[memepool]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anthrox /img/forum/go_quote.gif If the JICO is better why would people pay more for the original stylus?

Because it's original Shure, comes from a time from before they moved production to Mexico, was made in the good ol' USA so must be better than anything from Japan

who knows ...


Quote:

Originally Posted by Anthrox /img/forum/go_quote.gif I guess I'll have to do the shelf then. I understood the whole bit about vibration but I was trying to avoid a shelf if possible because like I stated earlier I have a tendency to shuffle all the furniture in my room. Does audio advisor ship to Canada? For some reason you can choose a country for estimating the shipping but from the looks of their FAQ it's US only. Has anyone test Target vs Apollo wall mounts? It seems I can get a double shelf from Target for the same price as the Apollo single shelf although I'm not sure what I would do with the second shelf anyways. Out of curiousity, wouldn't the wires that connect the turntable output to the amp physically transmit any vibrations via the non-isolated amp? Or am I just being silly now?

Target and Apollo use pretty much the same design. I have a Target one and it works beautifully, I just wasn't sure how available they were in US / Canada.

Good question about the wires. On my Logic / Thorens decks which are suspended subchassis types the arm cabling has to be carefully placed or it can interfere with the suspension but on a solid plinth like your Technics it's not going to make that much difference.

It's a good idea to move the turntable as far from the other equipment especially speakers, as cables allow because it can also pick up RF interference. But you should keep the phono stage as close to the turntable as possible because the signal from the cartridge is so small that using long cables can diminish it. So there is a use for the 2nd shelf !

Having to organise your room around your Hi-Fi is the way it goes with analogue I'm afraid.

 

[luvdunhill]

memepool pretty much summed everything up.

I decided to go with the Apollo shelf because it is deeper and has a higher maximum weight rating compared to the Target. The second shelf houses both my phono stage and my headphone amplifier... it's a quite nice and compact setup!

Also, shop around, there are better deals than audioadvisor, unless they have some sort of promotion going on.

 

[Anthrox]

Are studs all you need to mount the shelf to? I really don't know much about what's inside of walls. I don't think there's any brick or cement involved though from what I've seen of houses going up in my area.

 

[memepool]

Just knock on the wall and see what sound it makes. If it's a hollow reverberation then it's a plasterboard/mdf partition which isn't so good for mounting anything very heavy on. If you have to mount it on a partition wall then there are special types of rawl plugs which open up inside the partition and clamp to the rear of the board.

Better to find an outside wall which will more likely be made of brick or concrete. Get some 4" or 6" screws and plugs and use a spirit level when you put the shelf up to make sure it's level.

 

[Ingo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anthrox /img/forum/go_quote.gif Are studs all you need to mount the shelf to? I really don't know much about what's inside of walls. I don't think there's any brick or cement involved though from what I've seen of houses going up in my area.

I know nothing about making shelves for record players to sit on, but I know I have hung shelves on studs where I could hang my 260lb self from them and they wouldn't move. Surely if you can go into studs with good hardware it will be adequate to put a record player on.

I actually have a concrete floor, so I haven't had a problem with my setup. I used a steel framed, heavy glass top coffee table to put my TT on. I can breakdance on the floor with no skips.

 

[banjobacon]

I'm a vinyl newbie, too, and have some questions. Rather than start a new thread, I'll ask them here.

I want to buy a cartridge calibration tool. The one at turntablebasics.com looks good. Is this one recommended, or are there better tools that can be purchased for the same price?

I'm also considering buying the record brush, bubble level, and the stylus force gauge, all from turntablebasics.com. Are these all recommended accessories, or are any of them pointless? Are there better alternatives?

What do I look for in a cartridge? I bought a Thorens TD-160. Would a Grado Black be a good cartridge for this?

 

[MontanaJustin]

Hello there - I just wanted to chime in and say thank you so much to all of you for this fantastic thread(!)
I've been reading this on and off since it began, and the advice has been invaluable. I'm currently planning my up-and-coming required purchases, and trying to figure out just how far I "plan" to take this vinyl rig, since I don't "intend" for it to replace my digital set-up...but you never know, huh?

