Planars and vinyl

SteveFord · « **on:** 21 Oct 2011, 05:04 pm »

I have a sick day today (thanks to my coworkers) so dusted off the turntable and put on some Tom Waits.
Magic.
The turntable is a Well Tempered which is a platter spinning in goo and a tonearm suspended with fishing line which floats in goo and speakers which are sheets of mylar with wire and magnets.
The genius of the designers lies in the simplicity of their ideas.
The box is the problem? Make the room the box. Conventional bearings cause problems? Lose the bearings.
Anyone else spinning vinyl with their planars?

thunderbrick · « **Reply #1 on:** 21 Oct 2011, 06:11 pm »

Upgraded SOTA Sapphire/ET-2 tonearm and a borrowed Dynavector MC, run into 1.6s in a 600 sft room.

Magic! Try the Linda Ronstat LPs with the Nelson Riddle Orchestra. Can't wait to get home and spin wax!

andyr · « **Reply #2 on:** 21 Oct 2011, 08:56 pm »

Quote from: SteveFord on 21 Oct 2011, 05:04 pm

Anyone else spinning vinyl with their planars?

90% of my serious listening (as distinct to listening to the FM radio while I'm doing things around the house) is done with vinyl.

Heavily tweaked LP12, which I first bought in 1979, and currently with Graham 2.2 arm and Benz LP cartridge.

Regards,

Andy

SteveFord · « **Reply #3 on:** 21 Oct 2011, 09:10 pm »

Pictures are always welcome...

thunderbrick · « **Reply #4 on:** 21 Oct 2011, 10:09 pm »

The results of a 2 1/2 year DIY room renovation, down to the dirt.

Radiant heat tubing in the concrete, ALL wires in the floor or wall, total redundancy built in through conduit

This was a converted 2-car garage and the floor was a wreck. FIVE days just to jackhammer it out, then lower it, level it, put down insulation, rebar, conduit, you name it. Still haven't rebuilt the steps into the kitchen.

A little reflective but OH, so sweet!

And it also doubles as a photo studio, BTW.

EDIT: Forgot to add the TT.

Chuckdog2005 · « **Reply #5 on:** 21 Oct 2011, 10:39 pm »

I have to agree, SWEET.

SteveFord · « **Reply #6 on:** 21 Oct 2011, 11:24 pm »

WOW!
You don't fool around, do you?!?

thunderbrick · « **Reply #7 on:** 22 Oct 2011, 12:19 am »

Not with the wife I have now!

Wait 'til I find the early shots. Took me about a year from pulling up the carpet to pouring the concrete. Another year to open up a wall to find that all KINDS of vermin had been in there for years, pull the audio wires, revamp the walls, new drywall and bring in the chair and speakers. And easily another 6 months to finish the trim work.
Just wished I'd used bigger conduit. I stumbled on 20' runs of very thick Audioquest speaker wire, and it took HOURS to pull that and another pair of Blue Jeans cables for bi-wire capability.

Did I mention that remodeling is another hobby I have? And according to my wife, I am extremely stubborn. But what does she know?

twitch54 · « **Reply #8 on:** 2 Nov 2011, 01:29 am »

Nice job Thunderbrick !

What's that antique against the outside wall between your Maggies ? !!! just bustin your stones, I have one of those 240 lb behemoths as well !

thunderbrick · « **Reply #9 on:** 2 Nov 2011, 03:13 am »

When you said "antique" in the photo I thought "but I don't remember having my wife in that photo!"

I have four of those Sony 34" beasts in the house and LOVE 'EM! Snatching them up on CL for $100-150 each. Much better than the flavor-of-the-week flat screens that I see in all the stores.

Talked to the cable guy yesterday who said many of the newer flat panel TV have no metal chassis, and they are having fits with electricity feeding back into their systems.

rw@cn · « **Reply #10 on:** 2 Nov 2011, 12:21 pm »

Quote from: thunderbrick on 2 Nov 2011, 03:13 am

Talked to the cable guy yesterday who said many of the newer flat panel TV have no metal chassis, and they are having fits with electricity feeding back into their systems.

