Thank you, Dan, for the kind words. You are right to assume that my collection of gear is not possible without the guidance of superior minds. Just to call out a few: the cartridges stem from Raul's tireless search; my devotion to Victor products and standalone arms comes from my audio buddy @halcro; and then there's my audio bff (lol) @ct0517 whose audio ken  is outstripped only by his generosity, everything else that's good about my system I owe to him.

banquo363 May 11, 2016 18:34

Precipitated by my wife's desire to install new wood fl;oors throughout our house, I deicided to take cover under the ensuing chasos to make extensive changes to the system. Thus: installed dedicated power lines and new outlets; reinforced walls to mount a Newport optical breadboard to hold the turntables; new mounting system for the et 2 andd 2.5 arms; newly acquired Victor tt 801 turntable; and last, but perhaps most consequential of all, a new tube preamp, the Beveridge rm1/2.

The Beveridge is, for me, truly eye opening. I can't believe how much it affects the sound. I feel like the b&w 801's are opened up for the first time with room filling and enveloping sound. I've bought some NOS '60's Amperex 7308's to  try out It'll be my first foray into pllaying around with NOS tubes. Am I in for a treat? I hope so b/c NOS tubes ain't cheap.

banquo363 May 10, 2016 20:11

System edited: Sick of running wire through walls and moving from one room into another, I finally got around to getting all the gear into the same room. This also had the consequence of getting the turntable out of the corner and setting it along the long wall of my listening room. Amidst all the benefits of this move one problem emerged. I'd been supporting my ET 2 arm's wire loom on fishing wire hung between two walls. Having lost a wall in the move, I needed to fabricate a replacement. Hence the 'four ring circus'. It's composed of a very thin garden stake that I pushed into the wall and, for height control, 4 plastic rings that can be opened up to accept the wires and locked down to secure them. Why go through all this trouble? Because the ET 2 tonearm is incredibly sensitive, so much so that even with the maximally flexible zyx wire, the arm's travel is adversely affected unless the wire loom is situated just so. The effects of an errant wire is easily audible--I know because I hear it all the time :(.

banquo363 June 12, 2015 09:15

But it may also put you out into the garage permanently with your wife due to bass seepage. So be careful what you wish for.

Silver lining: I'll be nearer to my Aridyne air supply.

Speaking of headaches and vintage gear, when I received my, according to the seller 'checked out; no problems', Victor eq 7070 every electrolytic cap was either bulging or had already popped. I didn't even dare plug that thing in until after I had them all replaced. Even then the tech said that he had to do some special voodoo to get the unit working properly. Luckily, I found a skilled tech right near me, so as a bonus USPS no longer gets the opportunity to lose and/or destroy my stuff.

In terms of the sound of the unit, so far I'm underwhelmed. It sounded unusual (in a good way) when used with digital, but mediocre at best with vinyl. The bass was overwhelmingly bloated at first, with a truncated high end-- but the mids were good to very good. Moving the 801's baf to the tape in/out circuit helped considerably, but it was still not right. Last night, I bypassed the volume control by connecting my Lightspeed passive attenuator. Didn't have a lot of time, but it at least sounded promising. Today, the ET 2 with victor z1/sas combo gets a turn. I'll get to test my conjecture regarding 'victor product synergy'.

banquo363 May 27, 2015 21:00

Two rotary switches on the front panel with the following values: 100, 33k, 50k, 100k ; 470pf, 330, 100, 220.

Not as many options as my sony ta e88 phono/pre which allows a range from 10kohm-100kohm in 10k increments, and 100-500pf in 100pf increments.

But I don't think I need any more food to feed my neurosis.

banquo363 May 19, 2015 17:44

I'm glad you chimed in, Halcro, since it was your remarks on the tt 101 that gave birth to my Victor fetishism.

Seriously though, I'm particularly interested in whether the eq7070 phonostage is an ideal companion for the x1 and z1 cartridges in the same way that you say the pigskin maates well with the 101's platter. They were all released around the same time and probably designed by a close knit team. At any rate, I have high hopes for this pairing, that something 'magical' will take place when they are used together.

My amp has a gain switch that has gone bad and needed to be replaced. Also, I'm replacing the speaker binding posts so I can bi-wire the 801's. I'm told I should have it back by week's end...at which time I'll party like it's 1979.

banquo363 May 19, 2015 08:15

Inadvertently, I've become something of a Victor Laboratory gear collector. I started with their magnificent tt-101 turntable and then their equally impressive X1 mk2 and Z1 MM cartridges. In the past month, I managed to assemble 3 more items: litz speaker cables, glass and pigskin platter sheets, and their EQ 7070 phonostage/pre. To truly complete the picture, I would still need the tonearm, amp and speakers. Since I can't imagine either the 7045 or 7082 tonearms besting the ET-2, a victor tonearm seems an unlikely purchse. I'm truly happy wth my matrix 801 speakers, but I would like to have a SS amp with some serious muscle just to catch glimpse of the 801's so far untapped power. So, if a pair of these ever crossed my path and didn't require I mortgage my house or divorce my lovely wife, I'd probably jump on them.

In the meanwhile, I have enough new toys to occupy me. I'm especially looking forward to trying the pigskin. Halcro has been touting its merits for years, and for nearly the same length of time I've been looking to acquire one. After two false starts and ammassing more leather mats than I have fingers, my ship finally came in today. The dark brown one on the left is, hopefully, the genuine article; while the one on the right is a very good knock-off. In handling them, the main differences are these: the original is softer and more flexible, thinner and its sueded side is more plush.

I'd offer listening impressions...but my amp is getting some work done :(.

banquo363 May 18, 2015 22:51

Thanks, Albert.

Try as I might, I can't catch glimpse of the three compartments you mention. No matter. I found a pic form anarchived hifido page that shows the added weight, here

I have a different question for you. You mention on your thread that yours came with some kind of insert. I can't seem to locate that part of your thread right now but is that insert used to to match the ttm with different sized spindles? The spindle on my victor is significantly smaller than the ttm's hole, and I'm wondering if there should be tighter fit. If so, could you describe what the insert is and/or take a pic of it?

