New arrival....Miyabi Fuuga

[infinitely baffled]

Fair enough. The Mint isn't exactly cheap either.

An issue i have is the Ikeda arm requires a specific jig. Dr feikart gives an incorrect result, as i learned in my Van den Hul thread.
The turning point was discovering Tracking Wizard custom designed protractors and buying one specifically for my arm.

Is the Smartractor sufficiently flexible to cope, or would one order a tonearm-specific version?
This seems unlikely to me, given the cost.

 

[Solypsa]

The Uni Pro is designed to accept an array of standard or custom inserts for different alignments and arms. This is what I use. One of my clients has a smarttractor and iirc it is fixed, but I don't recall the options...

 

[infinitely baffled]

As an aside, I'm finding i haven't enough hours in the day to do all of the listening i want. All my favourites clamour to be played.
As seems possible when changing transducers, either end of the chain
the new presentation has me rediscovering my record collection. Hifi nirvana?

I should also report that now is the first time i have everything as it should be.
With the help of forum members i had my Grand Cru set up as well as possible, but still fundamentally incompatible with my high mass tonearm. But it was never meant to be a pairing, and with the arrival of fuuga i finally have a low compliance cartridge on my high mass tonearm.

To be fair to my Colibri, this likely explains the sense of 'rightness' that i was first struck by. And going forward, I'm equally excited to hear what a Colibri MSS is truly capable of when sympathetically paired with a medium mass tonearm, the Schroeder LT i have on order.

 

[infinitely baffled]

The Uni Pro is designed to accept an array of standard or custom inserts for different alignments and arms. This is what I use. One of my clients has a smarttractor and iirc it is fixed, but I don't recall the options...

I've done a bit of reading and it is said to be able to accomodate any pivoted tonearm

Quote
all 5 tangential alignments are based on true triangular positioning and thus are independent of effective length and thus suitable for ALL pivot tonearms, no matter what their effective length or mounting position.

Acoustical Systems The SMARTractor Phono Alignment Tool

Acoustical Systems The SMARTractor Phono Alignment Tool at MCRU

www.mcru.co.uk

 

[djsina2]

I've done a bit of reading and it is said to be able to accomodate any pivoted tonearm

Quote
all 5 tangential alignments are based on true triangular positioning and thus are independent of effective length and thus suitable for ALL pivot tonearms, no matter what their effective length or mounting position.

Acoustical Systems The SMARTractor Phono Alignment Tool

Acoustical Systems The SMARTractor Phono Alignment Tool at MCRU

www.mcru.co.uk

Correct, the Smartractor is not bound to a specific arm. You may need to adjust the manufacturer numbers for P-S if you’re going to use an alignment that’s different than what they designed to.

 

[tima]

Acoustical Systems SMARTractor - How Close is Close Enough? The Acoustical Systems SMARTractor - The Audio Beat - www.TheAudioBeat.com

read audio reviews, ratings, and user opinions on audio equipment before you buy an audio system

www.theaudiobeat.com

The Mint is okay, also the WallyTractor - both use two point arc alignment and are good for a single tonearm whereas the Smartractor and Uni-PRO use a single point without the arc; the latter is easier to use, imo. The Wally and the Brakemeier protractors have a pin point sized divot where the stylus tip should go when it is on the mark, giving high assurance of precision. The Mint does not have the divot and relies on sight. A correct alignment is possible with any of these. It comes down to ease of use and multiple vs single tonearm support.

A key for all of these is having the correct pivot-to-spindle (P2S) distance implemented for yr arm.

 

[infinitely baffled]

Em

Acoustical Systems SMARTractor - How Close is Close Enough? The Acoustical Systems SMARTractor - The Audio Beat - www.TheAudioBeat.com

read audio reviews, ratings, and user opinions on audio equipment before you buy an audio system

www.theaudiobeat.com

The Mint is okay, also the WallyTractor - both use two point arc alignment and are good for a single tonearm whereas the Smartractor and Uni-PRO use a single point without the arc; the latter is easier to use, imo. The Wally and the Brakemeier protractors have a pin point sized divot where the stylus tip should go when it is on the mark, giving high assurance of precision. The Mint does not have the divot and relies on sight. A correct alignment is possible with any of these. It comes down to ease of use and multiple vs single tonearm support.

