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 ?
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Brooks Berdan was a big fan of the Oracle Delphi (he even came up with a mod for it, which Oracle ended up copying), to which he mounted many of the Eminent Technology arm. But when the HW-19 (and then the TNT) was introduced, he switched allegiance to that high mass design for use with the ET, feeling it provided a better platform for the moving mass of the arm's wand.

In addition to Herbies Tall Firm Tenderfeet, the SIMS Navcom Silencers are popular replacements for the HW-19's stock suspension springs.

Prior to mounting my ET2 on a TNT6 (V platter), it spent time living on three versions of the HW19 (MK2-MK4).  During that time I tried many different replacements for the springs.  The best in my system, stability and sound wise, was an original Sorbothane puck with the round indentation facing up into which was inserted a short original Mod Squad cone facing up. The top plate rested on these and my sense was that the top plate saw little compliance.  The height was perfect.  I normally don’t like the sonic signature of Sorbothane, but it worked very well in this application.  
@frogman Yes, I remember now you are the VPI aficionado.  I've read posts by several people who, like you, don't care for sorbothane as a spring replacement but the sorbothane/cone combination makes sense.  I have several of the pucks you describe and a bunch of cones ( metal and ceramic). I'll have to try it out.  The Herbies feet are much firmer than sorbothane so I don't think I'm seeing a lot of compliance at the top plate either.

Like bdp24, many like the Sims navcom pucks.  Alas, they are no longer made and hard to find on the used market.  

Michael Percy sells a product that HW-19 owners may want to try. It is made by well-known commercial isolation product specialist company EAR, and is named the Isoloss Sandwich Mount. It is intended for use on circuit boards, but the EAR Isoloss material has properties also well suited for turntable isolation applications. And, two of the sizes the Mount is offered in are perfect for the HW-19: about 1/3" tall with 4-40 threads, same as those used on the table's motor plate stand-offs; and 5/8" tall and in diameter, with 1/4-20 threads, same as the threads used in the spring suspension.

The Sandwich Mount has a short male threaded stud on one end (1/2", in the case of the 1/4-20), with internal female threads on the opposite, flat rubber side. Each 1/4-20 size Mount can support 12 lbs., so a set of four can be used with even a TNT platter-fitted HW-19 (whose steel/acrylic sub-chassis weighs 18.6 lbs., the TNT platters 15-20). And, the threaded male stud allows the Mount to provide height-adjustment/leveling of the suspended sub-chassis. Only $5.95 each---I think I'm going to order a set. I have the original, stock springs (with the little plastic top caps fitted with 3 ball bearings), a set of Herbies Tall Firm Tenderfeet, and SIMS Navcom Silencers, all of which I intend to compare with the EAR Mounts. Those interested can read about the mount on Michael Percy's website.

@bdp24  Thanks for very helpful info.  Please let us know how your comparisons work out.