Bottlehead Forum
Other Gear => Phono => Topic started by: Jim R. on November 11, 2011, 03:49:36 PM
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After quite a few years of no TT, ad after selling my album collection, some nice vinyl gear and swearing it off forever, I have decided that that's time to do it all over again.
So, after a lot of research, waffling, many attempts at finding a good, affordable Thorens TD-124 that wasn't goin to turn into a big project, I just decided to go for a dealer demo Clearaudio Concept TT and a Clearaudio Aurum Beta S Mk. II wood cart.
One reason is that this is a well reviewed table that performs like much more expensive decks, has a very cool, magnetically suspended, unipivot tonearm that is supposedly very easy to setup and maintain, and to top it all off, I can run the table from the same high quality, filtered/regulated battery supply that now runs my Mac Mini.
Anyway, the next step will be an Eros, and I figure this will keep me quite happy until such a time as I can upgrade to a virtuoso or Maestro cart -- want to stick with the MM types for now.
BTW, the last table was an upgraded VPI hw-19 with the bonded steel plinth, walnut base, Technics EPA-100 arm and Sumiko blackbird on a Sumiko magnesium headshell and Van Den Hul cabling -- not a shabby rig either.
Wish me success as this was not an easy decision and I sure hope it pays off in the end.
-- Jim
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I've had two TD-124s in the past. Traded them both away.
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Hey Jim,
I own a Concept, I think you will be happy with it. I started with the stock Concept MM cartridge and upgraded to a Virtuoso. I have a feeling the Eros would mate well with this table.
Cheers,
Shawn
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Welcome back to vinyl Jim!
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Jim,
Congratulations! I knew you didn't play vinyl but with all else you do I had wondered why not.
I will be interested in hearing how you cue up the arm. No problems with placing the LP or anything else.
I hope this isn't too personal a question but how will you know which LP you are drawing out?
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Dan, yes, they apparently take quite a bit of fussing and an upgraded plinth to really sing, and I just didn't want a project like that now, especially since it would cost me more than I really have to spend.
Shawn, Glad to hear you like the Concept -- aren't you somewhere in Colorado as well?
Hey Aaron, thanks much -- looking forward to it for sure. How's things with you?
Grainger, no problem, just have to make braille labels to put on the heavy poly outer sleeves I used to prefer to use to keep the covers nice. Then I just have to be dutiful about returning things back to where they were as soon as I'm done playing the album -- which is often my downfall, but starting from scratch will mean everything will get categorized from the outset and everything will get a label before it gets put away.
BTW, your tagline still says Seduction :-).
I also just finally, after I don't know how many months on the market, sold my Cornwalls, and that should cover the price of the Eros kit, so hopefully I'll get that ordered next week sometime.
Now I'm just waiting for my speakers, but I'm told I will get god news on that early next week as well, so I'm getting very close now...
-- Jim
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Glad to hear you are back into vinvl. I too, have been back into vinyl and am enjoying it. Bought my VPI table new from my local shop because I can count on them to help me get the best performance. I have been at it for just under 2 years after a 25 years hiatus.
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CS&N is one of those LPs I bought when it came out and over the years I have heard it enough to know what is there. Often a system will not bring out the high hat cymbals closing far off to the right in Guinevere. It is barely perceptible in mine.
They didn't feature drums that much on the first LP even less afterward.
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CS&N is one of those LPs I bought when it came out and over the years I have heard it enough to know what is there. Often a system will not bring out the high hat cymbals closing far off to the right in Guinevere. It is barely perceptible in mine.
They didn't feature drums that much on the first LP even less afterward.
Ok, I give, what is CS&N. Crosby, Stills and Nash without the Young? May I ask which album?
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Thoburn,
Yes, Crosby, Stills and Nash, and I believe the album is simply called "CSN" -- it's the one with Wooden Ships and several other great (IMO) tracks, of ccourse which I can't remember offhand.
One of the few albums from my collection that I do actually missh having.
-- Jim
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CSN, and CSN&Y as well. Those boys could really harmonize. Many years ago I had Four Way Street on vinyl and wore it down pretty good. That's been on my short list of new vinyl to acquire. I need to get my Seduction built.
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Welcome back to vinyl Jim///Welcome back to vinyl Jim///Welcome back to vinyl Jim///Welcome back to vinyl Jim///Welcome back to vinyl Jim...(its skipping, get it..;-).
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Hey Jim,
Sorry I did not see your post until now, been working and sleeping for the past 7 days. Yes, I live in Fountain, south of Colo. Springs and work in Woodland Park. I wanted to mention that I have found the Clear Audio TTs extremely accurate, detailed, and quiet but a little on the cold side for vinyl. I was using the nano phonostage, but I built a Hackintosh for a friend and he traded a Jolida phonostage, and it warmed the sound right up. IMO these tables need tubes, I plan on ordering an Eros as soon as I have saved enough, let me know what you think of the combo.
Cheers,
Shawn P.
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Shawn,
Will-do. BTW, I'm in Boulder, so not too awfully far away.
