My 'nearly' new PT Too

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zebbo
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Re: My 'nearly' new PT Too

Unread post by zebbo »

The arm cable on the WB arm is fairly thick and weighty so when exiting through the base and bending it affected the suspension quite badly. I actually bored a hole directly under where the arm lead drops so the cable literally hangs free and the suspension is perfect. Not an option for you on your sideboard though. :lol:
Personally, with your deck, I would try to get it higher off the top to ease the exit of the cable. You'll see if the suspension is being affected as it will only bounce a few times compared to many, many times if the suspension is free.
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Re: My 'nearly' new PT Too

Unread post by zebbo »

Daniel Quinn wrote:The difference in price between an Anniversary and a PT was at the time not as steep as it is now . You are generally looking at £2000 for a second hand anniversary . Personally speaking , I would not now pay the differential . The money could be used more effectively I think .

But that is probably because I bastardised mine and I am a heretic :lol:
From a pure performance perspective I would agree. A fair degree of owning an Anniversary, particularly the battery version, is pride of ownership.
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Re: My 'nearly' new PT Too

Unread post by Daniel Quinn »

zebbo wrote: I actually bored a hole directly under where the arm lead drops so the cable literally hangs free and the suspension is perfect.
Many years ago , that is what I did when mine was on a wall shelf and the phono amp was on a little shelf directly underneath . I cut ah hole in the shelf and cut the cable to fit precisely .

Antonio lives alone ,put the phone amp in the sideboard and drill a hole in it ;)

I agree that the restricted height will effect the bounce as the arm cable will act as a dampener . I would question the consequences vis a vis SQ though . But you should try it Antonio, stick it on a subshell with a hole in it or spikes .

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Re: My 'nearly' new PT Too

Unread post by antonio66 »

zebbo wrote:The arm cable on the WB arm is fairly thick and weighty so when exiting through the base and bending it affected the suspension quite badly. I actually bored a hole directly under where the arm lead drops so the cable literally hangs free and the suspension is perfect. Not an option for you on your sideboard though. :lol:
Personally, with your deck, I would try to get it higher off the top to ease the exit of the cable. You'll see if the suspension is being affected as it will only bounce a few times compared to many, many times if the suspension is free.
Drilling a hole in the top of sideboard is a possible course of action since the sideboard was purchased 2nd hand just of the hifi and to put the tv on. I have already made holes in the backboard and between the storage dividing boards for wires, in fact I want to add one more shelf. Nobody would see the hole since it would be covered by the tt. On the top shelf and at the back there is a 2" backboard which the arm cable has to loop over which seems to keep the cable in place. DQ, the platter runs round squarely.

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Re: My 'nearly' new PT Too

Unread post by antonio66 »

When I have fitted a new shelf and have to move things around a bit, I will give some more thought to drilling a hole in the top, DQ if I put it on a shelf with spikes and drilled a hole through that, the arm cable would still come down to the top of the sideboard but exit between new shelf and spikes. Would that make a difference?

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Re: My 'nearly' new PT Too

Unread post by Daniel Quinn »

it would raise the turntable , the cable would thus have more room to swing free and effect less on the subchasis .

It was the influence of the arm cable on the sub chasis when I was experimenting with PT's that lead me to use a single piece of thin cable from cartridge clips to phono amps .Looking back I must have had no life because I spent hundreds of hours playing with it , I played with my PT'S more than I actually played them :grin: I have been building a new plinth to experiment with for the past 18 months , all the moment all I have is drawings :angry-steamingears:

I would not like to say if it would make a difference to SQ , But the suspension should bounce more freely like it would if the cable was not there.

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Re: My 'nearly' new PT Too

Unread post by _D_S_J_R_ »

Regarding the bearing state, DQ will conform, but I remember that if the ruby thrust pad/plate was damaged in any way, the bearing wouldn't run at all without some grinding and stiction as I believe the ruby shatters rather than chips (I may be totally wrong on this though). Since the platter seems free and stable, then from a distance I suspect all is well.

My caution regarding the exit cable termination on the plinth may well be coloured by the necessity of the LP12 to have a P clip to anchor the cables several inches from the tonearm point (terminating vibration - may be bollocks but that's what we were 'told'), but also I suspect to help stop the sub-chassis shimmying sideways or rotate perhaps. All probably due to the compromised dynamics caused by the top heavy platter so apologies here. The PT of course, has a much lighter platter and hangs effectively I believe from spring steel strips from memory, so I think it may behave in an entirely different way, where the exit cable may not have to be clamped as Linn's needed to.
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Re: My 'nearly' new PT Too

Unread post by Daniel Quinn »

if Lubricated a damaged bearing will not stop the platter spinning normally , it will spin erratically .I have one in which 30% of the sapphire is missing [thanks toddler DQ] , I didn't notice until I saw it going up and down somewhat pronouncedly as I was about to put a record on .

I have one which I suspect is worn and a visible crack at the top just above the ball bearing shaped indentation ,it works perfectly fine , but the platter spins up and down at same point every revolution by a couple of mm's .That drove me mad .

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Re: My 'nearly' new PT Too

Unread post by antonio66 »

Thank you for that gentlemen, I can understand the reasoning behind the cable having more room, so will more than likely drill a hole when I have to re organise due to new shelf. Dave there if a plastic clip on the PT were the cable exits from the plinth. Still listening which is what you'll have to do now DQ. :grin: :grin:

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Re: My 'nearly' new PT Too

Unread post by _D_S_J_R_ »

Whatever any of us say, I think we all want 'all' of us to get a great sound at home and from whichever source we use. By sharing, we learn from each other and my experience of suspended PT's is far less than my experiences and years working with LP12's for example. I like to think that a little cross pollination exists though and of course, cable dressing on a Systemdek (for example) is different from memory to an LP12 and involves more 'looping' I seem to remember.

Forgive me if I push this point a little too far, but if PT do provide a clamp for the tonearm cable where it exits the plinth, could it not be used carefully, gently and safely without clamping the cable to breaking point? At least, what you do with the cable outside of the plinth shouldn't then disturb what's going on inside. Sorry, don't want to push it.
Hanging on in quiet desperation is the English way...The time has gone, The song is over, Thought I'd something more to say...

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