Very nice setup enjoyA very pleasing set-up (to me, at least!):
A 1972 Lenco L75 with PTP-6, slate plinth, panzerholz armboards, with a 9" Schroeder Reference/Allaerts MC-1b; and a 12" Alfred Bokrand Ortofon/Ortofon SPU GE mk2. A selection of carts waiting to get properly set in their headshells: a ZU Denon DL-103R; a Benz Micro Glider (1st version) with Soundsmith boron cantilever and Nude Contact stylus; a Signet 5Ea (my first cartridge: totally sentimental, but it actually sounds better than dragging a chicken's foot across the record!); a pristine Shure V15 Type iii, original stylus and cantilever; and hiden away, a Shure V15 Type iii with Jico SAS Saphire and a cocobolo body.
The rack is a temporary thing, as the wife insists the system (except for the speakers, thank Dog) move out of the living room when not in use. This is the challenge of a New York City apartment, where I can't have a dedicated listening space, or even a fixed location for the kit. The rack is about the worst one could have - a restaurant cart by Metro that rings if you look at it sideways, but I've filled the legs with oil-soaked lead shot, and stuck blobs of Blu-tac in various places to help damp the thing. The HRS helps the amp better than anything else I've tried. At least it's on heavy duty wheels, and it can take the weight of the Lenco (85 lbs).
Below the Lenco are a few pieces of Schiit, an AirTight ATC-1 with Tutay improvements (though he did them about 15 years ago, and now I can't remember what they were!), and a real gem: a Don Garber-built, Noriasu Komuro-designed "Komuro 70," built on a Dynaco ST-70 chassis with A470 output transformers. One of only 2 ever made. I have no idea what happened to the first one Don built, but I'm glad I've held on to this one. 35 watts of hammers and silk. Set of Pryma headphones for listening when I've been exiled from the living room. Not bad 'phones for the price, and helpful when I'm fine-tuning the cartridges.
I apologize for making Mike L jealous...Mike, you're my hero, and if you promise to give me your digital front end when you tire of it, I'll give you my Leica.I'll throw in the Gerry Mulligan too.View attachment 75573View attachment 75574
I do, despite the "portable" nature of the system! Less than 10 years ago, I was running a giant Teres 340 (with the same Schroeder and Allaerts), Nagra PL-P preamp, Nagra VPA amps, Sonus faber Amati Homage, Bel Canto PL-1a universal player, and Shunyatta and Synergistic cables 'n' cords everywhere. It was a wonderful system, but given how much I invested in it, I found myself using music as an excuse to listen to my system, rather than using my system to listen to music. I didn't take it well at the time, but when my wife demanded we sell off the system before moving back to NYC from DC (she was in State Department during the Obama years), it opened up the opportunity to return to the kind of basic great-sounding and small system I'd started with 35+ years ago.
Love the work-table with bench vise as equipment stand! Great patina. Do you use it as an album cover holder
Hi Peter,
With the Benz LP-S the Phaedra is superior. Geoffrey Owens, the owner of Helius Designs, runs an Benz LP-S and told me he made the Phaedra with the LP-S in mind.
I always liked the Ruby Omega with the LP-S, but no azimuth adjustability was a no go for me, they fixed that with the Phaedra. I will have to listen to it
I actually had the combination of Ruby Omega and LP-S MR. Then I bought the Reed, and discovered the joy of Azimuth adjustability - which led me to the Phaedra.I always liked the Ruby Omega with the LP-S, but no azimuth adjustability was a no go for me, they fixed that with the Phaedra. I will have to listen to it
I am currently trying to fit the Phaedra into the original arm board for the TTS-8000. The Sony Bulk Mould Compound is a tough material to drill into.
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