TT Recommendations

kroslos

Well-Known Member
Feb 7, 2015
38
0
238
Naperivlle, IL
Loheswaran - To answer your question about my table, it WAS a Sota Star Sapphire with Vacuum and the "Flywheel" power supply. However, I have a Oracle Delphi Mk VI with the Turbo II power supply in route to me now. I ended up finding a dealer who would work with me to initiate the trade. Quite happy here.

I'll be mounting my current Graham 1.5TC to the TT; however, I plan on upgrading my arm as well within the next few months. I've received many suggestions, both on the TT and the arm. Presently, I'm pretty set on going with the Graham Phantom III. It's a great arm and I love the simple elegance of the design and set-up functionality. I'll be mating the arm with my Koetsu Onyx Platinum Diamond cartridge and will keep my Rosewood Signature as a back-up.

I've downloaded the Oracle set-up instructions from their website and have plowed through them no fewer than five times. I wish they had a DVD (or a posting on UTube) or something that provided greater step-by-step visual details on the set-up; however, it is what it is and I'm sure I'll be able to figure things out. The dealer is remote and a far distance away from my Chicago area home; so if I run into a jam, I'll contact him or someone at Oracle to assist.

I'm quite excited and am monitoring the tracking of the shipment and I hope to receive it by this upcoming weekend so I can have ample time to set it up and dial it in.

I'll post-up and provide my impressions within the next couple of weeks.

Kyle
 

Johnny Vinyl

Member Sponsor & WBF Founding Member
May 16, 2010
8,570
51
38
Calgary, AB
Loheswaran - To answer your question about my table, it WAS a Sota Star Sapphire with Vacuum and the "Flywheel" power supply. However, I have a Oracle Delphi Mk VI with the Turbo II power supply in route to me now. I ended up finding a dealer who would work with me to initiate the trade. Quite happy here.

I'll be mounting my current Graham 1.5TC to the TT; however, I plan on upgrading my arm as well within the next few months. I've received many suggestions, both on the TT and the arm. Presently, I'm pretty set on going with the Graham Phantom III. It's a great arm and I love the simple elegance of the design and set-up functionality. I'll be mating the arm with my Koetsu Onyx Platinum Diamond cartridge and will keep my Rosewood Signature as a back-up.

I've downloaded the Oracle set-up instructions from their website and have plowed through them no fewer than five times. I wish they had a DVD (or a posting on UTube) or something that provided greater step-by-step visual details on the set-up; however, it is what it is and I'm sure I'll be able to figure things out. The dealer is remote and a far distance away from my Chicago area home; so if I run into a jam, I'll contact him or someone at Oracle to assist.

I'm quite excited and am monitoring the tracking of the shipment and I hope to receive it by this upcoming weekend so I can have ample time to set it up and dial it in.

I'll post-up and provide my impressions within the next couple of weeks.

Kyle

Congrats on the purchase of your Oracle Delphi Mk VI - my dream TT! I'm hoping to assemble my Oracle Paris Mk V later today or tomorrow at the latest. It's a lot simpler to do of course than the Delphi, so I'm confident I can do it myself. Don't hesitate to give Jacques Riendeau a call at Oracle. He's really helpful and approachable. Good luck with your assembly!:D
 

scouter

Member Sponsor
Oct 30, 2012
241
4
0
Wrightsville Beach, NC
I had a Delphi for 5 years, and miss it still. The hardest thing about the Delphi is setting the platter down and holding the belt in the proper position while doing so. It can be done quickly with practice, but the first few times are a real bear.
Good luck and enjoy!
Loheswaran - To answer your question about my table, it WAS a Sota Star Sapphire with Vacuum and the "Flywheel" power supply. However, I have a Oracle Delphi Mk VI with the Turbo II power supply in route to me now. I ended up finding a dealer who would work with me to initiate the trade. Quite happy here.

I'll be mounting my current Graham 1.5TC to the TT; however, I plan on upgrading my arm as well within the next few months. I've received many suggestions, both on the TT and the arm. Presently, I'm pretty set on going with the Graham Phantom III. It's a great arm and I love the simple elegance of the design and set-up functionality. I'll be mating the arm with my Koetsu Onyx Platinum Diamond cartridge and will keep my Rosewood Signature as a back-up.

I've downloaded the Oracle set-up instructions from their website and have plowed through them no fewer than five times. I wish they had a DVD (or a posting on UTube) or something that provided greater step-by-step visual details on the set-up; however, it is what it is and I'm sure I'll be able to figure things out. The dealer is remote and a far distance away from my Chicago area home; so if I run into a jam, I'll contact him or someone at Oracle to assist.

