You have had some very good influences(ers) in your system selection, Chris and I have corresponded frequently in the last couple of years. Halcro and Raul are very knowledgeable as well.

islandmandan May 11, 2016 15:36

Thank you, Dan, for the kind words. You are right to assume that my collection of gear is not possible without the guidance of superior minds. Just to call out a few: the cartridges stem from Raul's tireless search; my devotion to Victor products and standalone arms comes from my audio buddy @halcro; and then there's my audio bff (lol) @ct0517 whose audio ken  is outstripped only by his generosity, everything else that's good about my system I owe to him.

banquo363 May 11, 2016 14:34

Wow, Banquo, for someone not involved in audio as long as many have been, you have assembled an outstanding and esoteric collection of audio gear. We all do things differently, according to our own aims, and also what we've experienced along the way. I have built my system in a budget-minded fashion, much as you have ( I should have mine listed in "Budget Minded" as well).

islandmandan May 10, 2016 16:51

Precipitated by my wife's desire to install new wood fl;oors throughout our house, I deicided to take cover under the ensuing chasos to make extensive changes to the system. Thus: installed dedicated power lines and new outlets; reinforced walls to mount a Newport optical breadboard to hold the turntables; new mounting system for the et 2 andd 2.5 arms; newly acquired Victor tt 801 turntable; and last, but perhaps most consequential of all, a new tube preamp, the Beveridge rm1/2.

The Beveridge is, for me, truly eye opening. I can't believe how much it affects the sound. I feel like the b&w 801's are opened up for the first time with room filling and enveloping sound. I've bought some NOS '60's Amperex 7308's to  try out It'll be my first foray into pllaying around with NOS tubes. Am I in for a treat? I hope so b/c NOS tubes ain't cheap.

banquo363 May 10, 2016 16:11

Hi Banquo
How do you like the 801's firing down the long wall ?

ct0517 October 24, 2015 16:08

System edited: Sick of running wire through walls and moving from one room into another, I finally got around to getting all the gear into the same room. This also had the consequence of getting the turntable out of the corner and setting it along the long wall of my listening room. Amidst all the benefits of this move one problem emerged. I'd been supporting my ET 2 arm's wire loom on fishing wire hung between two walls. Having lost a wall in the move, I needed to fabricate a replacement. Hence the 'four ring circus'. It's composed of a very thin garden stake that I pushed into the wall and, for height control, 4 plastic rings that can be opened up to accept the wires and locked down to secure them. Why go through all this trouble? Because the ET 2 tonearm is incredibly sensitive, so much so that even with the maximally flexible zyx wire, the arm's travel is adversely affected unless the wire loom is situated just so. The effects of an errant wire is easily audible--I know because I hear it all the time :(.

banquo363 June 12, 2015 05:15

But it may also put you out into the garage permanently with your wife due to bass seepage. So be careful what you wish for.

Silver lining: I'll be nearer to my Aridyne air supply.

Speaking of headaches and vintage gear, when I received my, according to the seller 'checked out; no problems', Victor eq 7070 every electrolytic cap was either bulging or had already popped. I didn't even dare plug that thing in until after I had them all replaced. Even then the tech said that he had to do some special voodoo to get the unit working properly. Luckily, I found a skilled tech right near me, so as a bonus USPS no longer gets the opportunity to lose and/or destroy my stuff.

In terms of the sound of the unit, so far I'm underwhelmed. It sounded unusual (in a good way) when used with digital, but mediocre at best with vinyl. The bass was overwhelmingly bloated at first, with a truncated high end-- but the mids were good to very good. Moving the 801's baf to the tape in/out circuit helped considerably, but it was still not right. Last night, I bypassed the volume control by connecting my Lightspeed passive attenuator. Didn't have a lot of time, but it at least sounded promising. Today, the ET 2 with victor z1/sas combo gets a turn. I'll get to test my conjecture regarding 'victor product synergy'.

banquo363 May 27, 2015 17:00

I'm truly happy wth my matrix 801 speakers, but I would like to have a SS amp with some serious muscle just to catch glimpse of the 801's so far untapped power. So, if a pair of these ever crossed my path and didn't require I mortgage my house or divorce my lovely wife, I'd probably jump on them.

Banquo - from my own experiences big SS amp/s on the 801's will move you from the 15th row to the 5th. But it may also put you out into the garage permanently with your wife due to bass seepage. So be careful what you wish for.

This has been my experience with the 801's.
Imagine listening to a 4-5 person music ensemble in a medium size venue like a Jazz Bar. Think of what the drums would be like if sitting 5-10 feet away from the drummer, and then 20 feet away. That's the kind of impact the SS amps will have to the bass with the 801's.
In your chest...

Now for mids and tweeters; for me a real good SS amp will try to match the sweetness of tubes.
I would ensure any SS amp purchase if vintage has had its electronics/capacitors checked out and performing as designed.
If not the very revealing 801's will show the amps shortcoming - especially weak capacitors that cannot hold their charge and the result will be "harsh" sounding and weak bass. If the capacitors are good the bass will be full and overall the music rounded out. Not too lean or bloated. Also ensure any vintage design can be worked on by someone local to you first - or be ready for a potential head ache down the road.

ct0517 May 26, 2015 18:55

Two rotary switches on the front panel with the following values: 100, 33k, 50k, 100k ; 470pf, 330, 100, 220.

