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Eminent Technology ET-2 Tonearm Owners


Where are you? What mods have you done ?

I have been using these ET2's for over 9 years now.
I am still figuring them out and learning from them. They can be modified in so many ways. Bruce Thigpen laid down the GENIUS behind this tonearm over 20 years ago. Some of you have owned them for over 20 years !

Tell us your secrets.

New owners – what questions do you have ?

We may even be able to coax Bruce to post here. :^)

There are so many modifications that can be done.

Dressing of the wire with this arm is critical to get optimum sonics along with proper counterweight setup.

Let me start it off.

Please tell us what you have found to be the best wire for the ET-2 tonearm ? One that is pliable/doesn’t crink or curl. Whats the best way of dressing it so it doesn’t impact the arm. Through the spindle - Over the manifold - Below manifold ? What have you come up with ?
128x128ct0517
frogman
4,637 posts
 
Keep in mind that all the cartridges you own are fairly high compliance; including the VDH which is high compliance by MC standards. The "base aluminum arm wand" is well suited to higher compliance cartridges. Most MC's are lower compliance which means they will send more energy into the arm wand; a higher mass wand such as the magnesium wand would be a better match for most MC's.

Having said that, I have gotten excellent results with my ET2 (magnesium wand) and a Shelter 901. The Shelter's stated .5 mv output plays considerably louder than my VDH's stated .65 mv. It is dynamic, robust and full sounding with a richer and more romantic tonal quality than the VDH's which leans toward a whitish/gray tonal quality (in my set-up, of course). Definitely worth trying.
dlcockrum's avatar
dlcockrum
2,105 posts
 
Thanks as always, Frogman. I found a decent deal on a new Shelter 901 Mk II. Several reviews and owner posts say that the Mk II has similar tonality but incrementally better overall sound quality and a slightly higher output (.55mV) compared to the original. I am surprised that Shelter uses a .3 X .7 elliptical stylus on the 901. Care to speculate on the compatibility (sound quality/tracking performance) of a Shelter 901 Mk II with the aluminum armwand?

Dave
harold-not-the-barrel
799 posts
 
Hi guys, a classic Air Tangent on AudiogoN: http://app.audiogon.com/listings/tonearms-nos-air-tangent-tonearm-linear-air-bearing-tonearm-2013-11-12-analog-29732

Is there anyone who has experienced an AT ? Frankly, I was searching for it and a Forsell 5 years ago (I didn´t know ET-2´s excistence at the time) but I suddenly found the Trans-Fi arm and bought that immediately... and saved a fortune ;). It has proved to be the very best audio bargain in my history. The ET-2 is another very interesting tone arm though.

Dave G, have you got an ET-2 already ?
frogman
4,637 posts
 
Dave,

Prior to my buying the magnesium arm wand I used the regular aluminum wand with various MC cartridges including some that were much more "aggressive" than the Shelter including the Spectral, VDH Grasshopper and others, with no issues that I could definitely attribute to the aluminum wand. I think you would be fine with the aluminum; you can always easily add additional mass and/or damping to the wand. I will say, however, that on Dover's recommendation I went back to the aluminum wand when I started using MM's again with beneficial results. You can extrapolate from that experience. In general, the Shelter behaves very well in the ET2 with well controlled highs. The issue of output is curious. The Shelter plays almost as loud into my EAR phoo stage as a Benz Ruby H which has an output spec of .8mV @ 3.54 cm/sec; go figure.
ct0517's avatar
ct0517 OP
1,798 posts
 
The easy way to tell if you are looking at an ET2 versus a ET2.5 ?

To be so obvious that it is over looked ?

We need to draw our attention to the end cap holding the counterweight assembly.

On the base ET2 the end cap clearly overlaps the skinnier spindle.

On the ET 2.5 the cap will appear flush with the spindle as the wider spindle has an aluminum insert that the end cap couples to.

Cheers
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