| Idler Wheel Turntables |
May I first express my thanks to CP, Limage, The Kong and YC for coming to my place to hear the Slate Plinth Lenco turntable and coaxing me out of hibernation. It has been a long time since I have met with other audiophiles and certainly ones who are so experienced, seasoned and so civilised in discussion.
There is much to learn in this vast hobby and sometimes you can question "what the hell am I doing?" yet the rewards from perservation and countless nights of reading with the wonders of the internet can bring you that priceless knowledge. I started DIY around 8 years ago when I felt dismayed with what the commerical world was offering, plus I could not afford the prices even back then never mind now.
Having looked at and owned various turntables, I stumbled across the LENCO about 3 years ago, but not really got into the nut and bolts of DIYing this turntable and modifiying this until about 2 years ago when I joined www.lenco-lovers.com from this website which I am part of the admin team, I built and co-built 4 turntables. The modified LENCO I am currently using sits on a 4mm laser cut steel top plate replacing the original which has a decoupling of the motor unit from the steel top plate. The steel top plate with the bearing is fastened to a piece of slate which is of high condensed layers. There has been a development of slate plinths for the last 4 to 5 years and more recently after many tests by both commerical and DIYers can confess of sonic benefits. Constrained Layer Damping (CLD) is something which has been applied in the past o many of the idler wheel turntables such as the Garrards and Thorens, more recently with the LENCO's. The slate takes this further, expect sonic differences and extensions and a nice dark background. You may say that a lot of forum talk is much about boasting and glorifying the results, but having experienced the building of CLD personally and now slate, this is no myth. It is true that a well plinthed Garrard , LENCO and possibly Thorens will give the most expensive high end turntables a good run for their money. I cannot comment what sort of price range, but I can safely say that those who have owned these idler wheel turntables with the right plinth have sold their top VPI, JC Verdier, Kuzma and even Walker turntables. I myself had the experience of comparing a barebones LENCO with no plinth against a Simon Yorke S7 and we all refer the LENCO.
Each turntable has its own signature sound, the LENCO is no different, it is musical, dynamic and has good body. Its transparent, has good resolution and certainly has that live sound.
I must confess that I am no expert and the findings are not mine, but I have followed and discussed with many audiophiles on the net and learnt from them, interpret and discussed many ways forward. For now the turntable is very enjoyable and I am sure those who have came to listen will agree. Like most DIYers the tinkering and tweaking does not stop, I still have unfinished business with it, but I hope this opens up more discussion and more open minded thoughts about not just turntables, but other parts of our Hi Fi system. Some of you may or may not know, but my horns are DIY and I have just DIY a very nice mod for the Denon 103. Yes I am rather frugal most of the time in my approach, but if I can achieve such enjoyment at a fraction of the cost - why not ? |
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daiwok
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13-10-14
00:08:57
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bobui
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13-10-01
20:42:00
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daiwok
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13-10-01
16:59:56
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bobui
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13-10-01
11:23:36
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daiwok
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13-09-30
15:46:14
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daiwok
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13-09-30
12:43:20
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| 回覆 (2345): What would be your choice of turntable for £25,000.- |
>I am surprised reviewers or other audiophiles have not braved the thought of using other arms to match these turntables.<
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Well, for what it's worth, HP had stated he preferred the Graham Phantom, MK II at the time I believe, on the ClearAudio Statement in comparison to the stock arm.
>A good example is a guy I met who uses the Goldmund Reference turntable, only when he installed the Kuzma Airline did he realise how bad the Goldmund linear arm really was !<
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I know of another guy who used the Airtangent on the Goldmund Reference and was impressed by the result. If I remember correctly, he was in New Zealand or Australia. Maybe it was the same guy?
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thekong
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13-09-30
12:37:13
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bobui
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13-09-30
12:34:17
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| 回覆 (2343): What would be your choice of turntable for £25,000.- |
The SME was a benchmark turntable in UK for me. I am stunned at the price of the latest version. One thing that springs to mind is how does the turntable sound with a different arm other than the SME V ? say for example a Kuzma Airline ? this is a question I also pose for the Clearaudio Statement. While the Statement arm is a class of its own, is it really the best match ? I am surprised reviewers or other audiophiles have not braved the thought of using other arms to match these turntables.
