Anyone try the replica B-60 Fidelity Research VTA?

Back to the B60 : Alternative VTA adjuster

An alternative solution to easy and fine VTA adjustment is to tap a machine screw into a block of aluminium or bronze that slides under the arm lift cradle. I had one made years ago with a fine thread : 1/4 turn equated to 1 thou of an inch. You then unwind the screw until it just touches the underside of the arm lift cradle. From there you can easily remove it, adjust the screw up or down ( 1 turn is +-4 thou ) and then all you do is loosen the arm pillar screws, place the VTA measurer under the arm lift, and then drop the arm down to the new position. This little gizmo gives you complete control of fine VTA without the need for the B60.

My concern with most arms is that the arm pillars are secured by one or two grub screws - this is not particularly rigid. With the Helius tonearms the arm pillar is secured with a compression grip - this is far more rigid.

Now that Syntax mentioned the price for the original B-60
I feel 'entitled' to name the price(s) for the new one.
Because of the possible liabilty by the mentioned heart attack
I was reluctant to do so. With the German sensibility I
was informed that the retail price is 1880 euro but because
Nicole liked my name I could get the precious for only 1550 euro.
BTW I got my 'perfect' siver wired FR-64S for 1200 euro.
Like Lew I reconsidered this sticky silicon oil in the
replica with the assertion that this stuff has also some damping function.

Lewm/Audpulse
My standard Marantz 7 (1996 reissue) has enough gain for the Dynavector Karat Nova 13D, albeit with a little tube noise at louder levels. This Karat Nova 13D however is not standard. The original output was 0.12mv. When Dynavector rebuilt Karat Nova's they always started with a new generator. I got the last 13D generator in the early 2000's. When I had an accident and broke the diamond cantilever they rebuilt it again as a special favour ( they no longer rebuild them ) using a Karat Nova 17 generator, and the output is now 0.3mv. This is what I believe I have http://www.dynavector.com/pdf/nova17d_ebro.pdf
Fortunately I have another Nova 13D still original.
The standard 7 also has enough gain for the Koetsu's and Carnegie (0.28mv) that I've used over the years. It does not have enough gain for the Ikeda (0.15mv).

My modified Marantz 7 dates from around 1960 and has the followng mods :
1st stage - did the Smith mods, bypassed all the switching & tone controls, bypassed the balance & trim pots on phono and line output, resulting in a phono only preamp with only a volume pot in the signal path.
2nd stage - did the Pooge circuit changes - tighter RIAA, increased output coupling caps
3rd stage - added a custom designed outboard regulated power supply ( much better design than the suggested Pooge power supply ) with additional superfast C on the tubes. The outboard supply also has additional star earthed binding posts so all components in the system can be star earthed to one single point.
4th - replaced all resistors with Roderstein metal film and caps with MIT Multicaps.
This was all back in the early 90's. The modded Marantz has a little more gain, substantially lower noise floor and more resolution than the original 7, but retains the unique characteristics of the original - if you read the TAS reviews of the Marantz & and Smith modded version they are absolutely spot on - a unique in my experience ability to accurately orient instruments in Carnegie Hall, a very coherent music presentation in terms of timing and expansive mid range. My take on the 1996 replica is that it is very good, but a little slow. I suspect the polypropylene caps in this version are not great. In Japan they buy replicas and then install vintage bumblebees. In Europe they buy replicas and throw in the Duellunds.
From the mid/late nineties I used a Jadis for about 10 years until someone desperately wanted it. They did me a huge favour because when I hooked the old modded Marantz 7 back up out of curiosity it blew the Jadis away completely. Every time I try another preamp I lose speed and coherency. Even my friend with a full Goldmund system shakes his head - he cannot understand why my ancient system with about 50 years of components sounds so quick. As well as the Goldmund PH3 another friend has the Lamm phono. It is sad that these cant live with a 1960's design. As is always with audio it is a sum of the parts.

Dear Dover,
"As is always with audio it is a sum of the parts." Set that in stone. I totally agree and have operated on that principle for the last 10-15 years. A knowledgeable DIYer can dramatically improve upon almost anything commercially available. I am also not surprised that your modified Marantz blew away the Jadis.

I also agree that securing the vertical shaft of the typical VTA-adjustable tonearm with one or at best two grub screws does not make me feel good, yet its most commonly done. Even the B60 only really uses two set screws. One of the brilliant aspects of the Kenwood L07D integrated turntable/tonearm is the massive and very mass-y clamp that secures the tonearm once one has set the VTA. As regards your friend's consternation that "old stuff" sounds good, I also intentionally out-fitted my Beveridge 2SW system such that nothing upstream is less than about 30 years old, just for the fun of it. But of course I modified and upgraded almost all of the components I chose. The wheel was invented a long time ago. At first I used a Quicksilver preamp vintage about 1980-85. The circuit has many odd features, by present day beliefs, but on the other hand, the power supply is well done. One big improvement was to sub all the caps in the RIAA network with Russian silver mica caps available on eBay. And to replace the 12AU7 cathode-follower with a 12FQ7. Etc. After the Quicksilver, I moved on to a hot-rodded Klyne and a very hot-rodded Silvaweld phono stage. But this is hijacking Nikola's thread, except for the bit about set screws. Sorry, Nikola.

Dear Lew, No need to worry about 'my' thread. It will be
valued according to the number of the contributions made
and not according to the subject matter in which individul
contributors are interested. Like Henry Dover want to
show that his country does not belong to the developing
kind. One can get the best caps and resitors (even )in
New Zealand is the massage.