Hi Sonny,
I don’t know enough about Scout Tts to know what you might need to properly mount a Frog (besides careful aim lol). I needed a ring from Rega to get the VTA correct. The specs are available at the VDH web-site:
http://www.vandenhul.com/phono/frog.htm. One of the reasons I bought the Frog is that as compared to some high-end carts, the Frog looks fairly solid. It scares me to think of a small slip-up costing me $$$ - heck I enjoy my scotch too much to quit drinking while listening or listening while drinking. (Klaus told me I s/b able to mount the Frog myself - lol. After listening for a bit I realized I wanted a professional to check my work. The sound is too good to chance a f^ck-up by me - plus I loved seeing the tech at my local store sweat a bit - great guy and he loved listening to the Frog when he was done.)
Some quick comments on the Frog - please note that I have made several changes to my system - change control for review purposes has not been a high priority. Here are the changes so you know where I am coming from:
I have been working on re-modding my basement for some time - had a pipe freeze - you know the result. Gutted it, replaced all the plumbing in the house, furnace, air (has nothing to do w/audio, but manly nonetheless), re-designed the living space, and built one hell of a cave (with my Brother‘s help and guidance - thanks Doug). Listening area is approx. 25 x 15, with a similar space adjacent housing a pool table and behind the listening space two 48” French doors opening into my office 15 X 10.
I had two nice systems, one for HT, one 2 channel. As a result of the pipe issue, I decided to build one killer 2 channel system that would also serve HT needs. While working on the basement, I also began the process of buying/selling equipment.
System changes… In May (?) I upgraded from the Dynaudio Confidence C1s to the C2s. In June (?) I upgraded one of my Tempests to the Extreme version. In late June, I moved all equipment from a 14 x 20 room with hardwood floors to the new cave. During the time that I had the X Tempest, most of my listening was via cds (I had bought a modded Jolida JD-100 somewhere in early 2005 - thanks Dave again for the input/deal on the tubes), and I was beginning to notice a drop off in performance of my old cart (a Lyra Lidea re-build from VDH - nice cart BTW).
So when the Frog arrived, I had the C2s for a couple of months, had been in the new room a little over a month, had the X Tempest for a little over a month but am not certain I had enough hours on the phono pre to properly break in the unit.
Enough of the qualifications. Here is what I have noticed. Fresh out of the box, the Frog shined. Detail beyond anything I have experienced. Never clinical, very refined, and laid back. After a few hours, the cart showed some mid-range brightness. Not unpleasant, just had me wondering. The brightness has faded and the detail first noticed has developed into a very deep and wide (deep first, then wide emphasis) sound stage - way beyond initial listening. This is a full range cartridge that is very natural sounding (I.e. a nice match w/Odyssey and Dynaudio). I find myself slowly working my way through my vinyl collection and realizing many of my good and very good albums are closer to mint. The lack of surface noise on the stylus design really is noticeable. I work out of my house and listen to music much of the time - I have 114 hours on the cart as I write this. Vocals are to die for, strings, horns the same. Honest sound - yes, but less so than the Dyns. I listened to a few early Aerosmith albums earlier, wow, the detail and depth make me wonder what I missed during my stoner days at those early shows (Tull is next). Anything in the jazz genre is awesome, Jean Luc Ponty, Miles, Pat Metheny (used to sound complex).
When I bought the Jolida, my Brother and I had some fun doing a/b listening with cds and albums (with the old cart). The results were mixed. The Frog is a big step up - no contest. Amazing IMHO. I am not sure how much of the improvemnent in my system is due to the Frog vs.. break in of the Tempest analog section. I am certain the Ex analog Tempest version is much better than the standard Tempest. I think the mods Klaus has made are top notch, but I will experiment a bit with a few other phono pres. It is all fun.
“Also, the Frog is pretty $$$ is it not?”
Based on what you have shared, it seems you have a fair amount invested in your system. Over time, I have made many changes to my system. Some with a noticeable impact, most with a lesser bang for the buck. In my system the big bang for the buck items are as follows: 1. Upgrade from the Odyssey standard monos to the Extreme monos; 2. Upgrade from Dynaudio’s Contour line to their Confidence line; 3. The Frog. I had to think a bit about making the cart change the third bang for the buck change - but it really is amazing. I thought about upgrading my TT - rejected for the time being. IMHO, my dollars were much better spent on the Frog.
Klaus gave me what I consider a great deal on this cartridge. Still, I never thought I would spend this much on a cart. I am re-visiting everything. Goose bumps.
Enough said. Hope this helps.
Quick note - as I preview this note, I put on Jethro Tull's This Was. I believe this was their first album - very blues oriented, one of my favorites. I am happy. Ian Anderson's vocals, the production quality, and the harmonica in the second song - hanging about 5 feet in front of the left speaker - all pleasant surprises - later.
Don
