New tt arrived and it is a killer!
I most highly recommend for those who listen to vinyl to go out and find a place to audition this magnificent tt. It surely beat my 450 pound monster. I was going to wait to spend more time listening but it's that obvious that I already hear the difference.
Big question? What do I do next??
I will try to analyze where do I improve on my table and see if I can bring it up another notch or two. Other than that I am back into audiophilism. And will play around with different cartridges and my phono stages.
I actually left audio for some time now and got into homebrewing which too is quite challenging and immensely enjoyable. No I didn't have too many drinks, the classic is the real deal.. buy one before it goes up in price or the wait gets even more rediculous. Mine took a couple months.

pedrillo January 18, 2010 08:42

System edited: With my system sounding the way it has been my search is over for now. Still awaiting new tt though for comparison, it'll be very interesting to see the comparison.

pedrillo December 09, 2009 18:11

For some reason the conrad johnson NOW too sounds extremely good at low levels. It feels closer to what I hear when I go to the Met opera house.
This preamp is turning out to be a killer pre.
Still awaiting new turntable.

pedrillo December 06, 2009 06:32

The room is 11 x 15 with a height 8'-5". Sitting position about 9' away. I'll post pictures in the future.

pedrillo December 02, 2009 15:27

That's it solid state has no right being in my beautious system.

pedrillo December 01, 2009 18:07

I just have to say: TUBES IS THE WAY TO GO!!
I am not sure how good conrad johnson premier 4 is in comparison to other tube amplifiers but right now my system is oh so glorious!
I still feel the simaudio w-5 is better then the cj p-4 but the tubes bring out how shall one say warmth- sure it's warm, those tubes get awful hot-- sorry couldn't help myself.
With the simaudio I was happier with the volume lower than with the cj p-4.
Tis a great hobby.

pedrillo November 30, 2009 18:25

My system never sounded this good before! Very happy to say the least.

pedrillo November 28, 2009 17:55

By the way since I have three phono stages I should mention I am using the jlti and the simaudio w-5.

pedrillo November 25, 2009 17:45

I never thought I would be posting this but this chinese made Audio Experience a2se preamp is incredible. At first it seemed as though the resolution was low, but now it is resolving very nicely. Only thing is it's noisy when there is no signal.
For some reason it sounds more life-like than my other preamp, that is in some ways. Too bad I don't know how to put it in words.
Will soon be recieving another turntable to compare to my heavy weight, hopefully mine will prevail because as I understand this newcomer has beaten many other tables. If it does I will call it the heavy weight champ.

pedrillo November 25, 2009 17:40

System edited: With this new piece added to my system I have realized tube preamp is the way to go, especially balanced.

pedrillo November 22, 2009 06:28

Just put the jlti back into the system and am reminded how happy I was with this purchase. Quite a different flavor from the ear 834p. Both very good phonos. Will be soon adding an additional flywheel/rimdrive to the tt.

pedrillo October 25, 2009 10:44

David,
Wow,we are on the same page on that as well. I planned on improving the power supply in the ear 834p then the K&K came along.
D.G, in case I hadn't but I think I already did thank you for the excellent advice on the rim drive, it took the system to a whole new level.
Peter

pedrillo April 20, 2009 14:37

Just inserted the Woo audio headphone preamp to hear the difference of tubes and ss, though the Woo is not the same caliber as the Simsaudio and also it is not really a linestage perse but a headphone preamp it did sound nice and leading me to beleive I need to go to tubes sooner than later.
Looking forward to getting my Atma-sphere back and a new tube preamp!
Merlins will be back in a week or so, can't wait, these jbl's just don't cut it. But they do have some good qualities.

pedrillo April 19, 2009 14:04

There are many lessons to be learned from this hobby.
The ones I have learned recently are:
a)the source is very important, get that right before adjusting down stream,
b)in an analog setup the table plays a big role if not bigger than the arm and cartridge
c)synergy also is very important
d)the room too is important
e)vinyl is most definitely better than cd's
f)tubes are most definitely better than solid state
g)merlins, atma-shere, simaudio, K&K, VPI are some of the best out there not because I own them but because they are just simply very good
h)ask alot of questions to get the synergy right, it worked for me and I appreciate the help I received even though I caught some flack for it, don't be shy
i)listen to many systems to get an idea what floats your boat, start with speaker and match the amp to the speaker, but do get the source right before tweeking
j)don't rush into purchasing without thinking it over carefully, listen listen listen, a good system can be listened to for long periods of time without getting tired
k)make sure equipment is broken in before coming to conclusions
l)your own ears are what matters let them be the judge
m)nutritional supplementation helps hear better

