black walnut. I tried the wenge, which was stunning but stood out compared to the others. but I could see having all wenge it was so very pretty
What turntables do you use? Pictures would be nice as well :-)
- Thread starter XV-1
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Thanks for the invite Bob. If you don't mind, could you move your discussion on the Vyger to your own page. There is an excellent "what turntable are you using thread. This thread is intended to focus on the Ars Machinae turntable and its unique aspects and questions concerning it's design. I know you appreciate this and thank you for that collegial courtesy.
I believe it's you that are on the wrong thread.
This is the What turntables do you use thread.
XV-1. Thanks for pointing out my faux pa. I am tired this evening and got things crossed.
I apologize members and Bob, especially to you. I should have known as you are a class act and always a gentleman to all.
Glad that sorted itself out, thanks y’all. No harm, no foul, no need to see the reply.
Before I leave this forum as neither my aspirations nor my disposable income fit in, here's a turntable nobody's probably ever seen or will likely see. It was made by Claro Engineering in Yorkshire under strange circumstances and never properly marketed. Had it 10 years. Claro do lots of fabrication for aerospace, medical and anyone willing to pay, including quite a few audio companies. They have lots of machines and production facilities, videos here for people who like looking at machines.
It has a one-piece aluminium plinth containing two opposing Premotex motors with Rega belts and an external power supply designed by Terry who used to own Garrard. It is massively well engineered with a great bearing, because that's what Claro do.The platter is perimeter weighted. The arms are made to measure with various different metals used, and the Reed is fitted on an ebony plate.
The Koetsu was worn out and got trashed, had an excellent complete rebuild by the guy at North West Analogue. I have an XX2Mk2 and DL103R that are upgraded and tipped with Paratrace by Expert Stylus, which I really like, but they don't last very long. The NWA is intended to last much longer.
It has a one-piece aluminium plinth containing two opposing Premotex motors with Rega belts and an external power supply designed by Terry who used to own Garrard. It is massively well engineered with a great bearing, because that's what Claro do.The platter is perimeter weighted. The arms are made to measure with various different metals used, and the Reed is fitted on an ebony plate.
The Koetsu was worn out and got trashed, had an excellent complete rebuild by the guy at North West Analogue. I have an XX2Mk2 and DL103R that are upgraded and tipped with Paratrace by Expert Stylus, which I really like, but they don't last very long. The NWA is intended to last much longer.
Hello ssfas,
Please know that despite the name of the forum I, for one, believe that there is only a tenuous correlation between the sound quality of a component of the cost of that component. I think one of the most fun sub-hobbies of this hobby is getting the highest sound quality for the lowest dollars.
I have openly criticized many times suggestions that just because something is more expensive that in must sound better.
There is no minimum threshold of cost before a component or a system gains respect here -- at least not for me. I proudly use one dollar per foot Belden cable in my system.
While some price elitism is inevitable, I personally do not subscribe to it.
In summary, you are extremely welcome here!
Thank you. I have heard quite a bit of serious hifi. The first speaker purchase I can remember was from KJ Leisuresound in 1980, now KJ West One, perhaps the leading hi-end dealer in the UK. I'm still an occasional customer. The best system I ever heard there (and almost budget by their standards) was Sasha DAW, Trilogy 995R and Brinkmann. I've heard good and bad at all price points.
I was looking a few moments ago about Art Machinae. Never heard of them. Before the Claro deck I had a Clearaudio Champion Level 2 and their unipivot Unify arm. It put me off unipivots for life. So I have my own bias. I went to the other extreme, the Origin Live are dual pivot, but the Reed arms are real precision instruments (also dual pivot). I was listening to this wonderful jazz/funk album this morning (difficult to label it) and couldn't have wanted more.
I also have Belden cables, mains feeds from my consumer unit.
At least thanks to a discussion the other day I'm going to two more gigs (is opera a gig?) next week to the two I already had booked.
