Merrill Replica ES-R1 in the house

[Downhome Upstate]

This thing doesn't play like a budget 'table! The bearing/platter assembly spins like a perpetual motion machine, and the integral cork/rubber mat works really, really well. The drive and outer platters are very substantial and made from the same heavy, non-resonant polymer as the (substantial) separate armboard and subchassis.
Sensitive to footfalls, but I'm pretty sure that's my engineered wood floor floating over cork underlayment, on gypcrete over TJI joists. It bounces.

Just finished my Seduction tonight (haven't done the C4S yet), and so its not broken-in at all. With a brand new Audio Technica AT7V on a brand new Jelco 750D arm and a hot-rodded Jelco tonearm cable (no break-in on anything), it already sounds great.

I'm listening to the plain ol' vinyl Riverside re-issue of Waltz for Debby, and loving it. Good wood (and getting better) on the double bass, good attack on drums and piano, rich, full mids, good soundstage width and depth, air around instruments, highs aren't rolled off, and I'm havin' fun!   
 

[Grainger49]

(https://forum.bottlehead.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi244.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fgg7%2FGrainger49%2FSmiles%2FWorthless.gif&hash=9d8ef4862e40664ab4eb2d68fd061c40652dbcd2)

Please, would love to see it.

[Downhome Upstate]

(https://forum.bottlehead.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi244.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fgg7%2FGrainger49%2FSmiles%2FWorthless.gif&hash=9d8ef4862e40664ab4eb2d68fd061c40652dbcd2)

Please, would love to see it.

Right!  Will do tonight after work. [By the time I trouble-shot the Seduction (funny things happen when you reverse the input and output resistors, and when tubes aren't fully inserted), assembled the table, mounted and adjusted the tonearm and aligned the cartridge, all I wanted to do was spin some vinyl!]

[Wanderer]

Very interested in this. The new table seems a real bargain in todays dollars.

Might be interested in the pictures here:
http://www.vinylnirvana.com/merrill-es-r1-turntable/

...and some of the parts and bits are sold as add ons for older ARs here:
http://www.vinylnirvana.com/ar-replacement-upgrade-parts/

...and as far as the footfall sensitivity issues: It is common to most suspended sub-chassis tables. The fix is a good stable wall shelf.   
   
I have an older Merrill mod AR AX. The sub-chassis on mine is 1980s vintage Merrill and is acrylic not the newer polymer. It does have the replacement bearing and thust shaft. The newest bit on it is a co-polymer pulley from Vinyl Nirvana. I run with a SME IIIs and AT 440MLa. Thinking about the upgrade low voltage  motor which is the same as on the ES-R1 as current Hurst/Merrill motor from circa 1985 seems to be getting a little noisy (after hours and hours and hours of use).     

[Downhome Upstate]

Very interested in this. The new table seems a real bargain in todays dollars.

Might be interested in the pictures here:
http://www.vinylnirvana.com/merrill-es-r1-turntable/

...and some of the parts and bits are sold as add ons for older ARs here:
http://www.vinylnirvana.com/ar-replacement-upgrade-parts/

...and as far as the footfall sensitivity issues: It is common to most suspended sub-chassis tables. The fix is a good stable wall shelf.   
   
I have an older Merrill mod AR AX. The sub-chassis on mine is 1980s vintage Merrill and is acrylic not the newer polymer. It does have the replacement bearing and thust shaft. The newest bit on it is a co-polymer pulley from Vinyl Nirvana. I run with a SME IIIs and AT 440MLa. Thinking about the upgrade low voltage  motor which is the same as on the ES-R1 as current Hurst/Merrill motor from circa 1985 seems to be getting a little noisy (after hours and hours and hours of use).   

Yup, it's pretty  neat. BTW, the Vinyl Nirvana videos (especially the next to last one) are very helpful. (The instruction booklet is not as clear as Dave Archambault's videos when it comes to assembling the 'table. I went back to the videos in the middle of assembly.)

[Grainger49]

Instruction manuals are too often less than descriptive.  I'm very particular, I have written some.  Dan's, on the other hand, are the best ever!

[Downhome Upstate]

Sorry about the quality of these i-photos.  I guess I ought to get a decent digital camera.

[Hank Murrow]

Dear Downhome Upstate;

I imagine Dan will suggest a Nikon; but I love my Canon SX10 superzoom. Good video and great digipics. The new model is the SX50, but earlier models can be had for much less. The one I use goes for around $200 on the Bay. Superzooms with image stabilisation are amazingly good. If you need HD video, check to see which older model has that feature.

Cheers, Hank

[Downhome Upstate]

Dear Downhome Upstate;

I imagine Dan will suggest a Nikon; but I love my Canon SX10 superzoom. Good video and great digipics. The new model is the SX50, but earlier models can be had for much less. The one I use goes for around $200 on the Bay. Superzooms with image stabilisation are amazingly good. If you need HD video, check to see which older model has that feature.

Cheers, Hank

Cool. Thanks, Hank!

[Grainger49]

Well, the pictures came out good.  The natural lighting was just enough.  In my listening room the natural lighting is just not enough.  Flash is too flashy. 

I too like my Canon.  I have a fake DSLR, meaning the view finder looks at a screen, not through the lens.

[Wanderer]

The stock steel(?) top plate on my modded XA seems rather lively and I wonder if there may be some motor vibration communicated to the suspension via the top plate.

On the new table -  how heavy is the top plate and what is it made out of?  Is it damped with any material?

Merrill used to be a big exponent of lead flashing used to damp the plinth.  I suspect lead may have gone out of fashion. Curious how that is being handled now.   

Also....Any damping foam in the suspension springs?....or do the springs run naked?