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AN Old Star (401) is reborn

Peter Stockwell

Peter Stockwell

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I've now had my 401 running in a fully bastined plinth for the last couple of weeks. I'm using a Nottingham Analogue Space Arm. The plinth has the motor support tripod, i.e. the motor frame is not screwed to the platter top plate but supported on three pylons that are fixed to the bottom of the solid plinth, the Plinth is made of several sheets of 19mm ply wood. There is also a bearing stabiliser that gently damps the base of the long main bearing housing. Not shown in the photo is the Power supply, a special 60Hz output version of the Wave Mechanic (but with bigger transfos than the Notts Analogue version for the 401).
 
Originally posted by Brian Clark
Don't suppose you could post a pic of the underside?;)

Brian.
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I've got a picture of the plinth without the motor unit in it, if you want to see that picture quickly it's in this thread on the Naim Forum: Naked Bastin Plinth(Naim) . I don't have a picture of the underside of the plinth, but when I feel like getting under it again, which might be this weekend I can oblige.

Peter
 
Originally posted by Tony L
Stunning. I have to admit I do suffer from occasional Garrard envy.

Tony.
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If you go down the Garrard path, I feel that you'll be converted for life. Perhaps Garrard to LP12 is what Densen is to Naim ?
 
Hi Peter,

how are you?

What do you think of the Spacearm on the 401?

I'm using a Incognito'd RB300 on my 401 at the moment and am interested in what a uni-pivot might sound like - as far a I can tell they are a good match?

I was thinking along the lines of a Hadcock and the Music Maker cart.

Any suggestions?

Rich
 
Moerch UP-4 unipivot...

i use it on my Goldmund Studietto and it sounds really stunnung...if i find the time to fiddle around ill try it on my 301...

ciao
bernie
 
Originally posted by RichShortland
Hi Peter,

how are you?

What do you think of the Spacearm on the 401?

I'm using a Incognito'd RB300 on my 401 at the moment and am interested in what a uni-pivot might sound like - as far a I can tell they are a good match?

I was thinking along the lines of a Hadcock and the Music Maker cart.

Any suggestions?

Rich
Click to expand...

Hi Rich,

I think the Spacearm on the 401 is really sweet, it sounds to my ears very natural and unspectacular. I also considered the Hadcock, but I got my plinth & Arm as a package and it was easier that way.

As for a cartridge of the ilk of a music maker, I'm tempted, but Martin Bastin suggested the Decca London series. I'm inclined to max the phono stage before going on a cartridge hunt.

Cheers

Peter
 
Th Aro should be ideal for a Decca London, as of course would be the Space Arm. I have heard the Musicmaker cartidge sounding good on a Garrard too.

Decisions decisions, but nice ones because I don't really think you can go wrong.
 
Guys,

thanks for the info - I like what the little Rega arm des on the 401 but I always thought it was letting down what is a truely great deck. Seems like the unipivot is the way froward and it sounds like whatever road I take it won't be a wrong one!

I recently added a dedicated spur to the hi-fi and it really improved the digital front end (CDX) but it seemed to have a very negligable effect on the analogue front end.

I was originally planning on a power-supply for the 401 but am now wondering whether this will give me the 'bang-for-the-buck' that I'm after.

Anyone any experiences to share about a PS on a 401? Mick - I think you run a Loricraft one on your 401???

Thanks,

Rich
 
Try to beg, borow or steal a Variac Rich and run the 401 with speed adjuster on max (eddy current brake at minimum), turning down the supply voltage until the strobe stabilises. The neon will probably extinguish but placing your finger on the lens should bring it back to allow speed checking.

I have only tried this on the bench since I am not yet up and running with viny yet so have only listened via stethoscope.

I would be very keen to know if this "tweak" is as worthwhile as the steth check promises.

Brian.
 
Originally posted by Paul Duerden
Th Aro should be ideal for a Decca London, as of course would be the Space Arm. I have heard the Musicmaker cartidge sounding good on a Garrard too.

Decisions decisions, but nice ones because I don't really think you can go wrong.
Click to expand...

I had speaks with Martin Bastin the other day, and he suggested that the Decca London's needing more damping than the current Spacearms offer, Older ones apparently work well. So I probably wont go that route. He said also that he'd tried the Music Maker on a Garrard, admittedly with an OL arm (endeavour or something like that), said the bass was overpowering. Might be Ok with an unipivot.

I recently added a dedicated spur to the hi-fi and it really improved the digital front end (CDX) but it seemed to have a very negligable effect on the analogue front end.
Click to expand...

Rich,

It was my experience that a lot of the ills attributed to CD are seriously attenuated with a separate line for the hifi. It's a sharp improvement. Analogue does not seem to be as sensitive to mains quality.
 
Originally posted by Brian Clark
Try to beg, borow or steal a Variac Rich and run the 401 with speed adjuster on max (eddy current brake at minimum), turning down the supply voltage until the strobe stabilises. The neon will probably extinguish but placing your finger on the lens should bring it back to allow speed checking.

I have only tried this on the bench since I am not yet up and running with viny yet so have only listened via stethoscope.

I would be very keen to know if this "tweak" is as worthwhile as the steth check promises.

Brian.
Click to expand...

A power supply is the first upgrade to be made to a 401 installation after a suitable plinth. The lower the voltage, the less the vibrations. The one major fault of the 401 is it's speed drift over time, related to the operating temparature of the motor which is linked to voltage and ambient temparature.
 
Originally posted by User34
A power supply is the first upgrade to be made to a 401 installation after a suitable plinth. The lower the voltage, the less the vibrations. The one major fault of the 401 is it's speed drift over time, related to the operating temparature of the motor which is linked to voltage and ambient temparature.
Click to expand...

Running at lower voltage (I found 145VAC to be about right) means that the motor runs much cooler so I would like to think drift would be less of an issue

Brian.
 
Originally posted by Brian Clark
Running at lower voltage (I found 145VAC to be about right) means that the motor runs much cooler so I would like to think drift would be less of an issue

Brian.
Click to expand...

Brian,

I've only just learned how to manage this, after 5 years with the 401 :eek: . Without a power supply I found speed drift to be a minor issue. I found a position for the 'warmed up' 401 and left the brake in one position - minor drift. With the power supply, and starting with a cold 401, I would adjust the voltage every 10 minutes or so to set the exact speed with a hand held strobe. If I do things this way speed stability takes several hours to achieve.

I've only recently discovered that a good 20 to 30 minutes of full voltage warm up gets me to an operating temperature that gives very little drift with time. I've still found that the best speed stability comes after several hours of use. If I know I'm going to listen to LPs I crank up the 401 and I don't stop it until I end the LP session for the day.

BTW if you have perfect pitch you can set the speed by ear;)
 
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