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Help! Tweaking My Lovan Rack for new Big A**ed Transrotor Turntable!

Folks, some input would be mighty appreciated.

I’ve been using a hand-me-down (though very nice!) Micro Seiki dd-40 turntable for a number of years and finally got the upgrade itch (it helps the upgrade itch when your cartridge is going on 30 years old, and sounding like it!).

I went down the rabbit hole and picked up a Transrotor Fat Bob S turntable, with an Acoustic Solid 12" arm and a Benz Micro Ebony cartridge. All with only about 30 hours of use at a great price. Yay!

Though I have considered getting rid of my old Lovan Classic rack for a new custom jobby, I’m pretty much spent out and I think I’ll have to make do for now, working with the Lovan.

The Fat Bob turntable is 55 lbs of solid aluminum and built like Thor’s hammer.

I figure this will finally get me to fill my Lovan stands for a bit more rigidity - probably with rice. The stand is the old 3 legged triangular shaped bass, which means the thin MDF shelves can feel like they sit sort of precariously on top. But the stand itself feels quite solid.

I want to incorporate a wood platform base, as many do, because I really love the look of a nice wood slab.

At first I thought maybe I’d have 3 spikes drilled in to the bottom corners of the wood base to directly couple it to the rest of the Lovan frame, vs resting it on the top mdf shelf. But I’m not sure that’s really necessary. And I’d like to incorporate some isolation as well, I think. So I’m thinking of just laying it on the top shelf, with something in between.

My first thought is to place a Symposium Segue shelf between the top of the Lovan shelf and the wood base.

Other than that...I’m flummoxed as to all the other choices...roller blocks? Symposium Fat Padz? Vibrapods? Herbie’s Tendersoft footers? Voo-Doo Isopods?  What should I put between the wood platform base and my Lovan shelf?

Any comments of suggestions on the direction I’m going?

Thanks!

(BTW, I’m an resolutely NOT a DIY/Handy-man type, so I’m not trying to go to heroic efforts, wishing this to be as painless as possible).
prof
prof OP
3,535 posts
 
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGHHHHH!!!!!


Months of waiting to hear my new turntable, months of researching in isolation and re-making my stand and turntable base.

I got two days of listening to it.

And my cleaning lady takes out my EXPENSIVE CARTRIDGE!!!!!!

I came home and went to put on a record, and saw the Benz Micro L cartridge was totally askew, pointing out to the wrong side.  Then I touched it and it was completely loose and wiggly.  What the hell???

Turns out my cleaning lady had gone to turn on the lamp by that turntable, was holding some cloths and a swifter, and something caught the turntable arm (cartridge?) jerking it from the arm rest.  She heard a "bang" and saw the arm had come off it's arm rest, so she lifted it back on the to arm rest.

So now I have no idea just how effed up my cartridge is.  Did it slam on to the needle?  I don't know. 

I have literally the worst luck with equipment - literally every single thing I buy f#cks up when I get it.  I should be used to it...but this one really hurt.

Rant over.  For now...


mulveling's avatar
mulveling
2,247 posts
 
Sorry man. Sadly that’s a tale I’ve heard FAR too often over the years. My friend Tom had a Dynavector XX-2 killed this way. The best surefire way to prevent this is having your analog gear in a room that can be locked off from access by the cleaning lady, and clean that room yourself. Or at least, get an arm with removable wands or headshells; remove and lock them up safe before a cleaning (you better remember each time, too). You’d be amazed at how ineffective verbal instructions can be. You need physical barriers.

Since at a minimum here the cantilever & suspension is compromised/destroyed (probably the coils too), a retip will not do. You’ll need either a full rebuild (e.,g. Soundsmith) or to trade-in for a new one.

Choosing a cartridge from a company with a good rebuild policy -- which I consider to be a rebuild for more than 50% off retail price of new (e.g. Koetsu, Ortofon) -- helps mitigate the blow at times like this. Benz used to have excellent trade-in & trade-up prices, but I’m not sure what they offer now.

I've owned a few Benzes, and I know that the Wood L was a really nice sounding unit :( 
prof OP
3,535 posts
 
mulveling,

Are you trying to plunge me into full depression?

The Benz Micro L was a much more expensive cartridge than I'd ever have bought myself and the fact the seller was throwing it in as part of the deal on the turntable was a selling point.  The idea of having to buy a new cartridge, or re-build (which I hear can be close to the expense of the cartridge) is too depressing for words right now.  I'm completely out of money for new gear stuff.

I looked as closely at the cartridge as I could, with a magnifying glass.
I can not see any damage to the needle, it appears perfectly straight as it was.  I can't see any damage to any of the wires from the cartridge to the arm. 

Where else should I look for damage and how can I assess if there is damage?

My friend with lots of turntable experience just told me it will either work and be fine, or if it was damaged we'll know it right off the bat from the sound.


mulveling's avatar
mulveling
2,247 posts
 
Sorry again man...with what you’ve described, the suspension is toast, and it won’t sound fine, if it can even take the weight of VTF without completely bottoming out :(

I’ve unfortunately seen a couple of cartridges get borked in my days; cantilever pipes themselves can take a hell of a lot of impact force and appear to be fine. But the stylus on one end (especially the way it attaches to the cantilever), and the suspension on the other (especially the way it attaches to the cantilever), aren’t as hardy.

Time to have a few brews!
prof OP
3,535 posts
 
I put a record on the turntable (not playing it) and dropped the needle.  The cartridge/needle appears to sit fine on the record.  Does that tell me anything?
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