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Mission 774 bearing

Yep, would like to hear this on the Gyro. I don't really expect it to beat the Funk I have on that but I'm curious enough to invest in an armboard just to be sure. It's transformed the TD125: I thought I had a handle on the deck's sound (big, warm, not very resolving) but I guess I've just been hearing the arms.

774 compares favourably with any arm at any price IME but it can have a little too much zing - it almost artificially sharpens percussive leading edges. Back when the 774 was current it was regularly compared to things like the SME 2 and 3, Hadcock and Grace. The contrast in solidity and attack could be quite startling on some material.

I've run a 774 on a Gyro and while it works well it wasn't the best match. I've a feeling that's due to the metal arm plate against metal mount. It sounded a bit cool and clinical. Experimenting with arm board material would undoubtedly deliver better results but I never got to experiment.

Thanks - I love my 774, it’s going nowhere :)

Same here - when you find a good one, look after it!
 
I've run a 774 on a PT1 for many years and had the opportunity to try it on an assortment of armboards,the original ally armboard gave it a rather brittle quality,then made up my own cf/balsa/ally board which was considerably more 'real',but many years ago got hold of a PT original paper/resin? honeycomb board and have never looked back since.
Has been used with an assortment of Denon cartridges DL160/DL301/DL304 and an old Empire REX440 CD4 MM which I got NOS and loved them all.

I think much the same as anyone else,my 774 won't be going anywhere!

Had originally used the 774 on a Systemdek 11X900AP with an armboard cut from a pine shelf!
 
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774 compares favourably with any arm at any price IME but it can have a little too much zing - it almost artificially sharpens percussive leading edges. Back when the 774 was current it was regularly compared to things like the SME 2 and 3, Hadcock and Grace. The contrast in solidity and attack could be quite startling on some material.

I've run a 774 on a Gyro and while it works well it wasn't the best match. I've a feeling that's due to the metal arm plate against metal mount. It sounded a bit cool and clinical. Experimenting with arm board material would undoubtedly deliver better results but I never got to experiment.



Same here - when you find a good one, look after it!
Yes, I can here the zing. I have a feeling the Thorens might be working against it though. That's interesting about the arm board: I'd been thinking of getting an acrylic one for the Thorens. And thanks for the Gyro report: not sure I'll bother then, as I have the Gyro pretty much as I want it.
 
Yes, I can here the zing. I have a feeling the Thorens might be working against it though. That's interesting about the arm board: I'd been thinking of getting an acrylic one for the Thorens. And thanks for the Gyro report: not sure I'll bother then, as I have the Gyro pretty much as I want it.

Have you heard any of the SME 3009 variants at all Sean? I just wondered how they'd stack up.

I think I'm also getting a little extra zing from my ally arm board possibly, hard to tell. I really struggle attributing small tonal shifts to individual things like arm board, belt, mat changes etc.
 
Have you heard any of the SME 3009 variants at all Sean? I just wondered how they'd stack up.

I think I'm also getting a little extra zing from my ally arm board possibly, hard to tell. I really struggle attributing small tonal shifts to individual things like arm board, belt, mat changes etc.
Yes, me too. Although I've been obliged by a collapsed suspension on the AT33EV to swap it for an ADX XLMII, and while the sound is really quite different the hardness at the top end remains, so I'm putting it down to the arm as I've never had that with the deck or the cart. Might experiment with damping.

Never had an SME 3009: I really like the way they look on a TD125 so I've kept my eye out, but the price has jumped 50% just in the last couple of years, and the consensus seems to be that the 774 sounds quite a lot better.
 
For me changing the damping has only really affected the bottom end .
What about trying a hard foam spacer between the arm base and the armboard as a quick and dirty trial?
And yes - there is no comparison between the 774 and 3009 - tried both on the Systemdek and the 774 came out easily tops.
The 3009 just does not resolve detail in the same way.
 
For me changing the damping has only really affected the bottom end .
What about trying a hard foam spacer between the arm base and the armboard as a quick and dirty trial?
And yes - there is no comparison between the 774 and 3009 - tried both on the Systemdek and the 774 came out easily tops.
The 3009 just does not resolve detail in the same way.
Thanks Cobbers, that's interesting about the damping, and good suggestion.

Really surprised that the 774/XLM is so hard-sounding: good match in terms of compliance, and I've never found the cart unforgiving in the past, so might well be worth doing a little tweaking.

The main thing this has taught me is that the Thorens can do imaging very well, and dynamism too. Never expected that. It's a better deck than I'd given it credit for.
 
It strikes me that, the 774 suffered as much from its' own looks as anything to do with its performance. It was on the market at a time when "battleship build quality" seemed to be the meme that dominated arm design and that, because of the 774's "lightweight" appearance, then somehow, that reflected its' sound. I can honestly say that, the recently purchased PU7 tonearm is the first one I have owned since the 774 that makes music and does imagery as well as that arm did.
 


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