New cartridge for A&R EB101

[Mr Pig]

I wouldn’t be so hasty in selling your EB101. A good service and it would still be competitive with a Rega P3 - in some ways maybe preferable.

I'm sorry, but I just can't agree.

On the face of it the plinth and suspension seem to make it superior but it's not, just different, and it's not the best suspension system in the world. The real issue is that the suspension separates the motor and suspended platter. Even on the LP12 this causes speed stability issues and the Linn has a much heavier platter. The sub-platter and platter on the AR are lightweight aluminium.

The motor on the AR was less good than the motors on the original LP12 and Regas. Current Regas use a new low voltage motor that is a big step up and allows plug-in upgrade to a fairly sophisticated off-board electronic power supply.

The bearing on the AR is ok but of course was not made yesterday. If it has play it won't sound as good as it once did. Rega have been tightening up their bearing spec for decades so a new, or very young Rega will have a better bearing.

There just isn't any contest on the arms. The Rega one is so much better it's not funny so no, an old AR turntable will not be competitive to a current Planar3. No shame to it, still a nice record player for a few hundred quid. Still very enjoyable in isolation but play it against a new Rega and it'll take you about five seconds to realise which is the better deck. The Rega will be tighter, more dynamic, more informative and just plain better in every way.

 

[tenpercenter]

I'm sorry, but I just can't agree.

On the face of it the plinth and suspension seem to make it superior but it's not, just different, and it's not the best suspension system in the world. The real issue is that the suspension separates the motor and suspended platter. Even on the LP12 this causes speed stability issues and the Linn has a much heavier platter. The sub-platter and platter on the AR are lightweight aluminium.

The motor on the AR was less good than the motors on the original LP12 and Regas. Current Regas use a new low voltage motor that is a big step up and allows plug-in upgrade to a fairly sophisticated off-board electronic power supply.

The bearing on the AR is ok but of course was not made yesterday. If it has play it won't sound as good as it once did. Rega have been tightening up their bearing spec for decades so a new, or very young Rega will have a better bearing.

There just isn't any contest on the arms. The Rega one is so much better it's not funny so no, an old AR turntable will not be competitive to a current Planar3. No shame to it, still a nice record player for a few hundred quid. Still very enjoyable in isolation but play it against a new Rega and it'll take you about five seconds to realise which is the better deck. The Rega will be tighter, more dynamic, more informative and just plain better in every way.

I don’t possess your certainty on this.

Would be an interesting bake off. Maybe the OP should take his deck into a dealer to compare and find out for himself - and hopefully report back......

 

[Mr Pig]

I don’t possess your certainty on this.

I've had four ARs, I have a really clean EB101 in the house just now, and lots of Regas. A bake off would be a waste of time. The difference is so big and so obvious it really would be pointless.

Systemdek vs Planar3? Ok, we can talk but the AR is just not on that level.

 

[tenpercenter]

Well that’s the end of the conversation I guess.....I have not compared a modern P3 to an EB101

I owned an EB101 back in the early to mid 1980’s and it had a more fluid, rounded and deeper sound compared to the Planar 3 at the time.

But then I preferred the RB200 to the the RB300 when it came out - so my ears must be different to many

 

[Mr Pig]

I owned an EB101 back in the early to mid 1980’s and it had a more fluid, rounded and deeper sound compared to the Planar 3 at the time.

Fair enough. I'm sounding too hard on the poor thing. It's not a bad turntable, not at all, but all else being equal it's off the pace today. Preferring the R200 is perfectly valid too, it's a softer sound, but a lot depends on the matching components.

 

[gregory lynch]

Bit confused now, I put an AT VM95C on it just for fun but it has a slight hum.

It is not noticeable when playing but it's there all the same, I really want a cartridge with threaded inserts, looks like the vm line is out
so that leaves Ortofon, Sumiko or the AT OCX line.

My eyesight is not good, it was a pain installing the Goldring in the first place.

Decisions decisions.

 

[Craig B]

Bit confused now, I put an AT VM95C on it just for fun but it has a slight hum.

It is not noticeable when playing but it's there all the same, I really want a cartridge with threaded inserts, looks like the vm line is out
so that leaves Ortofon, Sumiko or the AT OCX line.

My eyesight is not good, it was a pain installing the Goldring in the first place.

Decisions decisions.

Are you sure that you have the headshell leads the right way round wrt +ve vs. -ve, Gregory?

Also, these need be good and tight. Typically, going from a cartridge with slightly larger diameter pins to another with smaller pins will leave loose and/or higher resistance connections. Increased hum induction is often the first sign, long before signal levels are affected.

P.S. The best way to tighten headshell connectors is to insert the unfolded end of a large paper clip into the connector before pinching gently with a small pair of needle nose pliers. The metal rod of the paper clip will prevent crushing of the connector.

 

[Mr Pig]

Bit confused now, I put an AT VM95C on it just for fun but it has a slight hum.

The VM cart is not abnormally prone to hum so it's almost certainly something else that's causing it. It can be very hard to remove all traces of hum so if it's not audible when records are playing I wouldn't sweat over it.

If you fret over slight hum, whatever you do don't buy a MC cartridge! They have lower output so need more gain which means that any hum in the system is amplified more. Not saying you can't get rid of it but you're far more likely to get hum issues with MC than with MM carts.

Besides, your arm really isn't up to getting the best from a MC cart. If you don't want to upgrade the arm or the deck I'd stick with MM if I were you.

 

[gregory lynch]

What an idiot, wired wrong, all good now.

Thanks all.