff - it sunk in - I hope. Don't want the wife to sell the stuff she has "noticed" come in, for what I told her it costs.

I have two boxes of Amperex Bugle Boys from Holland and the US. For the records, I told him some are worth over 500, but if you assume 3 bucks each - you can buy a really nice car with them so don't just give them away.