Current vinyl set-up:
Dual 1019 (inherited from my father, who bought it new back in the day - it's seen little use over the years)
Shure 75EC cartridge
Original? (read - old and dirty) needle
Whole rig sitting on top of my stereo amp/CD player, which are sitting on the floor (wooden suspended type)
100 or so LPs (great recordings, mostly classical, but all old/dirty in the original plastic or paper sleeves) plus another 200 in storage

Immediate plans:
clean the stylus with a paintbrush
build a strong shelf (attached to studs) for the turntable
level it
buy cleaner ( Mobile Fidelity Record Brush and TTVJ Vinyl Zyme Gold Record Wash ) or maybe this brush instead (Hunt EDA )
buy 100 sleeves ( TTVJ 12" Polylined LP Inner Sleeves )

buy pre-amp (obviously I need one, but I really don't want to drop $150-$200 on it) Any suggestions out there would be a Godsend. For an amp, I use either a 2003 Maxed-Out Home from Headroom (with Sennheiser 650s, stock cable) or a Yamaha HTR 5930 w/ Leak 3050 Speakers

Sorry for the epic post!!! Give as much feedback (OR AS LITTLE) as you're up for

 

[ralphp@optonline]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ingo /img/forum/go_quote.gif I know nothing about making shelves for record players to sit on, but I know I have hung shelves on studs where I could hang my 260lb self from them and they wouldn't move. Surely if you can go into studs with good hardware it will be adequate to put a record player on. I actually have a concrete floor, so I haven't had a problem with my setup. I used a steel framed, heavy glass top coffee table to put my TT on. I can breakdance on the floor with no skips.

Ingo,

At 260 lbs., you break dancing must be quite a sight to behold.

 

[lini]

Quote:

Originally Posted by banjobacon /img/forum/go_quote.gif (...) I'm also considering buying the record brush, (...) Are there better alternatives?

Can't really recommend those simple carbon fibre models, 'cause the fibres tend to break easily on those. I'd rather recommend the cf/velvet/cf one from HuntEDA/QED/Goldring...

Quote:

Originally Posted by banjobacon /img/forum/go_quote.gif What do I look for in a cartridge? I bought a Thorens TD-160. Would a Grado Black be a good cartridge for this?

Which TD160 exactly? And does it still have the original arm - and if not, which one?

Greetings from Munich!

Manfred / lini

 

[MontanaJustin]

Yeah - I couldn't have said it better myself.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ralphp@optonline /img/forum/go_quote.gif Ingo, At 260 lbs., you break dancing must be quite a sight to behold.

 

[banjobacon]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lini /img/forum/go_quote.gif Which TD160 exactly? And does it still have the original arm - and if not, which one?

TD-160 MK I. I think the tonearm is the original. I haven't received it yet, though, so I might be wrong.

 

[lini]

Quote:

Originally Posted by banjobacon /img/forum/go_quote.gif TD-160 MK I. I think the tonearm is the original. I haven't received it yet, though, so I might be wrong.

Effective mass of the stock arm on the first TD160 generation (TP16) is 16.5 g. Should work nicely with the Denon DL110 & DL160 (both high output MCs), but you could also try the Pickering XV15, if you prefer an MM with replaceable needle...

Greetings from Munich!

Manfred / lini

 

[Ingo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ralphp@optonline /img/forum/go_quote.gif Ingo, At 260 lbs., you break dancing must be quite a sight to behold.

Well, you know, I'm incredibly nimble for my size! You should see me do "the worm".

(not really)

 

[memepool]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ingo /img/forum/go_quote.gif I know nothing about making shelves for record players to sit on, but I know I have hung shelves on studs where I could hang my 260lb self from them and they wouldn't move. Surely if you can go into studs with good hardware it will be adequate to put a record player on. .

sorry I'm not trying to confuse matters it's probably just that you have different names for the same things in the USA. I am not sure I know what you mean by studs? are you referring to the plastic things you stick in a wall after drilling holes in it? In the UK we call thes Rawl plugs (which is probably derived from a brand name come to think of it).
Anyway If you can support 260Ibs on a shelf chances are it's on a solid brick or stone wall and not a partition.

 

[steviebee]

On suspended (floorboard) floors you can use carriage bolts screwed flush-ish (& level) into the boards & then place your TT stand/table/whatever on them. Helps if your stand has spiked feet.