Not as many options as my sony ta e88 phono/pre which allows a range from 10kohm-100kohm in 10k increments, and 100-500pf in 100pf increments.

But I don't think I need any more food to feed my neurosis.

banquo363 May 19, 2015 13:44

I find that 7070 phono stage interesting as well...
Can you describe the loading options possible and how they're achieved❓

halcro May 19, 2015 10:16

I'm glad you chimed in, Halcro, since it was your remarks on the tt 101 that gave birth to my Victor fetishism.

Seriously though, I'm particularly interested in whether the eq7070 phonostage is an ideal companion for the x1 and z1 cartridges in the same way that you say the pigskin maates well with the 101's platter. They were all released around the same time and probably designed by a close knit team. At any rate, I have high hopes for this pairing, that something 'magical' will take place when they are used together.

My amp has a gain switch that has gone bad and needed to be replaced. Also, I'm replacing the speaker binding posts so I can bi-wire the 801's. I'm told I should have it back by week's end...at which time I'll party like it's 1979.

banquo363 May 19, 2015 04:15

Hi Banquo,
I share your passion for Victor products...
I have their TT-81, TT-101 turntables...the X-1/II and Z-1/SAS cartridges (with another Z-1 on the way)....and the genuine Victor pigskin mat 😃
None of their products has disappointed leading me to conclude that the Victor engineers really 'knew their onions'...👍
That 1000 amp I had never seen before and it looks like a serious device...
Will await your impressions on the pigskin mat...
What happened to your amp?
Regards

halcro May 18, 2015 22:54

Inadvertently, I've become something of a Victor Laboratory gear collector. I started with their magnificent tt-101 turntable and then their equally impressive X1 mk2 and Z1 MM cartridges. In the past month, I managed to assemble 3 more items: litz speaker cables, glass and pigskin platter sheets, and their EQ 7070 phonostage/pre. To truly complete the picture, I would still need the tonearm, amp and speakers. Since I can't imagine either the 7045 or 7082 tonearms besting the ET-2, a victor tonearm seems an unlikely purchse. I'm truly happy wth my matrix 801 speakers, but I would like to have a SS amp with some serious muscle just to catch glimpse of the 801's so far untapped power. So, if a pair of these ever crossed my path and didn't require I mortgage my house or divorce my lovely wife, I'd probably jump on them.

In the meanwhile, I have enough new toys to occupy me. I'm especially looking forward to trying the pigskin. Halcro has been touting its merits for years, and for nearly the same length of time I've been looking to acquire one. After two false starts and ammassing more leather mats than I have fingers, my ship finally came in today. The dark brown one on the left is, hopefully, the genuine article; while the one on the right is a very good knock-off. In handling them, the main differences are these: the original is softer and more flexible, thinner and its sueded side is more plush.

I'd offer listening impressions...but my amp is getting some work done :(.

banquo363 May 18, 2015 18:51

Banquo363,

I emailed you couple of pages of data on the TTM weight and mat. Hope it makes sense. Instructions are more obvious when you have both in hand.

Image of TTW weight, plastic insert removed and sitting on top

http://postimg.org/image/f3scq2pir/

Image of TTM weight at angle where one compartment is easily visible. I’ve made this more obvious with help from Photoshop. At least this way you can get an idea.

http://postimg.org/image/g4slf76ib/

albertporter March 02, 2015 18:31

Thanks, Albert.

Try as I might, I can't catch glimpse of the three compartments you mention. No matter. I found a pic form anarchived hifido page that shows the added weight, here

I have a different question for you. You mention on your thread that yours came with some kind of insert. I can't seem to locate that part of your thread right now but is that insert used to to match the ttm with different sized spindles? The spindle on my victor is significantly smaller than the ttm's hole, and I'm wondering if there should be tighter fit. If so, could you describe what the insert is and/or take a pic of it?

Thanks for the offer for the mat instructions. I've seen that mat several times on yahoo japan but never thought to buy it due to its weight--I suspect it'll be too much for the victor. Nevertheless, please do send me the instructions, since I might now try it out given that, as you say, the mat and weight work in tandem. I pm'ed you my address.

banquo363 March 02, 2015 16:58

Banquo363
d'uh: forgot to name what I bought--TTM oil damped stabilizer

The oil is inside the stabilizer, if you look at the top of the TTM with light at low angle you can often see three compartments (small divots show position) that hold oil.

The spindle hole has threads on the top half, so I must be missing some screw tha tholds the oil?

That thread is to accommodate an additional weight sold separately by TTM. The weight attaches to the current weight, making it taller and heavier.

The TTM weight is my favorite provided it’s used with TTM mat. They are matched to function together and as with all things high end audio, results are subject to preferences.

The TTM mat is quite heavy and no problem with Technics MK3 table. Cannot vouch for compatibility with other turntable designs, but non suspended tables seem to be bothered less by the additional mass.

