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

I think the choice of platter mat...or not....is dependent on the turntable?

Henry - Yes I agree.

The TT-101 however...has a slight lip around the platter which prevents the record from sitting directly on the aluminium surface.
With that arrangement....it becomes purely a CHOICE of mats....

Ahh ! I was not aware of that. that explains all the activity around "skins" ? :^)

I am curious to know what the underside of the Victor platter looks like, specifically the weight distribution in a design that does not use a heavy platter. For example.

Here is the Jean Nantais Custom Lenco Platter

http://s1173.photobucket.com/user/CT-993/media/JNLencoPlatter_zpsb616b917.jpg.html

The top pic shows the thick metacrylate plate. It could probably considered a platter onto itself.
The bottom pic. See how the rim is much much thicker - a genius design imo from those that created the Lenco.
This provides for momentum.
The whole thing weighs quite a bit but have not weighed it.

Can I see a pic of the underside of the Victor platter ?

Someone just started a thread on wood versus metal tonearms. Maybe a thread on platter design / types ?

ct0517 February 07, 2014 16:48

Hi Chris,
I think the choice of platter mat...or not....is dependent on the turntable?
For instance....with the Raven AC-2....the bare copper platter is better than the addition of ANY mat...including the Victor pigskin.
So Mr Verdier may indeed be correct with his preference :-)
The TT-101 however...has a slight lip around the platter which prevents the record from sitting directly on the aluminium surface.
With that arrangement....it becomes purely a CHOICE of mats....
Regards

halcro February 07, 2014 12:46

Hi Banquo - I agree with you. and also I feel
Mr. Verdier gave me a good manufacturer's answer.
I guess he doesn't sell platter mats; or I am thinking he would have recommended one ?
I am getting real close to tape with the stock platter so I am happy with it and have not been tempted.
I did try the sp10 copper platter on it quite a while back when I was still figuring it out.
The riddle was meant for a little fun; poking fun at commitment.
once you glu-eee there is no return -eee...

Remember crazy gluing cartridge styluses holders to their bodies ?
My empire 4000d is crazy glued. She's mine for life.
If a mat showed up at my door I would try it to hear its effects.
Cheers

ct0517 February 07, 2014 02:57

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

Hi Henry - thats interesting about the pigskin mat. Have never felt a need to use a mat with the Platine. But I was curious so I asked JC Verdier his thoughts on it;

If I was curious to try one, which he would recommend. He answered me today.

"I always recommend to use the turntable without mat"
JC Verdier

With that I do have a copper mat for the SP10.

I asked a platter mat riddle on another thread, and I was disappointed with no guesses from anyone? So Banquo I hope you don't mind if I ask the riddle here again ? ...but this time with the riddle answer supplied....

How do you know when someone "really" loves their platter mat ?

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They bond it permanently to the platter. :^)

My Jean Nantais Lenco is this way with its metacrylate plate.
Cheers

ct0517 February 06, 2014 20:39

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

Mine is black Banquo....but from what I can see on the photos.....those mats look like the real deal?

Isn't there a Tracking No. that the USPS can use to at least see where the package went missing?

halcro February 04, 2014 13:13

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

Hi Chris,
The Victor pigskin mat is not like chamois in any way.......
One side is lightly tanned (do not use this side facing up) whilst the other appears to be 'shaved'...with the texture of velvet (use this side).
The mat is dimensionally stable and does not absorb water...nor does it buckle, crease or deform under various temperature and humidity conditions.
It is really hard to imagine as I have handled nothing quite like it?
Regards

halcro February 02, 2014 12:00

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

Banquo and Halcro - Just thinking out loud. I use a chamois made of I believe lamb/sheep to dry off my car after washing. It is able to hold alot of water. When dry it is very hard and not bendable. Are any of these audiophile "skins" treated and not affected by room humidity. humidity would change their composition and therefore how they react to whats on them ? You may prefer them better at a certain humidity. cheers

ct0517 February 01, 2014 18:14

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

US customs has been holding a package of mine for over a month. I don't expect to ever see it.

Is that the one with the Victor pigskin platter mat in it Banquo?
Who wants desiccated pigskin being imported into the US of A...? :-)
I have a feeling it'll eventually be released...?
Good luck.

halcro January 23, 2014 00:02

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

At the time I was changing out wires on the ET2 which was on an armpod. I should have removed the cartridge when I brought it to the work table 20 ft away. When it got clipped I made myself feel better by saying - well it was a 5 year old cartridge and was due for a retip . The real downer - was Peter saying it was not retip-able/repairable due to suspension damage (well lets say it was work he was not interested in doing anyway) I sent Hi rez pics to Axel in Germany and he said no problem it could be fixed. 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. I can't recommend him enough - but I hear he is quite busy these days too.

ct0517 January 22, 2014 14:56

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

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.

Hi Banquo - of all things audio I think I hate handling cartridges the most. probably because of my knobby fingers.
so they usually stay on for quite a while if they are delivering to expectations.
I beheaded an XV1 once if you recall. A pivotal moment - my audio soul left me for a while and did not return in whole till Axel rebuilt the cartridge for me and it was returned. But the event still lingers and I am sure contributes to my comments.
I hope sending the cart to Andy works out. As Peter at SS is so busy, and Axel is across the pond; I look forward to hearing of the results and Andy as a good alternative.

Cheers

ct0517 January 22, 2014 02:03

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

Bummer Banquo,
I'm surprised the SAS stylus doesn't sound well....?
It doesn't need much run-in time.....and it's improved the two cartridges I've transplanted it into.

halcro January 20, 2014 12:06

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