Just noticed that if the record has a short run-out groove not only can the detection not work or not be accurate, the cartridge can actually hit the ES-001! Not good.
I normally keep the ES-001 on during playback, as recommended, as I think the record can shift when removing the unit and using another weight; but with a short lead-out groove this is not recommended.
I normally keep the ES-001 on during playback, as recommended, as I think the record can shift when removing the unit and using another weight; but with a short lead-out groove this is not recommended.
My experiences …
I do understand some opinions which say for measuring it is a good tool but I would never expand a record’s hole of my old original pressings. From my “little experience” right now I would say that 2/3 of my records only need some kind of moving back to the central point. Most holes are too big for the spindle and do need only a movement into a centralised position. 1/3 should be enlarged in a very subtle way. It is a fine adjustment of the hole when you are using the reamer. In the end you will use the DS ES 001 all the time. If you compare the sound before and after centralisation you will be totally convinced of the DS unit.
www.audiocirc.com
I do understand some opinions which say for measuring it is a good tool but I would never expand a record’s hole of my old original pressings. From my “little experience” right now I would say that 2/3 of my records only need some kind of moving back to the central point. Most holes are too big for the spindle and do need only a movement into a centralised position. 1/3 should be enlarged in a very subtle way. It is a fine adjustment of the hole when you are using the reamer. In the end you will use the DS ES 001 all the time. If you compare the sound before and after centralisation you will be totally convinced of the DS unit.
www.audiocirc.com
It sure does make an audible difference, and it makes conceptual sense that a record should be centered.
Since about 40-50% of my records need adjustment, it’s why I didn’t want a TT with vacuum hold down. Correcting eccentricity is more important than correcting warps on the fly. Warps can be fixed by flattening, then you have the best of both worlds.
Since about 40-50% of my records need adjustment, it’s why I didn’t want a TT with vacuum hold down. Correcting eccentricity is more important than correcting warps on the fly. Warps can be fixed by flattening, then you have the best of both worlds.
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I agree with you on this, but the purpose of vacuum hold-down isn’t to correct warps. Yes, it’s also useful for addressing warps, but its main advantage is ensuring good coupling between the record and the mat.
Any insights into what else the graph shows? Just acquired the new ES-002 CORE and on one record I noticed "bumps" appearing at the top of the graph. When I eyeballed the side of the record it was clearly warped. So I'm assuming those "bumps" on the graph are a sign of the device reading a warp. The record is currently being flattened, so I'll confirm myself later but it did make me wonder how to fully interpret the display graph and data.
There's now a "REFERENCE" eccentricity tool and a "CORE"... wow, this hobby is getting ridiculous.
They should have switched to a rechargeable battery, as the ES-001 chews through batteries like there is no tomorrow.
This is interesting:
For example, a record with an eccentricity of just 0.34 mm can generate wow levels more than 20 times greater than those of the turntable alone—even if the turntable boasts a wow & flutter rating of just 0.008%.
This means that record eccentricity severely degrades the rotational accuracy of the entire playback system, making it impossible to achieve faithful sound reproduction, regardless of the hardware quality.
By accurately correcting the record’s eccentricity, you can dramatically reduce total wow & flutter—allowing your turntable system to finally perform to its full potential.
The first issue is instability in playback frequency.For example, even if a 3kHz tone is originally recorded into the groove, excessive wow & flutter will prevent it from being reproduced accurately at 3kHz.This is a fundamental flaw for any system that aims to faithfully reproduce the recorded material.
The second issue is mechanical instability.As the tonearm traces an off-center record, the cartridge is constantly shaken from side to side.This causes it to move away from its ideal operating center, resulting in interchannel phase shift, which can lead to audible muddiness and unstable imaging.
To eliminate these issues and allow your audio system to reach its full potential, it is essential to reduce record eccentricity as much as possible.
At least 50% of my collection requires eccentricity adjustment, and I am usually only listening to new "audiophile" presses.