A key for all of these is having the correct pivot-to-spindle (P2S) distance implemented for yr arm.

Embarrassingly I can't find any examples of the Uni-PRO tool available. The only references i can find are an archived thread referring to a since- expired ad on Audiogon, and references to it in the SMARTractor blurb.
Do you know if it is still available for purchase?

 

[tima]

Embarrassingly I can't find any examples of the Uni-PRO tool available. The only references i can find are an archived thread referring to a since- expired ad on Audiogon, and references to it in the SMARTractor blurb.
Do you know if it is still available for purchase?

acoustical systems - P.A.S. - the professional phono alignment set

AXIOM tonearm AQUILAR tonearm SMARTractor archon cartridge aiwon cartridge arche headshell UNI-Protractor acoustical systems HELOX record clamp

www.arche-headshell.de

Send an email to the North American distributor for a dealer near you: info@rutherfordaudio.com

I doubt you need the UNI-Pro but is very nice to work with.

 

[infinitely baffled]

What do people think of the Arche headshell?

arché - the high-end universal headshell

AXIOM tonearm AQUILAR tonearm SMARTractor archon cartridge aiwon cartridge arche headshell UNI-Protractor acoustical systems HELOX record clamp UNI DIN

www.arche-headshell.de

 

[Shuggie]

What do people think of the Arche headshell?

arché - the high-end universal headshell

AXIOM tonearm AQUILAR tonearm SMARTractor archon cartridge aiwon cartridge arche headshell UNI-Protractor acoustical systems HELOX record clamp UNI DIN

www.arche-headshell.de

Expensive, but so easily adjusted in all directions and they are probably the best sounding headshells that I've used. Quite heavy, but the newer Arche L has reduced mass of 15g. If you can swallow the price, then you won't regret buying one.

 

[infinitely baffled]

Nice one Shuggie?

Btw i now have Smartractor on order, x2.
One for me, one for my dealer

 

[infinitely baffled]

Can i ask how much anti-skate my fellow Fuuga owners are using?

 

[amadeus]

Fuuga owners do any of you tried or is any one using a SUT whit fuuga?

 

[tima]

Fuuga owners do any of you tried or is any one using a SUT whit fuuga?

I've run it with the following phonostages: ARC Ref 10 Phono, Lamm LP2.1 and Lamm LP1, the latter two use internal transformers. No external step-up.

 

[howiebrou]

Fuuga owners do any of you tried or is any one using a SUT whit fuuga?

Not yet. Mine is direct into Zanden Chukuoh

 

[infinitely baffled]

A wee postscript:

I had some trouble getting the l- r balance correct. Things seemed to be somewhat canted over to the left channel. The eureka moment arrived recently when i played a particularly insubstantial lp, and the issue became really pronounced.

So i deducted that, given the issue was more pronounced with a thinner record, the problem must be related to vta and not azimuth, as i had previously thought.
So i adjusted the vta, effectively bringing the cartridge ever so slightly down at the rear, and the sound is transformed. Firstly the stereo balance is now spot on, secondly it seems to have really opened up the top end.
Meaning the air region now sparkles in a way that is more reminiscent of a vdH cartridge.
A big improvement and I'm kicking myself for not realising sooner

 

[christensenleif@msn.com]

anyone compared the Fuuga with DaVa Reference?

 

[infinitely baffled]

I think Kodomo is the man, just awaiting delivery of his DaVa?

 

[amadeus]

Not yet. Mine is direct into Zanden Chukuoh

direct into Zanden Chukuoh ?

 

[Birdwatcher]

Can someone describe the sonic character of a Fuuga in comparison to
- Stonebody Koetsu
- AirTight Opus 1
- Dynavector XV-1s or t
- Ortofon Anna, Anna Diamond, Verismo or Century?

Just to get an idea, in which direction it goes.