Thanks for the offer for the mat instructions. I've seen that mat several times on yahoo japan but never thought to buy it due to its weight--I suspect it'll be too much for the victor. Nevertheless, please do send me the instructions, since I might now try it out given that, as you say, the mat and weight work in tandem. I pm'ed you my address.

banquo363 March 02, 2015 21:58

d'uh: forgot to name what I bought--TTM oil damped stabilizer

banquo363 March 01, 2015 00:05

System edited: Impulse purchase. Recall seeing it on Albert Porter's page. The problem with impulse purchases is that one does not know how properly to use the item. In this case, the oil damping mechanism is a mystery. I thought the weight would be filled with oil, but evidenly not. The spindle hole has threads on the top half, so I must be missing some screw tha tholds the oil? If anyone has knowledge (or a theory) about how this weight functions, please share.

banquo363 February 28, 2015 22:55

Banquo so you were able to go from a 12 foot cable length down to 3 foot. Well done. Only in this audio hobby that I can think of, does shorter length equate to better ?

Yes, Ct0517: and I'm liking the results. But as is my tendency, I've made several other changes to my system, so who knows what is responsible for what.

For those following along: for the past couple of days, I've been using the victor z1s/jico sas cartridge and although it's probably premature to declare anything...but...it is a great, great cartridge. In terms of wide availability and price (<$US200 total), it boggles the mind. Since it is a frankenstein, it can be a hassle to assemble, but a major advantage is that the stylus is brand new and it mates perfectly with the dirt cheap and readily available z1s cartridge body. We'll see when Halcro does the comparison between the original z1 beryllium stylus and the sas, but it's hard for me to imagine the sas falling very short (if at all). I say this even though I found that the jico replacement sylus for the victor x1/ii falls way short of the original.

I currently have it mounted on the epa 100 arm; I eagerly anticipate what the ET 2 will do with it. If all goes as I hope, my cartridge buying days may be over.

banquo363 January 22, 2015 23:43

lol, Halcro. That pic is old; I was chasing down a hum and trying out different platform configurations at the same time. I leave it up to remind myself of the state of mind I was in at that time. Admittedly, the current set up (of which there is no pic) is hardly any less aesthetically defective, but at least it represents the product of an orderly mind. :) I envy you your hotel's view.

I received my jico mats and spent a couple of hours last night trying out different configurations. Since I now have 6 different leather mats (somebody help me), it may take awhile. But so far: the 47 Labs deerskin atop the thicker jico mat leads the pack.

banquo363 January 20, 2015 17:45

Didn't you recently install curtains? Am I correct to assume they are proving beneficial in more ways than just sonically ?

Yes and YES! Curtains and (for when they are moved around potentially exposing my shame) strategically placed CD cases.

As far as I can tell, Sonic Craft boasts the best prices on common DIY knick knacks. Believe it or not, their prices were even better before the new website--so, what would that make it, 98% off? They're like a smaller US version of Canada's Take Five Audio.

banquo363 January 19, 2015 18:54

System edited: My brain must be suffering post new year's meltdown. I've been wanting to replace a long run of blue jeans cable (12ft), so after a year of thumb twiddling, I have the great guys at sonic craft make me 6ft cables using neotech nei 3001 and furutech fp 120 rca's. I place the order and it arrives today and I get 3ft cables. I immediately shoot off an email alerting them that a mistake had been made. To which they responded that I ordered 6ft worth of cable which makes for a 3ft pair; if I wanted a 6ft pair I needed to buy 12ft of cable. ...um, right. I have to admit that that basic piece of arithmetic completely escaped me until the very moment I read that sentence. Although they generously offered to take back the cable, I was so dumbfounded by my idiocy that I was determined to make 3ft work. This required a good deal of rearranging equipment and..,cutting a rather large hole through the living room wall. I don’t dare tell my wife who, bless her heart, already frowned upon the tiny hole I made to run the ET 2’s air supply to the garage. In the end, it worked out..barely…and I believe I’m better off with the shorter cable. Who knew that stupidity could pay off so handsomely?

banquo363 January 17, 2015 10:54

I too have just bought a JVC/Victor Z1 with original beryllium cantilever which has ALSO collapsed...😱

It is written that Athena was born out of Zeus' head fully armored and ready for battle. Our z1 cartridges have had a less exuberant beginning? Let us hope jico makes us forget about this--although if I had an original z1 stlyus in otherwise good form, I'd send it to someone to have the suspension fixed. Well, perhaps not, if the jico replacement is equally good.

I don't dare mount my NOS x1/ii stylus right now, as my fragile costitution is not prepared for another disappointment. :) In the meanwhile, I mounted the lp gear x1/ii stylus (vivid line) and after a shrill beginning, it's producing a refined and rich, if a bit polite, sound. We'll see in the upcoming hours but not bad at all for the price.

banquo363 January 10, 2015 21:11

System edited: There's never a dull moment when dealing with NOS cartridges. My recently acquired NOS victor 4dtz1s stylus (shibata) rides very low, so low that it was just a matter of time before the suspension completely gave out. So I went proactive. The stylus has a tension wire and I thought that it would be easy to adjust that tension--if only I could deal with the set screw that appeared to be frozen in time. So, I bought a nifty wiha screwdriver (0.8 x 40mm) and some kano kroil. The latter possesses magical powers, as it took less than a drop of it to loosen the screw (a further bonus was that it also loosened the jico stylus body which was stuck to my victor x1 cartridge--more on that later) Once I loosened the set screw, the next obstacle immediately presented itself: I had no idea what to do. I read somewhere that one could pull the tension wire but mine wouldn’t budge since it appears to be glued down; then I read that one could push the cantilever into the tube and that that would adjust tension. After a couple of hours of pulling and pushing, I recognized the futility of my efforts. My one last move was to cut a bit of magic eraser and stuff it into the cantilever’s tube. Obviously this is not ideal but, as it turns out, this works! Well, sort of. The cantilever is no longer near the point of collapse. And after an inauspicious first audition, I found the cart extremely detailed, open and best of all tonally superior (especially the bass) to every other cart I own. Wow. The problem is tracking error—no doubt due to the magic eraser stuffed underneath the cantilever! This is sad because I doubt I’ll see another shibata z1s stylus (as opposed to the ubiquitous conical ones). Hopefully, the jico sas z1 stylus I ordered will be a worthy successor. Fingers crossed.

banquo363 January 08, 2015 21:10

hi Acman,

The acutex is stock: it just went on a world audition tour. Maybe when I wear it out I'll send it to Axel.

