Eminent Technology ET-2 Tonearm Owners

Hi Dave

that link shows quite the elaborate effort.

It appears from the pic to be a string driven first platter, which is then connected to the main platter as a rim drive ? You can tell the tension of the string is pretty taut as mechanical bearings are being used. The VPI TT feet shown are now just dummies? as the TT is being supported by the symposium footers.

From personal experience the stock TNT, even though it was designed for the original ET2;  is the bottleneck with a properly set up ET2. In fact this is the case with all turntables I have owned.  I say this because each time my TNT and other TT setups improved, they just took the ET 2.0 and 2.5 to new levels.

I still do think these pics looks cool....

http://imcedb.com/images/1/1c/Indecent_turntable.png

http://imcedb.com/images/1/12/Indecent_stereo.png

Give some thread to Robert Redford, a better speed controller and that turntable setup will change the way he listens to his music.

Notice the FWFO** ET2 weights setup in the second picture link above.
**Fewest Weights Furthest Out = Highest Vertical Inertia

What does concern me with the second pic is that there doesn't appear to be any climate control. Look to the left of Robert Redford. Appears to be wide open to the elements. I think this is what we can call operating that air bearing under extreme conditions. The sound will change with a tropical storm. :^)

Only in the movies as they say.

Cheers Chris

Hi Chris,

I think the feet in the pic from the link I posted, if rigid, are maybe used in conjuction with the Symposium footers, perhaps for improved weight distribution or additional vibration transfer/absorption. I really like the piece under the bearing housing.  I may inquire about that.

BTW - I posted a better (I think?) explanation of the Empire 4000 D/III cartridge orientation on my system page in case you didn't see it...

I have been playing with a used Sony SCD-XA5400ES SACD/CD player with good results on premium SACD material. I have a Modwright-version of this player headed my way soon.  High hopes for this Modwright player as my final digital front-end based on listening to the stock unit and the raves, both in reviews and from friends, about the Modwrighted unit's sonic performance.

In the pursuit of my TOTL SACD material, I found this:

http://www.stockfisch-records.de/pages_art/sf12_dmmcd_e.html#text

They use a DMM master played as an LP on a cutting lathe with an EMT arm/cartridge to feed the recording/mastering equipment.  The Vol 1 sampler delivers the best sound I have ever heard, even using the Redbook layer on my Ayre CDP, including, yes, my analog rig. 8^O
The SACD layer is even better.

Best to you Chris,
Dave

Hi Dave

my kids have been asking me for a lot of music lately, from all over the place. I don't mean different genres. I mean the cd's were all over the place, in my rooms. I have come to the realization that I am a terrible filer of music,
but also that I am a pretty good listener :^)   I somehow know where i put these things down and they can be found.  But if I am looking for music that was not played in a while, or I filed it away to get it off the table or floor. Good Luck.

So I got fed up looking for these things, and ripped that music too, to the external hard drive. These days all my digital is on files and is played

external hard drive >>> dedicated laptop >>>>> DAC8

*************************

re the stockfisch link. - thanx for the link. Just a comment on their summary.

With critical listening tests, this combination has proven to us to be the optimal chain when it comes to obtaining a sound as close as possible to the master.

I would add "in this room" to the end of that statement.  Just my opinion. 

There are just too many variables in each of our rooms to ignore it (the Room).

I posted a reply to the Empire cart on your virtual system.

Cheers Chris

Hi Chris,

"I would add "in this room" to the end of that statement."

Agree, but is this not true of all masterings and much more so of the offerings by MFSL, etc that use "standard" mastering techniques? An engineer uses whatever speakers they prefer played in whatever acoustical environment they have concocted to perform "adjustments" to the master to sound the most pleasing to their ears?

According to Stockfisch, this "mastering" step was eliminated and the sound of the un-molested product was compared to the master as was their non-DMM version of the same track available on other Stockfisch offerings, also un-molested, just sans the "analog" step. Of course the sound of the room entered into this comparison as this is unavoidable, just as the personal preferences of each person’s ear/brain are unavoidable.

My wife prefers the non-DMM Stockfisch versions as she is accustomed to the less-analog-like sound of normal CD/SACD. There is an audible difference between the two versions. Preferences are what they are, based on what one perceives to be more realistic or pleasing to their ears/brain.

I would encourage you and others to try this comparison through your system and in your room and share your preferences.

BTW - I am admittedly one of the old farts that vehemently refuses to introduce computers into my primary source of relaxation and escape from angst. I have no others, by rule, to mishandle my media and personally enjoy the rituals of touching, reading, cleaning, loading, and even storing/arranging the real-matter versions of the media. I may well be a librarian at heart. lol

Best to you Chris,
Dave

Dave- I knew I had seen that VPI Symposium set up before.
see this link.

https://systems.audiogon.com/systems/2426

A search on symposium brought it up.
Jloveys is an AudioGon member.
Pic 10 of 15 is a good shot showing the footers holding up all the weight.
I like his taste in speakers. :^)

Cheers Chris