A Copernican View of the Turntable System

Raul,

I cannot doubt the truth of your statement. I would encourage others to try it out but also understand if they decide to go another route.

Atmasphere,

Examples of the viscolelastic materials used for isolation and damping can be found at:

http://www.equarack.com/isolation-footers.htm

Maybe I have misused the terminology or misunderstood. If so, my apologies.

Hi Raul,

Just a little anecdote to suggest why "I would [strongly] encourage others to try" the nude Technics and decoupled arm tower. My wife has become desensitised of the joys of hifi due to the decades of constant component change and repeated play of stock test tracks that this has involved. It seemed a miracle when she both noticed and commented positively on what she heard this week. Similarly, my seven year old daughter tends to criticise my music and finds no time for jazz and classical music which, I am told, I "always play". Well last night, I was playing Peggy Lee and Ella Fitzgerald. She danced to all tracks and asked me questions about Ella and her life. I know this might not seem like much but it touched me greatly and I believe this was down to the natural and detailed way in which the records are now being presented.

Given that the changes I have made have cost me absolutely nothing so far (although I might vernture towards having a customised arm tower made - a la Halcro - at some future point), I simply cannot see why anyone would not at least try this out.

Dgob, So how do you have things set up now? What is the arm tower sitting on?

Dear Dgob - congratulations - isn't it a grand feeling getting closer to the music and the family at the same time.

Is the feeling a little more special this time around because this upgrade cost practically nothing ?

Dear T-Bone you said - b) taking out the symposium (two isolation methods next to each other is usually worse than just one in my experience) - both of which should have improved things.

I believe my set up supports this as well – my sp10 is on 4 inches of maple which itself sits on the spiked columns of the actual stand – not another shelf.
Cheers Chris

Atmasphere,

I've reattached the support base to the Mambo arm tower and then placed 5.5kg weight on that. I've kept the two (of the three)exposed spikes on the column and then drilled and tapped a 6mm hole at the end of the support base: so as to have a tripod of spikes that hold the whole thing about 3mm above the birch wall shelf. I've then rolled four small balls of blue tac and placed these under the four corners of the support base (the weights ensure that the blue tac is squashed firmly against the platform (or plinth!)and that the arrangement is grounded through the three spikes.

It's not the prettiest arrangement (given the old small bar bell weight that I have used on the arm tower/ supporting base) but it really works and is costless - until such time as I can obtain a more aesthetically pleasing arm tower.