Glad you like the 2500 series astatic. It may be the festive holiday mood, but I have it mated with the mf300 and I like it..a lot.

So, I take it you found a phono cable you like? What did you choose?

banquo363 December 22, 2014 21:25

Thanks to Ct0517, she's returned home. This is a well traveled cart: started in Italy, then So. California, then Toronto, then Florida, back to Toronto, then to the embrace of its final resting place, my ET-2 arm. It's final because the two are a match made in audio heaven (with my technics arm, it didn't sound like a keeper at all). Reminds me of my astatic mf 2501/mf300 frankenstein cart, but with better high end extension: both get you onto the dance floor.

banquo363 December 21, 2014 19:46

After months of searching and waiting, I finally acquired 2 items: sound anchor stands for the 801's and this, a NOS victor stylus for my x-1ii. The next feat will be to take out the jico stylus w/o breaking either the cart or the stylus. Not trivial since it appears to be permanently stuck. Any suggestions on how to safely remove stylus are most welcome. ...the jury is still out on the stands.

banquo363 December 07, 2014 09:53

Point well taken, Dover. I used to run a Denon 103 on a Denon DA 305 arm. It was a pain to change vta on that arm, so I set it once and pretty much left alone. Over time I noticed that, while I was neurotically changing VTA for every record on the Technics arm, the denon didn't require it.

I take it that the modded Denon you refer to is now unobtainium?

banquo363 November 20, 2014 18:40

understood, Ct0517. The freedom from my neurosis was 'bliss' when I defeated the vta mechanism on the et2. But now with the 2.5 and hearing the difference optimal vta can make, I'll quote Luther: "Here I stand, I can do no other."

banquo363 November 19, 2014 20:12

One of the deficiencies, in my opinion, of the stock ET-2 arm is the difficulty in setting (and returning to a known setting) a cart's vta and vtf. Being used to the elegant and efficient system found on the Technics epa 100 arm, I found this mildly annoying. Yesterday, I received in the mail Bruce's solution: a vta dial indicator . It looks like a stop watch and mounts atop the vta tower via a carbon(?) bracket. Very cool and useful. Now I can carry on with my neurotic habit of writing down the optimal vta for each cartridge and album.

banquo363 November 19, 2014 08:27

I liked my ET-2 arm so much, I decided to get another one. This one is the 2.5 version, has the heavy verion of the magnesium arm wand, a larger spindle, and is designed for very low compliance MC carts. As I do not own a MC cart worth mentioning, I mounted the Astatic mf 2501 cart I have been using to very good effect with the other ET 2 arm, the one with carbon fiber arm wand and designed for higher compliance MM carts. At 35 the compliance for the Astatic is quite high, but after a couple of hours on the ET 2.5, I concluded that it sounded significantly better than when paired with the ET 2. So, as usual, Halcro is onto something. Which is not to say that the Astatic couldn't sound better with the ET 2.5 w/carbon fiber arm wand attached. That test awaits us next week.

banquo363 November 04, 2014 21:10

This one's for you, Acman3.

banquo363 October 31, 2014 17:39

System edited: [url=http://cgim.audiogon.com/i/vs/i/f/1414775618.jpg]This one's[/url]for you, Acman3. Astatic mf 2501 cart with mf 300 stylus. Most transparent and 'alive' cart I own. When I can get my et2 arm to behave, the result is exhilarating music. Flaco Jimenez's accordion has never been so 'in my room' as with this combo. Thanks, again. How was your move? New room set up yet?

banquo363 October 31, 2014 17:36

Thanks gentlemen. I mounted the shure last night, Halcro. As I am suffering from ET 2 induced noise (hum and buzzing from hell) I am unable to confirm or deny your insight on the damping brush. I shouldn't have commented on my preference because IIRC I ran the shure only for a few hours, not enough time to form a considered judgment. I didn't mention the name of the new cart, Acman3, because I didn't expect it to survive the experimental phase of the et 2's set up. My grim prediction almost proved correct when I dropped the arm wand right onto a record edge while adjusting the arm's height. Only through divine intervention did the stylus survive. At any rate, it was the an Azden ym p 20e. Before that I had on a signet 5ea with an AT 2311 de. I won't be putting on the precious Astatics until I get things under control. (If I destroy those you'll find me huddled in the corner quietly weeping.) I'm trying to find a cart that's well shielded so as to minimize the noise I'm getting. In my ongoing war with noise, Ct0517, the score is Hum and Buzz 76; Banquo 1. I spent literally the entire day going through potential fixes. I discovered, as I was going to sleep, that one contributor is the LED lighting in my room--so now I'll have to play records in the dark. :) I have followed your advice on separating all the wires. I'm complaining but secretly I'm having a blast. Especially when my wife walked into my room, looked at the external compressor regulator/gauge and said "It looks like a bomb". That put a smile on my face for some reason. This is a step up from when she described the 801's as tombstones. So, evoking war and death: perhaps that's her general disposition towards our beloved hobby?

banquo363 October 08, 2014 18:11

System edited: ET-2 is alive. Still working through some issues as can be seen from the disarray in the system pic. After a few days using the arm, I am sure of one thing: on the inner grooves, it is signifiaantly better than the technics arm. I spent the first few hours playing 'torture tracks' that the technics failed with to one degree or another. With only crude estimates for vtf and vta (I am using a new cart on the et2), the et2 flew right through those tracks with no compression and no strange distortions in tone or ssoundstage. Very impressive. It remains to be seen whether the et2 can be dialed in in the way that the technics can. The Technics' vta system is unbeatable and its vtf system is highly sensitive and easy to use. This is not true of the et2, at least for a novice like me. At any rate, time will tell.

