Vintage (mostly)

Owner

Hey Sub! Great to see your slabs! Your rig looks solid. Great room.

noromance March 30, 2020 13:41

Hey man -

A.) Sick rig!

B.) Thanks for the comment you left a while ago about the paper coffee filters acting as shims on my concrete and barn board stereo cabinet set up! I went out and got some patio stones and, weirdly, I think I can hear a difference. It's subtle, but things are a little tighter is the best way I can describe it. Many thanks!!

subterranean6 March 29, 2020 13:31

hi Brian, have you heard from the SPH Bearing man lately? He's supposed to contact me when he's ready to make another batch. Been a long time now, though.

Thanks,

Dan

islandmandan March 18, 2020 21:55

Owner

Added Vishay z foil resistors to Croft 25R phono preamp. Wow, what an improvement. Clearer, faster, blacker, vocalist and instruments more fleshed out and more human. I'd like to replace more.

noromance December 19, 2019 04:03

Owner

Thanks K4rstar! I may persue moew older vintage tables and arms some day and a Grey Research is on the wishlist as long as it works with my Deccas which it should.

noromance December 19, 2019 04:01

Great looking system. I am a fan. I know you just got the new Jelco and are unlikely to replace it any time soon. But I would suggest looking into an oil-damped unipivot like a Gray Research clone. I think it would suite your system well.

k4rstar November 11, 2019 03:09

Owner

Hi Dan, I sent you a PM.

noromance October 16, 2019 14:25

Hello Noromance,

I searched online regarding the SPH bearing, and can't find any info about where, or how, to buy one. Do you have that information?

Thanks,

Dan

islandmandan October 14, 2019 21:19

Owner

Hi Rothwea. It's been one of my big upgrades. It's so cheap to undertake and no biggie if it doesn't work out. Not sure how it would work on a non-concrete floor. Main improvement is a feeling of solidity and stability resulting in better defined notes and blackness.

noromance October 14, 2019 16:29

No romance, thanks for all the notes about your system changes. It's a great read. I am very interested to read about your experience of changing from a conventional metal rack to concrete blocks. This is a move I am considering and it has been recommended top me by someone else.

rothwea September 11, 2019 21:20

Owner

@jond Yes, they've settled down somewhat. However, I think if you think they're bright, they don't lose that attribute, the frequency response evens out.
@tzh21y - Thanks!

noromance June 17, 2019 16:03

great job. great setup.

tzh21y April 10, 2019 13:27

@noromance Interesting you say you find the Psvane 6SN7 bright I had a quad of their Philips reproduction metal base EL34s and found them unacceptably bright. I sold them after just a few weeks. Have those 6SN7's gotten warmer?

jond April 06, 2019 23:26

Owner

Added a black aluminum 20mm oversized platter to the slate plinth 401. Beautifully made. I did some listening tests before and after swapping out on a number of tracks (after all the tubes were warmed up for an hour.) Definite increase in bass control. I've been having some issues with a little bloom in the low end which have been tamed. Color, speed and focus -especially in the mid bass- is improved by a considerable margin. The sound stage narrowed a little for the first few tracks but seemed to be result of improved focus and increased stability of image placement. An upgrade, at around $750 inc s/h that puts a smile on the face.

noromance December 23, 2018 20:25

Owner

Swapped out AudioSilente idler wheel (c. $120 shipped) for an Artisan Fidelity idler ($394 shipped). See review in forum.

noromance October 14, 2018 17:01

Owner

I have been lucky to have obtained over the years a collection of 50s to 70s jazz and blues records. The recordings are wonderful (pre-digital) and full of life. Huge dynamics, see- thru transparency, colorful, detailed, quiet.

noromance October 03, 2018 03:38

Owner

@jond Thanks for the feedback.

The Croft is outstanding. I just wish it was tweakable but it is so tightly built, it is very difficult to swap caps etc. An OFC mains cord and Shuguang black 12AX7LS tubes elevated its performance far beyond stock.

I just added Psvane globe 6SN7 to the EICOs. Tremendous increase in detail and transparency. They are a little bright but not run in yet.

noromance October 03, 2018 03:37

Was inspired to come take a look from the "What do you like about your system" thread. Great looking system very well balanced, love the Garrard in that slate plinth. I know the Croft by rep is a great preamp and look at that power supply. Love the mods on the Eico too I have Aerovox caps in my amp and they really pushed it over the edge into great musicality. Well done!

jond September 29, 2018 14:45

Owner

Took the grills off the Quads.

noromance June 15, 2018 16:10

Owner

Xposted from Analog forum.
Definitely reduces surface noise in my set-up. One thing that has become increasingly apparent is that older analog recordings are simply amazing. Much increased detail throughout the frequency range. I can hear plucked bass strings vibrating against each other where they are innocuous on the lesser arm. Tiny details like the metallic shimmer of a percussion bell are exquisite. For a relatively low-budget level phono rig like mine ($12k), this arm is transformative. If you are in the market for a Jelco 750 or 550, or indeed, a Rega, I implore you; spend the extra and get the 850. It is that good.
The cons:
1. The arm rest clamp is not great. It doesn’t grab the arm like a friction type. It simply rests on it unless you close it and the hard plastic feels cheap.
2. There is a very mild and barely detectable upper bass/lower mid dip in the response more like a slight veiling of that portion of the spectrum. After swapping out the arm stub and counterweight on my 750L for an Expressimo Audio brass substitute, and experiencing the improvement wrought by that, I believe the same rubber stub on the 850 is causing this coloration (note 3). Again, it is minor. I will follow up if EA bring out a brass replacement for the 850. I spoke to Brian there and at this time there is none available.
NOTES
1. It may also be not broken in yet as I only used it for 4 hours.
2. I have not played with VTA - too busy listening to my albums all over again.
3. I also have a standard 750L with which comparisons were made.
5. The arm looks better and bigger in the flesh than in pictures.

