Upgraded Garrard with Reed 5A pivoted tangential tracker tonearm arrived and were set up this past Saturday with the help of Hugo Cass of Ammonite Audio. Front end: Cartridge is the Phasemation PP-2000 MC into Phasemation T-2000 stereo SUTs, those into Ypsilon VPS-100 phono stage.
The MC cartridge once mounted is fairly close to the edge of the platter to start off with. We found that the Shindo platter that we tried first is a bit too "oversized" and makes set up difficult and a bit dangerous with this particular tonearm. The Classic Turntable Company's own CNC machined brass platter, though also "oversized", was slightly smaller in diameter and was a much better fit. Once set up, you turn on the turntable, remove the stylus cover, unscrew a safety screw in the base of the opening in the tonearm rest which will free up the tonearm. The tonearm lift is up and you simply apply slight pressure to the side and the tonearm moves smoothly over into position above record lead-in. Lower the tonearm lift switch and take your seat. As the stylus drops into position there may be a slight skip over grooves in the lead in or not, but soon the music starts.
To explain how the linkage of this tonearm functions to track tangentially I will use consumption of soup as a model. Sitting straight-backed in your chair hold a soup spoon to you lips with your forearm parallel to the table, elbow as far laterally as one can and still keep the spoon to your lips. Now, keeping the forearm level, the wrist locked, using the shoulder and elbow only, move the edge of the spoon from your lips straight out to the front 6 inches or so. The spoon is still parallel to the table top, the distal (business end) has moved tangentially forward, the stylus under the spoon bowel can move up and down but the vertical tracking error is minimal as the tonearm is longer than those on tangential tonearms that are not pivoted. Did that make sense?
The sound, well, before setting up the new table and tonearm we listened to a track "Dusty Springfield, The Look of Love" on a Techniques Turntable with PSU, Groove Master 9" S-shaped tonearm, but same front end otherwise. Then again after changing over. The sound stage was wider and deeper, the sources of sound in the soundstage more locked into place, closer too and greater "presence" (my big thing).
We played other records. Everything sounds better. If an upright piano is playing I can tell if it is turned so that the high keys are towards me, or away from me. We could discern the distinct sound of someone rubbing a tine over the parallel groves of a Guiro in the music (that hollow gourd thing with parallel groves that a percussionist rubs a stick over) which you all may hear easily on your systems, but it was a first for me.
But it isn't about certain hi-fi characteristics that are now more noticeable. I do not use high end wire (which some think balances a system by highlighting a part of the spectrum that was deficient). What I am getting now is what I believe others on this site have referred to as "natural sound". Whatever it is, it suits me to the bone.