pedrillo April 17, 2009 18:42

Well this shouldn't surprise anyone who has been following my quest for audio nirvana in the most unconventional way.
One of my merlin drivers has been out of commission for some time and in the mean time I have been using inexpensive jbl speakers to provide me with music. But they are not exactly positioned the way they were designed to. Now why does that not surprise my friends, hello friends---- where did they go??
Ok it doesn't sound anywhere near as good as the merlins, but it does sound pretty damn good!!
This is what I did: I hung one speaker above the other and they are both firing at each other!
Hey wait I'm not crazy where are you taking me and why does this jacket have such long sleeves?
It does sound pretty good though.
Merlins are not going anywhere let it be known!

pedrillo April 16, 2009 18:34

Thank you nycabby and mapman for your kind words.
I realize we have different listening priorities, so I respect nycabby's preference. To my ears the rim drive was a monumental improvement over the previous tnt version, and I will continue to build on this platform. I now understand what it means when I read a while back that tt is more important than cartridge and tonearm. It is certainly true.
And so I highly recommend to those pursuing analog get the table right and then the arm and lastly match the cartridge to the tonearm, I should be listening to my own advice! I will be getting an helikon eventually or other cartridge that will match the arm.
The other end of my system the amp to be precise, I will be using the atma-sphere's eventually as they took my system to a whole new level when hooked up, can't wait for that to happen. And as some may have read the preamp will most definitely be an atma-sphere.
Thanks for looking.

pedrillo April 11, 2009 18:25

You haven't heard vinyl till you tried rim-drive. It's that good.

pedrillo April 06, 2009 18:17

Dgarretson,
Thanks for the kind words.
Yes I am using both to turn the platter, but does it sound better than just using one or the other alone. As for the string drive versus both, yes and by a big margin the dual wins big time. As for the rim drive alone, I haven't tried it.
As for the rim drive, it is VPI and it is meant to be held onto the flywheel by set screws on the sides of the collar that sits below the plate. The collar keeps the rim drive centered when mounted onto the flywheel. I drilled and tapped the pulley head of the flywheel to receive the screws that fasten the rim drive to the flywheel firmly. Just my way of doing things.
Those tiny magnets are glued onto a surface (acrylic) that is then fastened to the plinth and platter so it is removable, I would not risk glueing it directly to the plinth or platter.
New magnets are in the works, I will respond to you directly regarding this matter, anyone else interested please email me directly, if we buy collectively we save a little.
I think with the rim drive and magnet repulsion the tt will be taken to a whole new level.

pedrillo March 31, 2009 15:35

Now it's quieter as though I hear less of the tt and more of the record.
By the way I only placed the rim drive/flywheel on the plinth and the motor sits on a permanently fixed shelf where all the other motors sit. Since the tt sits on a shelf that is decoupled from the room by being suspended with cables it doesn't feel any vibrations from the motors.

pedrillo March 30, 2009 19:21

Well the dual drive system is finally in place and all I can say is for all the vpi owners- I recommend going with the rim drive system.
I am hearing more clarity and immediacy, the bass is tighter and deeper and enveloping. All of a sudden listening is much more pleasurable than before, not that I wasn't enjoying myself before but now it's much more so. On my test record Queen track Dragon attack the individual instruments are easier to hear distinctly.
In a nutshell the music sounds fuller.
My next tweek will be more powerful magnets between the platter and plinth. Anyone interested in getting magnets email me directly.
Pictures of the dual drive will be posted soon.

pedrillo March 30, 2009 18:39

What is wrong with me?
I don't know there are alot of things wrong with me!
Well I finally took Dgarretsons's advice and installed string where I had belts on my tt. Will post pictures in the near future rather then try to explain how I executed this mod, but will say for now it is different.
Wow, better attacks, tighter and deeper bass, more organic sounding.
One of my test tracks Dragon Attack from Queen's album The Game, never sounded like that!

pedrillo January 19, 2009 09:18

Daze you are welcome to any time!
Thanks for the compliments, I have some more plans to take it to a higher level. Hopefully it'll be an improvement.

pedrillo December 08, 2008 13:55

I am working on a new project, something that has never been done before.
I am enthusiastic to see what results this will yield, I will post pictures and the sonic impressions here when I get it right, if I get it right.
If you don't see any posts regarding this then consider it a dismal failure and I will admit defeat of the first battle.
But I will not surrender, I will keep attempting to achieve the omni mbl sound I desire so much.

