Eminent Technology ET-2 Tonearm Owners

Nikola - good morning. So you got me curious about this Ikeda 9 cantileverless cartridge. Did some research found your forum thread here.

https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/anyone-familiar-with-ikeda-9-series-cantileverless-kind-mc-ca...

from that thread your post.

nandric OP
06-18-2018 3:00am
Thanks dear ddriveman, My only problem with 9C,mk 2 is the
(very) low compliance. I can hardly get 50 microns ’’pure’’
with tracking capability test records. Speculating or rather deducing
from VTF 2 g by R versions in comparison with 2.5 g for my 9C,2
I assume that R versions have higher compliance (?).
BTW I recently purchased Ikeda 9 TT with aluminum cantilever.
Nice but not equal to the cantileverless kinds.

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"I hardly get 50 microns"

I did more research about your comments ......

According to the Vinyl Essentials - Hi Fi test record

http://rssconsultancy.co.uk/article71.pdf

the section on tracking says this.

Next comes the test that strikes fear into all cartridge manufacturers - the Tracking Ability Test. This is simply a tone recorded with increasing amplitude ranging from a 40 microns peak-to-peak sinusoid cut in the vinyl to 100 microns in 10 micron steps.

So why such a low score. This 50 microns seems low since the scale starts at 40 or is your scale different?
Curious to know what tonearm/s were tried with this Ikeda 9 to get this result ?

Disclaimer - I have no opinion on these Hi Fi test records. I have never used a test record or felt a need so this is new to me. I know there are a couple on the shelf somewhere as they came with a group of collector records I bought years ago.

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So, from this information it appears you like the Ikeda 9 cantilever less over his normal carts with cantilevers. But can I assume your favorite carts still have cantilevers ?

As someone that owns an army of cartridges. I would be, .... I’m sure the other three "remarkable tonearm" owners 8^0 would be ,.... et al, very interested on your opinion - pros and cons of the Cantilever less ...and did you personally experience a London cart ?
Thanks Chris

Hmmm, 
Trying to figure out how this thread got 1.3 million views and 2200 posts if only 4 of us own the ET arm?

The thread is made up 1) ET 2 owners, 2)ET 2 wanna bees, 3) the curious,  4) the trolls. 5) the Comedians (which fall into sub categories of a) Light humor b) Dark and Sarcastic humor.
  
The only female ET2 owner I know of is Wendy.

Good lord she hasn't age a bit ! Music is indeed the fountain of youth. 8^0

I confess I enjoy the category 5b posters alot. IMO Nandric' posts here (being a non-owner) are a good example of 5b. These types of comedians are able to dish it out and take it too (which they seem to enjoy)

With that I look forward to @nandric  reply to my question about the Ikeda and London cantilever-less. I have data on the London which I have shared. But this Ikeda is a ? I can understand though, somebody wanting to send off on a plane or ship and say bye-bye to....any cartridge that only tracks less than 50 microns. 8^0  (my feeble attempt at 5b)

Go up to any average person and ask them what they think of Cantilever-less ?  

Dear chris, Regarding your own categorisation of the ''visitiors''
of this curious thread I would subsume myself under category
5 b. But according to my own opinion I would add category
''teasers'' and count myself as one of those. To put this cryptic
I like to tease people that I like. 
Well to me test records are ''necessary''. I own so many cartridges
that some ''fast adjustment procedure'' is needed by their change.
I always start with tracking ability test and like 60 microns ''pure''
but accept 50 if some carts (like Ikeda 9) can't reach higher value.
According to my German test record 50 Mu(aka Microns) is 
sufficient for any ''normal LP''.  So usually when I get 60 microns 
I keep the corresponding VTF as is. 
Asking which of my carts is my ''darling'' is like asking which of 
my kids is my favourite. This an ''immoral question'' (grin).
But I can answer the question about my ''darlings'': Allaerts MC2,
Magic Diamond, Ikeda 9 REX, FR-7 fz, Kiseki blackheart, Miyabi
standard , LP S and Urushi Blue sky. 

@pegasus 

re: Decca.

Pegasus
Reflecting about this review, a suspicion came up: The double tie-back thread is probably for DJ cueing reasons, but... it stabilizes ("grounds" ?) the cantilever better, and must reduce horizontal compliance.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/7d6vyJLtu76XoCEC8

tie-back thread can be seen in above link. Very strange ? design ...

If anyone is interested in some...Go Karting....8^0 ....a Decca is available for what looks like a good price .....if you deal in US Dollars. 8^(
Not affiliated with the ad.

https://www.usaudiomart.com/details/649575330-london-decca-super-gold-phono-cartridge/