big boys

2bigears · « **on:** 12 Nov 2008, 03:47 pm »

there is a couple VPI HRX's on the Gon going cheap.... is this money well wasted.for 8 grand can you do better ????

lookin' for a tt to ride to the grave with.or maybe seal the divorce

[ps:no more politics]

woodsyi · « **Reply #1 on:** 12 Nov 2008, 03:54 pm »

I am of the opinion that a cart/arm synergy with your phono preamp gives more bang for the buck (or makes a bigger difference) than the TT as long as your TT is up to a certain standard.

2bigears · « **Reply #2 on:** 12 Nov 2008, 04:01 pm »

sooo it's not that simple as buying a deck and laying it down,hook-up,walking back and pressing 'play',hummm

dang,that synergy thing again.does anyone do this for a living..

Dan_ed · « **Reply #3 on:** 12 Nov 2008, 05:02 pm »

Quote from: woodsyi on 12 Nov 2008, 03:54 pm

I am of the opinion that a cart/arm synergy with your phono preamp gives more bang for the buck (or makes a bigger difference) than the TT as long as your TT is up to a certain standard.

Kinda' left the door wide open there.

Yeah, one can easily do better than VPI. That's just my opinion.

2bigears · « **Reply #4 on:** 12 Nov 2008, 05:09 pm »

the big VPI was a quick-pick,there is a many very nice tt's on the Gon right now.do you stick to ones that make their own arms as a good starter base-line.it is said they have good synergy

woodsyi · « **Reply #5 on:** 12 Nov 2008, 05:20 pm »

Quote from: Dan_ed on 12 Nov 2008, 05:02 pm

Quote from: woodsyi on 12 Nov 2008, 03:54 pm
I am of the opinion that a cart/arm synergy with your phono preamp gives more bang for the buck (or makes a bigger difference) than the TT as long as your TT is up to a certain standard.

Kinda' left the door wide open there.

Yeah, one can easily do better than VPI. That's just my opinion.

BTW Dan, Thom at RMAF swore by this protractor. http://www.mintlp.com/best.htm
Have you tried it?

woodsyi · « **Reply #6 on:** 12 Nov 2008, 06:00 pm »

Quote from: 2bigears on 12 Nov 2008, 03:47 pm

there is a couple VPI HRX's on the Gon going cheap.... is this money well wasted.for 8 grand can you do better ???? lookin' for a tt to ride to the grave with.or maybe seal the divorce [ps:no more politics]

This is your divorce paper if you want it. Clearaudio Statement was by far the most impressive TT at the show. The platter is physically separate from the motor. The bottom platter directly driven by motor magnetically drives the top platter.

Dan_ed · « **Reply #7 on:** 12 Nov 2008, 06:23 pm »

Quote from: woodsyi on 12 Nov 2008, 05:20 pm

BTW Dan, Thom at RMAF swore by this protractor. http://www.mintlp.com/best.htm
Have you tried it?

Does this answer your question?!?! http://www.mintlp.com/userdan.htm

I have done about 3 or 4 sessions of iterations with the MintLP tractor and I have yet to be amazed at how move that teeny stylus ever so slightly in the right direction can take LP playback to places I have never heard until I used this product. Yip is a first-rate businessman and fellow vinyl nut case. He has a special version of the tractor that he uses himself. It has even finer lines than the one he sells. But he won't sell that because it would probably drive 1/2 of the people who tried to use completely 'round the bend. Highly recommended. There are a couple of threads on this product on A'gon. A quick search on MintLP should bring them right up.

2bigears · « **Reply #8 on:** 12 Nov 2008, 07:07 pm »

that is one cool tt and if i had the cash,would be in house.you would not need a protractor with that bad boy,sooo money saved.

[i feel a devorce and a life of crime coming on fast]

2bigears · « **Reply #9 on:** 14 Nov 2008, 02:46 am »

dang,this thread cost me 155 bucks.hope that tractor is sweet....thks for the direction guys,bet any money my cart is way off.... Yip even puts your name on it..

ricmon · « **Reply #10 on:** 14 Nov 2008, 08:16 pm »

Quote from: 2bigears on 14 Nov 2008, 02:46 am

dang,this thread cost me 155 bucks.hope that tractor is sweet....thks for the direction guys,bet any money my cart is way off.... Yip even buts your name on it..

Let us know how the protractor works out for you. I'm getting tweaking and wondering how I can get more out of my current setup.