pedrillo November 21, 2008 18:45

Spencer,
Yes I have been waiting for a local sale of a later edition of the vsm's to show up, but haven't seen any lately.
Peter

pedrillo November 21, 2008 18:38

Yes the atma sphere is an excellent amp!!
Would like to add the sim preamp is doing a nice job, wondering what would I gain with a preamp upgrade?
I am supposing it would have to be a real good preamp, I am aiming to get the atma mp1, but that won't happen for a while. Meanwhile if some tube preamp comes up at a reasonable price I may jump in.

pedrillo October 25, 2008 08:17

System edited: Wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOW and Wow. Just got the atmasphere m60, it hasn't even warmed up yet and right out of the box it sounds great, forget great awesome!! Will post more conclusions as it settles in.

pedrillo October 02, 2008 18:08

Mapman,
I read alot on the denon 103r and yes your reveiw contributed to my decision, thanks.
In regards to my room, it is heavily treated to absorb sound. This is a dedicated listening room and I am willing to change if need be for the next speaker. I will be keeping the merlins and figure my next speaker will go into another room but will be sharing the same electronics.
And the room is 11' x 15'.

pedrillo August 23, 2008 13:00

Somec59
The platter does not spin long since the motors stop immediately after the switch to them is turned off. What ends up happening then is the big flywheel and intermediary pulley/flywheel stop spinning but the main platter that holds the record continues with the belt sliding around it, the belt from the intermediary pulley to the main platter doesn't slide around the pulley, as it does the main platter. Usually I will slow it down by hand, as I also give it a push when starting the platter. Remember there is about 95 pounds of rotational mass.
I will be inviting my friends once everything is in place for them to help me decide my next move and to hopefully confirm what I am hearing since I am bias. Hopefully they will post something on this board or not if we are in disagreement, just kidding I am here to learn and am willing to start all over, oh boy I hope that doesn't happen as I have another tt in the design stage.
I am under the impression that my tt equals any I have heard before, but then again I am bias.
At the very least I am very happy but still convinced this is speakers and not live, and the only system that sounded live IMHO are the mbls. Hoping to take it to that level.

pedrillo August 23, 2008 12:55

All those posts I read on how good Kevin Carter is- the designer of art audio and k&k is true!!!
My system for some odd reason appears to be improving continually.
It's the whole package obviously but I have good reason to believe the phono stage K&K is a big part of it!!!

pedrillo July 15, 2008 22:01

System is on fire!!!!!!
this cartridge keeps opening up:~)

pedrillo July 11, 2008 19:45

Oh that was a good one mapman! man you made me laugh, thanks
......
......
,......
Talk about tweak the ears or whats between the ears with beer,
somewhere up north in europe finland to be exact, the senate or senate equivilent would discuss politics in a sauna where the conscious is raised,
now there's a tweak for a society that does the right thing for the citizens.

pedrillo July 10, 2008 20:21

"Hands up!!!! pedrillo! Put that check book down!
That's right, don't touch any thing,
leave that system alone" I says to myself.
It never sounded this good.
I just needed to let the denon 103r break in. And I thought about searching for new speakers or needing to replace the phono stage. Ha! now I have more beer money.

pedrillo July 10, 2008 19:44

Thanks Mrjstark, After hearing your travel kit I take your advice seriously ;~) and that good food, got any stock tips too?

pedrillo July 07, 2008 12:46

That denon 103r keeps opening up! Couldn't be more pleased. Wondering what cartridge will be next? Do I need to replace it? Absolutely, need to take it to another level. Any suggestions?

pedrillo July 04, 2008 16:47

Mrjstark,
I can bring some left over lead shot *_ ]
*
To dampen any vibrations from those frying Keilbasas.
Yes looking forward to meeting you!!
Peter

pedrillo June 08, 2008 17:24

I must be nuts, what I have is awesome!!!!!!!!!
I realize that the recording is critcal and the needle must be broken in and voila I don't need to look any more.
As long as I remember not every lp will sound excellent. This denon---- ok I already said it before is----awesome.

pedrillo June 07, 2008 16:03

Today my denon 103r finally reached a signifacant level of break in. WOW, this cartridge is really good for the money, never thought it would take this long for break in.

pedrillo June 05, 2008 21:09

Chashmal,
I would like to say I am crazy and I'll tell you why. My co-worker used to tell me this story when there was nothing to do at work, that when they(those guys in the white garbs) come to pick up a crazy person the first thing that person screams out is "I'm not crazy!", then you know that they are!
Well all I can say is my source never sounded this good!
But I am bias so take that with a grain of salt.
What I do hear from my system is lots of air and ambiance, that came out more so when I made my turntable quieter.
I most highly recommend any and all the tweeks I have worked into my analog end. My friends may be blowing smoke up my ars but when they tear up from the music on my system I think something is happening. If you have any questions don't hesitate.

