Ron’s New System
- Thread starter Ron Resnick
- Start date
The Graham Phantom Elite arrived today.
The turntable stand got powder-coated today.
The turntable stand got powder-coated today.
Looks great Ron 
! Actually I was concidering the Phantom Elite to my Ascona, but as you know I ended up with two different Acoustic Signature arms and the Kuzma 4point 11”… but I am still looking at the Graham arms… I think they look awesome! Congratulations Ron to your new fantastic tonearms. If I lived closer to you I would help you and install them in a jiffy!!
Cheers / Jk
! Actually I was concidering the Phantom Elite to my Ascona, but as you know I ended up with two different Acoustic Signature arms and the Kuzma 4point 11”… but I am still looking at the Graham arms… I think they look awesome! Congratulations Ron to your new fantastic tonearms. If I lived closer to you I would help you and install them in a jiffy!!Cheers / Jk
@Ron Resnick
Ron, the stand looks great! Can you elaborate a bit on its construction? I assume steel but are the pieces damped inside in some way?
I am also curious about the platform you intend to mount on top of the stand.
Ron, the stand looks great! Can you elaborate a bit on its construction? I assume steel but are the pieces damped inside in some way?
I am also curious about the platform you intend to mount on top of the stand.
4 inch square tubing
The legs can be filled with sand in the future.
The top piece is 3" thick MDF filled with sand. I think the top sits on rubber washers.
I think the feet are flat screw-in pieces for leveling.
The special HRS platform for the Brinkmann Balance 2 Arm will go on top.
Peter Noerbaek of PBN Audio can answer all questions.
Ron is this built differently than the HRS platform one can buy from any HRS dealer? And if so, do you know what makes it specific to the Balance?
No; the HRS platform for the Brinkmann Balance is a standard product for HRS.
I don't know. I think it's a standard M3X2 platform calibrated for the weight of the Balance, and in a size optimized for the Balance 2 Arm.
Looks awesome Ron! With the HRS platform you are going to be sooo satisfied, I’m sure of it.
/ Johan
Ron,
The stand looks fantastic and should perform very well. I have a very similar welded stand that was used for the Goldmund Reference and has the original 2" thick brass plate on top . Next is a segue shelf and on top of that the custom Brinkmann HRS. For feet I use the Finite Elemente Cera ball type.
I made a drawer underneath for a analog "junk" drawer- templates, cartridge screws, etc. If I find a pic I'll post it.
The stand looks fantastic and should perform very well. I have a very similar welded stand that was used for the Goldmund Reference and has the original 2" thick brass plate on top . Next is a segue shelf and on top of that the custom Brinkmann HRS. For feet I use the Finite Elemente Cera ball type.
I made a drawer underneath for a analog "junk" drawer- templates, cartridge screws, etc. If I find a pic I'll post it.
Ron,
Don’t forget the engraving “Brinkmann’ that differentiates this platform from ‘regular’ M3X2 platform
Technical Question
Each channel of the Pendragons consists of a panel and a self-powered woofer tower.
My VTL TL-7.5 Series III has two pairs of outputs. Presently, all cables are balanced.
One preamp output goes to each of the woofer towers. One preamp output goes to each of the VTL amplifiers which drives the panels.
There is no electrical connection or physical connection between the panels and the woofer towers. They are completely independent systems which just happen to be positioned next to each other.
If I replace the balanced cables going to the VTL amps, which drive the panels, with single-ended cables, I think the panel amps will be receiving 6dB less gain then are received by the amps built into the woofer towers. To correct this, I would have to lower the woofer towers level by 6dB.
Am I thinking about this correctly? Wouldn't this let me experiment with single-ended cables on the panels without any other technical or other detriment? (Let's ignore the possibility that the single-end cables will pick up greater noise than the balanced cables.)
Thank you!
Each channel of the Pendragons consists of a panel and a self-powered woofer tower.
My VTL TL-7.5 Series III has two pairs of outputs. Presently, all cables are balanced.
One preamp output goes to each of the woofer towers. One preamp output goes to each of the VTL amplifiers which drives the panels.
There is no electrical connection or physical connection between the panels and the woofer towers. They are completely independent systems which just happen to be positioned next to each other.
If I replace the balanced cables going to the VTL amps, which drive the panels, with single-ended cables, I think the panel amps will be receiving 6dB less gain then are received by the amps built into the woofer towers. To correct this, I would have to lower the woofer towers level by 6dB.
Am I thinking about this correctly? Wouldn't this let me experiment with single-ended cables on the panels without any other technical or other detriment? (Let's ignore the possibility that the single-end cables will pick up greater noise than the balanced cables.)
Thank you!
Probably, but not surely. Some gear RCA inputs and outputs are just connected to the non inverted phase of the XLR , other has independent RCA inputs and/or outputs with different gains. You have to check the manuals or simply use a soundmeter while playing a pink noise track.
You are probably best qualified to answer this question, because you have the same preamp and amps. The VTL electronics are true-balanced, so does that answer your question?
Ron,
This to me sounds very interesting. Without getting technical in this issue, it is definitely worth trying. Theory is not ALWAYS the answer to the physical practical tryouts in an audio system. To use single ended cables to your panels, and compensate the gain on your bass towers could actually result in a VERY balanced overall sound, maybe much better than anticipating. I think you should try this out… nothing wrong at all. This is going to be very interesting to follow.
/ Jk
This to me sounds very interesting. Without getting technical in this issue, it is definitely worth trying. Theory is not ALWAYS the answer to the physical practical tryouts in an audio system. To use single ended cables to your panels, and compensate the gain on your bass towers could actually result in a VERY balanced overall sound, maybe much better than anticipating. I think you should try this out… nothing wrong at all. This is going to be very interesting to follow.
/ Jk
It was a project to use cable pulls and hooks and tape to snake the cables through the parallel conduits inside the right side-wall. The thought of pulling those cables out and redoing the whole thing is very unappealing!
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The realization that I only have to replace one pair of cables, rather than two pairs of cables, definitely is helpful. It also means that if I were to try fancy cables I don't have to buy two pairs of fancy cable; I only would have to buy one pair of fancy cables.
I am very tempted to try single-ended Cardas Clear Beyond interconnects on the panels. But they are a lot thicker than Belden 1192A. It definitely would be difficult to get them through the conduit tubes.
It seems a little weird to use different interconnects on the panels than I use on the woofer towers. It's probably not a great idea in theory to introduce differences in velocity of propagation between 200Hz and up on the panels, and 200Hz and down on the woofer towers. But I doubt I could hear the difference.
I am very tempted to try single-ended Cardas Clear Beyond interconnects on the panels. But they are a lot thicker than Belden 1192A. It definitely would be difficult to get them through the conduit tubes.
It seems a little weird to use different interconnects on the panels than I use on the woofer towers. It's probably not a great idea in theory to introduce differences in velocity of propagation between 200Hz and up on the panels, and 200Hz and down on the woofer towers. But I doubt I could hear the difference.
Who has used different interconnects to one driver of a speaker than to the other driver of the speaker?