A good example is a guy I met who uses the Goldmund Reference turntable, only when he installed the Kuzma Airline did he realise how bad the Goldmund linear arm really was !
Talking about Kuzma, they are launching a new cartridge MC CAR 50
http://www.monoandstereo.com/2013/09/atc-and-kuzma.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+monoandstereo%2FHOym+(MONO+AND+STEREO+Ultra+High-End+Audio+Magazine)
- an interesting interview with Franc here |
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| http://www.monoandstereo.com/2011/12/exclusive-interview-with-franc-kuzma.html |
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daiwok
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13-09-30
11:55:08
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| 回覆 (2342): What would be your choice of turntable for £25,000.- |
Bobui, yes, the SME is probably the only UK made high-end TT that I am interested in!
If it is not limited to UK TT, I would probably take the Kuzma XL with Airline arm at this price range!
The JC Verdier is also an excellent choice with a lot less money! You can buy a lot of whisky with the change! ;-)
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thekong
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13-09-30
09:00:54
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| 回覆 (2332): Motor Controller PCB for Lenco, Garrard and Thorens 124 |
Corection GBP8.50 each, shipping for 10 pcs is GBP18
Gents,
This project has been ongoing for a long time on Lenco Heaven. I preliminarily ordered 10 PCB's so get your name on this list please.
The price for the PCB is GBP8.50 each with shipping on top. It does not come with components, but a list is provided (everything can be sourced from RS or similar). Instructions on the build can be found on Lenco Heaven, I can provide a link later. As far as I am aware the PCB allows fine tuning of voltage and Hz and then you can set your speed. It has been tested on the Garrard 301, but I guess this should also work for TD 124. Certainly works for the Lenco.
1. daiwok 4 PCB
2. scally 4 PCB
3. TaiMonSinG 2 PCB
4. thekong 4 PCB
5. wadia 4 PCB
6. abc2007 3 PCB
7. jsun 3 PCB
8.
9.
10.
http://www.lencoheaven.net/forum/index.php?topic=13880.new#new |
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daiwok
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13-09-29
23:22:12
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daiwok
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13-09-29
23:20:06
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| 回覆 (2341): What would be your choice of turntable for £25,000.- |
Kong, as we spoke the other day, this is probably a much better choice for the money, right?
£2,500.- change is about enough for a not so bad MC cartridge and a bottle of mre recent Lagavulin!
http://www.hifinews.co.uk/news/article/sme-model-30-12-turntable-arm-pound;22500/9099
SME 30/12A at £22,500.- in the UK |
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bobui
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13-09-29
17:35:37
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| 回覆 (2340): Linn |
Here is the problem with Chinese ... As soon as someone offer an appears to be a good deal of a sales or services, another one surface immediately with an appear to be even better deal .... (just like Chinese restaurants, $7.99 all you can eat shit).
Alright buy mine, it's a better deal, it comes with more glass ...
:-)
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Cadiver
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13-09-29
14:26:29
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| 回覆 (2339): Linn |
To celebrate..............your life! I present you this special package one off combo bargain for £2,500 UK pounds. The Linn LP12 on display is inclusive as free gift to sweeten the deal!
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bobui
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13-09-29
08:35:35
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| 回覆 (2338): Linn |
師父, 好似係買唱盤送威士己似的! 有錢人的聖誕禮物.....
http://www.engadget.com/2013/09/20/linn-sondek-highland-park-anniversary-edition/ |
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Cadiver
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13-09-29
01:08:00
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| 回覆 (2338): Linn |
Helloe, cp,
Patrick has left me some sealed NOS whisky. Do you want to take home? No registration needed. |
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dkyyu
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13-09-28
15:55:00
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| 回覆 (2337): Linn |
Dominic, you must be joking!
We believe this is a promotion ad for the whisky. The turntable is there to provide a steady 360 degree display of the vintage liqueur.
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limage
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13-09-28
15:34:23
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| 回覆 (2336): Linn |
As much as I love Linn, all kinds of Linn ...