I'm quite excited and am monitoring the tracking of the shipment and I hope to receive it by this upcoming weekend so I can have ample time to set it up and dial it in.

I'll post-up and provide my impressions within the next couple of weeks.

Kyle
 

kroslos

Well-Known Member
Feb 7, 2015
38
0
238
Naperivlle, IL
Scouter - I think Oracle caught a lot of flack about the belt mounting. They now provide a tool with the table that makes orienting the belt to the platter and motor hub much simpler - or at least I'm hoping so...

Kyle
 

scouter

Member Sponsor
Oct 30, 2012
241
4
0
Wrightsville Beach, NC
Good to hear. Even if they haven't, it's worth the hassle. An awesome turntable. I wanted one, but a little rich for me right now, so I went with a Sota Nova with my old ET arm. Added bonus for Oracle- looks to kill!
 

kroslos

Well-Known Member
Feb 7, 2015
38
0
238
Naperivlle, IL
My Oracle Mk VI should arrive this week. Looking very forward to setting it up and evaluating it. As info, I'm working with my dealer on a Graham Phantom Elite. It appears inventory on these guys are in short-supply and my dealer's distributor didn't have any in stock; therefore, looks like I'll have to wait a while longer until we can locate one. No big deal though; I still have my Graham 1.5tc and only switching out one element of my vinyl front end (the TT) will give me a better idea of the incremental changes of each.

Stay tuned...

Kyle
 

kroslos

Well-Known Member
Feb 7, 2015
38
0
238
Naperivlle, IL
I wanted to provide some updates on the delivery, setup, and impressions of my new Oracle...

The TT was finally delivered on Wednesday. After having gone through the setup manual no fewer than 10 time, when I finally opened the box/packing (packing was exceptional) I didn't encounter anything that I was ill prepared for. I took my time, followed the instructions to the "T", and had everything finished and my arm/cartridge geometry pretty close to “spot-on” within three hours. I then connected it to my system, leveled it and adjusted my arm height and weight, and then set the azimuth using a Fozgometer. I then played a couple of my "reference" LP's to dial in the VTA. So my initial impressions from the past three days of listening.... stunning!

The first thing I noticed was how quiet/black the background was and the positioning of instruments/voice throughout the sound stage. Comparing it to a "visual" experience, it was akin to putting on 3-D glasses! Additionally, I was amazed by how "pristine" everything was across the entire frequency extreme. The highs were gorgeous without any glare or sibilance and the articulation of the bass was equally impressive - tight, full, and deep. Last night I poured myself a glass of Maker's 46, went down to my listening room, turned off the lights, and cycled through an assortment of all of my favorites - old and new. Five hours later, and a couple more Maker's, and I was in musical nirvana!

I can't wait to receive my new Graham Phantom Elite and see what incremental changes/improvements the new arm makes over the 1.5TC - although I could certainly live with how things sound right now.

Here's a couple of pictures for those interested...
 

Attachments

  • IMG_0010 (3).JPG
    IMG_0010 (3).JPG
    106.9 KB · Views: 343
  • IMG_0011 (3).JPG
    IMG_0011 (3).JPG
    111.3 KB · Views: 343
  • IMG_0007 (2).JPG
    IMG_0007 (2).JPG
    110.9 KB · Views: 341

Johnny Vinyl

Member Sponsor & WBF Founding Member
May 16, 2010
8,570
51
38
Calgary, AB
Congratulations on a stunning setup. I can certainly agree on the packaging as I experienced the same with the Paris I bought. I also thought the manual, which I also read several times prior to getting to the task of doing the install, was excellent and easy to follow. Unfortunately I'm having some issues, but I won't pollute your thread with that.

Enjoy your new Oracle Delphi......she's a beauty!:D
 

jfrech

VIP/Donor
Sep 3, 2012
2,152
749
1,160
Austin
I can taste that maker's 46 right now ! What a lovely listening room, great equipment choices and a NICE chair ! I've heard the air tight cartridges a few times and I'm very fond of them...

I could be totally anal andy here and wrong about my assumption, but I might store your records on the right wall more upright...and close to 90 degrees as reasonable...they could warp over time...more like the bottom shelf on your record rack..
 

