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Technics EPA-100 MK2 wiring

With a help from my old friend in Tokyo i have finally managed to get EPA-100 MK2 in perfect condition. I don’t know why but this tonearm was in my wantlist for a long time (since i bought my first EPA-100). The classic EPA-100 was sold long time ago when i upgraded to Reed 3p "12, but with this craze of MM cartridges i was thingking about some decent arm to swap the cars quickly. The EPA-100 MK2 Boron Titanium is what i’ve been looking for. Well, dreams comes true. The only part i had to replace was the armlock, but it was easier because this plastic armlock is identical to the armlock of the SL1200mk2 tonearm and it was easy to fix. Another problem is that the small ring with digits (to set it up to zero when balancing the arm) on the counterweight is not moving apart from the whole counterweight. I hope i can fix it soon.

And finnaly the cable:
Everyone knows that original Technics connector accomodate 2 RCA and one ground pin in the middle. I have this ugly connector on the wire, but the wire already replaced with some Mogamy (nothing special). I’d like to use a proper phono cable cable (RCA to RCA). But i need this pin to insert the ground in the middle of the RCA’s mother on the tonearm side.

Dear EPA-100 mk2 owners, how did you solved the problem ?

I’m not sure i want to rewire tonearm internally, do you think it worth it with EPA-100 mk2 model ?


I have revired my Lustre 801 arm with Discovery internal wires, but i’ve done so because the original silver wire was broken. I use new external wires.

BTW it would be nice if someone can shape the copy of the manual for the EPA-100 mk2 
128x128chakster
genesis168's avatar
genesis168
409 posts
 
Honestly I wouldn't mess with the internal writing and upgrading the rca sockets. Al lyou need is to build a ground wire that fits the dole and use your favourite rca cable with the arm. 

As mentioned you just just need to remove the a male rca centre pin and solder a ground wire into it. Once the male pin is plugged into the grounding hole of the arm base, it leaves quite a lot of room for your L+R cables. 
dgarretson
2,599 posts
 

@chakster

Jim Howard of Applied Fidelity(RIP) once mentioned to me that rewiring the EPA-100 is worthwhile.  He also replaced the stock ruby ball bearings with silicon nitride balls-- which were claimed to be rounded to a tighter tolerance.  I own a stock EPA-100 that I have not had the courage to modify.  I have, however, adjusted the bearings.  Try setting VTF and antiskate to zero. If the bearings are working properly, the tonearm will float so freely that a slight breeze will shift it in both dimensions.  I haven't found another tonearm with such low friction.  

nandric's avatar
nandric
4,086 posts
 
dgarretson, What kind of advice is this? ''I have not had the courage
to modify'' but I adjusted the bearings by myself. The best bearings
ever adjusted by dgarretson? You ilustrate why chakster should not mess with his tonearm.
chakster's avatar
chakster OP
6,144 posts
 
@dgarretson My new tonearm is boron-titanium EPA-100 MK2 which is upgrade (at least i hope so) over the titanium EPA-100 i have owned several years ago. 

Luckily the EPA-100 MK2 ruby ball bearings are in perfect shape (no flaws) and if it's possible to avoid internal rewire i'm happy about it, especially if many other users of the same arm are happy with stock internal wire.   

Now i know how to make ground wire and it will be easy to use great new rca to rca phono cable. Still not sure if i can mount EPA-100 MK2 on Luxman arm base. The triangle mounting holes are wider than standard luxman armboard can accomodate, so those hole must be drilled throught the whole armbase. Maybe i will order custom made armbase from here. Do you know this source? It's amazing for Luxman owners. 

@nandric yes, the KLE RCA are very good priced, i use them on some other interconnect cables, also on my Reed arm.

For the EPA-100 mk2 I have Stereolab Master Reference Phono (RCA to RCA) to try, it's my first tonearm without DIN, so i'm happy to use my best cable which was used normally between the phono headamp and amp. A few pictures of this cable designed by Chris Sommovigo and made in the USA:

https://pp.userapi.com/c616228/v616228872/c6e5/BOf5uS5y-5Q.jpg
https://pp.userapi.com/c616228/v616228872/c6f7/CU-0ZYVw6uE.jpg  

The RCA connectors are LoveCraft, same as on the Black Cat cable now produced by Chris in Japan.
 
dgarretson
2,599 posts
 

@chakster 

Thanks for the URL to Audiogears Luxman tonearm bases.  I have been machining brass top plates for various tonearms, but not the underlying sled mechanisms.  Audiogears's pricing is reasonable relative to old stock units on ebay. 

For those similarly challenged like Nandric, I should have mentioned that the bearing cones on the EPA series are easily adjusted externally with a jeweler's screwdriver and without disassembling the tonearm. 


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