yet another KAB mod question

Here is what I did.
I just asked Kevin which upgrades HE THOUGHT were worthwhile. I was prepared to do all the mods, he has to offer.
Kevin is a very honest and straightforward
kind of person. I have found him to be a real gentleman, who is as objective, as it is possible to be, with respect to audio.
His answer was:
1. Cardas arm rewire
2. Fluid damper
3. External power supply.
I brought it back home last night, and from the first minute playing music, I should say, I was extremely impressed.
I didn't expect to hear that good of a playback- excellent, explosive dynamics, very tonally accurate, great timbre.
My wife, who is a professional pianist, listened to Berlioz
for a couple minutes, and immediately made a comment, that "it sounds very natural", she immediately noticed very precise soundstaging with exact placement of orchestral instruments (I think she knows, what she's talking about). And she is the farthest thing from an audiophile.
My point is, the price for ANY of the KAB mods is so modest, compared to other companies offerings, that making a decision about what particular options to choose, is an absolute no- brainer to me. I highly doubt, that one can get anywhere close to this level of performance for that little money.
Again, that is just my perspective.

I bought the SL 1210 M5G to get the factory tonearm rewire. I was on a limited budget, so it was less up-front money to haggle an M5G at the local Guitar Center for $500 even. I have not compared it to the KAB Cardas upgrade, but I haven't felt compelled to change out the M5G wiring either, and I have premium (mostly Kimber and AQ) interconnects throughout my systems. I think if it wasn't up to snuff, I'd notice. You get a slight improvement by separating the R & L leads, and a little more quietness by twisting them together.

While we talk about where to put the money in upgrades, let's not forget you have to put this sucker on an isolation platform. So far, the recommendation is to replace the feet with compatibly threaded brass cones, set this on a thick wooden platform, and isolate the platform from the rack shelf with Mapleshade Isoblocks or Vibrapods.

At the cheap end, you can get 1.25"x1.5" Dayton Speaker threaded brass cones from Parts Express for $20/set of 4, set the coned turntable on a butcher block cutting board from Ikea for $25, and set all this on Vibrapods or Isoblocks for $24/set of 4.

At the higher end of the spectrum, use Mapleshade Threaded Heavyfeet ($160/set of 4) on his 4" maple platform ($250) set on his Isoblocks ($24/set of 4).

I have direct experience with different mats, the platforming as described, Sumiko headshell and azimuth alignment, and fluid damper. They're all worthwhile.

Based on posts here, Zaikesman in particular, the KAB outboard power supply should probably be the starting point. He got the fluid damper first and the outboard PSU later. He felt that the PSU had the most profound effect.

For a crash course in SL1200 performance and various A-goners upgrades, read the SL1200 thread in the Analog Reviews section.

Oh, yeah: I also highly recommend that any SL12x0 owner pony up the $4.95 and squirt a few drops of oil into the bearing. I noticed a significant improvement in quietness, smoothness, and speed consistency after I did that with a nearly new (7-mo-old) SL1210. You can't be sure that all shippers and handlers observed "This Side Up" throughout the shipping, storing, and schlepping stages. It's probably a good idea to dose it with fresh oil when you set it up in your home.

One of the coolest KAB offerings is the drop in cabinet. Makes the table look serious.

All of this certainly sounds tempting, just to have a Table to monkey with 9Gos I wish I had some mad money to play with!)

As for the threaded Spindle, and Clamp? What's the thread size, does anybody know? One could perhaps go ala VPI, thus alleviating those nasty warped vintage (and not so vintage) records in your collection.

I had a machinist friend make a massive Alu Clamp for my VPI (Using the BDR Coaster), for very low $$$, and of course as we all know, you don't want to place a heavy clamp on these DD Tables, just one that does it's job, lessening warpage, and perhaps better coupling LP to Platter is all that's maybe needed?

I figure like this, for the average user, get mods that would be difficult to iplement by the end user done by KAB. Then one can add the simpler mods by themselves at a later date, and eventually have them all!

I agree, the "drop in" Wood Cabinet looks sweet for these, and would be an eventual consideration had I gone the Technics route. Maybe I'll eventually dump my spare mint vintage Denon DP-2550, and join the crowd? I've got two NOS AT Cartridges, and a Vintage Shure Type III, with Jico SAS just begging for play time. Mark