Eminent Technology ET-2 Tonearm Owners

Nikola
I have to confess I wanted to say Nude cartridge on the Nudie thread but I thought I would be chastised so I said it here. :^(

Some like to encase their whole TT system “in” a single base structure. Bring them all together so to speak in one base and therefore plinth. All entry level TT’s start life this way from what I have seen? Appears to be cost effective? We can use your Moldavian plinth holding your SP10 and tonearm/cartridge as an example of this. It is a true base and plinth (IMO) as it holds all the TT pieces on one base.
Now others like to take the TT system pieces apart and see what happens. Motors separated and or the Tonearm on an armpod. On your Kuzma turntable, the plinth is the TT system plinth when you are using whichever tonearm is attached directly to it. However when you use your Kuzma TT with the tonearm that is attached to your armpod the TT “system” base/plinth is not the Kuzma plinth anymore – it is the surface they both rest on. Just my opinion.

Why don’t you start a thread Nikola – How do you define a Plinth ? if you dare.

However he also postulated 'the qualitative difference between a real plinth ' and those 'illegitimate footers'. But because my 'philosophical' opinion is that the meaning of words depend on the context in which thy are used I mentioned my legs as footers and postulated the opposite. That they are an 'legitimate' base for my nacked or dressed body.

Those "illegitimate" footers that you and Lew are referring to (I experimented with as well in this fashion in the past) under a DD or idler only account for the bearing, motor, spindle, platter. This then requires a tonearm/cartridge off on its own somewhere on an armpod. The common base where these “footers” and armpod spikes meet - is the common base and TT system plinth- imo. There is no confusion here for me. This is very clear.

Your own body footers (legs) support your your “whole body system”.

Dear Chris, First of all thanks to remind me about the 'Moldovian plinth' for my SP 10. I totally fotget the thing. I use the original SH 10 B4 plinth with a very solid arm-base which is made from acryl layers gluead together in a shop where they produce name plates with addresses, etc. They use a laser for the purpose so my armbase is cut more precise than any cabinet maker can do.
Regarding your 'base' philosophy. Not to get involved in infinite regress or adding up of meanings, we all are moving at about 700 miles an hour, carried by the diurnal
rotation of our 'mother earth'. For your 'basic base' there is no futher reduction possible. But 'it' moves as Galilei persisted on and got in trouble with the 'mother church'.
As there are those who want to nail the meanings of words to some dictionary to get the correct use of language for all times (the English theachers ?) there are some others who want to nail everything around their TT's in order to sleep well: I deed everything I could think of so my conscience is pure. But alas the 'base of all bases' is still moving.
Btw I was somehow very fond of my own idea to use Lew's argument for the 'plinth' for my possible wheelchair. He is of course immens proud of his slate plinths. And because 'plinth=base' there is no better base for whatever TT than the slate kind. It should be counted as the real estate because of the weight and value.

Regards,

Chris: I think I see what you are saying. For clarification, I have two wall shelves, one supporting the motor and the other supporting the tt, phono stage and SDS. These are both connected to the same wall which has a huge effect on the sound, I agree. I tried to touch on this in my virtual system page. I do believe that it is a huge factor on how the system as a whole performs. I actually have plans for one day to 'rebuild this wall' to my specs. Thanks for reminding me of this, lol. Hope you enjoy the S Covlin. I got the 12" 45rpm maxi single recently. Sounds great!

To anyone that has or is using the ET with a VPI acrylic armboard... Have you tried using it with and without the aluminum spacer that ET provides? If so, what were your impressions?

I personally have only tried it with the spacer, but now wonder if this could be a source of unwanted resonance using the acrylic armboard?

Another point of possible resonance, to me.... As I've mentioned, I'm thinking of working on my current wire loom and will be building a new one also. The choice of cartridge clips is one of my concerns. I know that the Cardas are widely used and very economical. From my experience with these, they are so delicate that I have to wonder how much resonance they impart, especially after being unhooked from time to time. When I see a close up view of them, I cringe! I know in using the Acutex with it's angled pins, that I need something different from my current clips. The Vanden Hul look very promising. They seem to be made sturdier with an internal triangle shape that would grab the cart pins more securely (at three points) while the cable end still having the flexibility to slightly bend outwardly if necessary to allow enough wiggle room to mount the Acutex on the ET.
Any thoughts?