You are correct, I am using reagent water. Likewise, I am pretty sure that the difference between a gallon and 4.5 liters is negligable. With respect to the rinse, I continue to use my Loricraft; however, but for the cost I would buy another Audio Desk and use it exclusively to rinse. I have a friend who does that. I still remember my Crosby Quads quite fondly. I have had many different speakers since, but in retrospect none that surpasses the Quads in their areas of strength. For me the reliability finally became an issue.

fcrowder August 27, 2013 14:44

Whart,

Thanks for your responses. I should note that I source the de-ionized water from a laboratory supply store also. The 4.5 liters came from the instructions provided with my AD and seems to raise the float to the top of the window. I would suggest that as an experiment (assuming that you still have access to the VPI) you rinse a record that you have previously cleaned on the AD using de-ionized or distilled water, playing it both before and after the rinse. If you hear no difference then continue using the full bottle of AD additive without rinsing. The AD is the single RCM that I have ever used; however, I have never found a record cleaning regime that does not benefit to some degree from a final rinse.

Fred

fcrowder August 26, 2013 15:56

Mike,

Thanks very the prompt and extremely helpful answer. I followed the instructions and added the entire bottle of cleaning fluid to 5 quarts of water and the result is exactly as you have described. I will try reducing the detergent. The only time that I have any water left is when I change from 180 or 200 gram records to thinner issues. I think that the thicker records temporarily deform the wipers. They do adjust after a record or two.

I am unsure whether the de-ionized water is also distilled but I suspect that the de-ionization alone probably accomplished the same thing. I buy the de-ionized water at a laboratory supply store in a 20 liter carboy. It was the purest water that they sold, better than distilled according to them. Reagent grade I believe refers to the purity.

Fred

fcrowder August 20, 2013 18:39

Mike,

I am generally a late adopter of new technology and have just bought an Audio Desk RCM. It is my impression that the sound of records that have been cleaned in the AD are improved by a rinse with reagent grade de-ionized water. Have you noticed this? Would you recommend using the AD with de-ionized water and not adding their fluid? Have you considered using photoflow in the new machine to aid sheeting?

Thanks in advance for any comments.

Fred

fcrowder August 19, 2013 17:42

Mike,
Did you ever mount the MC Anna in the Sirius III? I am just wondering how the weight and compliance of the Anna will mate with my own Rockport. Thanks,

Fred

fcrowder October 18, 2012 16:21

Mike,
I am one of the many that has had an MC Anna on order for an extended period. Do you have any information about when Ortofon will begin shipping the cartridges to thoose on the waiting list in the US? Your comments on the cartridge were the primary factor that led me to order one, although already owning an A90 was also a factor.

Thanks in advance,
Fred

fcrowder August 16, 2012 15:15

Just a curiousity question. I am using the Ypsilon phono stage with their transformer recommended for the A90. Should that be optimal for the MC Anna? I am already on the list to get one.

fcrowder January 31, 2012 18:13

I think that as each of us approaches retirement, it does result in a change of our priorities. I have also reached the point where I am reluctant to invest more money in my system unless the change makes a significant difference in my enjoyment. Too often we make changes which represent a lateral shift rather than a fundamental improvement. I have vicariously enjoyed your exploration of turntables and analog. If I have understood your posts, your perception is not that any one of the turntables excels over the others in all areas, but that each has its own strong points and that which a listener might choose is a matter of personal taste. I continue to hope that ultimately something will come along which represents the strengths of the other three. Strictly for the sake of simplicity, it would be nice to have one tables with multiple arms rather than multiple tables, each with a different arm. I have often thought that one of the greatest strengths/ weaknesses of the Rockport is its single arm. I know from experience with my Sirios that the arm prefers one particular range of weight/ compliance over others and thus favors certain cartridges over others.

fcrowder February 19, 2011 22:19

I will note that Tbg had the unit in his system and concluded that its use in conjunction with a normal vaccuum machine such as the better VPI's was even better than either unit separately. It might be interesting to clean several records with the ultrasonic machine, listem to them, then clean them again with Mike's existing machine and re-listen

fcrowder March 25, 2010 07:05

Just curious whether you have tried the Ortofon MC90 on the Rockport w/o damping? While I have not owned an Olympos, I am very familiar with the Titan i in the Rockport with various levels of damping. I have recently purchased an Ortofon MC90 and find it to be a very nice improvement over the Titan i in the Rockport, particularly in the top end.

fcrowder January 06, 2010 21:35

I have watched this thread over an extended period and have found your insights often rewarding. Given that I have some familiarity with Albert's explorations of the Mk 2 and Mk 3, I am not really surprised by your results. One thing for others to keep in mind is that we ultimately are talking about a $20k turntable by the time that all the modifications are done with a motor/control assembly that are at least 20 years old and which cannot be serviced by the manufacturer. Don't misunderstand my comment as I am in similar straits with my Rockport. It does on ocasion require some upkeep and feeding.