noromance May 11, 2018 17:08

Owner

Xposted from Analog forum. Just received the new Jelco TK850L.
It is a drop in replacement for the previous model 750L. It retails for around $1100 from a few online retailers. However I got it from GEM Dandy's George Merrill who retails it for $895. I used the headshell from the 750. It looks like it’s the same one. I am running a Decca Super Gold with Paratrace stylus on an Audiograil early model 401 with an Audiosilente idler (just buy it) in a slate and maple plinth. Initial impression is that it is a solid improvement on the 750. Listening to Buddy Tate and Walt Davenport in Nice, France 1974. An improvement in soundstaging is immediately obvious as is speed of attack, or rise-time. Depth and width are improved. The music is more colorful. Trombone sounds more golden than I recall while the guy playing tuba sounds like he is huffing and puffing into the instrument. An added realism. Rim shots are faster and snares portray more insight into the rattles -the metal has color and feel...a mechanical quality. Percussion is much improved. Surface noise seems reduced, supressed even. Now playing Jay McShann and Janis Siegel, Ain’t Misbehavin’. Wonderful vocals and very dynamic with jump out of the stage piano fortissimo that I have never heard before. Highs better with oodles of detail but no harshness. More black space between notes... all of that.
I could go on about the minutiae but I’ll stop. This thing makes music like I’ve never heard. It is a taste of the high end which is lacking in the 750.

noromance May 11, 2018 01:27

Owner

Fitted AudioSilente idler.

See post.

https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/new-idler-for-garrard-401

noromance January 13, 2018 16:03

Congratulations. A great example of less is more. Removal of coloration and resonances can be more powerful and rewarding than a component upgrade in many instances. The slate plinth looks great.

dover January 04, 2018 22:07

Owner

After a few weeks with the slate plinth / "new" 401 (and new Jelco 750L with Expressimo Audio brass weight and stub), it's time to report back. First off, it looks great. After power up, out of the box, the slate version was a little 'cooler' sounding than the birch plinth version but not as much as I'd expected. It was also a little more monochromatic than I'd hoped, removing some bloom and color from the music.

I'd wanted to remove the big oak table from the system for some time, so, in a fit of gung-ho, did precisely that. I had the preamp on an old metal stand with spikes so I re-purposed it as a table for the turntable. Sitting it on the steel table directly (on cones), the sound was a lot cleaner and tighter (esp in the mid bass-bass) with darker silences but it was still a little colorless. Remember, it only had about 4 hours on it at this point. I had a 24" square of 4" maple lying around so I added that on top of the steel framed table with aluminum cones supporting the slate. Wow! The color returned. I love a neutral sound -I can detect systemic color in music as a coloration, smearing, dirtying... whatever, and can't stand it. This is not like that. It simply allows the color of the instruments to shine. Over the next 100 hours, the sound has opened up even more. Detail has increased on my test records. Bass is superb. It is amazing how good the bass is on old Quad ESL 57s. Instruments pop out of the sound-stage to a much greater degree than the old 401 rig.

noromance January 04, 2018 14:58

Owner

Update 12/2017 - Added Audio Grail Sable Garrard 401 and Jim Campbell slate plinth. Replaced heavy oak table with metal and maple stand. See pics.

noromance December 02, 2017 12:29

Showing 51 - 75 of 123 posts

Description

Room Details

Components Toggle details

AudioGrail Garrard 401

Jelco TK-850L 12" tonearm

Jelco TK-850S 9" tonearm

SPH Carbon Fiber 12" tonearm

Decca London Gold Garrott Brothers "Microscanner" Decapod

Decca London Super Gold with Paratrace and Decapod

Decca Grey Export Garrott Brothers

Audio Technica VM750SH

Croft RIAA-RS

Lambda Model 25

Croft Micro 25R

EICO HF-35 monoblocs by Stu Remmington

Quad ESL 57

System 2 - Garrard 401 birch ply plinth 401

Jelco TK850L

Decca London Gold

Decca London Maroon

Ortofon OM-78

Croft Acoustics Micro 25

Eico HF-35 monoblocs

Spendor SP2/2

REL Acoustics S3 MKII SHO

Clear Day solid silver Speaker Cables

Neotech UP-OCC (DIY) Speaker Cables

Comments 123

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Vintage (mostly)

Description

Room Details

Components Toggle details

AudioGrail Garrard 401

Jelco TK-850L 12" tonearm

Jelco TK-850S 9" tonearm

SPH Carbon Fiber 12" tonearm

Decca London Gold Garrott Brothers "Microscanner" Decapod

Decca London Super Gold with Paratrace and Decapod

Decca Grey Export Garrott Brothers

Audio Technica VM750SH

Croft RIAA-RS

Lambda Model 25

Croft Micro 25R

EICO HF-35 monoblocs by Stu Remmington

Quad ESL 57

System 2 - Garrard 401 birch ply plinth 401

Jelco TK850L

Decca London Gold

Decca London Maroon

Ortofon OM-78

Croft Acoustics Micro 25

Eico HF-35 monoblocs

Spendor SP2/2

REL Acoustics S3 MKII SHO

Clear Day solid silver Speaker Cables

Neotech UP-OCC (DIY) Speaker Cables

Comments 123

Similiar items on Audiogon

Latest forum discussions