banquo363 October 07, 2014 00:15

System edited: On a much brighter note, I recently acquired a pneumatic isolation platform, Fabreeka ISO 24A. Had never heard of them before, but they've been around since 1936. In addition to their main focus on industrial applications, they do cater to the audiophile community (at least according to a catalog I read). I had been using a sandbox to good effect, but the sound was getting slower and slower, so much so that I started worrying about my turntable. To test, I took out the sandbox and rested the victor on the audio technica 616 isolators. In return for a loss in transparency and higher sound floor, I was rewarded with a quicker more rhythmic presentation to the music. I could probably live with that trade off, but I was also getting distortion during certain passages. Can't live with that. Evidently, the 616's were not fully isolating the tt from structure borne vibration. In comes the Fabreeka, which I happened onto while looking for a new rack. First of all, it's a pain in the neck to set up--especially when one doesn't have an operation's manual, and one buys from an owner who doesn't seem to have a clue. After days of frustration, I did eventually manage to get the manual directly from Fabreeka; nice people and very responsive. At any rate, all that endured pain is rewarded with a difference in sound that can be only described as staggering. No single change in my system has altered the sound as much as the addition of this platform. This is testament to the qualities of the Fabreeka but also, and perhaps more so, to the poverty of my rack, which is by far the weakest part of my set up. The Fabreeka discloses how much signal I was losing to the ill effects of errant vibration. The sound floor plummeted and most of all the bass coming from the 801’s shows how much more they were capable of offering, both in power and quickness. I’m still playing around with the unit—maintaining level is not trivial. It’s so sensitive that resting my record clamp on one corner is enough to alter level. Moreover, and perhaps connected to that point, the max load is over 300 lbs and I have nowhere near that right now. I wonder if I load it near capacity I’ll achieve even greater heights? And whether it'll be less sensitive to minor load changes?

banquo363 September 24, 2014 18:54

Well, USPS has claimed another audiophile dream. My just completely restored sony ta e88 arrived at my home with a dented faceplate and a smashed in volume control knob. I don't have the heart to look inside to witness the carnage, but I did fire the thing up.:) The good news is that I can run the thing through my passive volume control (thank you, 'rec out'); the bad news is that the attenuator is definitely toast. What a waste.

So far I've only tried playing a CD. If the phono section is undamaged and sounds good, then I'll thank my good fortune--but at the same time, I'll continue to rain down curses on USPS, audiophilia's mortal enemy.

banquo363 September 16, 2014 16:39

That pic I linked to on the et2 thread was a joke: the seller didn't seem to know which way was up and which down. I've now received it; the arm is more or less fine. I need a pump and I'll be good to go. True, it may take a year (or 2) to optimize it, but I'll get it to play music. My date with divinity is still on schedule.

My wife is going to let me set up the living room the way I think will sound best...

It's only morally right for pain to be rewarded with pleasure. Lucky for you morality will meet reality right there in your new living room!

banquo363 August 23, 2014 20:36

good luck with your move, acman3. I speculate that you have a lot of vinyl; must have been painful to pack all those up.

banquo363 August 22, 2014 16:57

It'll be at least a couple of weeks before I can say, Acman3. I had it shipped directly to my tech so he can give it the once over. It's a 100v Japan unit and I want him to see if he can, among other things, rewire for US power.

In the meanwhile, after years of encouragement from Ct0517, I finally pulled the trigger on an ET-2 tonearm. Between that, the Sony pre and the Astatic styli you so generously sent my way, I'm fully expecting the Divine to visit my listening space in about a month.

banquo363 August 18, 2014 16:43

thanks, acman3! pm sent.

banquo363 July 25, 2014 03:03

I love the astatic moving flux type cartridges. Tonight I learned definitively that the feeling is not mutual.

A few months back my astatic mf 200 started developing suspension issues. I looked in vain for a replacement stylus. I switched over to the victor x1/2. In the interim I managed to find a NOS astatic mf 2501. Not the Raul raved mf 2500, but beggars can't be choosers. Came complete with headshell and leads. It's been sitting on my shelf for a month because I was in the middle of evaluating my new amp and speakers and did not want to change cartridges. Tonight I decided to play around with it. The headshell and leads were replaced with 'better' stuff and...wow...most transparent mm cart yet. The victor is no slouch in that department but this astatic had it soundly beat. I was marveling at the music this thing could generate when...thonk...the suspension completely collapsed.

No more dalliances with astatic cartridges for me. This last one spanned all of an hour--oh, but what an hour!

banquo363 July 24, 2014 07:10

The rm9 came with those ubiquitous rubber footers, 2 in front and 3 in back. I recently bought some Kryna footers for the phono stage and that freed up the cones I had been using. Since cones are meant to be used, I thought I'd see what they would do under the amp. When I owned the rm10, I experimented with a lot of different footers and I always ended up back with the stock rubber ones. In reality, none of the ones I tried made a great difference with that amp. With the rm9? Holy moly. Sound floor got lowered to a significant degree. I can just plain hear more music. And tone has improved. The cymbal work on the new Music Matters release of Blue Train is now as it should be: incredibly realistic.

Now, there's nothing special about these cones; they're just solid steel ones I bought off a guy here on audiogon way back when. But I read somewhere recently that tube amps should be spiked down to a board (which is what I've done). Maybe that guy is on to something?

banquo363 July 11, 2014 17:25

With change comes struggle. Spent the last few weeks trying to diagnose boomy bass and not nearly good enough top end. This happened sometime after putting in the kt88's. Vinyl playback involves a lot of moving parts, and testing each is an exercise requiring patience. After 7-8 days of testing and not finding the fault, I almost resigned myself to the sound. In one final fit of desperation, I decided to re-do my cartridge set-up as if I had just got it new. Turns out my vtf was .2 grams too high. Doesn't sound like much, but everything snapped into place after the change. Since I had never run the cartridge that low before, I conjecture that something had changed regarding its compliance.

I knew that my previous set up did not do justice to rock and roll, but I didn't know what that exactly meant until I heard Nirvana's Nevermind with the rm9/801 pairing. As I told my audio blood brother, it nearly blew me right out of the room.

banquo363 June 10, 2014 20:51

Lots of changes afoot. Got my hands on a Music Reference rm-9 mki amplifier (directly from the manufacturer--even though they are not currently made). Got the mk2 choke and cap mods installed. Received a glimpse of what it can offer last night: big, big sound; opens up the 801's like its little brother the rm-10 could not.