Ron Resnick

Site Co-Owner, Administrator
Jan 24, 2015
16,017
13,347
2,665
Beverly Hills, CA
I have a Graham 2.2 and I like it very much. Out of curiosity did you consider the Basis Audio Superarm 9 as an alternative to the Phantom Elite?
 

kroslos

Well-Known Member
Feb 7, 2015
38
0
238
Naperivlle, IL
Ron - No, I didn't look at the Basis arm. I did look at their TT's (very nice) but opted to go with the Oracle Delphi Mk VI. Regarding the Graham Phantom Elite, being a current Graham owner and the exceptional reviews the Elite has been receiving, I wanted to stay with what I was familiar with. I love the elegant simplicity of the arm's setup and my past dealings with Bob Graham have all been positive. The only drawback so far is the availability of the arm - the distributor is out of stock and is unable to provide me with a estimated delivery date.

Kyle
 

Ron Resnick

Site Co-Owner, Administrator
Jan 24, 2015
16,017
13,347
2,665
Beverly Hills, CA
Thank you for the speedy and detailed reply! I understand on all counts. My dealings with Bob have always been positive as well.
 

Frank750

VIP/Donor
Jul 8, 2011
821
1
928
Ron - No, I didn't look at the Basis arm. I did look at their TT's (very nice) but opted to go with the Oracle Delphi Mk VI. Regarding the Graham Phantom Elite, being a current Graham owner and the exceptional reviews the Elite has been receiving, I wanted to stay with what I was familiar with. I love the elegant simplicity of the arm's setup and my past dealings with Bob Graham have all been positive. The only drawback so far is the availability of the arm - the distributor is out of stock and is unable to provide me with a estimated delivery date.

Kyle

I spoke with Bob last week. I think you're looking at some time in June.
 

kroslos

Well-Known Member
Feb 7, 2015
38
0
238
Naperivlle, IL
As an update, I received my Dr. Feickert alignment protractor and Adjust + software earlier this week and was able to dial things in on my TT a little better. Regarding the protractor, it validated the accuracy of the Graham setup devices that came with the arm when I purchased it (spindle to pivot length and cartridge alignment tools - easy to use and simply to deploy accurately). When I double checked everything with the Feickert protractor, everything was "spot on" with no additional adjustments required.

After double checking my TT for being level and my vertical tracking force, I then used the Adjust + software to dial in my Azimuth. Keep in mind that I had used my Fozgometer to adjust my Azimuth four days ago; so I really wasn't expecting to be way off. Well... it took me some time to get the required configuration right so that I could actually use the Adjust + software (Windows sound settings and configuration, Soundcard settings, figuring out which wire went where, and then the internal volume configuration adjustments to make within Adjust +). In using Adjust +, it's a bit difficult getting that little bubble level properly positioned on the headshell (and ensuring each subsequent measurement taken has the level in the exact same position - I'll be making some "alignment" modifications/additions to this bubble level so that I don't run into this issue for future measurements). The results of the 11 measurements taken from -2.5 degrees to +2.5 degrees in half degree increments are as follows:

View attachment AP_AzimuthGraphsReport Koetsu Rosewood Signature 033115.pdf

I'm not sure if this attached, but the "best" setting for my cartridge was zero degrees. With the Fozgometer I was at about -1.5 degrees (counterclockwise).

I only had a few moments to listen to the results, and my initial impressions were positive - although they were positive previously.

More on this later.....

Kyle
 

Sunnyboy1956

Member Sponsor
Feb 22, 2014
240
1
123
67
New Delhi, India
As an update, I received my Dr. Feickert alignment protractor and Adjust + software earlier this week and was able to dial things in on my TT a little better. Regarding the protractor, it validated the accuracy of the Graham setup devices that came with the arm when I purchased it (spindle to pivot length and cartridge alignment tools - easy to use and simply to deploy accurately). When I double checked everything with the Feickert protractor, everything was "spot on" with no additional adjustments required.

After double checking my TT for being level and my vertical tracking force, I then used the Adjust + software to dial in my Azimuth. Keep in mind that I had used my Fozgometer to adjust my Azimuth four days ago; so I really wasn't expecting to be way off. Well... it took me some time to get the required configuration right so that I could actually use the Adjust + software (Windows sound settings and configuration, Soundcard settings, figuring out which wire went where, and then the internal volume configuration adjustments to make within Adjust +). In using Adjust +, it's a bit difficult getting that little bubble level properly positioned on the headshell (and ensuring each subsequent measurement taken has the level in the exact same position - I'll be making some "alignment" modifications/additions to this bubble level so that I don't run into this issue for future measurements). The results of the 11 measurements taken from -2.5 degrees to +2.5 degrees in half degree increments are as follows:

View attachment 19644

I'm not sure if this attached, but the "best" setting for my cartridge was zero degrees. With the Fozgometer I was at about -1.5 degrees (counterclockwise).

I only had a few moments to listen to the results, and my initial impressions were positive - although they were positive previously.

More on this later.....

