I renamed the system. From Twin Platters rim drive it is now a Classics tournament: I will compare fairly 4 classic TT : Thorens TD 124 MKII, Garrard 301 and 401, Lenco L75 PTP3 on same slate plinth with same(TD124) slate armboard and same Phantom tonearm in same system. The TD124 is finished, now the Lenco is following...
Classic original bough cheap to upgrade with 26 Kg slate plinth/ PTP 3 topplate/ 15 Kg platter (VPI Superplatter) on top of Lenco L70 platter) Still not finished, a slate top plinth / tonearmboard has to be done, with motor controller to eliminate all the switches.Stainless steel platform between the two slate layers.
Thorens TD-124 mk II / Slate
Heritage from my father. Slate plinth designed by me and made by Oscar Daffe in Belgium. Major upgrade . Slate tonearmboard. Various Schopper upgrade kits . Symposium couplers.
VPI Industries TNT III modified turntable
I used the old platter as a RIM direct driving the new superplatter via rubber belt around it .The whole TT plinth is sitting on 3 Symposium Rollerblocks Jr. on Ultra platform. You can see on pics that the plinth feets are just for visual matter. Rubber belt replaced by Loricraft thread line between motor and rim drive platter. The rollerblocks tungsten balls are a smooth horizontal pressure to rim platter acting as a controlled buffer for vibrations and increasing speed accuracy, and on vertical plane acting as direct coupling TT plinth to the Ultra platform draining energy to it. The accuracy of this TT is much improved.
Symposium Ultra Platform
Specialy made for VPI TNT with RollerblocksII direct coupled to TT platform bypassing the footers. The whole TT is resting only on 3 tungsten balls.
Symposium Rollerblocks II tungsten
Direct coupling TNT III plinth to Ultra platform on vertical plane and applying a controled pressure between the 2 platters on horizontal plane.
VPI Industries SDS speed controler
Synchroneus drive to 300 RPM SAMA reverse wired
Allaerts MC-2 Finish Gold cartridge
Stereo cartridge
Allaerts MC-1 mkII
O.6 mV MC very musical.
Graham Engineering Phantom B 44 tonearm
With two armwands
Lyra Helikon Mono cartridge
Mono cartridge
Purist Audio Venustas Tonearm cable
Tonarm cable DIN to RCA
TRON Tron Seven tube phonopreamp
Optimised by Graham Tricker for Allaerts Finish cartridge. Very high gain (>75dB)
SME 3009 mk II tonearm
on Thorens TD 124 mk 2
Nagaoka MP 50 MM cartridge
MM High resolution cartridge. As good as the Allaerts ! OK with GSP Revelation phonopre.
Garrard 301 Hammergray grease
Very early 1954 very good condition
SME 3012 MKII tonearm
With Garrard 301 Hammergray
Garrard 301 oil bearing
strobe platter
Garrard 401 turntable
early model, very good,very quiet and stable
Perpetuum Ebner P 33 Studio turntable
This is my favourite jewel, 1963 idler/belt like the TD 124 but mutch smaller. I will keep it as it is, with the absolutely gorgeous tonearm.
Graham Slee Elevator + Revelation
Phonopreamp direct connected to MC 275 via Purist Proteus Provectus IC using MC 275 volume controls (bypass a preamp). Has 15 different recording curves and mono switch for vintage albums.
Purist Audio Proteus Provectus RCA interconnect
SE interconnect phonopre to MC 275 amp
McIntosh MC-275 reissue modified
With NOS Telefunken/ Mullard military small tubes NOS ECG Philips 6550 tubes
Quad ESL-57
Pair of mythic Quads refurbished by One Thing Audio in U.K. / Sound is gorgeous, clean and accurate, paired with ARC VT 100 amp.
Martin Logan Ascent i
Hibrid electrostatic
Mordaunt Short Subwoofer
MS 309 Sub very fast and matches well ML Electrostatic panels
Loricraft PCR 4 Modified
Record cleaning Machine. I put damping tissues inside to lower succion motor noise.
