maxg Posted February 15, 2005 Author Share Posted February 15, 2005 Tony, They probably would have done except for the fact that the main distributor had apparently heard the Shelter in comparison to the Insider Reference on the reference arm (one up from mine) and actually prefered the Shelter. As the insider Ref is a snip at $12,000 I guess they gave up. Actually they have just launched a new cartridge ($5000) that looks wild - a sort of star pattern effect on the top all in Gold - I think they have callede it the Goldfinger. Looks interesting - no idea how it sounds. The 901 is gonna have to do for me for a while. When it dies I will eitehr get another one or a 90X if I am flushed with cash. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazman Posted February 15, 2005 Share Posted February 15, 2005 Max, Excellent selection of table and arm. The arm you've got definitely looks more lightweight that the version I saw available when I last saw that table, and I did not get to hear the arm perform. I knew I could not afford it, and therefore did not want to punish myself. The massive platter will produce a solid musical foundation you will enjoy for years to come,................................... that is until you upgrade to the 3 motor, double plinth Maximum Solution, Klipsch out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxg Posted February 16, 2005 Author Share Posted February 16, 2005 So much for an easy setup: The Man came yesterday. Been the distributor for clearaudio in Greece since that nice man and his family passed with a boat load of animals asking for directions to Ararat. He looked at our setup - he smiled - liked some of the "variations" we introduced but then took the whole thing apart and re-did it. He fired it up - MAN what a sound......but.... Wouldnt track past the mid point of an album. He fought - he wrestled - he cajolled - he cleaned - he balanced - he tweaked - nada. He then offered to replace the arm. Enter the moron (yours truely). I dont know a lot but I know the Shelter has a very low compliance in relation to Clearaudio carts. Could that be the source of the problem? Could be. 2 possible solutions: 1. The easy one - adjust the height of the armlet higher - making the drop larger and the angle the cantilever hits the vinyl at steeper - this will reduce the effect of the tail wagging the dog which we assume we are experiencing. 2. The more difficult one - increase the mass of the armlet by using the weights placing one right up to the cartridge and one or more at the other end to balance the arm. The problem with this solution is that the arm is not really designed to work in this manner and it may foul the mechanism. For now we opted for the simpler option. Despite its simplicity it takes a long time to find the point at which the cartridge will track without losing the sonics. Fortunately adjustments are a turn of a single screw - once you have the logic of the arm sorted out. The good news is that we have just about found that point - I will be testing over the next few days to make fine adjustments but we are there or thereabouts. Mr Clearaudio and Antonis - the supplier finally left at 2:30 am. That is service! Sonics seem to be much better - but I was a bit tired to assess properly. At least he confirmed to me that once we have it right we will not need to make further adjustments every - just the odd clean of the runner for the truck for the cartridge once every couple of months or so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edwinr Posted February 16, 2005 Share Posted February 16, 2005 Sounds like a complex solution to a simple problem, Max. Glad you worked it out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunnysal Posted February 16, 2005 Share Posted February 16, 2005 Max, I had heard mentioned (I cannot at this moment remember where, I will look) that these arms worked best with the clearaudio cartridges, hence my previous question...but it seems you worked out the adjustments necessary to make it work well with your cartridge, congrats! tony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fini Posted February 16, 2005 Share Posted February 16, 2005 If that arm detaches, the spirit level would be handy for hanging pictures. You might mention that to SWMBO, in case she's a little edgy over the purchase. HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxg Posted February 16, 2005 Author Share Posted February 16, 2005 ---------------- On 2/16/2005 8:04:35 AM fini wrote: If that arm detaches, the spirit level would be handy for hanging pictures. You might mention that to SWMBO, in case she's a little edgy over the purchase. HAPPY BIRTHDAY! ---------------- You are so practical sometimes it is scary.... Actually it came with another little round spirit level for the table - I thing I will give her that one - so she can level a picture in 3 dimensions rather than just 2. One rather cool thing I forgot to mention from last night - during playback the guy starts banging on the side of the platter (the big round turning bit - not the base - and not the feet - THE PLATTER!!) with his hand - hard (enough to hear the thwack over the sound of the playback) - and nothing came through the speakers: "Best you couldn't do that with your project" he says, "If you did you would knock the project off the stand completely" I replied. Definitely the most isolated Table I have ever owned! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxg Posted February 16, 2005 Author Share Posted February 16, 2005 ---------------- On 2/16/2005 6:53:23 AM sunnysal wrote: Max, I had heard mentioned (I cannot at this moment remember where, I will look) that these arms worked best with the clearaudio cartridges, hence my previous question...but it seems you worked out the adjustments necessary to make it work well with your cartridge, congrats! tony ---------------- Tony, The MAN said much the same thing - but when quizzed he could not tell if it was simply because the installers know the Clearaudio cartridges so well or because they are IN FACT a better match. He did offer to let me test out one of their brand new range - the cheapie (a mere $3000). I would take him up on this if there was the slightest chance I could spring for that kind of money - but right now it is out. Certainly looks an interesting design. See if anyone can spot the quoted spec that re-writes the book on cartridges - if true: Type : MC Output : 0.9mV Tracking weight : 2.5 - 3.5 grams Dynamic range : 95 dB Spot it? I promise that is not a typo - but I cant promise it is true - yet. He has one at his house and explained the features of the design that supposedly make it possible. If true we are looking at a huge leap forwards (patented already - sadly - so dont expect cheap knock-offs doing the same thing in the near future). According to him even the cheapie outplays the Insider Reference (a $13,000 cartridge - which he owns - on 80% of music). The big one (The Goldfinger - about $10,000) outplays everything. There is no info on these carts on the site - but I have seen a brochure (without technical specs) so they are real and coming. He swore blind it will blow the Shelter 90X / ZYX Airy and everything else out of the water, as it does the Insider Reference. (Note - for those of you that have bought an Insider Reference the good news is that they will take it back and kit it out with the new technology for only 35% of RRP - however old your cart is - but there may be a waiting list to do this - currently 12 months). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ben. Posted February 16, 2005 Share Posted February 16, 2005 The tracking weight is something I've never seen for a LOMC. Great reports on a great table. Glad to see it panning out. Hopefully it will allow you to return to obsessing about your amps! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coda Posted February 16, 2005 Share Posted February 16, 2005 excellent Max, the pics and descriptions so far sound like an analog dream come true. when you listen to your system, is it any easier now to separate out the turntable from the other components? "Goldfinger" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doctorcilantro Posted February 17, 2005 Share Posted February 17, 2005 Wow, can I say it again. Congrats to you...ENJOY! I'll have to post the url for some of my ghetto linear tracker, so we can compare notes!!!!!LOL: www.catuccio.net/web/index The pics are spread out. I should make an analog pic gallery. MAX, hats off...that is just sick. All linears will fight until you work out the kinks (granted I have only had one, but it seems to valid generalization from what I have read) Jon 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.