pedrillo June 02, 2008 18:59

Mapman,
All I can say is you won't know until you try.
As for me, I should get another graham to compare, the denon 103r's are inexpensive. But the arms are not so much(inexpensive), that's what is stopping me.
You may want to search the forum, this cartridge has been around for awhile and alot has been done with it and written about. There is also all these mods available, like wooden bodies which I have yet to do. And it's been run naked.

pedrillo May 27, 2008 19:01

After hearing other systems I am not looking to change anything for a long time. Everything I have is excellent and works well together. Could use a bigger room though.

pedrillo May 26, 2008 16:16

System edited: Added pictures of magnetic repusion and loaded tonearm to bring mass up for denon's 103r. It finally works!! Luck played a big role since I didn't have to experiment alot to get the amount of mass just right.

pedrillo April 06, 2008 08:57

MAJOR UPGRADE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If you look at the pictures of my speakers, I have those steel coated cables running up and down the side of my speakers about 2" away from the surface of the speaker.
Well the upgrade is: I installed acoustical foam so that it rests up against the side of the speaker.WOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!
Tighter quieter more focused. Vocals closer to life like!

pedrillo March 28, 2008 17:15

AM DONE FOR NOW!!
What do I do if I win the lotto?
Travel, fine dining and subscription to the met.

pedrillo March 25, 2008 09:19

Added a denon 103r cartridge to the table. Had to add alot of mass to the arm since the cartridge is low compliance. Between the Ear834p and JLTI I went back and forth. Finally decided the jlti was a little more suitable.
Then just today the K & K kit assembled came, WOW WOW WOW, this is a match for the 103r. And I haven't even tried the other settings yet! Maybe I won't need to.

pedrillo March 19, 2008 20:21

Jloves,
Bravo, good for you!!!!!
Hey you have to post pics. I am sure I am not the only one that would like to see your tt.

pedrillo March 05, 2008 15:51

Good for you!
I would suggest building a cabinet out of multiple materials with different densities using mechanical fasteners, making a tight bond.
The joints have to be tight and the idead of the foam acting as casket hmmmm , I would suggest a super tight fit, you don't want that driver to move. I am working on a project myself, a speaker cabinet as described above.
Good Luck!!
P.S. Can I suggest one thing?
Try vinyl not as in material but as in records, get THE SOURCE RIGHT FIRST BEFORE YOU TWEEK DOWNSTREAM!
Even if you don't get a walker or continuum, tt are much better sources than anything else unless you have a 40k digital end!

pedrillo January 29, 2008 17:41

Maxheadroom,
Yes there are some vibrations transmitted to the 4X4 beams supporting the speakers and subwoofer. These beams are not coupled to the ceiling, only at the ends to my record rack and 2X4's serving as support uprights. Therefore it doesn't amount to much in terms of creating secondary sound waves!
Since the 4X4's are dense and sprung they do not conduct that much energy. Also the rubber mats sandwhiching the merlins dampen things. Before the rubbermats I used plywood, WOW what a difference the rubber made like night and day.
Bottom line the system is quiet and dark, notes are distinct it is much better than being coupled to the floor IMHO.
I think what you did is fine as well, I would encourage experimentation.
I always keep in mind: "I don't know how good it can get till I hear a better system", which IMHO always exists and I have a long way to go before I reach the level of some of the members here.
Great respect I have for those who came before us and present time who design and setup the equipment that approaches live sound from recordings!!
If anything keep in mind no matter how good it sounds it could always be better, believe me!!!Keep pushing the envelope.

pedrillo January 29, 2008 15:40

Dgarretson,

I never thought of going that route. But it makes sense to me. Actually due to my current setup- primarily how my flywheel motor chassis is built I would probably need to fabricate a bearing mount system for yet another fullsize platter which I wouldn't mind so much. Dave you gave me a brilliant idea thank you. I would install the o-ring around the center platter!
Any suggestions for the o-ring. Maybe oversized rubberbands.

pedrillo January 24, 2008 14:11

Oh I forgot to mention, I tried two different heights when mounting the magnets.
The second height which brought the magnets closer to each other created a rumble in the low frequency which probably was the cogging effect I was expecting from using disc magnets. Hence the next step will be to get the arc segment magnets.