Kyle
Hi Kyle
Congrats on an exquisite set up.
I have a Airtight ATH 2 SUT on my radar and would be interested in your impressions. I love the flexibility of 3 inputs on the ATH2. I am currently using a Lyra Erodion and am hugely impressed with it.
Cheers
Pradeep
 

kroslos

Well-Known Member
Feb 7, 2015
38
0
238
Naperivlle, IL
Pradeep - ATH 2 Reference is stunning. One of the best additions I've made to my system. I don't know if you can find a dealer who will allow an audition; I was lucky.

Kyle
 

Barry

Member Sponsor
Jan 7, 2012
273
54
1,220
Somewhere near Philadelphia, USA
In using Adjust +, it's a bit difficult getting that little bubble level properly positioned on the headshell (and ensuring each subsequent measurement taken has the level in the exact same position - I'll be making some "alignment" modifications/additions to this bubble level so that I don't run into this issue for future measurements). Kyle

Re: Adjust +. Love the You Tube video that makes set-up look a little easier than it actually is. For measurements instead of the bubble level, I'm using an AccuMASTER digital level (https://www.amazon.com/Calculated-Industries-7434-AccuMASTER-Inclinometer/dp/B0148M7P4O) sitting on the headshell for a more accurate reading. It's a little heavy as is, so I took the 2 AAA batteries out of the unit and wired them outboard to a battery holder to make it lighter so it won't damage the arm or headshell. It's light enough when sitting in the armrest and it's the smallest one I could find. It measures to .03 degrees accurately which is perfect and doesn't suffer from parallax errors. It's a little klugy and still has some placement issues plus there's a magnet on the bottom could be annoying. Use it for the TT too. Might be worth a try - it's cheap.

Someone should design a small one of these for audio sell it for $100. They could sell hundreds and make some money.
 

Sunnyboy1956

Member Sponsor
Feb 22, 2014
240
1
123
67
New Delhi, India
Pradeep - ATH 2 Reference is stunning. One of the best additions I've made to my system. I don't know if you can find a dealer who will allow an audition; I was lucky.

Kyle
Kyle
Many thanks this is most useful. Hopefully I should pick up a slightly used ATH from Singapore next week. What carts are you using? I couldn't find much info online. What is the Bypass function?
Best
Pradeep
 

BruceD

VIP/Donor
Dec 13, 2013
1,509
576
540
Yes one needs to get the "extra cost" Adjust + Bubble level for some( Kuzma) arms the metal one included is useless on anything other wise perfectly flat head-shell.

BruceD

DrF.jpg
 

Loheswaran

Well-Known Member
Dec 19, 2014
432
99
258
Hello all. I'm new to this forum and this is my first post.

I'll be upgrading my analog front end and was looking for some recommendations on a good ~$5K turntable. I'm probably going to go with a Graham Phantom Elite arm; so I'll need to know if your recommendations on the TT are good matches with the Elite. Until I upgrade the arm, I'll be using my current Graham 1.5tc.

Thanks, and I've enjoyed reading through the numerous and informative posts on this forum.

Kyle

Are you buying new or old?

5000 USD opens up many great option that will partner well wit hthe Phantom Arm:

1. SME 10a (believe it or not they sound excellent a graham arm)
2. Amazon Model One (I have one - not a graha arm though) - very neutral platform
3. DPS 2 superb TT - very neutral - superb arm platform
4. Townshend Rock 7; second hand elite... I have a heavily modified Elite Rock 2 - different platter - different motor (high torque AC) - new two phase power supply - Love it - I can post you a picture if you want I am so proud
5. Oracle delphi (I Think)
6. Michelle Orbe (suuperb arm platform - often overlooked these days - very wide image creator)
7. Inspire Audio (technics version)

There are some great choices - ask yourself what it is that floats your boat.
 

About us

  • What’s Best Forum is THE forum for high end audio, product reviews, advice and sharing experiences on the best of everything else. This is THE place where audiophiles and audio companies discuss vintage, contemporary and new audio products, music servers, music streamers, computer audio, digital-to-analog converters, turntables, phono stages, cartridges, reel-to-reel tape machines, speakers, headphones and tube and solid-state amplification. Founded in 2010 What’s Best Forum invites intelligent and courteous people of all interests and backgrounds to describe and discuss the best of everything. From beginners to life-long hobbyists to industry professionals, we enjoy learning about new things and meeting new people, and participating in spirited debates.

Quick Navigation

User Menu

Steve Williams
Site Founder | Site Owner | Administrator
Ron Resnick
Site Co-Owner | Administrator
Julian (The Fixer)
Website Build | Marketing Managersing