Bigman80
Grandmaster
The HiFi Bear/Audioaddicts/Bigbottle Owner
Posts: 16,398
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Post by Bigman80 on Apr 11, 2020 11:21:01 GMT
I haven't Andrew. I must admit to only trying 3 Decca carts and all three, with a minor exception for the Blue, made me want to fill my ears with cotton wool to protect them. To be honest, I didnt feel I wanted to venture any further I to that rabbit hole. Fair enough they are not for everyone. I wouldn't use the DECCA for certain music genres. Jazz and classical seem to be very good. I have loads of Jazz records and only about 50 classical. I'm slowly collecting the old DECCA mono and stereo classical recordings. Some of them are truly excellent and I think the DECCA shines when playing these. I only play classical records every so often so the DECCA is more of a fun thing to have around the listening room rather than an every day workhorse transcription tool. Yes, it makes sense what you are doing. |
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Post by sq225917 on Apr 11, 2020 13:26:45 GMT
Andy the 3 wires are l+, r+ and a shared gnd. I can post you some cardas awg33 to run from the headshell bolts to the gnd on your phonostage, that'll cure it.
It's a bugger to work with though, super thin litz.
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Post by rexton on Apr 11, 2020 18:19:55 GMT
PM sent!
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Post by rexton on May 3, 2020 17:03:18 GMT
Today has been spent fine tuning. I've finally got around to properly aligning the Tannoys. I also decided to have a hunt around my spares box and found a completely unused Shure N44-1 stylus which is a MONO stylus for the M55E. I've picked up quite a few MONO LP's over the years and always intended have a specific MONO arm to take advantage of these recordings. So, using the M55E is quite versatile you just slip the stylus out and your away, no messing around taking off headshells. The Shure M55E+N44-1 combo is playing through my EAR 834P clone which has also been modded for MONO output. Here's a link to the N44-1 if you want more info snvinyl.co.uk/Shure-N44-1-Stylus-for-Cartridge-M44-1 I'm not advocating using this website but there is a great description with regards the various styli that can be used. The soundstage is very wide and I'm currently enjoying a MONO repress of The Doors - The Doors album, it sounds excellent and really showcases what MONO can sound like. I already own a Ortofon SPU MONO which I use with my SME 3012 but the Shure N44-1 is a great introduction into the world of MONO. I'll be certainly on the hunt for more MONO recordings and getting my Moth & Ultrasonic cleaner ready to clean them up! |
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Post by jimbo on May 3, 2020 17:34:40 GMT
Today has been spent fine tuning. I've finally got around to properly aligning the Tannoys. I also decided to have a hunt around my spares box and found a completely unused Shure N44-1 stylus which is a MONO stylus for the M55E. I've picked up quite a few MONO LP's over the years and always intended have a specific MONO arm to take advantage of these recordings. So, using the M55E is quite versatile you just slip the stylus out and your away, no messing around taking off headshells. The Shure M55E+N44-1 combo is playing through my EAR 834P clone which has also been modded for MONO output. Here's a link to the N44-1 if you want more info snvinyl.co.uk/Shure-N44-1-Stylus-for-Cartridge-M44-1 I'm not advocating using this website but there is a great description with regards the various styli that can be used. The soundstage is very wide and I'm currently enjoying a MONO repress of The Doors - The Doors album, it sounds excellent and really showcases what MONO can sound like. I already own a Ortofon SPU MONO which I use with my SME 3012 but the Shure N44-1 is a great introduction into the world of MONO. I'll be certainly on the hunt for more MONO recordings and getting my Moth & Ultrasonic cleaner ready to clean them up! Interesting stuff Andy, I am probably going to give my M44-7 a spin on the Lenco when i have some decent phono plugs attached and I am looking forward to hear what it can do. I was chatting last night and Helens father has a load of 78s which are apparently in very good condition. I have never heard or played a 78 but I presume they were all in mono. Do they need to be played with a mono stylus/ cartridge and is there a special stylus for 78's? |
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Post by rexton on May 3, 2020 19:42:00 GMT
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Post by jimbo on May 3, 2020 20:16:44 GMT
Thanks, as usual Lenco Heaven has huge amount of info! |
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Post by rexton on May 3, 2020 20:38:00 GMT
Here's a picture of the little whipper snapper on the SME V-12 |
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Bigman80
Grandmaster
The HiFi Bear/Audioaddicts/Bigbottle Owner
Posts: 16,398
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Post by Bigman80 on May 6, 2020 23:53:33 GMT
Here's a picture of the little whipper snapper on the SME V-12 Looks very cool...... |
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Post by rexton on May 7, 2020 10:52:53 GMT
It originally cost me £12 off fleabay, it was a gamble and the best so far. It's very versatile, just need the n44-3 to play 78rpm records and then you've got a cartridge that plays everything with specific stylii.
