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VPI SSM Ref setup variations

What configuration of VPI SSM Ref are people running right now - and why ?

I’d like to understand how the different set ups for this deck have evolved and improved things for those who are Happy Chappies – so that I can try things myself and decide which works best for my ears and environment, since opinions and solutions seem to vary somewhat.

I’ve read threads about Rim Drive vs Belt Drive, Bearpaws, Symposium Acoustic Point Padz and Precision Couplers under the motor assembly, supports under the SDS, etc etc Various people report arm wobbles – others haven’t had it - including me.

Two examples:
Stringreen seems to be content after much frustration and many conversations with Harry. Bearpaws solved his arm wobble but he didn’t have the other problems people reported (I think..) What is now his config and what were the problems solved ?

Hiendmuse is also content it seems – but I’m a bit puzzled by those two Precision Couplers under the motor. Did he try three and reject it ? (two sounds a bit strange – especially when both are positioned perpendicular to the Rim contact point (as I read it).

As background – I’ve struggled with Rim Drive to such an extent I’ve gone back to belts. THREE of them… But I’m still very interested in trying out the various supports and footers that are mentioned in the threads – as ever on our Never Ending Journey.

My deck is on a Symposium Acoustics Ultra platform, itself on an Audiophile Base rack and carpeted concrete floor. I’ve just bought Eden Sounds VPI-TerraCones and have various footers available for motor and SDS, including Precision Couplers. I can’t play around at the moment as my Hovland HP100 pre-amp is in hospital awaiting replacement parts. But I can be prepared.
rateourmover
brf
1,699 posts
 
The rim drive belt MUST be perfectly seated in groove of the rim drive to avoid out of true energy being transferred to the tonearm. Here is a little trick that rim drive users have used with great success.

Take the belt off the rim drive and take some fine metal polish and polish the rim drive groove in which the belt rest. Brasso metal polish works well.

Once polished, take some car wax and apply and polish the rim drive belt groove.

Take the rust colored belt and boil in water for 2 minutes. Dry the belt and reinstall back into the rim drive. Be careful not to twist the belt when reapplying.

Take a round metal or hard plastic object (a bic pen works well) and gentle run it over the belt to seat the O-ring into the groove.

FIRMLY position the rim drive against the platter with and run at 45rpm for 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes, readjust the rim drive so that it just touches the platter. As a measure of appropriate pressure, the platter should spin 2-3 time when the drive is turned off.

The polishing of the rim drive belt groove allows the belt to seat properly in the groove correctly.
moonguy
143 posts
 
I have a black platter(not the superplatter)on my SSC.Would upgrading to the classic platter make a substancial difference and in what way?

I also have the JMW9 signature arm, would moving up to the classic 3 arm be a significant upgrade.

Which upgrade would you do first, platter or tone arm?
brf
1,699 posts
 
Moonguy, is your platter the black infused acrylic or the black Delrin?
moonguy
143 posts
 
Brf,
The platter doesn't appear to be acrylic.I would assume it's the Delrin.I see the ssc's now have the classic platter.
rateourmover OP
27 posts
 
Hiendmuse (this is necessarily verbose, please bear with me)
Firstly.
OK - a Symposium PC under each of the two narrow ends of the motor assembly is what I suspected you meant. My thought about using 3 PCs was mainly to increase stability and reduced the chance of an accident. But it could also cause micro-rocking if the base of the motor was less than very flat across the three PCs
I wonder if you tried and rejected as unnecessary or unworkable 3 PCs in a triangle under the motor base ? If I tried this I’d remove the 4 VPI squidgy feet first so I can spread the PCs out nicely.
Next.
My edenSound TerraCone feet are now in place and it looks like there’ll be a height issue which may not be the case with your BearPaws and smaller PC couplers raising the deck higher than stock feet (?) - and thus more easily accommodating the PC height under the motor.
(As an aside – I wish we could (maybe we can?) attach photos in these threads)
My TerraCones with their point-capturing brass footers lift the deck about the same height as the stock feet (as you’d expect). There is some height adjustment on the TerraCones but not much. I think the intent is to enable levelling rather than significant height variation.
PCs under the motor will lift it about 7mm higher than stock squidgies. This will have an effect on where Rim contacts platter or belts engage grooves (in my Superplatter). For instance it seems the periphery ring would rest on the Rim Drive pulley when on the platter with no LP. Looks like it would be at best a near miss when in use.
Belts – the manual pictures the two pulley belts in place below the two platter belts. I’d have to have pulley belts ABOVE the platter belts or again have contact with the ‘at rest’ peripheral ring. And I don’t know how off-spec it would be to have pulley belts high up on the motor spindles rather than at the bottom.

I think all this may mean PCs are a bit too tall to use with TerraCones ?

If so, any other suggestions to bypass the stock sguidgy feet under the motor – or am I wrong about the heights ?
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