Steve, thank you. However, it all depends on the height of the arm board versus the height of the platter, or more precisely the surface of the vinyl. Referencing a specific number of cards is not applicable To other set ups unless the table arm cartridge are identical and even then cartridge to cartridge sample variation might be different and alter the number of cards.
van den Hul Colibri Grand Cru
- Thread starter PeterA
- Start date
Steve, thank you. However, it all depends on the height of the arm board versus the height of the platter, or more precisely the surface of the vinyl. Referencing a specific number of cards is not applicable To other set ups unless the table arm cartridge are identical and even then cartridge to cartridge sample variation might be different and alter the number of cards.
Steve Williams
Site Founder, Site Owner, Administrator
Totally agree Peter. That’s why I needed to buy a new mounting board for the 10” arm
Steve Williams
Site Founder, Site Owner, Administrator
I use a standard deck of playing cards. My height for whatever it is worth is 46 cards with one arm and 51 cards with the other arm. More interesting might be a sharing of how high the arm is in the back relative to a level arm tube. But even here my SMEV 12 arm has a fixed headshell which is parallel to the arm tube and my 3012 arm has a head shell that is removable and not parallel to the arm tube. All of this stuff is so variable that it just has to be done individually for a specific combination and by ear. I have recently learned just how little I know about tonearm set up.
Last edited:
Do we have a caliper measurement of playing cards, sampling enough to get an average thickness? Not that it matters as Peter mentions above the variables are different across all table/arm/cartridge combinations. SRA and anti-skate seem to be the most "tweak-y" of the variables. I wish there were some way to do the equivalent of the card trick for anti-skate.
I upgraded to the "turbo" version of the 12" AMG tonearm on my AMG Viella table. I mounted my Benz LPS and seem to have had beginner's luck though I did buy the Feickert Adjust+ for azimuth, and the tonearm came with a mounting jig for the cartridge overhang setup. For anti-skate I had only the suggestion of someone with more experience. I resorted to getting some photo's from someone I know with the same table/arm/cartridge and just matched his settings.
But, I do have new cartridge coming and it is much lighter than my Benz by almost half, so not sure how this will effect the anti-skate setting.
I upgraded to the "turbo" version of the 12" AMG tonearm on my AMG Viella table. I mounted my Benz LPS and seem to have had beginner's luck though I did buy the Feickert Adjust+ for azimuth, and the tonearm came with a mounting jig for the cartridge overhang setup. For anti-skate I had only the suggestion of someone with more experience. I resorted to getting some photo's from someone I know with the same table/arm/cartridge and just matched his settings.
But, I do have new cartridge coming and it is much lighter than my Benz by almost half, so not sure how this will effect the anti-skate setting.
I have my favorite but which playing cards don't matter, one card is a unit of one. Usually I send customers the pack of playing cards I use to setup their cartridge here, this way there's guess work.
Setting the anti-skating on an SME is really simple, no guess work.
david
Preparing to join the club and pull the trigger on the VDH Grand Cru......the question is which body type to select.
ddk, nice Amber body!
ddk, nice Amber body!
With my last VDh Colibri Master Signature Stradivarius, I found a mild negative ( est. 2 degree) VTA was decidely preferable over a straight parallel armtube during play which on certain recordings could sound a bit tipped up on top. I realize these are hand made and therefore a certain degree of variations exist between models. I will be curious if this will be the case with the Grand Cru.
Kudos to PeterA, a great thread starter.
Kudos to PeterA, a great thread starter.
Does anybody by chance have any specific experience with tonearms which are especially well mated to the VDH Grand Cru?
At present, I was thinking perhaps the Acoustical Systems Aquilar, or the Schroeder CB-1 model may be good contenders. As I recall these VDH's are rather 'highish' compliance.
At present, I was thinking perhaps the Acoustical Systems Aquilar, or the Schroeder CB-1 model may be good contenders. As I recall these VDH's are rather 'highish' compliance.
I understand that Mr. vd Hul voices them on an SME arm. There are many here who like the newest Colibris with the SME 3012R, in fact it is a rather popular combination. I use one SME 3012R and one SME V-12 and I have a Grand Cru and a Master Signature Stradivarius.
Steve Williams
Site Founder, Site Owner, Administrator
Steve Williams
Site Founder, Site Owner, Administrator
Actually they all sound good and similar. The wood bodies with the Stradivarius lacquer are more dynamic than the amber which is mellow, but sometimes that's what you want.
david
This doesn't strictly count as experience, but i've ordered a Schroeder LT to complement mine. My Ikeda is too high mass to be ideal, but I'm ameliorating by using a wooden Yamamoto headshell while i wait for my Schroeder.
In the meantime I'm considering purchasing a Schroeder CB.
Love your choice in decks, btw
Similar threads
