stan krajewski Posted January 13, 2005 Share Posted January 13, 2005 I have an AR XA TT which I purchased about a year ago. It came with a Shure cartridge/stylus. M-55 I think. I don't want to get crazy (Basis, Rega, Scout, etc.) with a vinyl setup until I have lived with it for a while. I'm debating whether to purchase a Shure V15 type III for the AR or kick it up a notch and get a Thorens TD160 with some decent cartridge/stylus. Will the Thorens make a difference? Any thoughts? Recommednations? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marksdad Posted January 13, 2005 Share Posted January 13, 2005 what is your budget? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stan krajewski Posted January 13, 2005 Author Share Posted January 13, 2005 $500.00 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ben. Posted January 13, 2005 Share Posted January 13, 2005 Stan, Is your AR the original two-motor version, or the later single motor unit? Both tend to be noisy, but the earlier two-motor one can be more so. Mine was, but performed pretty well once I got the suspension dialed in. There are steps one can take to reduce the motor noise. I think the Thorens or a new TT would probably outperform it, but the ARs do have some endearing qualities. A Shure M97 woulsn't be too expensive, but the V15 would surely (Shurely?) do better. If you're getting serious about vinyl, it may be a good idea to get the AR running a little better, and do some cheap tweaks on it while you save up a bit for a new TT. There's a lot to be gained by spending over $1000. If it's not a real huge priority for you, $500 still gets you into some respectable machines. If you need a little guidance setting up the AR, let me know via email, and I'll see what I can remember. Ben Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Posted January 13, 2005 Share Posted January 13, 2005 Shirley does better at getting the Thorens out! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scott0527 Posted January 13, 2005 Share Posted January 13, 2005 The weakest point on those AR's is the arm. I have two XA's. Mine spin pretty quietly and maintain speed well. And I can jump up and down and other crazy stuff without them skipping. Tough to do that with the TD160. I think a properly set up TD 160 is hard to beat for the price range though. But getting the AR up and running is great experience and lets you make a lot of mistakes on an inexpensive table first. Mine can sound pretty darn good considering what I paid for them. If you need any AR XA manuals, let me know I can email some copies to you. I agree that Shure 97 would be fine for these. I've never put anything better on them so I'm not sure if a better cartridge would do much good with that arm or not. I think I stll have an old pickering cartridge with a new stylus on one of mine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stan krajewski Posted January 13, 2005 Author Share Posted January 13, 2005 ---------------- On 1/13/2005 2:34:35 PM scott0527 wrote: The weakest point on those AR's is the arm. I have two XA's. Mine spin pretty quietly and maintain speed well. And I can jump up and down and other crazy stuff without them skipping. Tough to do that with the TD160. I think a properly set up TD 160 is hard to beat for the price range though. But getting the AR up and running is great experience and lets you make a lot of mistakes on an inexpensive table first. Mine can sound pretty darn good considering what I paid for them. If you need any AR XA manuals, let me know I can email some copies to you. I agree that Shure 97 would be fine for these. I've never put anything better on them so I'm not sure if a better cartridge would do much good with that arm or not. I think I stll have an old pickering cartridge with a new stylus on one of mine. ---------------- Very wise advise. I'd appreciate any ARXA info you can EMail me. Thank You. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ben. Posted January 13, 2005 Share Posted January 13, 2005 Stan, Got your PM. I've got a good set-up procedure for the AR on my HD at home somewhere. If it's gone, I'll mail you a copy. One thing I found to be critical is the plinth must be absolutely level first. From that point, you can set about levelling the platter by adjusting the springs underneath. The trick is that it should be done with a record & mat on the platter. I use a good metal round spirit level from McMaster-Carr (about $25, but worth it). Now, if I put that level on the platter it will obviouslythrow things off. My solution was to grab 3 metal flat washers that I had laying around from my flexi-rack. They happened to be exactly the right thickness (I don't remember the spec, but the platter should be a specific distance from the plinth). I would adjust the springs so that there was no visible space between the washers and platter, yet the platter wouldn't move when the washers were removed. Recheck that the plinth is level each time you make adjustments underneath, or it will throw off the platter level. When you think you've got it perfect, press the platter down & let it bounce. It should just bounce twice (IIRC), and it should go straight up & down. Any wobbling & you're not level, or your platter's not balanced. The hardest part is actually getting underneath the thing to adjust the dang springs. I think I ended up using a small ratchet with an extension, as a nut driver was too long. Also, any TT owner should without question own a sylus force gauge. The Shure is cheap, and works fine. Otherwise you're shooting in the dark, even your arm has some sort of metered adjustment for VTF. It won't be accurate. I'd love to have The Cartridge Man gauge, but I've got a lot to pay for before I go buyng a $400 gauge. A note on VTF for the AR. Work on the high side of the cart's specs. There is no antiskate on the AR arm, and this little bit of extra force works well. Also, if you are using a cart with a damping brush, follow the recommendations for extra VTF as well. Ben Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stan krajewski Posted January 14, 2005 Author Share Posted January 14, 2005 I want to thank all who responded. Becuase of your advise, my plan is to learn much more about turntables, set up my AR XA properly and then after spending a decent time with vinyl, decide if I want to step up to a higher level. Thanks again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fini Posted January 14, 2005 Share Posted January 14, 2005 ---------------- On 1/13/2005 2:34:35 PM scott0527 wrote: But getting the AR up and running is great experience and lets you make a lot of mistakes on an inexpensive table first. ---------------- Sounds fun! Can you detail some of the more popular mistakes, so I can get started? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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