Eminent Technology ET-2 Tonearm Owners

Glad you figured it out, VPI.  However, I am perplexed by a couple of things; and not meaning to add to any disappointment 🙃

**** Bruce's color coding doesn't match my VDH. ****

Huh!?  Red/Green, White/Blue; no?   I do know that the Blue on my VDH’s has been unusually dark.  

Seems to me that a tiny bit of hum would be the least of the issues caused by reversing the two ground wires.  Did you hear any other distortions or phase issues?

@frogman My aluminum wand is Red/Black, White/Blue (no green) and the Blue pin on my VDH is very dark blue.  That combined with not paying close enough attention caused reversal.  And, absolutely, the sound quality was substantially degraded.  Not audible distortion except for hum and loss of a black background.  But probably substantial phase issues.  Other than the hum the effect was more subtractive than additive. I think because I couldn't hear the hum over the music I underestimated its intensity and the hash that mis-wiring caused.  But when I corrected the problem it was obvious that a lot of bad stuff had gone away.  Kind of the opposite of a well setup sub where you don't know it's there until you turn it off and hear what is missing.  Now, correctly wired, the VDH has never sounded better.  Gobs of liquidity, black background and nice bloom.

@pegasus Yes, plug in cartridges would be nice for klutzes lime me.

@frogman  Thinking more about your comment regarding phase issues.  I know what reversed plus to minus on one channel does to the sound but I was not sure what I should have noticed when the two grounds are reversed with respect to one another.  I know, in addition to the hum, everything was flat and lacked any meat.  As soon as I switched the ground leads to proper pins the sound became more full, rich and liquid coming from a blacker background.  Not too sweet or bloated just rich.   For example, on a well setup analog front end, playing a well recorded live performance, when I drop the needle I can hear the room before the music starts.  I just hear the air.  With the ground leads reversed that was missing.  Now it's back.

Frogman - Huh!? Red/Green, White/Blue; no?

It must be tough for cartridge designers being at the start of vinyl playback. I mean, once you get past the four exit pins, they have no idea what tonearm, loom/wires, TT, phono stage, rest of the chain / room.....is being used by their buyer. Does this weigh more on the minds of those making higher priced cartridges ?
You would think.....I would think.....that at least get the four pins exit points the same. Make it a standard. No ?
Case in point....See this picture

https://photos.app.goo.gl/3mbrzpEy6iX8qyhi8

which clearly shows the cartridge lead colors.

My Swiss "freedom fighter" upper picture.
My Japanese heavy weight - lower picture.

Total opposites on PIN exit design. Why....Confusing ...Yes.

********

Harry - as discussed here before, I bypassed Bruce’ standard loom long ago. Even Bruce uses a straight shot in, but based on what you posted I went to dig out the old looms that came with the armtubes, to have a look. I found a couple. On the one, see here.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/QytmFsa3iB929PE78

There are four red,green,white, blue wires with black coverings where the leads are connected. Now on the other one - definitely older - there are again the four wires - this time the coverings where they attach to the leads are color coded, and red one is black in color.