[mlundy57]

The turntable upgrades I started about a year and a half ago have reached a milestone. The new custom Woody tonearm from Pete Riggle http://www.vtaf.com/woody-tm-universaltm-tonearms.html#/  has arrived, been installed, setup, and is playing. Like the A370 amps, this tonearm is highly adjustable. Not difficult, just more steps / user input than you may be used to when setting up and dialing in a tonearm. Also like the A370s, the results are worth the time and effort.

The cartridge is a Soundsmith Zephyr MIMC Star https://www.sound-smith.com/cartridges/fixed-coil/zephyr-mimc-%E2%98%86 

The new tonearm is on my JWM Acoustics Karen 6 turntable http://www.jwmacoustics.com/index-1#/karen

Here are some pics of the Woody being setup












Here it is setup and playing








The first set of upgrades included the bearing well, bearing, subplatter, belts, pulley, and platter from Tango Spinner https://tangospinner.com/ 

The final part of the upgrade journey, an option 5 motor kit upgrade from Origin Live (DC motor, power supply, and speed control box) is held up due to PCB shortage. https://www.originlive.com/hi-fi/turntable-upgrades-modification/turntable-motor-power-supply/ 

Eventually the project will be complete.

Don't get me wrong, my Karen 6 turntable didn't need upgrading. It came with a Rega RP6 motor, TTPSU, bearing well, glass platter, and RB303 tonearm. The bearing, subplatter, triple pulley, and belts were from Tango Spinner and the cartridge was an Ortophon 2M Black. In this configuration, the Karen 6 was an exceptional turntable. Since getting the Karen 6, my system improved considerably and I wanted to bring the TT up to a comparable performance level. As the Karen series turntables are custom built, you can pretty much get them with any components, tonearm, or cart you want as well as in different types of wood.

Mike

[toocool4]

Looking good, enjoy. 

[VinceT]

That looks like a killer set up! Always wanted to hear that SS cart, sure that table is doing it justice.

[mlundy57]

That looks like a killer set up! Always wanted to hear that SS cart, sure that table is doing it justice.

It's a killer cart for sure. The higher the capabilities of the phono preamp, the better it sounds. It's a low output cart with a recommend loading is 470-1,000 Ohms. The phono pre needs to have enough gain and resistive loading options for it to sound it's best.

[zenfishbike]

Can't help but notice the JWM Karen turntable. Joshua's Alyson speakers, for me, absolutely blew everything away at the Rocky Mtn Audio Show several years ago. I've lusted after his gear ever since....

[RonP]

+1 for Sound Smith Cartridges. Worth the $ and wait.

Keep us posted on that tonearm Mike. It looks interesting for sure!

[NoahH]

+1 for Sound Smith Cartridges. Worth the $ and wait.

Keep us posted on that tonearm Mike. It looks interesting for sure!

I read a bunch of the marketing material on their site and am still trying to figure out how their stylus' are so light for not being MC. I even saw the photos of the syoer-magnification of the stylus, which was cool, but still don't understand the tech.

Anyone have a layman explanation?

Note this is not doubt or anything, just intrigue.

[mlundy57]

I read a bunch of the marketing material on their site and am still trying to figure out how their stylus' are so light for not being MC. I even saw the photos of the syoer-magnification of the stylus, which was cool, but still don't understand the tech.

Anyone have a layman explanation?

Note this is not doubt or anything, just intrigue.

Not sure what you have read so here is a link to an in-depth explanation of the differences between moving coil (MC) and fixed coil (FC aka moving iron) designs. https://www.sound-smith.com/articles/fixed-coil-vs-moving-coil-why-make-jump-different-technology   

Here is a shorter explanation from the owner's manual of my Zephyr MIMC Star:

"Magnetic cartridges have three elements necessary to generate a voltage; a magnet, coil assemblies, and an “iron” or ferrous component of some shape. The performance of any magnetic cartridge is largely dependent on how little “moving mass” it has; this is both the mass of the stylus at the end of the cantilever, as well as the total mass of the voltage generating parts that the stylus must move. While there are some advantages to specific designs, both moving magnet and moving coil cartridges are at a distinct disadvantage in regard to moving mass as they are required to move either a relatively large magnet, or a “coil assembly”. The coil assembly is in reality is a series of wire windings often on a metal core, more properly labeled as an “armature”. In a moving iron [fixed coil] design, one has the potential to reduce the moving mass to a very small value by virtue of the having the required two relatively massive elements (coils and magnet) held in fixed position."

Does this help?

[NoahH]

That was the part I read, and I was still unclear. They assert that there are 3 things in cartridges, a magnet, a coil, and an iron, but I have never seen an iron in any description of a cartridge. You just have a magnet, and it moves relative to a coil that gets induced current, and you have signal. For MC, you have an iron core to the coil often, but that is the only iron reference I have heard.

So I get the value of being lightweight - 100%. But I don't get what the moving iron actually is doing to the fields. My best guess is that it is a big-ass coil in the cartridge, and there is a fixed magnet also, and then a tiny additional magnet or just ferrous iron part on the stylus and the coil is picking up changes is the fixed magnets field caused by the tiny magnet or iron moving inside the bigger field and changing it. But that is 100% a guess.

Again - no doubt on this - I kinda want one already, but it is showing a gap in my "how do styluses work" knowledge that I want to fill.

[mlundy57]

That was the part I read, and I was still unclear. They assert that there are 3 things in cartridges, a magnet, a coil, and an iron, but I have never seen an iron in any description of a cartridge. You just have a magnet, and it moves relative to a coil that gets induced current, and you have signal. For MC, you have an iron core to the coil often, but that is the only iron reference I have heard.

So I get the value of being lightweight - 100%. But I don't get what the moving iron actually is doing to the fields. My best guess is that it is a big-ass coil in the cartridge, and there is a fixed magnet also, and then a tiny additional magnet or just ferrous iron part on the stylus and the coil is picking up changes is the fixed magnets field caused by the tiny magnet or iron moving inside the bigger field and changing it. But that is 100% a guess.

Again - no doubt on this - I kinda want one already, but it is showing a gap in my "how do styluses work" knowledge that I want to fill.

I’d recommend giving Soundsmith a call. I called when I was looking at getting one of their carts and was able to talk with Peter Ledermann. I’m sure he would clarify it for you.

[stonedeaf]

Take a look at the diagram for the old M series or VMS Ortofon cartridges in their brochures from the late 70's -early 80's. I own a couple of Soundsmith fixed coil cartridges (use 'em and like 'em) -but the basic design has also been used by Joe Grado , some ADC and Stanton/Pickerering cartridges ,at least one old Audio technica cart ,B&O . Look up induced magnet cartridges.