In praise of idlers

[bonzo75]

I'm placing the order Monday with Peter for the Solid 12 with the Schroder armboard. Purchase because necessary because the CB I just bought is the 11.1" version.... did that by accident. Doesn't fit my Aries. Next time I need to read the ad closer

Do you haver the controller? I'm getting the upgraded bearing but I think I want to hold off on the controller until I listen for awhile.

I have heard the PTP with Schroeder CB at Anamighty, and there Schroeder was better than the Schick in all aspects, and the STST motus II was quite better than the PTP as the next step up at Anamighty.

 

[Fishfood]

I have heard the PTP with Schroeder CB at Anamighty, and there Schroeder was better than the Schick in all aspects, and the STST motus II was quite better than the PTP as the next step up at Anamighty.

I have heard both sides of this comparison since I know people that have spent time at Anamighty. For them the difference wasn't that cut and dry, given the differences between idler and DD... and with the STST being next level up cost-wise, I'm going to lean on that opinion and be happy with my purchase

 

[Solypsa]

... and be happy with my purchase

A very important skill in this hobby

 

[Solypsa]

@Fishfood what cart are you planning for the PTP?

 

[Fishfood]

I have the brass cartridge carrier plate for the Schroder on order and I'm sticking with my AnaMighty DL103R for a while longer since it checked out fine when I had it looked at. I'm sure I'll be asking for cartridge advice after the first of the year!

 

[Fishfood]

A very important skill in this hobby

I feel like a liar now (about being satisfied) since I reevaluated the PTP Solid 12 purchase based on advice from someone really smart. 401 project underway. 6 weeks of hell from the waiting is underway.

 

[spiritofmusic]

Your issue with the Solid 12? I did briefly consider it, but decided to go with mods to my Salvation rim drive instead.

 

[Fishfood]

I think ultimately the Solid 12 is a (very high) second tier table but the price delivered to the US, when you add in the extras, was about $5. I'm looking at spending less for a clearly better sounding table with a fully refurbished 401 and plinth. Plus there's a lot that can be done to make the 401 even better in the future.

 

[Robert Young]

great thread, despite the inherent personality rumble...

I love my idlers, after years with great belt drives. The Teres 340 is in a box somewhere in the basement while thesse two have all the fun: A fully restored TD 124 Series 1 (very early first month of production!) with multiple arm options, and a Lenco L75/PTP 6 in slate with a Schroeder Reference and a Bokrand 12". Good times!

 

[Fishfood]

Beautiful collection Robert! Which copper mat is that on your Lenco?

 

[Robert Young]

Beautiful collection Robert! Which copper mat is that on your Lenco?

Thank you! I have fun on a moderate budget!!
The mat is from SPH, and can be sourced from him in the trader’s section on Lenco Heaven. It’s absolutely superb.

 

[Fishfood]

Thank you! I have fun on a moderate budget!!
The mat is from SPH, and can be sourced from him in the trader’s section on Lenco Heaven. It’s absolutely superb.

Ok! I posted my interest there. Hopefully he has one left from his latest run.

 

[jespera]

great thread, despite the inherent personality rumble...

I love my idlers, after years with great belt drives. The Teres 340 is in a box somewhere in the basement while thesse two have all the fun: A fully restored TD 124 Series 1 (very early first month of production!) with multiple arm options, and a Lenco L75/PTP 6 in slate with a Schroeder Reference and a Bokrand 12". Good times!


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Very nice collection.

Is the wooden tonearm a grado?

What cartridges are you using?

 

[Robert Young]

Very nice collection.

Is the wooden tonearm a grado?

What cartridges are you using?

Yes the wood arm is a Grado, with a Shure M7D cartridge. A very nice pairing that just loves vocals and saxaphone. No earthshattering bass or angel-fart highs, but then again, none of that is there on the mostly ‘50s jazz i listen to.

The SME arm is a 3009 Series II non-improved with a wood-bodied Shure V15 iii with Jico SAS. Very nice, quite a rich sound. Likes Yo-Yo Ma a lot, handles my modest collection of baroque LPs very well.

The Signet XK-50 (same at the AT 1100) has a Signet TK10ml, all original, with maybe only 200 hours tops on it. This is an extremely high performance set up, with speed, breadth and depth. Gets a lot of play. There’s another arm wand for the Signet with a Micro Acoustics 3002, with sapphire cantilever and Fritz Geiger diamond by Joseph Long that is oh so close to being the best I’ve heard in the non MC cartridge world. But i have a 9-year old, so i keep it out of the way most of the time, and only play really pristine vinyl with it.

There’s an Infinty Black Widow with a new graphite arm tube (successful DIY replacement of a broken aluminum tube) with a Micro Acoustics 2002e with same Joseph Long stylus that is also amazing. The MAs are so so fast. Nothing else like them. And with Joseph’s magical work, an under $750 investment for cartridges that spank most MCs silly.
There are over 30 MM and MI carts i experiment with, between arms, headshells and wiring. I change my opinion frequently, and enjoy almost all of them. There are a number of Bang and Olufsen SP-series that i like, and an mmc-2 being retipped by Joseph Long, some Stantons and Pickerings, a Zu Denon dl103r, some ATs heavily modded (including an extremely rare ESE maya-1 with carbon fiber cantilever outriggers), a Sonus Blue Gold, an Ortofon MC20ml, and a few of my favorite off-the-radar MM, the Empire 880p. I just love that cart. Headshells are another can of worms…but i like worms.

