Trans-fi Terminator T3PRO opinions please...

Hello Spirit.

Maybe I'm getting too old and grouchy ...

I agree that with all who say that the Terminator is a low pressure system, and intentionally low. The question nevertheless remains: "How low? On which turntable, with what cartridge, with what auxiliary weights?"

I thought to investigate this question. First, I bought a higher pressure, higher volume pump so that I could waste energy in smoothing. This has been VERY worthwhile, in my system.

Next, I tried to float a massy wand, comprised of a massy, low compliance cartridge, which is improved with extra weights adorning the wand. Naturally, this needs a larger counterweight. This floats, barely, at 9 mm of mercury. The sound is dramatically improved. I attribute this to smoothing.

As expected, the sound changes with pressure. Higher pressure sharpens the focus, lower pressure dulls focus. Now, the question of system integration arises, and that depends very much on the turntable.

I had deliberately softened the sound of my turntable by interposing cork discs on the shelf supports, but this appears to be no longer necessary, as I can now modulate this factor with air pressure. I will remove these as soon as I can get a mover in to lift the components, so that I can get at the supports.

Specifically, the schematic is:

PUMP --> 4 l surge tank with cotton --> regulator --> pressure gauge
--> 4 l surge tank --> 20 l surge tank
--> Terminator

YMMD

DG, I don't think that air volume is constant over a pressure change of an order of magnitude. But I have no measurements to back that up.

I agree that pump output pressure is largely irrelevant, unless you have a leaky system. Which I do - leaky tank and pressure regulator. That extra volume has to come from somewhere.

As to the leaky tank, I am pretty sure that a leaky tank smooths out pulsing. So do cotton balls. Think automobile muffler, especially like those on my first cars.

Terry,
On smoothing we must focus to get out the best of our systems. A stoopid question: does a large tank alone before the arm manifold complete this job, do we really need a leaky tank in the chain ?

Terry, you sound like a restless investigator, whereas I'm prob happy to stick as is. I fully acknowledge you may be maxxing out further SQ impvts in your Terminator set up. Would be curious if you ever put this to Vic to hear his opinions.

Hello Harold.

I have not tried a large tank alone. I recalled the days of my mis-spent youth, and cars with leaky mufflers, which absolutely smoothed the exhaust emitted at the tailpipe. So I decided to add to this with another piece of muffler technology, the so-called glass-pack, in which a perforated tube runs inside another container packed with glass fibres. I simply substituted cotton fibre, and added a filter.

I don't think that yours is a stupid question at all. Why don't you try it, and let us know how it works? I have foolishly decided that the experiment is over for the moment, and closed up the cabinet. Until you find something better for us to try, that is.