If you ever decide to part with one of the Hammertone 301's please please let me know. I will pay top dollar for it. Please and great job collecting. Cheers
Hi, i see you have one of your Allaerts posted for sale. I"ve been a long time Lyra fan, but curious about this cartridge. Currently I am using a Skala. Have you ever compared your Helicon to the Allaerts in the same arm/system? Any comments. Also thoughts on the MC2 compared to MC1.
Hi, can you please some worlds about sonic differences between different Garrard 301 (gray, cream, grease, oil), 304 and Lenco? I knwo, it is very depending on the base and plinth, but maybe you can give some advices. Thanks Balazs
I would love to try Tungsols but so hard to get...I was very satisfied with the Phillips but since a month I replaced them with E.A.T. KT 88 and they are far superior , more dynamics and clean deep bass, a good match with the Quads 57's who are now sounding more "beefy" !
System edited: Yoda is the name of the Lenco based project. The second slate layer acting as a huge tonearmboard will be soon ready. The VPI Superplatter on top of the Lenco L 70 platter will then half disappearinside the upper plinth and the turntable will have a more conventional look, all switches eliminated and a special motor controller used.
Thanks Tzh ! The combo Quads 57 + Mc 275 is truly amazing. I transported my whole system to U.K. for the first Lenco meet end november and the sound on a small listening room ( 4x5 meters) was very good. Surprising was the amount and quality of bass those 57's deliver. Next day I mounted the system in the big room ( 100 m2 ). I was surprised to hear that the Quad / Mc 275 combo did handle such an huge room with brio. No distortions, no " sweet spot ", the magic midrange was still present, bass too, not the extremes frequencies but enough to really appreciate any kind of music. Even rock. This was with the Yoda/Lenco turntable with Graham Phantom and Midas/ Denon DL103R Paratrace expert stylus cartridge,witch is a fantastic musical deal. If you are interested, please have a look at Lencoheaven.net / News / Scalford Hall Meet. Best, Jean.
May I compliment you on your turntable collection, are the all in A working state, must be great fun to have a choice on all excelent brands. I already have a Garrard 301, with 12 inch SME and Ortofon SPU silver Meister.
Kozzmo, this is my next project. Hammergrey grease 301 in 10 cm. thick slate plinth with TD 124 slate armboard and Graham Phantom arm, also with SME 3012. It is in the design Cad phase. Possibly I put two similar 301 in one slate plinth, just a bit scarry with the weight of this monster ! Best, Jean.
System edited: I finished the Lenco PTP3 in slate plinth. Added VPI Superplatter inverted bearing to Lenco platter, 15 Kg high mass. Sound is very BIG, more foundations to the music. A real winner.
Hi Jloveys, Thanks for leaving message at my system entry. I now have 3 Thorens TD-124 (one MKII restored by Schopper, and two MK1 restored by me), and I bought one Garrard 301 from Australia..and It will be coming back from Loricraft in a week or so. The plinth is by Chris Harban (ready for the Garrard ) . Cant wait to compared it to the Thorens.
I also have one Lenco 75 as well. Love its sound.
By the way...how do you like the sound of the Nagaoka MP-50? I want to try one ..but not sure if I should pick the MP-50 or the new MP-500? Can you suggest?
Thanks Dgob, especialy coming from you ! I would love to stacke my Quads and I have 2 others waiting for that, the big challenge here is the WAF factor. :-) Best, Jean.
I don't know how your system sounds but the equipment you have assembled is fantastic. I am sure you are having a lot of fun. You clearly don't mind departing form conventional wisdom.
New "main system" : I mounted the Graham Phantom tonearm on the slate tonearmbase on the Thorens TD 124 on the beautiful slate plinth , on 3 symposium couplers on Symposium Ultra platform. Cartridge : Allaerts Finish. Speakers : Quad 57 painted all black on stands 57 cm off ground . Tron 7 phonopre direct to Mc 275 amp. Purist Provectus TC / IC . I much prefer the musicality and soundstage of this "downgraded " system. My big VPI rim drive is in the closet, jealous ! Martin Logans too.