Congratulations on a job well done.

On a separate point, have you had any experience with the Grand Prix TT?

fcrowder May 13, 2009 12:26

I hope that you and perhaps some of the attendees will ppost your thoughts after the listening session.

fcrowder April 06, 2009 12:53

I spoke at length with Andy and looked at CAD drawings of the Sirius 5. His current plan is to build the prototype by the end of this year and at that point determine the price. The date could well slip or the turntable never become a real product but Andy is generally good at follow up.

fcrowder January 14, 2009 22:36

I was able to finally repeat your experience using the Acoustic Revive and did find that it enhanced the effect significantly.

On a separate front, I am very interested in your TT trials. I have heard the combination of the SP10 Mk 2/Panzer wood base, but not in my own system against the Rockport. I think that the combination might furher benefit from positioning on a Halcyonics isolation base.

fcrowder August 13, 2008 15:16

Save yourself, some time effort and money and speak with Albert Porter about TT recommendations. I think that you will find him to be an excellent and unbiased source of information.

fcrowder July 23, 2008 08:50

Re: The Tourmaline De-Ionizer

Why is it that it is so easy to discount tweaks and equipment that offer a high ratio of value to cost? Case in point, the Tourmaline De-Ionizer praised by Mike as a low cost, very effcetive method of improving the sound from CD's and vinyl. For those of you who have not seen this contraption, it looks like a hair dryer with a large funnel attached to the end. Further examination of the funnel shaped attachment reveals a wire screen which holds a large number of 3-5 mm tourmaline beads and through which the heated air from the dryer passes and allegedly excites and harvests negatively charged ions emitted from the tourmaline. AT first blush, I thought that Mike had lost his marbles or was that his tourmaline beads; however, was I wrong. After auditioning a few of the Accoustic Revive products (most notably the RTP-2, I have developed a healthy respect for the properties of tourmaline, even if I fail to understand how it functions. The de-ionizer is in many ways similar in effect to the RTP-4, except that instead of working to condition AC, it works directly on the CD or record. The effect seems to be consistent and easily audible, but not night and day. In my system, it seems to remove a subtle layer of grit/haze around the instruments and to reduce low level noise enhancing both dynamics and low level detail and at the same time to make long term listeing more enjoyable by removing subtle irritants. On some material, it increases image height somewhat and improves focus. The positive effects seem more pronounced on vinyl. As Mike mentioned, the effect is not permanent and unfortunately dissipates toward the end of a record side. Your mileage may vary as I suspect that the effect will vary depending on theresolving power of the system.

fcrowder July 07, 2008 20:16

I only wish that I could say that my purchases over the past two years had been revenue neutral, but between the Triolons and the new Audio Note balanced Kegons, this just has not been the case. Nonetheless, I would like to think that by purchasing in the used market where possible and actively seeking good prices on new items, I could recoup a majority of what I have spent in most cases.

fcrowder June 11, 2008 15:26

Mike,

Thanks for the brief look into the recording session with Winston at your home. I hope that when you have the time, you will compose a longer article which can be printed in Positive Feedback that goes into greater detail with respect to that recording session. I think that most of us would find that very informative and well worth reading.

I should be receiving my tourmaline de-ionizer today or tomorrow and will comment further after I have the chance to do some listening.

fcrowder May 27, 2008 12:56

Nice to hear from you again. For every one detractor, there are a multitude of others who enjoy your posts but never get around to posting a comment. Although I may not always agree with your comments, I always find them well thought out and thought provoking. Please continue posting as you have time.

fcrowder May 01, 2008 13:15

A friend has recently been comparing various brands of audiophile grade connectors, both the male 3 prong connectors which go unto the wall and various IEC connectors. He recently tried the top of the line Oyade connectors which are $400 retail for the pair and the bodies of which are formed from carbon fiber. He comparewd these against the Oyade connectors immediately below them which are $220 and which appear to be exactly the same sans the carbon fiber body. The more expensive plug sounded significantly better, but is outrageously expensive, considering what you can buy connectors for at a hardware store. The point of this story and its relevance to Mike's comments about OPUS is the price which a manufacturer charges and the technology which he uses is immaterial. It either sounds good or it doesn't. It either works in your system to bring it closer to achieving what you seek or it does not. The rest is strictly an economic decision which each of us must make for themselves based on our priorities. In the case of OPUS, I do know that the carbon fiber enclosues for the networks are custom made in very small quantities. Based on Oyade plugs, I have to assume that these are not cheap. Likewise the build quality and quality of parts used is excellent and the time time required to custom tune each cable is costly. But again, this is not the point. The sound in your system is the point!

fcrowder May 11, 2006 13:51