-- Jim
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Hey Jim,
Just recieved my yearly catalog from Music Direct and found some interesting things. Clearaudio has two new tables, Performance SEP and the Ovation, based on the basic concept design. Now we know why they named it Concept. Also, there is a really cool old-style turntable from Luxman. I really like it's looks, but the $6400.00 price-tag seems a little steep to me. Just thought you might like to check them out.
Cheers,
Shawn P.
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Thanks, Shawn -- I'll take a look, but I want to spend some quality time with the Concept before I make any decisions if I'm going to upgrade, and what I'd upgrade -- table, cart, etc.
Truth be told, if I had had enough money I would have bought an Audio Note TT2 with the ARM2 and IQ1 cart, then upgrade the stylus on the cart to the one on the IQ3 -- all the IQ carts are the same except for stylus. I've heard the TT2, and it is a really great table -- much better than the TT1, which is based on the systemdek II gx, which is also a really decent table for the money, but just not what I was looking for in a sonic signature.
It could turn out that the Concept really gives the TT2 a run for it's money, and that's kind of what I'm hoping for, but it's still a complete unknown at this point.
If you have the inclination, you might try 3 of the Yamamoto PB-10 ebony bases under the feet on the Concept -- they may mellow the table's edge (as I think you were describing it) and give great tone as well. If you want to wait, I'll do this experiment for you though it's likely going to be a couple/few months as I'll still have to build the Eros and put some time on it and the table -- the cart should be almost broken in as it was bought with 100 hours on it.
The thing about all this that really scares me is that somehow, sooner or later, I'm probably going to have to find a way to setup a TT for the living room system :-).
-- Jim
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I had a Thorens TT back in college in the 70's. Wish I still had it, even though I got rid of my vinyl long ago! I can understand the re-surging interest in the black disks, although Im quite occupied in the continual pursuit of extracting the best sound from digital. Vinyl is like tubes. Expensive with a capital E!
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I had a Thorens TT back in college in the 70's. Wish I still had it, even though I got rid of my vinyl long ago! I can understand the re-surging interest in the black disks, although Im quite occupied in the continual pursuit of extracting the best sound from digital. Vinyl is like tubes. Expensive with a capital E!
Hello EarWaxxer,
I thought my vinyl rig and modern 45 rpm albums were EXPENSIVE ($50 - $90 a wack) until I looked into reel to reel. Imagine spending $500 for one album. Ouch! My wife gets twitchy when she sees me surfing the reel to reels on EBay.
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As for me, I've been chasing the best digital for quite a few years now and I think that with the latest mods to my mac mini and maybe some new usb and FW cables with the power legs removed (and some other tricks to actually still make everything function properly), that I could finally be there. Of course the BH dac will now be on the radar as well.
And as ridiculous as it sounds, I'm not getting into vinyl with plans to buy only super records, but really more for the used, cheap vinyl one finds in all kinds of places for very cheap -- those are the things that for the most part, will never make it to digital. Of course if some of the audiophile vinyl is of things I like, and the pressings are good, along with the mastering, then I may go for it, but a lot of the 180/200 gram vinyl, 33-1/3 and 45 rpm albums I had before were a real mixed bag -- a couple were great and some were just awful -- very much the same as the hi-res downloads from HDTracks and others. Caveat emptor in both media types. There are gems and turds in both -- which has always been the case with audio.
-- Jim
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I know what you mean J. I've had great and a few bad CDs, but with vinyl I've had even more discrepancies. I actually have many LPs that I bought at Good Will for .99 cents. I have one that I bought at Good Will that is a gem. It has lots of pops and click thoughs. It is a 1958 issue of Jasha Heifetz with the Chicago Orchestra performing Tschaikowsky's concerto in D. It is a wonderful recording despite all the noise. And only .99 cents.
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Hey Jim, not planning on upgrading myself anytime soon. I was pleased that they are using this design for higher end tables, usually that means some of the upgraded tech. Will trikle down to the concept. Which an engineer from Clearaudio said they had some upgrades for the concept in the works, ceramic, magnetic bearing and a few other mods. I have been using these little blocks of cork sandwiched in between rubber, they work well. Also, I have the table on a base I made using a 2 inch slab of acrylic and vibrapods.
Cheers,
Shawn P.
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Shawn,
Can I ask who you talked to about all this? The CMB would be very cool if it becomes available for the Concept. Supposedly there is also a way to do fine adjustments of the speed, but it's not covered in the pretty sparse manual, and I have a few other questions for them about setup as I did not buy the table with the cart installed.
Thanks,
Jim
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Jim, it has been so long I can't remember who sent me the emails. I used the contact email link on the CA site. I originally contacted them about speed control on the Concept, we have crappy power down here. After about a month I got an answer from a person in sales and someone stating he was in R&D. He never mentioned any control for the speed other than the control units for the other tables were not compatible (DC motor). He mentioned a possible CMB and better feet but that was all. Thats why I was so excited about the new tables. The Performance SEP looks like a Concept with a CMB and slightly thicker Delrin platter. The new ovation, and performance use the same basic motor as the concept, but the Ovation has OSC or optical speed control. Not exactly sure what that is. If you find out anything about the speed adjustment please let me know.
Cheers,
Shawn P.