The ‘table looks fantastic…I too have a slightly different view of What’s Best, and it doesn’t align well with a lot of what is discussed here. But i do love trying to understand much of what drives people to spend hundreds of pages of posts arguing about differences in components that are much more money than the average american earns in a year. And i have found many good people here that just have access to a different life than me. And it’s all ok, and i’m learning a lot (still relatively poor though!).
one of these days i’ll post about the journey from SETs and high efficiency single drivers to very high end and then down to nothing. The exercise of building back up to a modest but engaging and fun system has been a hoot.
I think from a certain point it's more a matter of taste. I don't think it's really about money, I know enough people for whom all the hifi discussed here would be loose change. People spend huge amounts on different things - cars, art, parties, anything really - $millions at a time. The psychology is a completely different matter.
I did 300B-XLS SET, but the wife would not let me have the required speakers - Tannoy HPD or Quads. I've downscaled a couple of times, but the one thing I think I've learned is that no system can ever be better than the room acoustic it inhabits.
Meanwhile, I think we share another drain on our resources.
I did 300B-XLS SET, but the wife would not let me have the required speakers - Tannoy HPD or Quads. I've downscaled a couple of times, but the one thing I think I've learned is that no system can ever be better than the room acoustic it inhabits.
Meanwhile, I think we share another drain on our resources.
Sadly i have expensive tastes, but no money. So i treat just about everything the same way: a lot of DIY, a lot of vintage equipment (audio, cameras, my car). I’m sure if i had money i’d spend it on the things i love to tinker with, as i already did that once, before i got married and grew a family: SF Amati Homage, Nagra VPA, Nagra PLP, Teres 340, all from around 2003. So i can’t critique the psychology! I just try to learn from others and put it through the filter of “so how can i get there without spending much money?” I’ve learned a tremendous amount from reading Mike Lavigne’s posts, Ron’s new system discussion, Peter A and others. There’s great value there that transcends what i could do on my own with a big box of cash by my side!
I've learned most of the little I know from a couple of people who know a lot, online, a couple of dealers and listening at home.
I have a DIY rack made from perspex on industrial footings. The turntable above sits on springs scavenged from some Townsend bars. It works perfectly and is dead level, but it's a bit Heath Robinson, so only today out of audiophile guilt I've bought from Kridon-Image on eBay some machined aluminium 50mm adjustable feet that have O-rings and ball bearings, a set of 4 for £126 delivered. He's got over 3,000 sales of these footers on eBay alone, so let's see. He designed them to upgrade Lenco, Rega etc.
The rack is DIY simply because the space is limited and the system has changed completely this year due to a room change, so I can change it very easily. Perspex comes in many colours, so I can match it to the wallpaper. I would hate to have an expensive cabinet made and it become useless.
I once had an expensive cabinet made by Simon Gavin, who made a system called Blok that he sold to Monitor Audio. It's very popular. He just likes making bespoke furniture, he still does hifi, but last time I was up at his place he was making a kitchen. My former hifi cabinet is used for storage in my wife's clinic.
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I’m one of Kridon’s happy customers. Have 3 under my slate Lenco L75/PTP6! A great audio bargain…I've learned most of the little I know from a couple of people who know a lot, online, a couple of dealers and listening at home.
I have a DIY rack made from perspex on industrial footings. The turntable above sits on springs scavenged from some Townsend bars. It works perfectly and is dead level, but it's a bit Heath Robinson, so only today out of audiophile guilt I've bought from Kridon-Image on eBay some machined aluminium 50mm adjustable feet that have O-rings and ball bearings, a set of 4 for £126 delivered. He's got over 3,000 sales of these footers on eBay alone, so let's see. He designed them to upgrade Lenco, Rega etc.
The rack is DIY simply because the space is limited and the system has changed completely this year due to a room change, so I can change it very easily. Perspex comes in many colours, so I can match it to the wallpaper. I would hate to have an expensive cabinet made and it become useless.
I once had an expensive cabinet made by Simon Gavin, who made a system called Blok that he sold to Monitor Audio. It's very popular. He just likes making bespoke furniture, he still does hifi, but last time I was up at his place he was making a kitchen. My former hifi cabinet is used for storage in my wife's clinic.
