The Ortofon Cadenza Mono should be a good fit.
Nottingham Analogue Dais vs. TW Acoustics Raven One?
- Thread starter Mike Reed
- Start date
The Ortofon Cadenza Mono should be a good fit.
Jonathan Ribee
Unavailable at present
Nic
It is quite well described here...
http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/vinyl/vinyl.html
...need to scroll down a bit.
Markus - thanks. I'll store this up for six months if you don't mind.
It is quite well described here...
http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/vinyl/vinyl.html
...need to scroll down a bit.
Markus - thanks. I'll store this up for six months if you don't mind.
I got myself a Wave Mechanic a few months ago for my Ace Space because I wanted to capture the delicacy and lightness of touch that Oldie got with his Arkiv B on his LP12 when set up by a guy called Simon who must set up God's turntables. I'd never heard anything like it and I suddenly knew what it was I was after. I was hearing stuff I'd heard before on the record, but now it was so quiet and whispered that I couldn't believe I could have possibly heard it. I can only describe it as anti-compression. The Wave Mechanic has given me exactly that and I'm really happy that it was nailed so easily.
I get the impression that the Wave Mechanic makes the Notts an introvert, whereas the Heavy Kit tries to make it an extrovert.
But I dunno, 'cos I've never heard the Heavy Kit.
Mike Reed
pfm Member
Thanks again, JONATHAN, for an inadvertant pearl of wisdom. I have a Urushi, which has similar characteristics and arm requirements as your Red K. Should I go the Dais route, maybe even the latest arm wouldn't be the best match.
Mind you, the new A C Acustic 10.5 (which looks tempting) has a mass of 14gms, which really puts it in the Koetsu Stone Bodied camp, so on technical grounds, I have doubts. Graham Phantom or 12" SME (though I already have a Five) do suit the lower Koetsus, though (technically, that is).
Thanks for invite, as I did wonder which neck of the woods you inhabited. Likewise, if you're ever in the turnip fields of Norfolk (according to Richard
), invite reciprocated.topoxforddoc
pfm Member
Yup it's the Feickert protractor. Fab piece of kit - beautifully made, easy to use and value for money (yes it's nearly euro 200, but how much do al you guys spend on your TTs?). It's the best vinyl set up tool I've used in 30 years.
Charlie
www.charlie-chan.co.uk
Mike Reed
pfm Member
Nice to see a hearty endorsement of wall shelves over tables (stands). I've always advocated their use for anything, not just turntables. Was thinking about having one made up by a local metalworker, but might be tempted by a bit of DIY as proposed in the link. However, a 50 kgs plus deck needs careful thought.......
The Notts 12 inch Ace Space and Ace Anna arms work well with Koetsus, though adding a touch more mass to the headshell end of the Ace Space might help. It's easy enough to do.
Of course, if you want to use a TW, SME, Phantom, Morche or whatever, the Dais will accommodate it. You could even mount two arms as many of my customers have.
Of course, if you want to use a TW, SME, Phantom, Morche or whatever, the Dais will accommodate it. You could even mount two arms as many of my customers have.
Jonathan Ribee
Unavailable at present
The Ace Space/Koetsu without additional weight on the head-shell was a pain to set up and gives resonances (using a set up disc) that are a bit too high. Also the anti skate was a pain. Sounds fine when done. Adding some mass makes it all very easy - the whole system seems to balance much more easily and less precipitously.
I'm sure I haven't got anywhere near Dave's skills at turntable set up. In fact, that is such a safe use of the word "sure" I know no better example! For a mortal like me, the mass really helped!
I'm sure I haven't got anywhere near Dave's skills at turntable set up. In fact, that is such a safe use of the word "sure" I know no better example! For a mortal like me, the mass really helped!
Mike Reed
pfm Member
Does seem a little odd at this level, to 'adapt' the headshell for specific cartridges and then have to compensate at t'other end to get a balance.
Surely better to match the arm to the cart. at the outset, but I must admit that I don't know just how beneficial this 'specification match' for arms and cart's really is.
However, a newish £3K V de H Colibri installed in my fiend's SME 5 recently was disastrous. After much scratching of heads it was realised that the V de H was a high compliance (low playing weight) item requiring, presumably, a lowish mass arm. Treble, I gather, was scintillating...out of this world, but the rest of the audio spectrum.....well , 'nuff said !
