2. analog
  3. 1381456325

VPI HW-19 Springs

Maybe someone can refresh me as to which springs went with the VPI HW-19 series, Mk1/3/3/4, I have a HW-19 that started out as a first generation HW-19 and updated over the years to Mk4. I have multiple sets of springs that are black, silver and gold. Some of the spring caps are stainless steel, others are black plastic and others are black plastic with three silver metal dots on top. If someone could narrow down the correct springs for the MkIII and MkIV I'd appreciate the help.
majick47
slaw's avatar
slaw
20,498 posts
 
When I went for the Mk IV upgrade, my springs were all black caps with the three silver dots on top, but two were silver and two were gold. They were to go as follows... the two silvers in the opposite corners IE: one silver in the top right corner & one silver in the bottom left corner. The silvers were tuned to different frequencies than the gold.
mjm
20 posts
 
My MkIII had two black and two silver springs, all with black plastic top caps with three silver metal hemispheres on top (these made sliding the chassis easier for centering in the base). The different colored pairs of springs were supposed to be placed catercorner from each other, but I've forgotten which color was supposed to be where - I long since replaced the springs with NavCom Silencers, and think that on the whole they provide a more stable soundstage and more accurate sound. Hope this helps.

Mark
majick47 OP
1 posts
 
So far everyone has been a big help and with rearranging today got the plinth much better balanced swapping a couple of spings out.
wntrmute2's avatar
wntrmute2
188 posts
 
I remember VPI telling me that the two sets of springs were wound opposite each other to prevent the plinth from creeping. I too preferred the sound with the Navcom pucks but I placed the black Delrin springtops with the three balls on top so the plinth rides on those. Allows easy centering.
wlutke
717 posts
 
I had wondered about the two different color springs used. Now I know that is normal! One spring had collapsed over time by about 1/8 inch. Not normal. Last weekend I replaced my Mk IV springs with an Isolation Upgrade Kit from elusive Disc.
Isolation Upgrade Kit
My rig is on a cone supported rack with cone supported shelves and sits on concrete (cones through the carpet). So footfalls are a non-issue. A Dynavector XX2 Mk2 sits on an original JMW 10 arm with dropped weight. Enough with the details, what did it do for the sound? It absolutely transformed it. Dynamics, both micro and macro, jump off the disc. Focus is vastly improved. I'm sure other things good are happening that I can't put into words. The music takes me away and the gear disappears. At the price it is a no brainer. As always, YMMV.
More to discover