Brechtian theater famously breaks through the 'fourth wall'. Applied to audio reproduction, I could never get the rm10's center image to come at me, beyond the plane or even even with the plane of the speakers. The rm-9 did this. I'm unclear whether that's a good or bad thing (or what it says about the respective quality of the two amps), but it sure made for an interesting listening session. I'm still acclimating to the tone that the siemens el-34 tubes are offering. Not sure I prefer it over the el-84. Dynamics and detail retrieval are excellent, although I have it on good authority that the kt-88's will disclose what the amp can really do. Looking forward to that moment, but for now I'll stick with the stock tubes.

banquo363 May 23, 2014 20:27

System edited: Finally got my hands on a NOS Victor pigskin platter mat. The first one I found 5 months ago was lost by the post office en route from Japan. Luckily, another magically appeared for purchase--and the post office managed to deliver it without issue. The skin was allegedly sourced by Victor Co. in Mexico. It's very well finished, e.g. of even thickness throughout and perfectly centered. Let's hope it sounds as nice as it looks.

banquo363 May 05, 2014 22:22

System edited: After nearly 4 wonderful years with the vandy 2ce sigs, I decided, with much help from my audio blood brother ct0517, to move on. I am now living with 'the tombstones' as my wife derisively calls the B&w 801's. I would never contradict my wife, but I think they're pretty cool looking, especially with the grills off. As with the vandies, placement requires a lot of patience. After a week of moving them around (mercifully they're currently on castors) I found an acceptable location, although not ideal, both in terms of sonics and room aesthetics (they're 6 feet out from front wall). Due to their transparency, I'm learning much about my front end. Every wobble and warp of records is registered. This is disconcerting to the neurotic audiophile; on the other hand, it serves as a tool for pinpointing areas requiring improvement. To wit: I need a record cleaner real bad. The Spin Clean system I've been using won't cut it. Unfortunately, my great Music Reference rm10 has to be sold in exchange for something beefier (hopefully for its big brother the rm9--anyone got one they want to sell?). I have a Maughan baf coming my way. I'm pretty excited about that if only because it holds the promise of eradicating the woofer pumping I get on certain records. I also have made a deal for the sound anchor stands; that should help to firm up the bass. Hopefully I will have found the ideal placement by then since I can't really imagine moving the tombstones once spiked.

banquo363 April 29, 2014 18:36

I learned the hard way that the vandies are very sensitive to the angle at which they are tilted back.

For some stupid reason I decided to move my speakers, and during that process, amongst other things, I adjusted them so that they were perfectly vertically level.

I didn't notice at first but I got an unusual boomy bass on certain records and smearing or echoing during certain passages. Obviously this is intolerable, so the adjustments arms race began. I fiddled with every parameter of my set up: vta, vtf, compliance, geometry, footers on every shelf were shuffled around; equipment and wires were shuffled around; and, speakers were moved to every possible position in the room (in quarter inch increments!). After a week of this I thought I had it licked, but last night when I put on one of my reference records, lo and behold there was that boominess and smearing!

Then I remembered the tilt back that I eliminated. I returned it to where it was--instant fix. Good grief.

banquo363 April 08, 2014 23:38

Capacitors replaced, tt bearing lubed and new Discovery tonearm wire (following ct0517's idea) put in. The exposed tonearm wire alongside the exposed guts of the victor make my system look like a spawn of the great George Pompidou Center in Paris.

My great fear with using unshielded tonearm wire was hum. Sure enough after installation a hum straight out of hell blazed through the speakers. Ct0517 wisely suggested that I ground my tt chassis. Sure enough hum completely gone! I've had hum (to a lesser degree) in my system since the beginning and I once spent weeks trying to track it down (including grounding my tt)--all to no avail. So, needless to say, I'm very surprised and happy with this recent development.

banquo363 March 12, 2014 17:26

Continuing on the same theme, I heard some distortion on one channel last week. Opened up the rm10 amp to witness a general mess: a cap had leaked. It's only 4 years old, so...? Got a lemon cap, I suppose. On the bright side, I look forward to hearing what the amp will do at 'full capacity'.

One disadvantage of my pod system is the inability to easily access the rca jacks for the epa 100 tonearm. This makes auditioning phono cables a nightmare. Moreover, the analysis plus cables I want to try have wbt locking rca's that barely fit inside the pod and, in addition, I can't fit my fingers in to turn to lock them. My compromise has been to just push them in as far as I can and hope for the best. The solo crystals I tried as a phono cable sound bad, but since they sound great as regular IC's I suspect it's the poor connection inside the pod that's to blame.

What to do? I plan on reterminating one end of either the solo crystals or the silver oval in's I have. I haven't decided what rca to use yet but obviously they can't be the locking kind. What about the xhadows or vampire? One condition is that they must be small in diameter (in order to fit inside the pod) yet large enough to work with analysis plus cables. Anyone have any ideas?

banquo363 February 24, 2014 01:09

I must be cursed. I ordered some Psvane el84 tubes from China 3 weeks ago. This morning's tracking reads: Undeliverable as addressed. Good grief, how hard is it for a business to get a shipping address labeled correctly?

banquo363 February 13, 2014 18:17

I am getting real close to tape with the stock platter so I am happy with it and have not been tempted.

There's no arguing with that result.

I do remember the empire glue tweak. Unfortunately, I damaged my stylus before I could get around to it.

That 'lip' on the victor platter is why the deerskin doesn't work by itself: it's too thin to bridge the gap.

Halcro has a pic of the underside on his system page. But something's going on with pics on audiogon and none of them will load. I'll email you a pic of mine later today. I plan on re-lubing the bearing--wish me luck.

banquo363 February 07, 2014 18:27

Ct0517: that degree of love for a platter mat would render impossible the ability to remove the platter on direct drive tt's. I don't love my skins that much, although it's true that I sold my Boston Audio Mat 2 after trying the non-victor pigskin. But who really understands the power of love: if, per impossibile, the victor mat should show up, I might be rendered helpless and compelled to give mat monogamy a chance.

Have you ever tried a skin mat on the Platine? With these things, you just never know, with all due respect to Mr. Verdier.

banquo363 February 07, 2014 00:11

So the seller knew what he was talking about, Halcro: there are two different mats. I remember when Top Class Audio had one of these and it was brown like mine. You bought yours from there, right?