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Post by rexton on May 7, 2020 20:10:01 GMT
I decided to finally get my arse into gear and sort out my Ultrasonic cleaner. I decided to make one and it cost <£300 all in including chemicals to make up cleaning solutions. My only problem was finding a relevant PSU for the motor, a quick search through my laptop spares yielded said PSU and after a quick hack I'd soldered up the PSU and had a working cleaner. First results are very good, I had a 1956 MONO copy of Sibelius that I picked up for pennies at a charity shop, just about playable before cleaning in the US cleaner. Now, it's much more presentable, there is still some surface noise but I've managed to eradicate virtually 90% and I removed numerous ticks. At 64 years old you'd expect some damage. The soundstage for the MONO recording is wide and vibrant, it's been a real win-win scenario. Time is the only downside to using the US cleaner. You need at least 60 minutes to decently clean a record and then you've got to wait for the darn thing to warm up. The US cleaner was a lateral thinking purchase in a bid to preserve the integrity of my cartridges whilst trying to get the most out of each record. So far we seem to be winning. I can't wait for COVID 19 to bugger off so that I can start to go crate digging again and seeing what ancient gems I can salvage, restore, cherish and enjoy.
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Post by gninnam on May 7, 2020 20:28:08 GMT
Info/pics on your US cleaner please  |
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Post by rexton on May 7, 2020 20:35:59 GMT
Info/pics on your US cleaner please OK, tomorrow mate. |
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Post by jimbo on May 8, 2020 4:43:16 GMT
I decided to finally get my arse into gear and sort out my Ultrasonic cleaner. I decided to make one and it cost <£300 all in including chemicals to make up cleaning solutions. My only problem was finding a relevant PSU for the motor, a quick search through my laptop spares yielded said PSU and after a quick hack I'd soldered up the PSU and had a working cleaner. First results are very good, I had a 1956 MONO copy of Sibelius that I picked up for pennies at a charity shop, just about playable before cleaning in the US cleaner. Now, it's much more presentable, there is still some surface noise but I've managed to eradicate virtually 90% and I removed numerous ticks. At 64 years old you'd expect some damage. The soundstage for the MONO recording is wide and vibrant, it's been a real win-win scenario. Time is the only downside to using the US cleaner. You need at least 60 minutes to decently clean a record and then you've got to wait for the darn thing to warm up. The US cleaner was a lateral thinking purchase in a bid to preserve the integrity of my cartridges whilst trying to get the most out of each record. So far we seem to be winning. I can't wait for COVID 19 to bugger off so that I can start to go crate digging again and seeing what ancient gems I can salvage, restore, cherish and enjoy. Great what record cleaners can achieve with dirty old records. I have had some 50 year old vinyl off discogs and put it through my VPI RCM 16.5 and they have sounded almost as new! |
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Post by rexton on May 8, 2020 7:35:12 GMT
There are many different methods for cleaning as well. I use a Moth record cleaner to give the LP a quick clean then I use the US cleaner for 30-60 minutes depending upon the condition of the records. I like the US to be warmed up to 40oC and I use 40Hz to clean, I also use a record cleaner in the distilled water. I then finish off by vacuuming off excess liquids with the Moth. I have Simons fluid to try as well.
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Post by jimbo on May 8, 2020 8:23:42 GMT
There are many different methods for cleaning as well. I use a Moth record cleaner to give the LP a quick clean then I use the US cleaner for 30-60 minutes depending upon the condition of the records. I like the US to be warmed up to 40oC and I use 40Hz to clean, I also use a record cleaner in the distilled water. I then finish off by vacuuming off excess liquids with the Moth. I have Simons fluid to try as well. What is Simons fluid? |
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Post by rexton on May 8, 2020 8:46:44 GMT
I've just realised that sounds, SO WRONG! Trying Simon's Fluid.............