But for £25,000 ... I won't have the luxury to own one in any time soon ....
The whisky glass is what I want most out of this package .... |
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Cadiver
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13-09-28
13:41:19
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cpsjj
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13-09-28
00:58:52
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cpsjj
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13-09-28
00:57:09
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| 回覆 (2333): iPhono ? |
Hi from Germany,
Yes, some months ago I had the chance to audition the iFi Phono and it played very well. I would say that it is more than a bargain for the price! Highly recommended! |
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der_yeti
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13-09-27
23:12:43
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| 回覆 (2332): iPhono ? |
| I didn't hear PR1 mention iPhono whereas R33 seems to like it a lot. For $400 USD, that's pretty attractive. Anyone played ? Far from EAR level of performance or reasonable ? Thanks for chime in. |
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Cadiver
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13-09-27
16:08:04
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| 回覆 (2331): Motor Controller PCB for Lenco, Garrard and Thorens 124 |
Corection GBP8.50 each, shipping for 10 pcs is GBP18
Gents,
This project has been ongoing for a long time on Lenco Heaven. I preliminarily ordered 10 PCB's so get your name on this list please.
The price for the PCB is GBP8.50 each with shipping on top. It does not come with components, but a list is provided (everything can be sourced from RS or similar). Instructions on the build can be found on Lenco Heaven, I can provide a link later. As far as I am aware the PCB allows fine tuning of voltage and Hz and then you can set your speed. It has been tested on the Garrard 301, but I guess this should also work for TD 124. Certainly works for the Lenco.
1. daiwok 4 PCB
2. scally 4 PCB
3. TaiMonSinG 2 PCB
4. thekong 4 PCB
5. wadia 4 PCB
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
http://www.lencoheaven.net/forum/index.php?topic=13880.new#new |
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wadia
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13-09-24
10:17:01
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| 回覆 (2330): Motor Controller PCB for Lenco, Garrard and Thorens 124 |
Corection GBP8.50 each, shipping for 10 pcs is GBP18
Gents,
This project has been ongoing for a long time on Lenco Heaven. I preliminarily ordered 10 PCB's so get your name on this list please.
The price for the PCB is GBP8.50 each with shipping on top. It does not come with components, but a list is provided (everything can be sourced from RS or similar). Instructions on the build can be found on Lenco Heaven, I can provide a link later. As far as I am aware the PCB allows fine tuning of voltage and Hz and then you can set your speed. It has been tested on the Garrard 301, but I guess this should also work for TD 124. Certainly works for the Lenco.
1. daiwok 4 PCB
2. scally 4 PCB
3. TaiMonSinG 2 PCB
4. thekong 4 PCB
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
http://www.lencoheaven.net/forum/index.php?topic=13880.new#new |
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thekong
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13-09-23
13:51:30
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| 回覆 (2329): Motor Controller PCB for Lenco, Garrard and Thorens 124 |
Corection GBP8.50 each, shipping for 10 pcs is GBP18
Gents,
This project has been ongoing for a long time on Lenco Heaven. I preliminarily ordered 10 PCB's so get your name on this list please.
The price for the PCB is GBP8.50 each with shipping on top. It does not come with components, but a list is provided (everything can be sourced from RS or similar). Instructions on the build can be found on Lenco Heaven, I can provide a link later. As far as I am aware the PCB allows fine tuning of voltage and Hz and then you can set your speed. It has been tested on the Garrard 301, but I guess this should also work for TD 124. Certainly works for the Lenco.
1. daiwok 4 PCB
2. scally 4 PCB
3. TaiMonSinG 2 PCB
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
http://www.lencoheaven.net/forum/index.php?topic=13880.new#new |
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TaiMonSing
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13-09-23
01:10:47
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| 回覆 (2328): Motor Controller PCB for Lenco, Garrard and Thorens 124 |
Corection GBP8.50 each, shipping for 10 pcs is GBP18
Gents,
This project has been ongoing for a long time on Lenco Heaven. I preliminarily ordered 10 PCB's so get your name on this list please.
