Beyond Turntables-Micro Seiki SZ-1t, SX-8000II & SX-8000

bonzo75

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Feb 26, 2014
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Thanks Peter, that is a Lamm LL2 you see in the pic, I am using an Amazon B-Lab phono stage. I agree with your sound assessments and for myself find that the soundstage expanded as well but in a surprising way. Yes wider but there were holes between the speakers that have now been filled in. Albums I thought I knew pretty well now sound completely different and in a very good, expansive manner. Clarity is also much improved.

Your system looks sweet. It looks like you have an Ortofon SPU on the SME 3012. Which one, thoughts? I am doing my due diligence in looking for a cartridge to mount on the FR66S I purchased with this table. The prior owner had used an SPU but for now am considering Koetsu. Time will tell.

I like the color of your TT.

My friend in London has Fr 66 with various SPUs, Decca London, Koetsu Jade Diamond, and a Koetsu Urushi with the paratrace *+(mod from an UK company). We both prefer the Decca the most, I prefer the SPUs to the Jade, he likes the Jade but agrees with me why I don't like it is valid - it makes all his records sound the same after impressing on the first with good bass and fullness. I normally never liked any urushi but the one with the paratrace is good, and low cost, and I prefer it second the Decca. He also has different FR carts. They all play through an allnic phono but did not sound good when he had the lower model Allnic preamp (the preamp colored the cartridge sound), they could really be heard only when he replaced the Allnic preamp with Soulution preamp (that is sandwiched between Allnic phono and poweramp).

 
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Tirebiter

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you've done a fantastic job with WAF. I bet this system sounds fantastic. Although not very flexible, I think the Lamm LP2.1 Deluxe is one of the jewels of the Lamm line, you should really give it a demo.

Thanks Jeffrey but have to ask, what is WAF?

I think the setup sounds pretty good but I don't have friends who are as fanatical as we are so I don't have other systems to compare mine to. All I have are my own incremental improvements to go by which is dangerous because I always have to wonder if I have reached the "limit". It is a circular hobby for once started there seems to be no end to it.

I do appreciate Lamm gear tube gear...and of course the tube aspect for my LL2 adds to the tube rolling tinker factor. I did some research on the LP2.1 last night and see what you refer to when saying it is not very flexible. One reason I like the B-Lab is that it automatically compensates for cartridge impedance loading and can readily measure the results using Analog Magik...the frequency response is flat as a pancake. I can also manually adjust gain up to about 74dB. Thus the B-Lab is in sharp contrast to the LP2.1 in that regard. But am intrigued to find a way to compare...as they say, the proof is in the pudding.

Brock
 
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Tirebiter

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I like the color of your TT.

My friend in London has Fr 66 with various SPUs, Decca London, Koetsu Jade Diamond, and a Koetsu Urushi with the paratrace *+(mod from an UK company). We both prefer the Decca the most, I prefer the SPUs to the Jade, he likes the Jade but agrees with me why I don't like it is valid - it makes all his records sound the same after impressing on the first with good bass and fullness. I normally never liked any urushi but the one with the paratrace is good, and low cost, and I prefer it second the Decca. He also has different FR carts. They all play through an allnic phono but did not sound good when he had the lower model Allnic preamp (the preamp colored the cartridge sound), they could really be heard only when he replaced the Allnic preamp with Soulution preamp (that is sandwiched between Allnic phono and poweramp).


Thanks for the info and clearly from your experience all components must play nicely together... ;)
WAF = Wife Acceptence Factor or
What Audio Fund?

Ha! Truth...!
 

PeterA

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I am so enamored of these Micro Seiki turntables, their sound, and their form, that I thought I would share some new photographs from various angles.

A good friend of mine upon hearing my table for one hour contacted DDK and asked him to find one for him. His will have the optional wood framed air base. Mine does not have that, so I made two custom 304 stainless steel platforms, separated for the motor and main chassis.

The turntable plus platforms weigh over 400 lbs and yet the form is so compact and elegant. The designers really knew what they were doing and David's description of "Beyond turntables" is IMO very apt.

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Tirebiter

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Peter, what material do the motor and TT feet rest on? Looks great!
 

Lagonda

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Are you still using O - rings under the steel plates ? How thick is the steel ? They look gorgeous !
 
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PeterA

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Are you still using O - rings under the steel plates ? How thick is the steel ? They look gorgeous !

The turntable steel plates are 2 inches thick. The ones under every other piece of gear are 1 inch thick. Same material. They rest on rubber O-rings plus some stuff I had lying around. During the set up, David and I experimented with various combinations of type, number, and location to get the tone right.
 
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Lagonda

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christoph

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the sound of Tao

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Yes but they are unobtainable. Satyavan cut and shaped them from the virgin forests before reuniting with Savitri as she clung in fear of Maya.
Did they fully quantum your shims Peter or just cryo?
 

the sound of Tao

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I had a difficult time deciding between Uncle Oswald conditioning them in Royal Jelly or the student at Saint Trinians soaking them in her past scotch. I settled on the latter.
Lol… wise move Peter. I’m going to wrap mine in coils of twine aka applying some string theory :)
 
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