Apexorca systems

[Apexorca]

Originally Posted by Apexorca

Hehe. Right now I don't have any plans for upgrading my system.

I'v heard many great HiFi-systems with old and well known turntables. Many friends use Garrard. Thorens, Lenco or EMT. In the HiGh End Show in Münich ther are often old turntables. They have been carefully serviced and upgraded with better spare parts. Verity Audio demoed their great speaker Sarastro II with a turntable that was based on Gararrd 401 an Audia flight amplification. That room was one of the best in the 2016 show and the turntable is named as one of the best there is by some people. I remember that room because it was one of my better HIFi experience in my hole life. And this was at a show... often there are not the best performance in shows so this was extraordinary.

Quite often I'v been surprised of how good old turntables are. All turntables have got their own signature both new and old. What is best is up to the listener. But with no doubt I often like the sound of old and carefully rebuilt turntables. I'v for some years had the plan of founding one turntable like that. Thorens TD124 and Garrard 301 or 401 are safe choices. The plan is to use it as a second turntable beside Brinkmann Balance.

Recently i found a very good looking Garrard 401 i Norway. It had been renovated by the well known British company Classic Turntable Company (CTC) and even further upgraded. I'm just in the beginning of setting it up. I want use arms, cartridges, Riaa, step-up and so on that favors musicality and drive over details.


















To start with I will use Ortofon SPU Cartridges and upgraded/modified Ortofon TA-210 arm. Röcklinger PHA1 Riaa (price performance is as good as it gets I think) and try with world class Tamura transformers in a Fonolab step-up.











'

[Formerly YB-2]

Very nice. Am guessing you are looking forward to getting the 401 "dialed in". Beautiful looking piece.
My 12" arm armboard parts are finally "in the mail" from Kuzma. Looking forward to getting the arm installed and listening to the SPU Diam.17 cartridge.

[Apexorca]

Originally Posted by Formerly YB-2

Very nice. Am guessing you are looking forward to getting the 401 "dialed in". Beautiful looking piece.
My 12" arm armboard parts are finally "in the mail" from Kuzma. Looking forward to getting the arm installed and listening to the SPU Diam.17 cartridge.

Good luck with that Formerly YB-2.

Today I tried to use the step-up transformer but some how there was so much hum so it was not possible to play with it. I tried every trick in the book to solve it except to disconnect the ground from the powecable to the Riaa.
Therefore i dit not use it in this test. No big deal because Röcklinger Riaa can handle SPU MC Pickup.

The Ortofon TA-120 12" arm is great. Extremely easy to change pick and get it in the modified right position. The VTA setting on the fly with micrometer screw makes VTA moderation wonderfully easy. As the tracking force.





SPU pickup listening test...



I listen to a lot of different recordings and genres.

SPU Royal G MKII, Nude Ortofon Replicant 100 stylus is a sharp one. Near the cuttinghead. The sound is a, bitt more open with great speed. Fast transients and great bottom end. It digs deep booth in the grooves and in the frequencies.


SPU Classic GE MKII. Nude eliptical stylus a bit mor rounded stylus. More laid back, great midrange. powerfull. Harsh sound in recordings gets much more listenable. Good one this also.




Verdict after many hours of listening.
5 days a week Royal.
2 days a week Classic.

[Charles]

Carl, your photography is stunning. It was your photography that inspired me to purchase a new phone with a much better camera. When you say "no plans...right now" your new vinyl toys are a pleasant present diversion. Vinyl is a great hobby within the high-end. My father owned Garrard changers, Stanton, Pickering, Sure-V-15, Grado arm, turntable, and cartridge, Collaro changers, TD-124 with Grado arm. I have had my hands on all the originals. I think the TD-124 with the Grado arm was the best. The Stanton cartridge arm and turntable was excellent. The Grado turntable was very slow coming to speed but excellent. However, this is nostalgia for me. Having experienced this gear first hand for years as a kid, I guess it's fun for you all who never did, but nothing I would want to return to or listen to. But I enjoy all the stories and enthusiasm.

Best

Charles

[Apexorca]

Originally Posted by Charles

Carl, your photography is stunning. It was your photography that inspired me to purchase a new phone with a much better camera. When you say "no plans...right now" your new vinyl toys are a pleasant present diversion. Vinyl is a great hobby within the high-end. My father owned Garrard changers, Stanton, Pickering, Sure-V-15, Grado arm, turntable, and cartridge, Collaro changers, TD-124 with Grado arm. I have had my hands on all the originals. I think the TD-124 with the Grado arm was the best. The Stanton cartridge arm and turntable was excellent. The Grado turntable was very slow coming to speed but excellent. However, this is nostalgia for me. Having experienced this gear first hand for years as a kid, I guess it's fun for you all who never did, but nothing I would want to return to or listen to. But I enjoy all the stories and enthusiasm.

Best

Charles

Thank you Charles! I'm so glad that you like them. Since I was a teenager photography has been a big hobby of mine as well. I have some photographers that inspires me. I love to go to photo exhibitions to get inspired.

One part of the enjoyment for me to write in forums like this is to take interesting pictures of "dull looking" components.(They often are). Hifi is a way to listen to music. Music is a way of experience art. Therefore Hifi and what we feel and think about it is important. The experience of music reproduced through HiFi is a very subjective matter. Therefore I think the objective way of talking about hifi has to be balanced with commitment and emotions.
Music is all about emotions. Therefore I think pictures can help the written word to have more meaning and make more sense.

Trying to make the picture of HiFi-units interesting and interesting to look at is great fun and a kreativ challenge. My intention is not to just reproduce how they look in real life. The picture in it selfe is the goal. I want to make the products to look intriguing in the pictures even if they don't look that way in real life. Composition and depth of field are powerful tools in this process.
My intention is the opposite of a product picture at a web site.
I want the picture to have a good feeling rather than to se every aspect of the product.
How I'm reaching that goal is another matter. As I'm an amateur photographer I can clearly see the reasons for improvement. But it's fun.


Charles! Since many years on the top of my list, Thorens TD124 was the one. The last 3 years I have hade som help from fiends to look for an old turntable in perfect condition. Garrard Lenco EMT... It could have been a TD124 as well but a beautiful looking, very carefully optimized and rebuilt Garrard 401 captured my heart in that race.
It's not like my Brinkmann Balance with Lyra atlas Lambda. 401 is another kind of music experience. Very well worth experiencing.

[80B]

Carl, great setup and photos - my first stereo experience was as a young boy with my Dad's Garrard TT hooked up to a Fisher 400 receiver. I have no clue what that TT model was from the late 60s but it enabled a love of music that still grows and evolves. Enjoy!

[clpetersen]

Fantastic photos and equipment - enjoy! Love the craftsmanship of the Garrard.

[Charles]

Carl, Sure came out with multiple improvements to their original V-15 cartridge. The Thorens TD 124 with the Grado wood arm and Sure V-15 was the one that everybody wanted but few could afford back in the day. I have had my hands on this combination as a kid many years ago and placed the needle on many records. Al Laurence of Laurence HiFi 5-Points in Birmingham, Alabama. Dad and Mr. Laurence were very good friends. I remember making many trips to Birmingham from Decatur Alabama. It was so much fun. I can't tell you. I remember when the original AR3's came out. What a splash they made!

Best

Charles

[Charles]

I believe the correct spelling is Shure v-15. It's been a long time.