The price for the PCB is GBP8.50 each with shipping on top. It does not come with components, but a list is provided (everything can be sourced from RS or similar). Instructions on the build can be found on Lenco Heaven, I can provide a link later. As far as I am aware the PCB allows fine tuning of voltage and Hz and then you can set your speed. It has been tested on the Garrard 301, but I guess this should also work for TD 124. Certainly works for the Lenco.
1. daiwok 4 PCB
2. scally 4 PCB
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
http://www.lencoheaven.net/forum/index.php?topic=13880.new#new |
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scallywag
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13-09-23
00:00:50
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| 回覆 (2327): Motor Controller PCB for Lenco, Garrard and Thorens 124 |
Corection GBP8.50 each, shipping for 10 pcs is GBP18
Gents,
This project has been ongoing for a long time on Lenco Heaven. I preliminarily ordered 10 PCB's so get your name on this list please.
The price for the PCB is GBP8.50 each with shipping on top. It does not come with components, but a list is provided (everything can be sourced from RS or similar). Instructions on the build can be found on Lenco Heaven, I can provide a link later. As far as I am aware the PCB allows fine tuning of voltage and Hz and then you can set your speed. It has been tested on the Garrard 301, but I guess this should also work for TD 124. Certainly works for the Lenco.
1. daiwok 4 PCB
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
http://www.lencoheaven.net/forum/index.php?topic=13880.new#new |
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daiwok
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13-09-22
22:02:50
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daiwok
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13-09-22
17:57:04
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daiwok
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13-09-22
17:22:33
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daiwok
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13-09-22
17:10:45
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daiwok
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13-09-22
17:01:33
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daiwok
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13-09-22
14:55:50
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daiwok
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13-09-22
14:37:24
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daiwok
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13-09-22
14:23:36
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| 回覆 (2326): Motor Controller PCB for Lenco, Garrard and Thorens 124 |
Gents,
This project has been ongoing for a long time on Lenco Heaven. I preliminarily ordered 10 PCB's so get your name on this list please.
The price for the PCB is we order 10 is GBP18. It does not come with components, but a list is provided (everything can be sourced from RS or similar). Instructions on the build can be found on Lenco Heaven, I can provide a link later. As far as I am aware the PCB allows fine tuning of voltage and Hz and then you can set your speed. It has been tested on the Garrard 301, but I guess this should also work for TD 124. Certainly works for the Lenco.
1. daiwok 4 PCB
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
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| http://www.lencoheaven.net/forum/index.php?topic=13880.new#new |
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daiwok
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13-09-22
14:22:53
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daiwok
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13-09-06
15:17:00
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| 回覆 (2324): Refoaming Lowther / AER Drivers |
His surrounds are a hybrid foam which has an element of rubber coating making them much more durable.
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Which is what you gave me, right?
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bobui
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13-09-06
13:01:55
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| 回覆 (2323): Refoaming Lowther / AER Drivers |
This is the video from the true master. A chinese gent living in San Francisco. A true master makes it look easy. His surrounds are a hybrid foam which has an element of rubber coating making them much more durable. Certainly the worrying factor if the change of surround would make the drivers sound coherent or more coloured is not noticeable. I believe that the foams are an upgrade to my cloth ears and sound is very clean and dynamic as ever ! I now await for the foams to run in and let the fun begin !!!
Good Doctor, I still have your surrounds 8^)
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daiwok
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13-09-06
12:59:35
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| 回覆 (2322): Refoaming Lowther / AER Drivers |
From behind
Now the centering of the coils. You can start to mount the magnet and the screws. There is enough play between screws and the metal cast frame to allow you to move the whole unit for centring. Gentle pushing and even of the paper cone with the new foam surround will indicate if there is any rubbing. Once you have good equal centring, you can start tightening the screws gently. Not easy as the magnets are attracted to the spanner, but each time you tighten closer, have a check that the cone is still centred.
Glue dries quite quick, so it allowed me to mount and test the drivers
all in all, about 2 hours work.
The following day I also did the same with the other driver
No distortion even at excessive volume, sounding beautifully clean !!! Life is good !!! 8^) |
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daiwok
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13-09-06
12:53:18
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