Tracking works only when the package is actually scanned during its journey. Mine made it to US shores but seems to have disappeared prior to entering customs. Maybe they have DJ's at customs and those guys are finding the mat useful.

banquo363 February 04, 2014 17:13

Halcro: your description of the 'magical' victor pigskin makes me despise the US Postal Service even more.

According to the seller of mine, it was sourced from Mexico and there were 2 different kinds, ks1 and ks2. He didn't know which one he was selling, so evidently they are not marked. I uploaded a pic for reference.

banquo363 February 03, 2014 17:47

Interesting point, Ct0517. I don't know the first thing about leather, let alone audiophile grade leather, if such there be. I agree nevertheless with the idea that it would be subject to changes in humidity. Whether that has an audible and predictable consequence is anyone's guess. I live in a very dry climate so perhaps this would not affect me as much?

After spending a few hours a/b'ing the pig and deer skin mats, I don't believe that there is a significant difference between them--at least in the set up I used. Tomorrow, if the superbowl doesn't occupy my time, I might break out the stock victor rubber mat and then place each skin on one at a time. But then again I might just leave well alone: the deer on top of the pigskin sounded mighty fine tonight.

banquo363 February 02, 2014 07:48

System edited: Not without a little drama, I received my 47 Laboratory deerskin platter mat today. First reaction: the hole is slightly off center so part of the mat hangs over the rim of the tt101's platter. This is ridiculous, given the price they're charging. So I had to do a bit of surgery. Second reaction: it's really thin; about half the thickness of my pigskin mat. It feels luxurious but I suspect, and I turn out to be right, that there's going to be a problem. Following Halcro, I place the pigskin straight onto the platter. The victor platter has a 'step' below a raised rim on top of which the record is seated. The pigskin is thick enough to maintain contact with a seated record but the deerskin is not. I tried it anyways. Sounded: not good. Bummer. But then I place the deerskin atop the pigskin. Very promising. I played it like that for hours and I liked what I heard. Tomorrow, I'll do some a/b'ing to see if the 47 Labs has a future in my rig. Since I performed surgery on it, resale is out of the question. Think that will bias the results?

banquo363 February 01, 2014 07:45

I received a message today from the USPS asking me if I had received my package (containing the pigskin mat). When I called back, another rep told me that an investigation had been opened today. This 'investigation' was constituted by 1. calling me and 2. calling my local post. I of course have not received it and evidently the local post told the 'investigator' that they hadn't either. The case was closed. lol. Even the rep I talked to was surprised that the case closed within minutes of being opened. USPS: among the world's finest institutions--they close cases to no one's satisfaction.

Meanwhile, my deerskin mat is languishing at customs.

Lesson: eat local; shop local.

banquo363 January 30, 2014 21:30

System edited: Found a neat Signet electronic stylus cleaner on audiocircle. Never knew such a thing existed until a couple of days ago. Been using magic eraser for years, but audiophilia demands new toys. Tried it a couple of times 'dry', but evidently there's a solution by Mobile Fidelity 'LP-9' that can be deployed--and it's said to be the cat's meow. It costs $25 for half an ounce! ...After reading this thread [url]http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?eanlg&1264353704&openfrom&13&4#13[/url], I wanted to try the 'tie-back' technique to secure my wobbly rack (which is on spikes over carpet over concrete). So I jerry-rigged a brace that is bolted to the rack and then to back wall. It definitely works to prevent swaying (both front to back and side to side). One concern I have is that the back wall I tied the rack to is just flimsy drywall. Now that they are coupled, I can pound the wall and see ripples of water on a cup left on top of my turntable. This isn't good--but perhaps it's worth it in trade for a non-wobbly rack? Didn't have time to see if the tie-back made a difference to sound.

banquo363 January 24, 2014 07:08

Indeed, Halcro, it is. Maybe they're confusing it for some prohibited exotic skin, I know not what. If I ever get it, it'll probably have a chunk excised, the chunk they removed to test for identification purposes :(.

To determine whether it's some skin related issue, I've ordered a deerskin mat from 47 Laboratory in Japan just to see if it gets through.

I'm not even sure why I'm spending cash on these skins, as I'm delighted by the pigskin I got from the bay and cut up myself. Gotta love audiophilia.

banquo363 January 23, 2014 17:19

It took a long time and if you recall he was waiting on a bolt that he ended up making himself to complete the job.

As the kids like to say, Alex has mad skills. I don't believe my fix requires such skills. But even if it did, I'm not that anxious to send my cart out of the country: US customs has been holding a package of mine for over a month. I don't expect to ever see it.

banquo363 January 22, 2014 18:34

The x-1 cart that I have, ct0517, is a serious PITA. As documented, I had difficulty extracting the original stylus assembly. I speculated that it had been in the housing for a long time and that that explains why it was stuck. Well, it turns out that the Jico stylus I just put in is equally stuck. I wanted to take it out before sending to Andy and I couldn't do it! Being not insanely stupid, I didn't want to force matters and break yet another stylus--so I sent it all to Andy and hoped that his 'magic' fingers can do what mine can't.

I do recall your XV1 incident. If I had done that, I would predict complete capitulation: I would sell the remainder of my gear and find a new hobby. My psyche is not that strong.

Not to rub it in, Ct0517, but we're enjoying 80F weather here in So. Cal. No need for vinyl girlfriends, although it's true that Astrud Gilberto kept me warm the other night when it dipped into the upper 50's :).

banquo363 January 22, 2014 04:22

It's not a SAS stylus, Halcro. It's a shibata that Jico makes for this cart (the original is a shibata); Jico doesn't make a SAS for the x-1/ii or else I'd consider giving it a go. But to be honest, the stylus that I got from them is far from impressive: the diamond doesn't appear polished at all and it's huge in comparison to other styli I own. Since it costs more than their SAS, I'd wonder if the SAS, if it existed, would be better.

To make matters bleaker, I emailed pickupnaald yesterday because they had the original on their site (for a not insignificant sum): they told me they sold their last one on Friday to a Russian.

My final hope is Andy at needle clinic. I'm sending him the cart to see if he can fix the damaged stylus assembly. Fingers crossed.

banquo363 January 21, 2014 00:37

I examined my broken stylus assembly for the x1 cartridge. It's impressive. Looks to be a solid beryllium cantilever (on identifying cantilever material, see griffithds' excellent post here) onto which is mounted a tiny (about the third the size of the Jico) and highly polished stylus. If the stylus housing weren't transparent gray, I'd take this to be an original (which was transparent white). AFAIK, Victor never made a transparent gray assembly for this cartridge. For that matter, I can't find any reference to this colored assembly made by anyone.

