New Maplenoll Ariadne owner needing advice

Well, Baranyi brought the Ariadne from me, and for me it was indeed plug and play. Set it up on a stable shelf, and just play your music. No tweaking or fiddling involved. It sat in my music room for 10 years, as was just as it was when I set it up when Baranyi acquired it.

My oil trough notions were rooted in a blind listening test (as per usual), back in the day. We played the same track with and without the trough, and didn't hear a bit of difference, though one person claimed the treble was smoother, after asking "Was that the oil one?" It did help stiff-cantilevered Grados like the TLZ track a bit better, but that was about it.

I think you can fiddle with these things and MAKE them more complicated than they need to be. But the beauty of them for me is that they are big, heavy, inert and relatively fiddle-resistant. Set it and forget it.

Your mods are nice ideas. Carbon fiber linear tracking arm? Pretty slick. Would love to see pictures.

I think that Lloyd Walker's work is the ultimate realization of these turntables, and I probably don't ever want to hear one, since I'd rather spend $35k on a car or something. He's brilliant.

Is there anyone out there that can provide the measurements for an Ariadne Signature where the sub platter is driven by the belt ?

Still wondering about buying another refrigerator compressor to replace my bad compressor. I had an HVAC person on another website say that draining the coolant (R22) would cause the compressor to fail. This dies not seem to have been a problem with all the Maplenoll Super quiet pumps that have functioned for so long. Any thoughts?

Refridgerant compressors like those used by Maplenoll are lubricated by oil, not freon. Freon is not a lubricant. Most HVAC guys know that they need to add oil to a new install and/or pump replacement. It's HVAC 101.

I'd strongly suggest going to a rotary vane oil less pump myself. Near zero pulsation and no worries about seperating oil from the air feeding your table. Open the scud and replace the foam. The foam has likely seen oil, as that it is the nature of inexpensive oil lubed refridgerant pumps. Or, just build new ones.

Let's face it, we want to feed the arm tube and platter with the cleanest, pulse free air, right?

Oikmanmojo gave you a wonderful recommendation. I've used a Techumseh pulse free rotary vane pump on my Airiadne Signature for years. And while the multiple stages of oil and water seperators are still in place, they don't require anywhere near the maintenance that they used to.

I have added several extra air tanks, too.

Have fun. Bruce Thigpen never got the respect that he deserved for this table.

Brian is right about the superquiet pumps used with the original maplenoll. It is a "lube" oil, most likely Mobil one or equivalent. I do not like this set up because the refrigeration compressor does heat up and entrain oil throughout the system. This is also one of the reasons some maplenolls put a burnt oil smell into your listening room. if you are going to repair the existing pump. I would recommend draining and replacing the oil with a modern synthetic oil or true compressor oil Most of these are odorless and are more stable to heat.

Again he is right on point about the arm. It likes clean, smooth flowing air. I also recommend flushing the airbearing sleeve with isopropyl alcohol to clean out the ports if you are having any sticking problems

I like the concept of the oil-less compressors but the two i tried (not the one Brian recommended)were just too loud for my taste.

Finally to Markim, I am traveling today, but if you are looking for the belt measurement, i will post tommorrow once i return. I have the signature set up and can get that measurement pretty quickly for you