[Trawlerman]

Well, I finally got my new tunrtable that I mention on here a few weeks back.

It wasn't an easy road to follow but was worth it in the end. I initially picked up a bargain (or so I thought) Michell Gyro SE with the VC PSU and DC Motor. First I found that the stylus was broken off the cartridge and then the motor was running slow and finally the PSU died on me. So I took the bugger back and got a refund.

After much deliberation I spoke to my usual dealer and arranged for a Sumiko Pro-Jekt RPM 9.

It took about 3 weeks in all to get it delivered and setup (more hassles) but it's now in fine fettle and does me proud.

The deck itself has a 1" thick Acryllic platter with a solid brass puck weighing in at around 1lb. An offboard DC motor that weighs 2lb! and has a Carbon Fibre tonearm that is just gorgeous to use.

I am using it with an Ortofon Kontrapunkt A MC cartridge and running through an Tim De Paravacini EAR834p Signature phono stage. Output to my 2 x Tube Technology Genesis Monoblocks (with Gold Aero EL34s running Push/Pull super-linear) connected to ProAc Resonse 1SCs.

As you would expect for a deck/cart combination of this calibre (cost in the region of £1500 or $2200 USD) the sound is simply breathtaking.

In anticipation of getting this deck I purchased the Pink Floyd - Echoes boxset on 180g Vinyl. I listened to this for the first time last night and was just transported into a whole new world. Never have I heard such weight, authority, transparency, intimacy and just sheer damn musicality from any turntable before. Maybe it's because i've not come into contact with many really top class T/Ts before? but this one is sure bringing a grin to my face at the moment

So.... if you thought you hadn't seen me around much lately, now you know why.

 

[HighwayStar]

Oh man, that's one beautiful machine ! Looks like the road was well worth it. That combo must sound sweet ! Enjoy !

 

[ze-ant]

Drool, drool, drool...very nice.

I might just give my dealer a call to check up on the current price for this beauty, since my Pro-ject 6.9 is starting to show some signs of ageing, having recently turned 4 1/2.

 

[braillediver]

Shear pornography man. That's beautiful. Wow.

 

[Hirsch]

Gorgeous table. There's a great deal in common between this table and the Music Hall MMF-7, actually. Both have the 1 inch acryllic platter, although MMF-7 has screw-down clamp. Both have ProJect 9 arm. The motor and pulley looks identical to the one with the MMF-7 (does that LED glow blue?) The big difference is the plinth. The MMF-7 uses a traditionally shaped plinth, although it is split into to pieces damped with sorbothane between them. The key difference is likely to be the main bearing.

Although at first glance the table looks nothing like a Music Hall, on closer inspection the two have a lot in common.

 

[Neruda]

yikes!

 

[TimSchirmer]

Man, that is one sweet combo. It probabally stomps all over CD.

Enjoy! I'm sure your system sounds better than most here,

(since most people here like to spend more on an amp than their source)

 

[Nick Dangerous]

Awesome table! If only I had LP's to justify buying one...

 

[Tuberoller]

Quote:

Originally posted by Hirsch Gorgeous table. There's a great deal in common between this table and the Music Hall MMF-7, actually. Both have the 1 inch acryllic platter, although MMF-7 has screw-down clamp. Both have ProJect 9 arm. The motor and pulley looks identical to the one with the MMF-7 (does that LED glow blue?) The big difference is the plinth. The MMF-7 uses a traditionally shaped plinth, although it is split into to pieces damped with sorbothane between them. The key difference is likely to be the main bearing. Although at first glance the table looks nothing like a Music Hall, on closer inspection the two have a lot in common.

Hirsch,

actually the Musichall and the Mitchell have very little in common.My good friends at Decibel Audio and Music Direct are dealers for both tables.I have seen and heard them both side-by-side and can tell you that the motors,platters,bearings etc. are completely different.The arm is the same but only on the standard model of the Gyro.I think both tables sound great but I would give the nod to the MMF-7 for value and ease of set-up.The Gyro is certainly the better looking table and does represent a good value.those remote mounted motors are very placement sensitive and any variations cause big playback problems.Every table I have ever seen/heard with a seperate remote-mounted motor has had to be placed a on a very stable and level platform and has had the motor further isolated to prevent the transmission of vibrations to the main table plinth through the platform or mounting rack.those cool detached motors look nice but in the end the best tables handle the motor-isolation through good placement within the table structure.


