[FYFL]

I can drop off Milo by Ryan tomorrow if that’s OK. I’ll be on Jury Duty starting Tuesday so not sure when I’ll be able to drop it off during that time….

 

[]eep]

I just popped on 'Eye in the sky' from the Alan Parsons project. Just 'WOW!'. Yes, this is definitely a level up. That heavy platter really does give the sound more authority. A quiet background, very good dimensionality. The singer, drums, instruments are better defined in space. This is like hearing DSD 256 on the Ares II compared to PCM 24/192. Only better, more of it and no sirupy sweetness.

I can say the cartridge is sounding pretty awesome even after 2h of play. Great definition, speed and bass. Not sure how tone will turn out. So far it's close to my AT33 PTG in character only better. I like it. I like it a lot.

The FFYX motor is very good too. I didn't know what to think of it. Coming from the Clearaudio AC motor which is kinda whimpy and needs a nod in the right direction, this one is powerful! Just tap the lit logo and it starts tugging and it gets that heavy platter going up to speed in seconds. Then it settles down and makes almost no noise at all. Even with that 1mm snare that is stronger than the thick Clearaudio.

 

[FYFL]

What was the MSRP on that cartridge?
And yes, good, quiet motor that matches weight of the platter is great. My DIY TT platter is fixed to motor spindle via thinnest fishing line I could find that doesn’t snap due to tension. So there’s not a lot of grip and some initial hand spin is recommended (not needed but I don’t want to unnecessarily overload the motor).
Looks like everything is working and playing vinyl nicely on your end.
That’s good. I’m glad you love your new rig. It gives some contrast to common turntable options out there.

 

[]eep]

The Ruby II costs $1600. You can find the whole range here https://www.hiendchina.com/index.php?route=product/search&search=Lpaudio

Or here for Europe. https://destiny-audio.com/collections/lpaudio
As I said, they've been making OEM for a while, such as Jasmine.

 

[The Jester]

Nice when you take a bit of a gamble and it pays off ..
Have you listened to Alan Parsons latest offering …. “Secret” ?

 

[FYFL]

The Ruby II costs $1600. You can find the whole range here https://www.hiendchina.com/index.php?route=product/search&search=Lpaudio

Or here for Europe. https://destiny-audio.com/collections/lpaudio
As I said, they've been making OEM for a while, such as Jasmine.

Not cheap.

Nice when you take a bit of a gamble and it pays off ..
Have you listened to Alan Parsons latest offering …. “Secret” ?

Some of it. Not my favorite. A bit slow for my taste. I Robot is still my fav. I like few songs from Secret tho. Miracle and this one is OK I guess….

 

[The Jester]

Not my ultimate favourite either, just really well produced….
Have everything up to Stereotomy on Vinyl, the rest on CD and my favourite depends on mood when choosing ….

 

[The Jester]

The Ruby II costs $1600. You can find the whole range here https://www.hiendchina.com/index.php?route=product/search&search=Lpaudio

Or here for Europe. https://destiny-audio.com/collections/lpaudio
As I said, they've been making OEM for a while, such as Jasmine.

Nice,
Bit rich for me unfortunately but nice to see more and more quality analogue equipment at less than astronomical prices,
Hopefully you get even more at the 20 hour mark …

 

[FYFL]

What's the consensus on time of mechanical "burn-in" of cartridge suspension? 50, 100hrs...?

 

[]eep]

Define 'cheap'? Rubbish for little money or high value, low cost. If you compare what you get I think this €1300 is cheap. Where can you get a ruby cantilever with hyper spherical diamond and low impedance coils in a rosewood body for that money. I get it that it's still a lot of money. My previous Koetsu Urushi had the reputation and a gorgeous look but it didn't have the same high quality cantilever. And it cost me €1800 2ndH.

I also have 2 AT3600 that cost me €10 each. And they perform grandiose. For the money. I also have some upgrade needles for them, elliptical and hyper fineline. Those are 10x the price. And they really are a lot more defined. But they don't compare to a high end MC. Everything has its price. And truly, exotic cartridges are expensive. But they really take skill and knowledge to make. Plus exotic materials.

I also have a bottom of the line elliptical MM from Lpaudio that I bought on Aliexpress without knowing the brand. Just curious. Just found out what brand it was. And yes, it's comparable to the venerated AT95E. I just had listen to it and it's really ok. For €22 I payed a few months ago. That's rather high value, bang for the buck.

I also suspect the cheaper Windbell MC's to perform rather well for the money. I just think it's smarter not to buy a lot of cheap, well performing cartridges but rather save up for one really great one.

 

[FYFL]

Back in stock if interested.

 

[The Jester]

Define 'cheap'? Rubbish for little money or high value, low cost. If you compare what you get I think this €1300 is cheap. Where can you get a ruby cantilever with hyper spherical diamond and low impedance coils in a rosewood body for that money. I get it that it's still a lot of money. My previous Koetsu Urushi had the reputation and a gorgeous look but it didn't have the same high quality cantilever. And it cost me €1800 2ndH.

I also have 2 AT3600 that cost me €10 each. And they perform grandiose. For the money. I also have some upgrade needles for them, elliptical and hyper fineline. Those are 10x the price. And they really are a lot more defined. But they don't compare to a high end MC. Everything has its price. And truly, exotic cartridges are expensive. But they really take skill and knowledge to make. Plus exotic materials.

I also have a bottom of the line elliptical MM from Lpaudio that I bought on Aliexpress without knowing the brand. Just curious. Just found out what brand it was. And yes, it's comparable to the venerated AT95E. I just had listen to it and it's really ok. For €22 I payed a few months ago. That's rather high value, bang for the buck.

I also suspect the cheaper Windbell MC's to perform rather well for the money. I just think it's smarter not to buy a lot of cheap, well performing cartridges but rather save up for one really great

That’s great value for money and I agree it’s better to buy the best you can afford, sadly for me, retired and with a fixed income, I can only admire the photos … now if I won the lottery ? …

 

[FYFL]

Thankfully there's a cartridge and turntable for any budget bracket.
Digital front end can get ridiculous as well. From dSD Rossini or Vivaldi to Lampizator or 90K MSB. Sky is the limit. I am certainly not part of 1%-ers of the World so my aspirations and common sense have to be a driving force behind my reasonable and calculated purchase choices.
I still think that I spend more than I should have.
I feel that, it is the case for most of us.....

 

[]eep]

It's not like I have lots of money to spend either but I have an inheritance that I invested and is coming in slowly. For tax reasons I rather not have the money sitting in my bank account so I try to spend it wisely and so I can enjoy it. Being rich means having the means to do what you enjoy. My little disabled benefit just makes me miserable (so does the whole 'c' plandemic) but my work (that doesn't pay in money) does. This inherited little bit extra allows me to live a little.

And I got independent from the local audio retailer. That saves me a lot of money. It's nice to walk into a shop and see all the beautiful stuff, be able to listen to it, and the good advice. But at a point I didn't need much advice anymore (however much I like and appreciate the man who is enjoying his pension now). Although I am pretty close to his 'sound' I remember from the store.

 

[The Jester]

Sometimes the journey can be just as enjoyable as the destination … enjoy ..