2bigears · « **Reply #11 on:** 15 Nov 2008, 03:41 am »

will keep all posted.it comes with a 10x mag glass as the line is micro.this should be very on-the-money honey.

stevenkelby · « **Reply #12 on:** 15 Nov 2008, 06:40 am »

I bit the bullet too, thanks to Dan's post

I had read of it before but need a better protractor and now's the time

Was using paper one printed from vinyl engine til now.

andyr · « **Reply #13 on:** 15 Nov 2008, 09:22 am »

Quote from: Dan_ed on 12 Nov 2008, 06:23 pm

Does this answer your question?!?! http://www.mintlp.com/userdan.htm

I have done about 3 or 4 sessions of iterations with the MintLP tractor and I have yet to be amazed at how move that teeny stylus ever so slightly in the right direction can take LP playback to places I have never heard until I used this product. Yip is a first-rate businessman and fellow vinyl nut case. He has a special version of the tractor that he uses himself. It has even finer lines than the one he sells. But he won't sell that because it would probably drive 1/2 of the people who tried to use completely 'round the bend. Highly recommended. There are a couple of threads on this product on A'gon. A quick search on MintLP should bring them right up.

As you say, tiny movements of the tiny stylus can have major implications, in terms of the sound. Have you ever tried a Wallytractor? The mintlp one has many similarities (the Wallytractor is at least 10 years old) but what I like about the Wally is that it enables you to get the cantilever aligned right, as well as the stylus located correctly on the 2 null-points.

Regards,

Andy

andyr · « **Reply #14 on:** 15 Nov 2008, 09:28 am »

Quote from: woodsyi on 12 Nov 2008, 03:54 pm

I am of the opinion that a cart/arm synergy with your phono preamp gives more bang for the buck (or makes a bigger difference) than the TT as long as your TT is up to a certain standard.

I can understand cart/arm synergy being crucial - and making a bigger difference than the TT itself - but why should "synergy" with one's phono stage be important? Shirley a phono stage should produce a flat output from an RIAA-corrected input ... it shouldn't contain an RIAA stage which "corrects for a cartridge's rising top end or its lack of bass - or booming bass from an arm/cart mismatch?

Regards,

Andy

2bigears · « **Reply #15 on:** 15 Nov 2008, 12:06 pm »

sooo this brings up a question on linear tracking arms ?? to read the groove straight on would be the best of all worlds,ya would think.

sooo why in the real world are these types of arms not used more ?? right or wrong..

bacobits1 · « **Reply #16 on:** 15 Nov 2008, 04:40 pm »

Engineering cost and proper implementation.

D

JackD201 · « **Reply #17 on:** 19 Nov 2008, 08:06 am »

I lived with an HRX for the better part of 4 years. I had the good fortune of snagging one with a Graham Phantom and both standard white platter and heavy super platter for 9k. IMO only an HRX with a JMW 12 "might" be considered a bargain at around 7k. The issue of cart arm synergy with the 10.5 and 12 can be a very relevant one as friends who use these arms have had problems with low compliance cartridges. Some say it is the lack of anti-skate adjustment on their arms and not the effective mass that is the culprit.

Personally I too believe that all a table has to do is play at the correct speed, have very low self noise and a good degree of immunity from external noise including acoustic feedback. The SDS equipped HRX does all these things well. In the almost four years I used mine all I ever had to do was clean the belts and re-calibrate the SDS once when the building's transformer was replaced by the power company.

At this point however I can't deny that every table has a sound of its own irrespective of cart/arm/phonostage attributed to quite a number of things like the choice of material and construction of the plinths, platters, bearings and especially drive system employed be it belt, direct drive, idler or idler with an eddy brake. That is the reason I changed tables in the first place. I found one that suited my musical priorities better. So conceivably you definitely could do better for 8k or even less depending on your personal tastes.

Just my 2 cents.

twitch54 · « **Reply #18 on:** 19 Nov 2008, 03:06 pm »

Quote from: woodsyi on 12 Nov 2008, 06:00 pm

Clearaudio Statement was by far the most impressive TT at the show. The platter is physically separate from the motor. The bottom platter directly driven by motor magnetically drives the top platter.

Actually given it's price point I wasn't all that impressed, probably because the young lad that was demoing it when I listened to it on Sat was playing a rather noisy pressing (surface imperfections), no excuse in my book when you're dealing with a room that has in excess of a half million dollars worth of gear.

IMO, in the high-end table game I see / hear no reason to go beyond the top tier SME table / arm combo (30/2)

with regards to VPI, I own an Aries III and couldn't be happier. Parts, support , etc are very good. No reason to suspect that you would not be happy for a long, long time.

2bigears · « **Reply #19 on:** 19 Nov 2008, 03:42 pm »

SME 30 deck with a 5 arm would be nice but that is some big buck stuff....there is an Aries on the Gon right now loaded up for 6 k.i do like the looks of that deck.getting some real nice sound from my P9 with XX2.would the VPI be a step up,would be a three grand experiment ??