The best way to cure that is to have the TV and Cable box on a separately switched box (I use a PS Audio Duet) to disconnect them when doing critical listening.

rollo · « **Reply #11 on:** 2 Nov 2011, 02:38 pm »

Great job sir. Now I got the bug. Our two car garage is ready willing and able it is me that is not.
Maggies love big rooms. Enjoy the fruits of your hard work.

charles
SMA

rollo · « **Reply #12 on:** 2 Nov 2011, 02:46 pm »

Quote from: rw@cn on 2 Nov 2011, 12:21 pm

The best way to cure that is to have the TV and Cable box on a separately switched box (I use a PS Audio Duet) to disconnect them when doing critical listening.

We use an isolation transformer before going into the power conditioner for that reason. Any isolation transformer will do. Or just disconnect the cable box and TV for critical listening. You will have a cleaner sound. Enjoy!!

charles
SMA

thunderbrick · « **Reply #13 on:** 2 Nov 2011, 03:27 pm »

Quote from: rollo on 2 Nov 2011, 02:38 pm

Great job sir. Now I got the bug. Our two car garage is ready willing and able it is me that is not.
Maggies love big rooms. Enjoy the fruits of your hard work.

charles
SMA

Thanks, Charles!

It was originally a garage that the previous owner converted, and did a lousy job. The floor sloped 4", nothing was level, concrete was badly cracked under the crappy carpet, no insulation, wood stove, and electrical was screwed up. Drove me nuts. She-who-shall-be-obeyed (and all my contractor friends) told me to add floor leveler instead of tearing it all out, but noooooooo, I had to be stubborn and do it MY way.

Am damned glad I did.

Rocket_Ronny · « **Reply #14 on:** 3 Nov 2011, 02:10 am »

My moto on AudioCirlce has been "Your Room Is Everything. Use It Well."

And I see an awesome room there. Very nice job. If people would do what you did instead of chasing the gear they would find it's the room that really makes a difference. A large room that is.

You have them nicely spaced apart for a big soundstage and placed well away from the back wall. If you haven't tried it yet, try pulling them 12', or so, off the back wall. Now that's kowabunga.

Rocket_Ronny

tshifrin · « **Reply #15 on:** 19 Nov 2011, 06:28 pm »

I can't post a photo now, but I go Magnepans and vinyl one better by using a Unitrac on my Mission t'table. I just set up the 'table again after years of digital, and I have to agree with y'all, it's heaven! (Also recently discovered a few stored away cartridges which are moving coil, so I'm in the market for an inexpensive m/c step-up- looking at the V-LPS, but wondering about the flexibility of adjusting the loading; any help is welcome).

Tom

ajzepp · « **Reply #16 on:** 20 Nov 2011, 06:49 am »

Thunderbrick, all you need is a nice ceiling recessed 150" projector screen to drop right down in the middle of those Maggies and you're all set brother!

Minn Mark · « **Reply #17 on:** 28 Nov 2011, 08:38 pm »

Way more vinyl than digital for me. I have two Boltz racks nearly filled (thats about 22 linear feet of lps) plus 700+ 78's, all listening through the 3.6R's.

AVA electronics; VPI, SOTA and Proj-ject 'tables.

Great combinations

SteveFord · « **Reply #18 on:** 29 Nov 2011, 01:51 am »

Tshifrin,
Try the Vinyl Circle as someone there can hook you up.
Minn Mark,
REALLY nice!
You have good taste in a lot of things, I see.

curbfeeler · « **Reply #19 on:** 17 May 2012, 05:09 pm »

Quote from: thunderbrick on 21 Oct 2011, 10:09 pm

I have installed several ET II on Sota tables, which is sporting due to the floating nature of the suspension and the need to level both platter and arm bearing. Congratulations! I have one that I need to put on a VPI Classic.