The Lenco has a Schroeder Reference with an Allaerts MC-1b. This is for now my absolute best. It awaits me selling some unused but great cartridges so i can pair it with a Dave Slagle SUT. For now I’m using an EAT phono pre into my AirTight pre. The other arm is a Bokrand 12”, which is simply a work of art, and has an Ortofon SPU (Meister silver mk 2) that loves it.
I love this hobby, but i clearly have a problem. Thankfully I’m almost always broke due to 1) living in Manhattan, 2) being an architect, and 3) having expensive offspring.

 

[Fishfood]

Ok! I posted my interest there. Hopefully he has one left from his latest run.

Ordered! He had one left

 

[Robert Young]

Ordered! He had one left

That’s great. It’s a huge bargain/upgrade. I use his bearing on my Lenco as well. Great stuff.

 

[jespera]

Yes the wood arm is a Grado, with a Shure M7D cartridge. A very nice pairing that just loves vocals and saxaphone. No earthshattering bass or angel-fart highs, but then again, none of that is there on the mostly ‘50s jazz i listen to.

The SME arm is a 3009 Series II non-improved with a wood-bodied Shure V15 iii with Jico SAS. Very nice, quite a rich sound. Likes Yo-Yo Ma a lot, handles my modest collection of baroque LPs very well.

The Signet XK-50 (same at the AT 1100) has a Signet TK10ml, all original, with maybe only 200 hours tops on it. This is an extremely high performance set up, with speed, breadth and depth. Gets a lot of play. There’s another arm wand for the Signet with a Micro Acoustics 3002, with sapphire cantilever and Fritz Geiger diamond by Joseph Long that is oh so close to being the best I’ve heard in the non MC cartridge world. But i have a 9-year old, so i keep it out of the way most of the time, and only play really pristine vinyl with it.

There’s an Infinty Black Widow with a new graphite arm tube (successful DIY replacement of a broken aluminum tube) with a Micro Acoustics 2002e with same Joseph Long stylus that is also amazing. The MAs are so so fast. Nothing else like them. And with Joseph’s magical work, an under $750 investment for cartridges that spank most MCs silly.
There are over 30 MM and MI carts i experiment with, between arms, headshells and wiring. I change my opinion frequently, and enjoy almost all of them. There are a number of Bang and Olufsen SP-series that i like, and an mmc-2 being retipped by Joseph Long, some Stantons and Pickerings, a Zu Denon dl103r, some ATs heavily modded (including an extremely rare ESE maya-1 with carbon fiber cantilever outriggers), a Sonus Blue Gold, an Ortofon MC20ml, and a few of my favorite off-the-radar MM, the Empire 880p. I just love that cart. Headshells are another can of worms…but i like worms.

The Lenco has a Schroeder Reference with an Allaerts MC-1b. This is for now my absolute best. It awaits me selling some unused but great cartridges so i can pair it with a Dave Slagle SUT. For now I’m using an EAT phono pre into my AirTight pre. The other arm is a Bokrand 12”, which is simply a work of art, and has an Ortofon SPU (Meister silver mk 2) that loves it.
I love this hobby, but i clearly have a problem. Thankfully I’m almost always broke due to 1) living in Manhattan, 2) being an architect, and 3) having expensive offspring.

Yes the spu’s really like the bokrand.

Back in 1973 when i invented scratch and hiphop i ruined a few of my dad’s b&o sp cartridges. Wish i had them now.

 

[Agrail]

'Swiss Precision' may interest some on this thread. My apologies for the focus on Audio Grail it was a privilege to be a small part of this. (N.B: The two book compendium is in German only currently)

 

[Agrail]

In keeping with the thread title it would be difficult to skim over some of idler units used / adapted for industry...

Finally a year long project comes to a close. This full console BBC unit, known as the DRD5 was the first iteration of the 301 to be used by the BBC (The later version being the PR2/1)

Being a complete console there is a lot more going on here than a standard 301. Anyone with a mechanical grasp of a 301 will note the underside of the DRD5 is somewhat more involved. The brief was to restore and retain as much originality as possible whilst maximizing performance. I can say the original paint finish was really outstanding.

This example came from BBC Bristol and seems to have not suffered the numerous ‘on the fly’ revisions many of the larger BBC studios deemed necessary (At least in the ones we've had in).

Regardless of familiarity with the 301, the BBC console types are always a learning curve and there was a lot to learn with this particular unit. Stripping down measuring / plating testing / re machining turned into the proverbial long road with no apparent end. But there was an end…(Although I’m already mulling over small things I would have liked to photograph / film / take dims etc etc)

Usually at this point in a self congratulatory overview people trot out the ‘Labor of love’ one liner. To be honest, I’d flown past that in month 1. It would be more accurate to describe this project as: ‘Rabbit hole ? obsession’.

After such a long time of head scratching, it was a happy / sad moment to see it go (To a very good home). It's unlikely I’ll come across another quite like it.

 

[Fishfood]

Question for experienced idler folks: is an idler more subject to mistracking than a belt drive turntable? I'm asking because I've been having the hardest time setting up my 401. Cartridge after cartridge. Arm after arm. I've got it as clean as I've been able to get it so far, and I still get some distortion on every side of every LP at least once, sometimes more. Anything that really pushes the high frequencies with any surge in volume feels like it breaks up or is certainly edgy.

Never had this problem before with belt drive TTs. Playing all the same LPs. I can't suck that bad at setup, can I?