Nude Turntable Project

Halcro
Just recently I was introduced to the play back sound of a direct drive Technics SP-10 MKII mounted in a Panzerholz plinth.
This experience came about from a purchased item from this fellow audio enthuses with pick up only.

To make a long story short we chatted about audio related stuff and listened to music before I went on my way.

I have similar to your investment for a modern turntable and during the couple of hours of listening to his table and system a realization quickly came over me that made me pause...........

What was first apparent was the tonal balance ,rhythm, pace and overall life in the music that my system only hinted at but never breaking through into that new vinyl play back territory, well new to me.
In other words this direct drive table, so to speak, punched through a cloud cover that I was not aware of.

30 plus Gs for my current front end is serious bread for anyone and right now I feel foolish.

Halcro you bring up some good points here 10-31-10 which prompted me to go through old issues of the Absolute Sound, late 1970s and early 1980s issues though some are missing I did come across a mention of a Harry Weisfeld of VPI fame and his modified Technics SP 10. I need more time to go through them.........Maybe it wasn't all about the search for the absolute sound after all.

In any advent, I have shamelessly invited myself back over for more listening of this direct drive wonder.

BTW great work and interesting topic.

Regards William

Thanks William.
As I intimated in my conclusive post, I really feel that the cartridge is possibly more important than a well executed turntable design of any type? And the arm may be just as important?
At the moment I am listening to the the Empire 4000D/III on the FR-66s on the Raven AC-3 and it is quite literally sublime.
The Fidelity Research 12" arm is definitely the "King" of tonearms as it has been described.
It really beats the Continuum Copperhead which itself beat the Phantom II and DaVinci 12" Ref Grandezza.
So as with all things in audio, there are no absolute "absolutes"?

Hi Halcro, I was going to suggest the FR66s to you when you started your NUDE project I saw you already got a 64s so I did not bother recommending the 66s to you. Yes, the 66s is something else. At least you came to a solid conclusion.

I have been using the 66s for a long time and it is definitely something else. Last year, Dertonarm gave me some good tips of setting this beast up and it definitely made a heck of a difference (Thanks Dertonarm!). Please get yourself a Dennesen Soundtractor. You will need it to properly setup this tonearm. There are several versions to this tractor so before you buy one, please check with him to see if it is a genuine one.

Dear Halcro: IMHO I think that the source always is the most important factor/subject and then each one of the links that surround the source, in the cartridge case: tonearm, phono stage, TT, cables, etc, etc

What you are experienced with your D4000III is a confirmation of the importance in the tonearm/cartridge match. Till today IMHO does not exist yet the best tonearm but the best cartridge/tonearm combination.
Of course that is not easy to find out that best combination because we need to own a lot of tonearms to test cartridges there.

Could that Empire cartridge performs better in other tonearm?, certainly yes but you have to find out: hard task.

Anyway, good that you are enjoying your system with that source.

Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul.

Hello again, Halcro

After looking through your thread, reading your kind forum response and looking at your system photos I have a few more questions, please.

1) is there a "materials" reason to prefer cast bronze over aluminum, steel or brass?

2) are your tonearm towers solid or hollow?

3) where are your tonearm wires? inside the tonearm tower?

4) I didn't understand your term "packed" when applied to leveling the Tip Toes --a linguistic difference 'twixt here and there?

5) judging from your system photos, the shelf you mention is 'melamine', Formica or some kind of laminate over what we call particle board. Is that accurate?

6) How much did it cost to have your machinist fabricate the tonearm tower? Would it be remotely reasonable to have your machinist make two to send to the US (surface mail, no hurry) since he's already done yours?

7) What type of adjustable feet did you use for the bottom of the tonearm tower? made from what metal?

Thank you again, in advance, for any further support you can provide. A couple of close-up photos of a tonearm tower might help a lot.

Best Wishes,

David