[Beezer]

Michael,  I'll be using my current arm and cartridge, an Origin Live modded RB250 and Dynavector 10X4.

Josh, I asked the guy to pack very securely and he assured me that the Nottingham box and packing is excellent.  He'll also be insuring it at full retail, but I hear you on trying to collect on it.

Beez

[akshobhyavajra]

Michael,  I'll be using my current arm and cartridge, an Origin Live modded RB250 and Dynavector 10X4.


Beez

Nice arm - should "drop" right in.  Keep us informed on the progress....

~Michael~

[Rocket]

hello,

i would try to buy a good turntable on ebay in australia, but it is a very small market and most of the tables are poor quality.  usually they have about 15 turntables at once for sale compared to about 200 odd on ebay in the uk.

does anyone have the website address for nottingham turntables?

i can't find it.

regards

rod

[Beezer]

In the US, I believe they're distributed through ASL Group at this web address:  http://www.aslgroup.com/nottingham/

I couldn't find a web address for Nottingham itself.  Maybe somebody with an owners manual can help you out.

Beez

[Rocket]

hello,

i just received an email from the distributor in sydney, the horizon will be about $1600 au.  this places it just a little cheaper than the rega 25 which is $1700 au.  i might buy the feb edition of stereophile just to have a look at it.

regards

rod

[akshobhyavajra]

In the US, I believe they're distributed through ASL Group at this web address:  http://www.aslgroup.com/nottingham/

I couldn't find a web address for Nottingham itself.  Maybe somebody with an owners manual can help you out.

Beez

I don't think there is another website, but...

NA's phone number is 011-1773762947. Designer Tom Fletcher sometimes answers the phone himself. Note: The time in the UK is 5 hours ahead of the east coast of the US.

~M~

[doug s.]

rocket, if ya insist on buying new, i'd try like hell to get that nottingham w/o an arm, unless ya can get it fitted w/a o-l rb250 from the get-go.  or, yust get a diy o-l table, w/one of their arms.  note that the prices on their website (all except for where ya actually order), are 17.5% higher than the export prices, due to their uk vat taxes...

http://www.originlive.com/

i am wery happy w/my o-l rb250, & dc motor kit, mounted on my oracle...

doug s.

[Rocket]

doug, it's not that i really want a brand new turntable.  basically there isn't much of a market for used turntables in australia,  i've been checking out ebay in the us/uk and the markets seems to be huge.  checking out ebay australia there are about 11 turntables for sale ie. pioneer, sansui etc not really audiophile tables i think.  occasionally there may be good quality turntables on ebay.

in a couple of months i'll see what the best deals are for the rega 25 and nottingham horizon or interspace.  i could probably borrow a rega rb300 for a few months so the interspace may be an option.

anyway thanks for your input.

regards

rod

ps the reason i haven't considered other brands i just don't have experience with them.  i have had an acoustic research turntable (which was great) but they don't make turntables anymore.

[doug s.]

hi rod,

i'd email sellers on ebay.com/.uk, & sellers on audiogon, audioweb, & audioshopper, to see who will ship to down-under.  there's great deals to be had on used decks, & they all have to be shipped anyway, even the new ones.  and, if yure in perth, it's likely that even a "local:" deck will still get shipped >2k miles...  as long as it's packaged carefully, ya shouldn't have a problem getting one shipped from off-shore.  careful packaging is *always* critical.  also, re: new, those o-l kits do seem to offer real walue for $$$...  and, re the rega 25, yure throwing yer money away buying a new one of those, imo - i'd rather have a technics 1200, or most any used deck priced for half as much money or less, if fairly priced...

good luck,

doug s.

[Psychicanimal]

I'm pretty sure you can get used 1200's in Australia.  You can try it and if you decide a cheap belt drive sounds better you can always sell it for what you paid for...

[Tonto Yoder]

Michael,  I'll be using my current arm and cartridge, an Origin Live modded RB250 and Dynavector 10X4.

Josh, I asked the guy to pack very securely and he assured me that the Nottingham box and packing is excellent.  He'll also be insuring it at full retail, but I hear you on trying to collect on it.

Beez

Beezer,
Nottingham arm pods have interior collets that are sized for the particular arm pillar you intend to use. I bought my Spacedeck new and told the dealer I'd be using a Rega--when the package came from aslgroup, "Rega" was magic markered on the side of the box.

It's possible that a used Nott' COULD have a collet for another arm that wouldn't be compatible with a Rega, but I've never seen any info as to which collets work with which arms. Hopefully, your arm will "drop in" as Akshobvaraja has said. BTW, the Nott' collets make adjusting VTA on Regas quite easy--loosen a set screw, adjust height, re-tighten screw.

[Beezer]

So the Nottingham arrived last night and it is a site to behold - heavy duty plinth and platter, subtle marbleing on plinth, etc...  Setting it up was pretty straightforward.  The OL-1 tonearm (modded Rega RB250) dropped nicely in the collet and I made some quick adjustments for overhang and alignment.  However, I'm having an issue with the VTA.  The OL-1 is at it's lowest possible point in the collet, and the cartridge (DV 10x4) is still tipped slightly forward, when it should be level or even tipped slightly back.  It still sounds good, but I know it's not optimal.  Has anyone else had this problem?

Otherwise I'm very happy with the purchase and can already tell it's a big step up from the Rega - better detail and instrument seperation, tighter bass, slightly sweeter highs.

Beez

[Tonto Yoder]

This isn't a real solution, but it might get you through 'til someone else answers--one way of changing VTA is to increase the thickness of the mat.

Or use two mats as long as there's no slippage.

[Beezer]

Tonto, I tried the thicker/double mat trick this morning and didn't like it.  I seemed to be losing some detail.  So after talking with a couple dealers, I went out to home depot and found some aluminum spacers that are slightly shorter than the ones on my table.  The aren't the perfect size and material, but they seem to work well and I can play with the VTA now.  I'm trying to contact ASL to see if they have the actual part.

And the sound is really great now - nice even frequency balance, more detail, tighter bass, and a wider, deeper soundstage.

If anyone out there is interested in a Rega Planar 3 and RB300 arm, let me know.  I don't have all original shipping materials, so ideally I'll sell it to someone in the greater SF Bay Area, but will consider shipping it also.  

Beez

[Tonto Yoder]

Beezer,
I'm not quite sure where the aluminum spacers are that you're talking about (of course, I have a Spacedeck, not an Interspace, so I may be comparing apples and oranges).

TY

[Beezer]

I'll try to explain although my terminology might be off.  The collet is supported above the armpod on the plinth by two hex screws running through two cylindrical, black pillars (spacers).  I replaced the two black pillar/spacers with two shorter aluminum spacers I found at Home Depot.  However, they are a different material (resonance issues?), have a smaller outer diameter (less support), and have a wider inner diameter (the hex screw does not fit snugly).  Regardless of these differences, it all seems surprisingly sturdy and I'm not really concerned at all about it holding up, but would like to find the proper Nottingham "spacers".

Make sense?

Beez

[Tonto Yoder]

Beez,
Yep, makes sense to me now--the Interspace arm pod is quite different than the Space-pod (both of which are different from "Body Snatcher" pods ).

http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?action=gallery;area=browse;album=27

I realize Akshob's Interspace has the Hyper platter, but it's clear the Inter & Spacedeck are different beasts.

TY