Alas, so far after about 7 hours, the Jico does not sound anything like the one I broke. I experienced tremors and nightmares last night...

banquo363 January 19, 2014 19:16

Well, I couldn't leave well alone. The x-1 cart was sounding pretty glorious (I mean, top of the bunch kind of glorious), but I had some unquenchable and inexplicable desire to try out the Jico stylus. In taking out the old one I clumsily broke its plug. Luckily I managed to pull the entire stylus assembly out, so the cartridge itself is fine. It wasn't an original stylus anyways and the diamond was pretty worn down I think--but why did it sound so damned good?--so no terrible loss. Unless, of course, the Jico sounds worse...in which case I'll be having dream altering regrets.

banquo363 January 17, 2014 17:39

Thanks, Acman. I'll post on the MM thread. The tt101 was an ordeal. It didn't work when I bought it, and it took me a year to find someone competent to fix it. In the end, it was worth it.

Raul would say (I know because I have a PhD in Raulogogy) that I'm 'sticky' with my analog and that I love its distortions--and that some day I'll grow up and buy digital :). Perhaps he's right. But what I enjoy is the entire culture surrounding vinyl and not just the sound: that's irreplaceable.

Regarding the Jasmine, yes, I'm quite happy. It allows me to plug in two MM carts at the same time; it's quiet; it's dynamic. I wished it had loading and capacitance control for MM carts though. That would be the ultimate.

banquo363 January 11, 2014 18:39

System edited: Added some new toys. TeraDak power supply for the awesome Lightspeed volume control. Previously used a wall wart to power the led's in the LSA. Sounded great to me. But the TeraDak makes it even greater: less distortion, more transparent and greater inner dynamics. How is this possible when all it does it power some led's? I have no idea, but I've tested it to my satisfaction and the TeraDak stays. Second toy just arrived from Japan: a victor x-1/mk2 mm cartridge. This is the TOTL effort from Victor, the maker of my terrific turntable. I have very high expectations of this cartridge. I'm unsure whether it came with the original stylus. Bought a Jico shibata replacement just in case the present stylus goes kaput. But in the meanwhile I can't bear to take off the Astatic mf200: great, great cartridge. Rich, full-bodied and detailed in a way the AT 20ss, which I like alot, just isn't. Unfortunately, replacement stylus is unobtainium. Why must good things be so rare?

banquo363 January 11, 2014 02:15

System edited: Impressed by the Oyaide leads I recently purchased, I had Audio Origami in the UK construct some leads out of silver Ikeda and Kondo wire. He did an excellent job and the wires are very thin which makes them easy to fit between cartridge and headshell. That's a big plus. Have had a chance to try only the Ikeda. Significantly different from the Oyaide. More transparent in the bass frequencies (the Oyaide is quite exuberant in the bass in my system) and makes for a more balanced presentation. Seems very mellow and delicate; emotional, if you will. By contrast, the Oyaide is more forward and alive, especially with voice and is more convoluted with orchestral music. One other difference is that the Ikeda wire somehow magically cuts down by a lot surface record noise. Can anyone explain this to me? Both were tested on the hybrid AT 15sa/20ss cartridge/stylus combo. The differences the leads make are so significant that it's hard to see how one is supposed to articulate the sound of the cartridge 'in-itself'. I'll leave that for higher and more experienced minds to investigate. I'll be trying out the kondo wire on a special mm cart I managed to score from Japan. If it would only arrive...

banquo363 January 06, 2014 22:13

System edited: Been eyeing analysis plus cables for some time now and decided to pull the trigger on 2 pairs of solo crystal ic's. Preliminary results are very promising. Definitely a cable believer now.

banquo363 November 26, 2013 08:03

Thanks, Vegasears. The match is due to trelja who praised it in no uncertain terms. I've light loaded the rm10 so I have 'only' 28 watts feeding the Vandersteens. I can get to 90dB even with my passive pre, but this is definitely not a 'rock out' pairing. I believe it's on the warm side of neutral and gives me enough detail to keep me happy. To be honest, I've spent most of my time honing my tt set up, but the amp/speaker pairing is sensitive enough to register the myriad tweaks I've made to the tt.

banquo363 August 05, 2013 00:27

The journey, Ct0517, would have been considerably more difficult and a lot less satisfying were it not for your guidance and companionship.

My canine audiophile is misdescribed because she actually despises my music--she rushes into my wife's office once the system is turned on and rushes back in once she hears the off click on the rm10 (that's not a joke). In the pic she is growling at the mailman.

banquo363 August 03, 2013 17:36

System edited: 3 years in on this fascinating hobby. Things have settled down but am still surprised by how little things can make a significant difference. Case in point: silver headshell leads. I had played around with various cheaper copper leads but not until the Oyaide did I experience a dramatic difference. Greater transparency and better stage and surprisingly much fuller and articulate bass on the AT 20ss. Well worth the money, even for a cheapie like me. Also added a SurgeX surge protector. Built like a tank and, mercifully, does not change the sound of connected equipment. Get them relatively cheap on the bay.

banquo363 August 02, 2013 18:57

System edited: Added ten foot wide and five foot high Ikea 'expedit'
bookshelves behind speakers. Wonderful positive addition. Room treatments
are the cheapest way to improve one's rig, imo. I've been fretting over IC's and
power cables, but these bookshelves make an immediate and uncontroversial
impact on sound. Makes the room look better to boot.

banquo363 May 07, 2013 22:04

Oooops: spoke too soon. I checked the vtf on my cart and for some reason it was way higher than it should have been. Bass is now controlled and not tubby as it had been. More importantly, the tone is much much better. Could have a winner in the Jasmine.

banquo363 May 01, 2013 23:38

System edited: Sold the allnic stage and replaced it with the new Jasmine. I wanted a more dynamic stage with more gain for mm carts. I got that, but the tone of instruments is completely different--and not in a good way. I'm temporarily using a different phono cable so hopefully that's it.

