mkane Posted September 2, 2016 Share Posted September 2, 2016 I had a VPI Scout for about a year. Had Steve Frosten mod a ARXA and promptly sold the Scout as I could not hear a $1500 difference in sound. I'm not so 'shure' the difference would be a game changer for you. Now, there's a difference sound wise direct drive vs belt IMO. Jim, sorry for hacking your thread all to pieces. This is a newly restored PL630 that sounds amazing and when I get lazy or the wife wants to listen to her records this on comes on line. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fido Posted September 2, 2016 Share Posted September 2, 2016 My Dual is an Idler -- some people love idler drives and some people don't - I would need to listen to a lot more turntables to know if my Dual isn't all I want to think it is - people that are my friends think my stereo sounds great --- but what the hell do any of my friends know?? lol I just want o hear more tts thru my system Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Posted September 3, 2016 Author Share Posted September 3, 2016 Fido, What it comes down to ultimately is going to be small differences in sound stage and or depth, small increases in clarity, black noise in the background, tighter bass response, clearer mids and high end. There are other things as well. The mat for instance will help on static build up which in turn causes dust to more easily attach to record grooves and stylus tips. A good mat alleviates some of that build up due to lessening static build up. It will also help in sound quality being quieter with background noises. Upgraded arms with better bearings or wiring will help in drag and cleaner sound. A better plinth helps in sonics as well as the real wood is a better insulator. I am still learning a lot and one of the beauties is having forums like this or Audio Karma to learn from. What I would consider on your table if you wanted to do some upgrades would be to rewire the arm and get cardas wires for the head shell sled installed, and maybe get one of the deer hide or double suede mats to put on the table. Then I would also give the idler wheel a slight sanding yearly just to roughen up the edges for supple rubber contact against the platter. Also, think about cleaning the contacts at least annually or twice a year. Larry does those upgrades as well as Bill at fixmydual.com If Larry didn't do it when he did the plinth, add on thin cork inside the plinth on the walls as well.That will help with the sonics. The only reason I sold my 1229Q was because I wanted to experiment with other tables. The 1229 is an "audiophile" table even though it's a fully automatic table. The suspension is nice on them as well,maybe look at it annually as well and level it out by stretching the springs when needed. If you wall mount it you'll also help with sonics due to foot traffic. As Mkane also stated, the cartridge is about 70-80% of what should be the main piece, and if you were to try an upgrade on a cartridge, don't be afraid to try out a good $500-600 ranged cartridge if you have the money.It will not be a waste. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Posted September 3, 2016 Author Share Posted September 3, 2016 Mike, no problems with commenting, I was going to mention Steve myself. I'm actually going to see him tomorrow and am also going to Kevin's at KAB for another cartridge this weekend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Posted September 3, 2016 Author Share Posted September 3, 2016 I was also going to mention to Fido, if you wanted a nice custom AR-XA or AR-ES-1, Steve would do an excellent job on one and for cheaper than you'd think. If you were to purchase an XA on the bay for around $200-ish, you could have things done to the table that would make it compete against tables at much higher price points. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Posted September 3, 2016 Author Share Posted September 3, 2016 3 hours ago, Fido said: My Dual is an Idler -- some people love idler drives and some people don't - I would need to listen to a lot more turntables to know if my Dual isn't all I want to think it is - people that are my friends think my stereo sounds great --- but what the hell do any of my friends know?? lol I just want o hear more tts thru my system Fido, Idler's from what I've heard are better with bass than belt drives. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fido Posted September 4, 2016 Share Posted September 4, 2016 There is a nice bass slam on that Dual Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Posted September 4, 2016 Author Share Posted September 4, 2016 yes, I remember it having better bass than my 701 and the 506-1 I had. So I had all 3 from them, idler, belt, and DD. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fido Posted September 4, 2016 Share Posted September 4, 2016 Jim I'm glad you found the ar and love them. I know Larry digs them, too. My Dual with the preamp and v15 type III sounds really good. I just wish I could try out other turntables for reference but I have other priorities and am not well funded Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Posted September 4, 2016 Author Share Posted September 4, 2016 I paid $200.00 for the stock XA I have. I usually try to sell then buy in order to try out different things with the same money. That's why I just put up my forte II's for sale. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wvu80 Posted September 4, 2016 Share Posted September 4, 2016 On 9/1/2016 at 8:06 PM, Jim said: Deer Hide is my next mat. "Deer hide?" Really? I had never heard of that, what is the purpose? I live in West Virginia where we have more deer accidents per capita than any other state in the union. They get run over all the time where I live. I bet Mustang Guy gets them in his back yard every night where they try to eat his prized roses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Posted September 4, 2016 Author Share Posted September 4, 2016 The deer hide is excellent on keeping the static down on records and a good insulator against noise coming from the platter. You get better response overall with them. I have a double suede mat now and it's one of the best investments IMO for a platter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mkane Posted September 4, 2016 Share Posted September 4, 2016 A bit mat crazy here.More mats than cartridges. Just bought 2 Vibro-stops also. Here's a deer hide mat bought from Jake on ebay. Supple as could be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lone Lobo Posted August 2, 2021 Share Posted August 2, 2021 Here's a question for all of you AR turntable gurus. What are the 3 holes that appear to be unused on the top of the turntable for? TIA for your sage advice or opinions. Thinking about making a new top out of glass and the fewer holes the better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeightsMike Posted October 7, 2021 Share Posted October 7, 2021 Hi Jim, little late to the party here, but wanted to know where your plinthe builder is in Texas? I am in Houston and in contact with Stuart and Jose (taking over for Marc Morin) about some work to my XA. Be interested to talk to your plinth builder. Thanks! Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robertss Posted January 13, 2023 Share Posted January 13, 2023 Jim, amazingly beautiful turntable! May I ask what it would cost if I wanted to trick out my XA similarly? Thanks - Scott Robertson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.