pedrillo January 16, 2008 19:32

System edited: Added the magnetic repulsion system to the turntable.
So far as I can see, it didn't change things too much. That's a good thing though, I feel it has added a tiny bit of noise. Not much, I noticed now with the magnets in place the music sounds more focused, but I think there is (maybe) some loss(very little) of high frequency details due to possibly movement from the magnets crossing each other's field. I was forced to use disc magnets, I used 3/8" round on the platter side and 1/2" on the plinth side, this way I don't have them all lining up at the same time if I had used the same size on both platter and plinth, then I would most definitely have more of a cogging effect. The next step I will be ordering custom magents. I would like to place a ring magnet on the platter/plinth this way it's one smooth surface throughout the ring rather than small disks looking like mosaic. But since the largest a ring magnet comes in is 5" diameter, I need to order magnets in arc segments shapes that when put together will form a ring. A little costly , but I think it is worth it. My intention is to take most of the weight off the bearing ball and thrust plate. Hopefully that will reduce any grinding sound that may be occurring. I considered replacing the thrust plate with tungsten carbide, but suspect that will create more noise than the peek that is in there now. The ball I am quite sure I will change eventually most likely to ceramic. This is a critical area of the turntable and any improvements will bring big results, bigger than improving the preamp or even power amp. This is the beginning of the chain, and whatever you do gets magnified down the road. It's like: when trying to get a road-racing bike to ride faster. You would rather shave weight off the wheels not the frame if you had to choose only one place to lose the weight. Any CONSTRUCTIVE criticism.

pedrillo January 16, 2008 14:31

Another lesson I learned: adding weight to the platter makes a big difference, highly recommended!!!
The bass is so much fuller and the imaging improves. Getting closer to that sound I heard at the mbl room. Just proves that the source is so important.

pedrillo January 01, 2008 19:48

WILL NOT BE UPGRADING FOR A VERY LONG TIME. FINALLY, FORGET MBL'S. AND THANK YOU TOM FOR HELPING OUT WITH THOSE TUBES.

pedrillo December 31, 2007 16:25

WOW is all I can say!!!
The last addition (the acrylic donut filled with lead-shot and steel washers) brought out so much more from the grooves of the record. My system was already sounding so good but this is so much better!! I am hearing a fuller and thicker sounding bass that comes out effortlessly. Imaging is so much more distinct and realistic and voices and instruments are easier to locate.
My lesson that I would like to share, don't judge speakers or power amp till you get the source right!!

pedrillo December 30, 2007 18:22

System edited: Just about to install this 28.4 pound beast to the underside on my hr-x platter, can't to hear this new set-up! The machining was labor intensive, but good things come to those who wait or have the money to pay others to build it for them.

pedrillo December 29, 2007 14:37

System edited: Just added some pictures of simaudio amp and martinlogan sub.

pedrillo December 14, 2007 11:08

Thanks for the nice words, I AM NUTS. At least I know it.
Yes I am having a blast. My next step is to add some lead shot to the bottom of the main platter. I have the design in my head already it's just a little labor intensive. I would like to encourage everyone to take an active role in tt setup. I think one easy first step would be to discouple the tt from the room. I never agreed with the shelf on the wall vs. a floor stand. If the floor resonates from the music or other sources of vibrations why would the wall not resonate as well. I may be missing the point so if anyone can explain I am all ears. In any case the room and everything in it will move, vibrate, resonate and shake. Put the tt outside of this and you will have improved things a great deal, if you take into consideration how little the distance a needle moves to make sound you will realize the significance of this decoupling business. I didn't want to move the tt outside of my room, who wants to walk extra steps to reposition the the needle or flip the record. Therefore I hung my tt shelf with steel cables. It's not that hard to do. I went an extra step and let my flywheel and motor section sit right the shelf this way there is that one less source of vibration from entering my cartridge. I hope I made a difference, any questions feel free to ask. Have fun and enjoy the music.

pedrillo December 08, 2007 06:03

Dave,
I would have liked to do away with the intermediary small flywheel but cannot figure out how I would drive the main platter without an oversized belt. Even if the belt existed I wonder if there would be too much slop since there would be a greater distance between the platters than between the small flywheel to each platter.
The center record clamp is around 6 pounds. Yes there is enough benefit to justify using it though I have not done an a-b terst recently. By the way from what I gathered from speaking with VPI the old bearing should be up to the task but I would give them a call to confirm.

pedrillo December 06, 2007 20:15

Belts are vpi's. Would like to hear about your machining pulleys. Thanks for looking.

pedrillo November 20, 2007 08:56