After years of waiting, to put aside cash and buy everything, I finally managed to complete my new Analog Rig. I went all the way and tried to implement all the most popular upgrades at once (within certain limit) 😉
Here the final result. The actual installation is none optimal, I know, but this is my lab listening setup, waiting for my main listening room.
I decided on this turntable because it received very good reviews in some european magazines compare to others tables in the same price range. I always like the Michell Gyro SE, but its price was out of my league. Also, I was not sure to spend that much money without hearing what kind of sound I can get from a very good analog setup. So I went for the bottom of the line.
Here a great picture of the table: http://www.michell-engineering.co.uk/pic/tur/michell_tecnodec.jpg
Here the final result. The actual installation is none optimal, I know, but this is my lab listening setup, waiting for my main listening room.
I decided on this turntable because it received very good reviews in some european magazines compare to others tables in the same price range. I always like the Michell Gyro SE, but its price was out of my league. Also, I was not sure to spend that much money without hearing what kind of sound I can get from a very good analog setup. So I went for the bottom of the line.
Here a great picture of the table: http://www.michell-engineering.co.uk/pic/tur/michell_tecnodec.jpg
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I got my hand on a brand new Michell Tecnodec turntable at a good price on ebay. Then while waiting to buy the tonearm and cartridge, I decided to upgrade the power supply.
I investigated the Michell HR supply upgrade and after some search and advices made my own CLC filtered, high current dual speeds upgrade supply,
see: http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=62049&highlight=
Here the power supply.
I investigated the Michell HR supply upgrade and after some search and advices made my own CLC filtered, high current dual speeds upgrade supply,
see: http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=62049&highlight=
Here the power supply.
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Still waiting for the tonearm and cartridge, I decided to built an upgrade platform for the table. This table is rigid and most users report a better sound when using a vibration absorption table.
See this thread for the details: http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=65266&perpage=10&pagenumber=1
Looking good 😀
See this thread for the details: http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=65266&perpage=10&pagenumber=1
Looking good 😀
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I was already convinced to buy a Rega RB300 tonearm and rewire it with better cables. I wanted to terminate the arm wires into a Cardas CPIB Phono box mounted on the platform. This would give me a strong connection point, allow to move the table without having a mess of wires hanging around and I'll be able to try different cables for a better sound 😎
The only drawback was the price of the CPIB so I decided to build my own. Here the result compared to the real thing, not bad.
The only drawback was the price of the CPIB so I decided to build my own. Here the result compared to the real thing, not bad.
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Then I found a very nice used RB300 tonearm on audiogon at a good price (less than third of the street price), but guest what, the wires were missing. No problem for me, I was already planning to upgrade the wires anyway.
So I got the tonearm and it was in very good shape, and the arm tube was indeed empty, not even a gnd wire left to ease pull back some new wires. Some challenge here...
I decided to go with the Cardas 33awg tonearm wires. Instead of buying separate lenghts of each color wire, I bought the Cardas tonearm cable that contains Four 33 awg wires twisted then bundled in Teflon tape, braided shield. It is small, very flexible and cheaper than separate wires.
I was also planning to use this cable as interconnect using Eichman Bullet Plugs connectors. So I bought 5 ft, 2 for the arm and 3 for the interconnect.
The rewire took me just 3 hours and went very smoothly, a piece of cake. I was even able to reinstall the arm ground wire as the original. I installed my connectors box on the platform using four 4-40 hex head screws and terminated the cable. I was wired again.
So I got the tonearm and it was in very good shape, and the arm tube was indeed empty, not even a gnd wire left to ease pull back some new wires. Some challenge here...
I decided to go with the Cardas 33awg tonearm wires. Instead of buying separate lenghts of each color wire, I bought the Cardas tonearm cable that contains Four 33 awg wires twisted then bundled in Teflon tape, braided shield. It is small, very flexible and cheaper than separate wires.
I was also planning to use this cable as interconnect using Eichman Bullet Plugs connectors. So I bought 5 ft, 2 for the arm and 3 for the interconnect.
The rewire took me just 3 hours and went very smoothly, a piece of cake. I was even able to reinstall the arm ground wire as the original. I installed my connectors box on the platform using four 4-40 hex head screws and terminated the cable. I was wired again.
And a close look of my new tonearm wires. I did everything, the small clip installation, etc... A lot of fun. Big Bear fingers stay away 
In the back the last piece of money trashing on this table, the Michell record clamp. An other piece of nice enginering. That is the great thing about turntables, so many mechanical parts, almost like a car. Guy stuff I guest...
In the back the last piece of money trashing on this table, the Michell record clamp. An other piece of nice enginering. That is the great thing about turntables, so many mechanical parts, almost like a car. Guy stuff I guest...
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And finally, what is a turntable/tonearm without a cartridge.
I thought a lot about this one. I always wanted to try a low output MC cartridge. Everybody is always raving about how magic are the low output version, small coil, low inertia, low noise level, great tracking, etc... But as always great cartridges are expensives. Some complain about the MC sound, high harshness, and all. So I search and search and settled on the Benz-Micro ACE cartridge. Benz cartridges are often characterized as very musical. The ACE serie was supposed to have most of the top cartridges sounds at a much better price.
Again audiogon was handy and I found a brand new ACE-Low Output for a less than 300U$. Great price and great buyer.
I installed the cartridge, adjusted it using the Rega protactor, a far cry from the WallyTractor, but this is an other story. Set the Tecno-Weight at about 2g, adjusted the VTA and there I was ready for some listening. Except that my ONO phono preamp clone was still not completed and that my current NAD PP2 preamp was always reviewed as not that good.