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Post by jimbo on May 8, 2020 9:05:44 GMT
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Post by rexton on May 8, 2020 10:44:09 GMT
Simon, sq225917, has a new record cleaning product up for trial. I've not used it yet. I need to dilute it down but I don't have a container to keep it in. I need to have a hunt around the house.
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Bigman80
Grandmaster
The HiFi Bear/Audioaddicts/Bigbottle Owner
Posts: 16,398
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Post by Bigman80 on May 8, 2020 11:06:28 GMT
Yep is have some and must admit that I havent got round to dedicating a session to it.....but I will!
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Post by rexton on May 8, 2020 17:46:50 GMT
As promised. The US cleaner I've been using. |
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Post by jimbo on May 8, 2020 19:41:04 GMT
Digital controls aswell - thats fancy, mine is just an on/off switch!
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Post by rexton on May 8, 2020 20:32:15 GMT
Well it's been two days since I got the US cleaner working and all I can say is that it's been a revelation. I've cleaned a few old favourite albums and had a good listen and the level of detail which can be unlocked from old pressings is amazing. Even new pressings seem to respond to a quick 30 minute zap at 40hz. Some rather interesting things have also occurred with my TT setup, my M55E no tracks at 0.2g less, I'm getting more detail so this can only be good for stylus lifespan. The main thing is the level of detail, everything is so much clearer. I can dissect a recording in greater detail and the old Tannoys just seem to be giving out more and more information. I'd massively recommend a US cleaner. Now to slightly change subject. My old Sondex S100 amp can hum like a bugger, it's transformer hum, so I decided to make a small mod after reading a throw away comment by an amp designer over on AOS. I'd always capped my input voltage to all my gear at 240v through my P10 regenerator, so tonight I decided to drop down to 230v to see if I got as much hum from the Sondex and low and behold, things still hum but not as much. Garrards are also supposed to generate less motor vibration at lower voltages which can only be a good thing. It't pretty pointless for me as my motor is decoupled on my 401 but I'll still take less motor vibration, it can't hurt, can it?!?! Overall the valve system is sounding very very good so I'm putting this down to a drop of hum on the soundstage and much cleaner records.
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Post by jimbo on May 8, 2020 20:38:05 GMT
When i returned back to vinyl I knew I needed a record cleaning machine. There have been so many times I have had dirty records that needed cleaning either because they were new and had rubbish on them from the start or because they were old and dirty or more often than not had become electrically charged (static). I dont know how I would manage without one now.
I would very much like an ultrasonic machine so that maybe one for the future.
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Post by gninnam on May 8, 2020 21:00:48 GMT
Thanks for the pic Andrew. Was hoping for a few more. I keep on meaning to get or make one but not dipped the toe in as yet. |
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Post by rexton on May 9, 2020 7:19:56 GMT
Thanks for the pic Andrew. Was hoping for a few more. I keep on meaning to get or make one but not dipped the toe in as yet. In all honesty it's 30 minutes work searching out the relevant films and threads on the net and then spending 12 hours trawling around ebay for the cheapest parts!!!! It's not difficult. It's useful if you've got an old laptop PSU kicking around that outputs 12-14V, splice a couple of wires and your away. |
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Post by gninnam on May 10, 2020 9:41:20 GMT
Thanks for the pic Andrew. Was hoping for a few more. I keep on meaning to get or make one but not dipped the toe in as yet. In all honesty it's 30 minutes work searching out the relevant films and threads on the net and then spending 12 hours trawling around ebay for the cheapest parts!!!! It's not difficult. It's useful if you've got an old laptop PSU kicking around that outputs 12-14V, splice a couple of wires and your away. Cheers - have a shed load of laptop PSU's so will have a look into it |
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Post by rexton on May 16, 2020 12:28:50 GMT
My 1210 has been down over the last week due to the Cadenza Black having a little Dutch holiday!!
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Post by antonio on May 16, 2020 13:46:07 GMT
My Lyra went to Surrey his holiday.  |
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Post by rexton on May 25, 2020 17:57:16 GMT
OK, the Ortofon Cadenza black is coming home. It's had a new FGS stylus, a bloody good clean, new improved damping system from the Anna cartridges. Overall it should perform to nearly the same level as the very top echelons of Ortofons cartridges. It's stuck in Holland at the moment. Should be home in next 10 days.
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