banquo363 May 01, 2013 18:41

System edited: Applied EAR damping sheets to bottom cover of victor and also
to motor cover area beneath platter. Put Texas Instruments shield over motor
cover for good measure (tried first directly under Boston audio mat but that
sounded terrible because the mat wasn't heavy enough to flatten the copper
shield). Can't say definitely whether these tweaks made much difference but
they certainly didn't hurt as the victor is sounding fantastic. Lastly, I bought
some sueded pigskin (it is said the the original came with a pigskin mat). After
going back and forth for weeks, I've decided to leave it covering my boston
audio mat 2. It's tonally richer and more accurate, but seems to attenuate the
frequency extremes and slow the sound down a touch.

banquo363 April 11, 2013 08:13

System edited: After a nearly year long debacle, I got my wish: a functioning victor tt 101 motor. Thanks Halcro for the inspiration. It is supported on 3 stainless steel footers. Thanks, Ct0157! I'll keep it short: it was worth the wait.

banquo363 March 05, 2013 02:04

Aramirez626:

I just looked back and I see that I did make a remark about the rm10 and my vinyl rig at the time. To be honest, I don't have the faintest idea why I said that at the time. I've gone through a lot of cartridges and perhaps one of those was to blame--or it could be one of a 100 other things. That's the thing with vinyl.

At any rate, I can say now that there are no issues that I can detect with the rm10 and vinyl. Even with the cheapie linear drive that I'm currently forced to use, it kills my (admittedly cheapie) cd player. I have a fairly large room and I can get to around 86db at 3 o'clock on the Lightspeed using the 4ohm tap of the rm10. Not bad at all for a 28 or so watt amp paired with a passive pre. The 8ohm tap will give more volume but I've found inferior sound. I know I've said otherwise but this is after very frequent comparisons. YMMV. The GE el84's are the best of the 3 types I've tried. I currently use psvane 12ax7-T's.

If dynamics is your first sonic priority then you might be disappointed. It's not that it's lacking but the pairing doesn't lend itself to that as a first priority. Maybe things would be different with an active pre? Better isolation of table? Who knows.

banquo363 September 06, 2012 21:12

Mab33:

The pod is 15lbs of stainless machined out of a round bar. I'm not sure what kind of ss he bought but you can buy rods here: http://www.onlinemetals.com/merchant.cfm?id=5&step=2&top_cat=1

The finished pod is 4" in diameter and 4" high. I wanted maximal weight given pivot to spindle distance and height of my turntable, so that explains the dimensions. The diameter is a good fit for the wide mk2 VTA base; a bit smaller would work as well. The pod has two main machined holes: one into which the rca base of the arm fits and one to accommodate the outgoing rca wires and ground wire. You can see the latter hole in one of the pics above.

The mk2 mounting screws are underneath the arm so we had to put 3 screw holes from bottom up to properly secure the arm. In addition, there are 3 small screw holes at the bottom so we could put spikes for leveling.

Mirko is a first rate machinist if you live in the so cal area.

Looking back, I'm not sure weight is that crucial, as I have a smaller pod for another arm and it works fine. Material is probably more important. If I were to do another pod, I'd try bronze just to compare.

banquo363 July 27, 2012 00:46

Fabricated sandboxes for turntable and phonostage. The former really helped to lower the sound floor and reveal bass. Platform (mdf) is cross-braced underneath with some scraps of metal I had laying about and some L-braces I got for a couple of bucks. Entire set up sits on 4 AT 616 footers. Great tweak for pennies. Might try aluminum for platform next.

The sandbox for stage didn't do much of anything as far as I can tell.

Played with Astatic mf 200 cartridge. Might be my best cartridge yet.

banquo363 May 09, 2012 20:00

System edited: Fellow a'gon member Ct017 generously sent custom machined footers to place underneath sp10. Swapped out the AT 616 footers. There are 4 of them. Had to drill hole to mount 4th; the other 3 existed in stock form. Looks kinda weird in the picture because they are not symmetrically set. Very stable. First impressions are that what one puts under the sp10 makes a remarkable difference. The details and transparency are dramatically increased and the staging so far surpasses what I had that I'm still coming to grips with it. In retrospect the prior set up was warm and smooth and not as neutral as I had believed. A lesson learned. These footers are relentlessly revealing and are, I believe, showing up faults in my set up (especially the rack) and certain records. Also added an Acutex 420 cartridge. Very nice cartridge. Soundstage is better than any of my other carts. Wide open sound. Still breaking in so who knows how good this thing can be.

banquo363 November 07, 2011 07:36

Hi Ct0517: I wish I had enough confidence to buy tubes from eBay. Instead I get mine from known dealers who are experts at matching. And that can get pretty spendy. I'm very happy with those GE's. Maybe I'll start hoarding :).

banquo363 October 05, 2011 00:03

I cannot much distinguish between the AT LS-12 headshell and the Orsonic: both sound more or less the same with the AT 20ss. Orsonic then is superior because it's a breeze to set up and adjust geometry.

Finally had time to compare the GE and Ei el-84's. The former are superior in my system--by a large margin. Bass is outstanding and the overall articulateness of the sound is increased dramatically. The Ei's are thin and recessed sounding by comparison. Dynamics go to the GE's for sure.

banquo363 October 01, 2011 02:42

Trying out some NOS GE el84 tubes I got from Andy at Vintage Tube Services. A touch noisier than Roger's tubes, but the sound so far is very pleasing. Approaching 100 hours and will compare with Roger's Ei's and the reissue gold lions soon.

And bought a new headshell, a NOS AT LS-12. Raul says it matches well with the AT 20ss cartridge. Incidentally, the boron headshell that comes with the epa 100 mk2 tonearm is an outstanding match with the Azden ym p50vl cartridge. I almost gave up on that headshell as it was horrible with both the AT 20ss and the AT 155lc.

banquo363 September 17, 2011 03:48

Added 6 4" thick 2'x4' acoustic panels made from Owens Corning 703 to tame my bright room. Don't want to go down the rabbit hole messing around with room treatments, but I have to say they definitely work--big time. For under $300 all in, the panels mark the most dramatic improvement in sound per dollar so far. Makes buying and trying out new carts seem like a waste of time, almost. Should have listened to all those people who said to take care of acoustics first.

banquo363 September 07, 2011 23:56