Bespoke Gallery
Browse the Audinni gallery of bespoke AV Furniture. We have created every type of wooden furniture for our clients. From TV cabinets, home cinema furniture, HI-FI Racks, Vinyl Storage Cabinets - we have created it!
Sorry to see you leave! You obviously have a passion for music and the components that we use to recreate it as faithfully as we can.
I agree with your comment on disposable income as a quick scan of this forum would indicate that many members are spending significant money on their gear and in many cases environment. Well beyond what I am able to spend. Still there are many great conversation to be part of and a lot to learn from other's experiences.
I hope you stay as from your later posts I can see you have lots to offer.
Ron it was very nice of you to respond to ssfas as you did.
Price elitism is inevitable but I also believe that there is a not an absolute correlation between sound quality and cost. Those that have the disposable income that allows them to hear many different components in their homes are in an enviable position. There is also great satisfaction to be had in putting together a modestly priced system that is musically engaging.
I agree. And emotionally engaging sound can be achieved at almost every price level.
Please don’t leave. You’ve got a lot to offer. We’re all here together to enjoy music and audio. Btw, that’s a beautiful ‘table ??
More pics of that table, please!! And arms, and carts….I've learned most of the little I know from a couple of people who know a lot, online, a couple of dealers and listening at home.
I have a DIY rack made from perspex on industrial footings. The turntable above sits on springs scavenged from some Townsend bars. It works perfectly and is dead level, but it's a bit Heath Robinson, so only today out of audiophile guilt I've bought from Kridon-Image on eBay some machined aluminium 50mm adjustable feet that have O-rings and ball bearings, a set of 4 for £126 delivered. He's got over 3,000 sales of these footers on eBay alone, so let's see. He designed them to upgrade Lenco, Rega etc.
The rack is DIY simply because the space is limited and the system has changed completely this year due to a room change, so I can change it very easily. Perspex comes in many colours, so I can match it to the wallpaper. I would hate to have an expensive cabinet made and it become useless.
I once had an expensive cabinet made by Simon Gavin, who made a system called Blok that he sold to Monitor Audio. It's very popular. He just likes making bespoke furniture, he still does hifi, but last time I was up at his place he was making a kitchen. My former hifi cabinet is used for storage in my wife's clinic.
Bespoke Gallery
Browse the Audinni gallery of bespoke AV Furniture. We have created every type of wooden furniture for our clients. From TV cabinets, home cinema furniture, HI-FI Racks, Vinyl Storage Cabinets - we have created it!
It’s not that I’m bothered by avarice or extreme wealth, which I‘m not, it far simpler than that. It’s just that I’ve never heard of most of the products or brands. I read this morning about a brand that makes tools for cartridge set-up. I have the Dr Fiekert protractor, two electronic balances (the Rega one and a $10 Amazon one as a check) and various things that I use, like a compact mirror, some 3mm Perspex spacers, mini levels etc. I can’t measure the tracking angle, nor do I lose sleep about it.
If we’re going to talk money … from age 7 I was delivered to and from school with a friend. It would either be my mum in her Honda 360, or my friend’s car, which was a Rolls Royce driven by a Portuguese chauffeur called Abolino. He had the hat, the whole kit and kaboodle. From age 8 it was the bus, so I was fine with downsizing from a young age.
You might prejudge this kid and his parents, but his father grew up in poverty and his mother was one of the few people to survive being born in Auschwitz. Someone spending $1m on an audio system may be a billionaire for whom the money is a financial footnote, or someone spending his every last cent on hifi because it’s his only interest in life. It is easy to judge such people, but there are people who spend every last cent on opera tickets or [insert favourite pop star] tickets.
Music is unique as an art form as it exists in almost every society on earth and it is usually free (unless you’re a fan of Wagner or Taylor Swift). Recorded music has never been more accessible on high quality audio devices. It was just a surprise to find there was another entire level of audio beyond my horizon.