To be truthful, as the overhang on the Koetsu which followed was found to be well out, it's possible the Colibri wasn't optimally installed; and no, they weren't installed by the user !
Not really 'odd', it's something we have had to do for many years with a few low compliance, high energy cartridges. The Notts arms are compatible with the vast majority of cartridges but there are a couple of exceptions like the Koetsu.
All it requires is a brass, copper or lead shim in the headshell to raise the mass. These shims were often supplied with Supex, Nagaoka and other cartridges and are now with the likes of ZYX and others. Alternatively you can add a little extra weight by whatever means you feel happy with,under the shell.
To balance the extra mass, the arm may be supplied with a heavier counterweight or it may be ordered separately.
At the other end of the scale there are some high compliance, low tracking weight cartridges available and these demand a low mass arm. There is not much you can do about that, other than buy the appropriate arm.
One good thing with the Dais is that it will accommodate all manner of arms, something not always possible with 'bouncy' turntables.
All it requires is a brass, copper or lead shim in the headshell to raise the mass. These shims were often supplied with Supex, Nagaoka and other cartridges and are now with the likes of ZYX and others. Alternatively you can add a little extra weight by whatever means you feel happy with,under the shell.
To balance the extra mass, the arm may be supplied with a heavier counterweight or it may be ordered separately.
At the other end of the scale there are some high compliance, low tracking weight cartridges available and these demand a low mass arm. There is not much you can do about that, other than buy the appropriate arm.
One good thing with the Dais is that it will accommodate all manner of arms, something not always possible with 'bouncy' turntables.
Jonathan Ribee
Unavailable at present
The ability to just unlock the armboard and move it about is also handy. New cartridge a couple of mm over the protractor? No problem. I just unbolt and slide. (Take two bottles into the shower? Not me! I just...)
Mike Reed
pfm Member
Interesting, Dave; this is the first time I've seen 'exception' alluded to Koetsus. Sure, they're different, but in terms of arm matching I wasn't aware they were problematic with any decent medium (effective) mass arm. (Stone bodied ones possibly excepted here).
Is the latter because it's a (heavy) non-suspended deck? Would it follow that this compatibility would similarly apply to other such decks ?
Dave's right, its not a turntable problem but careful matching is required between cartridge and tonearm - same as with any other turntable tonearm cartridge combination. They should really be considered as a whole and not individual items.
Tom originally designed his arms primarily to match his Analogue Tracer MM cartridges. Some of his early arms like the Omega point and Mentor arms also worked very well with Deccas. However you can use MC cartridges very successfully with Tom's arms and I know in the later years Tom used a Koetsu cartridge too.
I have used an original Kondo Audionote IO (with flying leads) on both a Mentor and Alien tonearms with great success, plus a nude SPU with a special bracket that Tom made for me to enable the SPU to be used in a conventional non detachable headshell tonearm (long before Ortofon came out with a similar device). Both these cartridges worked very well in Tom's arms and as you know they are quite heavy cartridges.
Tom originally designed his arms primarily to match his Analogue Tracer MM cartridges. Some of his early arms like the Omega point and Mentor arms also worked very well with Deccas. However you can use MC cartridges very successfully with Tom's arms and I know in the later years Tom used a Koetsu cartridge too.
I have used an original Kondo Audionote IO (with flying leads) on both a Mentor and Alien tonearms with great success, plus a nude SPU with a special bracket that Tom made for me to enable the SPU to be used in a conventional non detachable headshell tonearm (long before Ortofon came out with a similar device). Both these cartridges worked very well in Tom's arms and as you know they are quite heavy cartridges.
The Feickert is an elaborate version of the Notts protractor. It enables you to position the arm at the correct distance from the centre spindle and then to get the correct overhang. The Notts protractor is for use with their arms or other arms where you have a mounting template.
The Feickert is more 'universal' than other protractors because knowing the arm's effective length, you can use the gauge to position any arm correctly. So it's a template for mounting and a protractor. I doubt you would hear any improvement by using one but it would be a useful tool if you were fitting many arms and not having the appropriate template.
The Feickert is more 'universal' than other protractors because knowing the arm's effective length, you can use the gauge to position any arm correctly. So it's a template for mounting and a protractor. I doubt you would hear any improvement by using one but it would be a useful tool if you were fitting many arms and not having the appropriate template.