So I decided to build rapidly a nice, little PhonoClone, a clone of the renowned 47Lab PhonoCube. See for the details: http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=57398&perpage=10&pagenumber=19
Its sound using my current DL110 and Kyocera turntable was just impressive. Years ahead of the NAD PP2.
I thought a lot about this one. I always wanted to try a low output MC cartridge. Everybody is always raving about how magic are the low output version, small coil, low inertia, low noise level, great tracking, etc... But as always great cartridges are expensives. Some complain about the MC sound, high harshness, and all. So I search and search and settled on the Benz-Micro ACE cartridge. Benz cartridges are often characterized as very musical. The ACE serie was supposed to have most of the top cartridges sounds at a much better price.
Again audiogon was handy and I found a brand new ACE-Low Output for a less than 300U$. Great price and great buyer.
I installed the cartridge, adjusted it using the Rega protactor, a far cry from the WallyTractor, but this is an other story. Set the Tecno-Weight at about 2g, adjusted the VTA and there I was ready for some listening. Except that my ONO phono preamp clone was still not completed and that my current NAD PP2 preamp was always reviewed as not that good.
So I decided to build rapidly a nice, little PhonoClone, a clone of the renowned 47Lab PhonoCube. See for the details: http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=57398&perpage=10&pagenumber=19
Its sound using my current DL110 and Kyocera turntable was just impressive. Years ahead of the NAD PP2.
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Listening Impressions
The last touch was to build the interconnect using the CARDAS cable and Eichman Bullet Plugs. I connected everything and started to spin a nice little record that I bought for 1.5$, almost brand new, Chopin Sonates Op.28 for piano on Deutsh.
The music was playing on the background and I was working on some other project. I was not planning the seriously listen to the setup since the cartridge and preamp were almost brand new.
The sound was right from the start very nice, liquid, a little piano planning on the background.
Then the piano went more powerfull and suddenly the piano was with me in the room! I cannot describe it better. The last minute I was listening to the sound of music, then the next it was real piano music.
Incredible! The sound is immediate. You can hear all the hammers hitting the piano's chords. Surface noise is also lower than with my Denon DL-110
I got my wife to seat by my side and she just had the same comments. That is just great
Just gorgeous sound and the cartridge/preamp combo are not even broke-in.
With all this good music out there selling for almost nothing, I'll have years of great music. And I didn't even start to play with VTA 😉
Vinyl playback just rocks and so far my journey into this old/new world seems very promessing. Have fun 😀
The last touch was to build the interconnect using the CARDAS cable and Eichman Bullet Plugs. I connected everything and started to spin a nice little record that I bought for 1.5$, almost brand new, Chopin Sonates Op.28 for piano on Deutsh.
The music was playing on the background and I was working on some other project. I was not planning the seriously listen to the setup since the cartridge and preamp were almost brand new.
The sound was right from the start very nice, liquid, a little piano planning on the background.
Then the piano went more powerfull and suddenly the piano was with me in the room! I cannot describe it better. The last minute I was listening to the sound of music, then the next it was real piano music.
Incredible! The sound is immediate. You can hear all the hammers hitting the piano's chords. Surface noise is also lower than with my Denon DL-110
I got my wife to seat by my side and she just had the same comments. That is just great
Just gorgeous sound and the cartridge/preamp combo are not even broke-in.With all this good music out there selling for almost nothing, I'll have years of great music. And I didn't even start to play with VTA 😉
Vinyl playback just rocks and so far my journey into this old/new world seems very promessing. Have fun 😀
In the next months, I'll try to compare all my upgrades with the stock items and I'll post my finding here. We'll see.
I like your setup. Congrats!
A recent ebay search for vinyl and your above comment are inspiration for me to look to analog in the future. Thanks!
A recent ebay search for vinyl and your above comment are inspiration for me to look to analog in the future. Thanks!
Glad it inspired you. For me vinyl is a chance to discover classical music. Most of my LP's are classic and most of them were bought used for almost nothing. From time to time I can find here in Montreal boxes of 100 LP's for about 100$, all in perfect condition.
I can also keep on listening to my old 70's music LP's collection, more than 500 of them 😉
Next step will be a DIY LP cleaning machine. Bye...
I can also keep on listening to my old 70's music LP's collection, more than 500 of them 😉
Next step will be a DIY LP cleaning machine. Bye...
Hi,
I am very interested to learn about how your power supply for the turntable performs compared to the stock one.
Thanks for posting or emailing me on this,
Jeroen
Yes! Vinyl rocks. You really experience that bad sound that comes from CD's 😉
I'm using a Onkyo CP-1057F with an Audio Technica OC-64 MCE pickup (20-40.000Hz). To me, CD's are dead 😀
Hi Algar, or anyone,
Is there anywhere on this site another thread where you post about the improvement vs stock of the DIY turntable power supply?
I am using a Michell Gyro SE with DC motor, and standard power supply. Algars project would fit perfectly to my situation.
Thanks,
Jeroen
Damn
I have to really work harder with vinyl. I hAVE REGA p9/rb 1000
also Thorens TD 124 with Grace 707 / Grace 9E and my simple Nakamich ST2 tuner and moded Mcintosh NOS CD player just kill vinyl front end . I'm using Cornet II phono and Cinemag SUT as well . Maybe it's time to finally complete Teres/Galibier mammooth with Kelly/Algar PSU . Hmmm
I have to really work harder with vinyl. I hAVE REGA p9/rb 1000
also Thorens TD 124 with Grace 707 / Grace 9E and my simple Nakamich ST2 tuner and moded Mcintosh NOS CD player just kill vinyl front end . I'm using Cornet II phono and Cinemag SUT as well . Maybe it's time to finally complete Teres/Galibier mammooth with Kelly/Algar PSU . Hmmm
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