Edit:from the land of dufus.I looked again and noticed that table is a Project.The Project is a great table as well,but again does not share many parts with the MMF-7,most notablby the carbon fiber arm.

 

[DarkAngel]

Very cool looking rig, what are you setting it on as far as platform support/isolation etc?

What happened to your old friend the Rega P3?

 

[Hirsch]

Quote:

Originally posted by Tuberoller Edit:from the land of dufus.I looked again and noticed that table is a Project.The Project is a great table as well,but again does not share many parts with the MMF-7,most notablby the carbon fiber arm.

Tuberoller,

The MMF-7 uses a ProJect 9 arm (at least mine does). However, the picture shows a tube as a different material behind the headshell, while the MMF-7 uses a one-piece assembly, so the arms are likely different materials. Without looking inside the case, that motor appears identical to the one with the MMF-7 (which uses a completely detached motor). The real place where I'd look for differences are where they can't be seen...the bearing.

 

[Trawlerman]

Cheers guys... It really is a super piece of kit.

As for stomping all over CD? I've had it long enough to decide wether it does or not. I do know that it's giving my Krell MD1/Studio DAC a run for it's money.


Tuberoller: You are absolutely band on with the isolation thing. My local dealer has gone to great lengths to make me aware of how much isolation a deck like this needs. As he's sorta between homes at the moment, his personal kit is in storage. Hopefully this week sometime, he should be bringing me his Townshend Seismic Sink for me to borrow with a view to buying perhaps?

I've not fiddled with the motor placement much as yet. The rig does come with a little protactor so that you can get it stood off at the correct point. The manual shows that it's 217mm from the spindle and with the protractor its set around 210mm so a little adjustment is needed here.


Hirsch: The motor does indeed, glow with a neon blue when running. I wouldn't swear to it, but it's possible the the Music Hall T/Ts have a common connection with Pro-ject.

The Project is actually of British/Swiss design and is manufactured in the Czech republic.

I did have a Project 1.2 going back about 5 years that was quite nice as far as budget decks go. From what I know of the Music Hall decks i'd be confident enough to say that they probably are rebadged Project's. But don't quote moe on that as Music Hall T/T are not available to the UK.


Darkangel: The Rega P3 is a little undecided at the moment. It has a Blue Point MC in it, and also has a Rega Wall mount and Parasound PPH100 phono stage. So it should be worth something. As i'm not strapped at the moment I shall keep it as collateral and maybe pass it on when I can get the right deal for it. 2 of the local dealers have shown great interest in it as they do sell very well on the 2nd hand market - around here at least.
I'm hoping to maybe do deal for the Seismic sink so that I don't have to dip into my (rapidly depleting) funds again.




Sound As Ever
Listening to I Robot - The Alan Parsons Project

 

[Trawlerman]

CRAP! Double post


BTW I Robot by The Alan Parsons Project really rocks with cans. Listening to this through a pair of Stax is almost a religious experience

 

[TimSchirmer]

Quote:

Originally posted by Nick Dangerous Awesome table! If only I had LP's to justify buying one...

lol, sell your CD's on ebay and get LP versions!! You would actually make a profit doing that as well... and you can still find almost any title in sealed vinyl. If you can't find anything, email this guy named dalienday on ebay. He can get freakin anything! I think he used to own a huge record store and is selling off everything for cheap on ebay.

The oris deserves vinyl

btw... i'd rather have that oris system you made than the R10/ custom amp combo

 

[Hirsch]

Quote:

Originally posted by Trawlerman Hirsch: The motor does indeed, glow with a neon blue when running. I wouldn't swear to it, but it's possible the the Music Hall T/Ts have a common connection with Pro-ject. The Project is actually of British/Swiss design and is manufactured in the Czech republic. I did have a Project 1.2 going back about 5 years that was quite nice as far as budget decks go. From what I know of the Music Hall decks i'd be confident enough to say that they probably are rebadged Project's. But don't quote moe on that as Music Hall T/T are not available to the UK.

They are most definitely related. The Music Halls and ProJects are made at the same factory. They do share a lot of common parts...it's one of the ways the cost of both tables is contained.