They should have switched to a rechargeable battery, as the ES-001 chews through batteries like there is no tomorrow.
This is interesting:
You Can’t Reduce Wow & Flutter Without Eliminating Record Eccentricity
The dominant cause of wow & flutter in analog playback is not the turntable itself, but the eccentricity of the record.No matter how precise or expensive your turntable may be, as long as the record is off-center, wow & flutter cannot be truly reduced.For example, a record with an eccentricity of just 0.34 mm can generate wow levels more than 20 times greater than those of the turntable alone—even if the turntable boasts a wow & flutter rating of just 0.008%.
This means that record eccentricity severely degrades the rotational accuracy of the entire playback system, making it impossible to achieve faithful sound reproduction, regardless of the hardware quality.
By accurately correcting the record’s eccentricity, you can dramatically reduce total wow & flutter—allowing your turntable system to finally perform to its full potential.
Two Major Problems Caused by Record Eccentricity
When a record is off-center, it increases wow & flutter and causes two major problems in playback accuracy and sound quality.The first issue is instability in playback frequency.For example, even if a 3kHz tone is originally recorded into the groove, excessive wow & flutter will prevent it from being reproduced accurately at 3kHz.This is a fundamental flaw for any system that aims to faithfully reproduce the recorded material.
The second issue is mechanical instability.As the tonearm traces an off-center record, the cartridge is constantly shaken from side to side.This causes it to move away from its ideal operating center, resulting in interchannel phase shift, which can lead to audible muddiness and unstable imaging.
To eliminate these issues and allow your audio system to reach its full potential, it is essential to reduce record eccentricity as much as possible.
At least 50% of my collection requires eccentricity adjustment, and I am usually only listening to new "audiophile" presses.
Have you gained a sense of whether there's a threshold where it's not worth the effort to correct? Of ten records I quickly tested, only one was centred. A few < 30us off, a couple in the 50-100 range and a couple >150. One record I knew was unplayable couldn't even be read. I'll need to listen and gain some experience before judging for myself.
I correct every record that is not nearly perfect. If it's close enough to center, I don't bother.
If the lead-out grove is too large or too short, it won't detect or it will not be accurately detected. If it's way off and the grove is short or long, I don't adjust anything.
No. I just look at the display and if the deviation from center is not that large, I leave it as is. On my Nagra TT the spindle does not leave any play, so to adjust the record I have to open the hole, which I don't mind doing; but it's a hassle I would rather not do unless necessary.
OK, thanks. Same with the Brinkmann, which has a wide spindle profile.
I hate rechargeables built into a device, it guarantees a lifespan of two to three years, tops.
If you want to use rechargeable in a device that takes regular batteries, that's the best case; I prefer Panasonic Eneloop Pros.
It can be a removable cell. Batteries like Eneloop I hate because they don't have the capacity of dedicated Lithium Ion cells.
Do you have an ES-001? If you replaced batteries every month like I do, you may feel differently.
So I’ve hit a snag… Firstly, this thing really works. I can hear clear differences between corrected and uncorrected. Put simply, correcting the record’s eccentricity seems to bring the music into better focus and has a stabilising effect on the sound. The snag: I don’t like the sound of the ES-002 as a record weight. My Synergistic Research weight is significantly better! Significantly. And that weight was selected after auditioning many different weights. I like that weight. I’m now wondering if I should have bought the heavier, all metal, reference DS Audio… For now I’m correcting with the DS Audio and then very gently switching weights to get best of both worlds, but there is of course the possibility of nudging the record into worse eccentricity when switching. Two steps forward, one step back!
I would think it wouldn't be all that difficult to use the ES-002 to correct for eccentricity, then switch weights before playing.
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Yeah, easy. My (lazy) assumption was that the DS Audio would replace my weight.
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Did you try rechecking the alignment after playing with your other weight? I saw in Fremer’s review he was also removing it and putting another weight on.
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