I have at least six record clamp/weights and have experimented with many others. Like cable and footers there is quite a range of sound from each. Suggest you proceed slowly and enjoy the journey to decide which combination is right for your system.

Should you decide to mate the TTM weight with TTM mat there are instructions about the three center adjusting screws that occupy the area where the record label rests. It’s a bit complicated but I can email you if you care to explore.

albertporter March 01, 2015 17:20

d'uh: forgot to name what I bought--TTM oil damped stabilizer

banquo363 February 28, 2015 19:05

System edited: Impulse purchase. Recall seeing it on Albert Porter's page. The problem with impulse purchases is that one does not know how properly to use the item. In this case, the oil damping mechanism is a mystery. I thought the weight would be filled with oil, but evidenly not. The spindle hole has threads on the top half, so I must be missing some screw tha tholds the oil? If anyone has knowledge (or a theory) about how this weight functions, please share.

banquo363 February 28, 2015 17:55

Banquo so you were able to go from a 12 foot cable length down to 3 foot. Well done. Only in this audio hobby that I can think of, does shorter length equate to better ?

Yes, Ct0517: and I'm liking the results. But as is my tendency, I've made several other changes to my system, so who knows what is responsible for what.

For those following along: for the past couple of days, I've been using the victor z1s/jico sas cartridge and although it's probably premature to declare anything...but...it is a great, great cartridge. In terms of wide availability and price (<$US200 total), it boggles the mind. Since it is a frankenstein, it can be a hassle to assemble, but a major advantage is that the stylus is brand new and it mates perfectly with the dirt cheap and readily available z1s cartridge body. We'll see when Halcro does the comparison between the original z1 beryllium stylus and the sas, but it's hard for me to imagine the sas falling very short (if at all). I say this even though I found that the jico replacement sylus for the victor x1/ii falls way short of the original.

I currently have it mounted on the epa 100 arm; I eagerly anticipate what the ET 2 will do with it. If all goes as I hope, my cartridge buying days may be over.

banquo363 January 22, 2015 18:43

Now Halcro ..are you not concerned about aesthetics AT ALL. I mean come on. You're an architect man. Does the contorted positioning of your cartridge and its affects not bother you at all ?

Ha ha.....
I must admit Chris...that this shot you picked does look a bit odd...👀😁
Blame Continuum.....although in most other views of the Copperhead arm, the off-set cartridge looks quite nifty..👍
That flimsy Empire cartridge is now replaced with the Signet TK-7LCa which looks more substantial.
Symmetry, by the way.....was ditched by the modern movement of architecture in the early 1920s....🏤

halcro January 21, 2015 10:40

BEAUTY

Now Halcro ..are you not concerned about aesthetics AT ALL. I mean come on. You're an architect man. Does the contorted positioning of your cartridge and its affects not bother you at all ?

I see no such contortions in pics of your Taj Mahal reference.

Enjoy your vacation Henry. :^)

imo - both you guys do have common DNA happening with your turntables. No doubt there.
Question I have. Is this "Form over Function" ?

As opposed to your ET 2 & 2.5 tonearms Banquo - which are "Form follows Function" imo.

Banquo so you were able to go from a 12 foot cable length down to 3 foot. Well done. Only in this audio hobby that I can think of, does shorter length equate to better ?

ct0517 January 21, 2015 08:25

lol, Halcro. That pic is old; I was chasing down a hum and trying out different platform configurations at the same time. I leave it up to remind myself of the state of mind I was in at that time. Admittedly, the current set up (of which there is no pic) is hardly any less aesthetically defective, but at least it represents the product of an orderly mind. :) I envy you your hotel's view.

I received my jico mats and spent a couple of hours last night trying out different configurations. Since I now have 6 different leather mats (somebody help me), it may take awhile. But so far: the 47 Labs deerskin atop the thicker jico mat leads the pack.

banquo363 January 20, 2015 12:45

BEAUTY
Now Banquo....are you not concerned about aesthetics AT ALL....😱
I mean....have you no sensitivity whatsoever...❓😖😳
I'm sitting in my hotel room in Agra looking at the Taj Mahal......and THIS is what you look at.....❓👀
Regards....

halcro January 20, 2015 06:56

Didn't you recently install curtains? Am I correct to assume they are proving beneficial in more ways than just sonically ?

Yes and YES! Curtains and (for when they are moved around potentially exposing my shame) strategically placed CD cases.

As far as I can tell, Sonic Craft boasts the best prices on common DIY knick knacks. Believe it or not, their prices were even better before the new website--so, what would that make it, 98% off? They're like a smaller US version of Canada's Take Five Audio.

banquo363 January 19, 2015 13:54

..,cutting a rather large hole through the living room wall. I don’t dare tell my wife

Banquo - how in the world are you going to keep that from her ? I thought I was good at hiding things, then it dawned on me. Didn't you recently install curtains? Am I correct to assume they are proving beneficial in more ways than just sonically ?

You mentioned Sonic Craft. I was curious so I looked them up. Wow..how do they stay in business with an 88% off sale ?

ct0517 January 19, 2015 09:35