Those "Doh" Hi-Fi moments...

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by frimleygreener, Mar 31, 2015.

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  1. frimleygreener

    frimleygreener "It 'a'int why...it just is" Thread Starter

    Location:
    united kingdom
    So....I thought I would spend a concentrated time setting up my turntable(now I have a cartridge that does it justice)....made some "spacers" so that I could be sure the platter was running at the optimum clearance from the plinth,and that it was consistent across the whole circumference....checked the arm height to ensure it was parallel to the disc when playing...got the stylus overhang perfect....it took hours,but the wait was worthwhile..after auditioning a few "favourites",I reached for a pristine 180 gm "L.A Woman"(The workshop sessions)...You guessed it..the extra weight lowered the platter enough for it to foul....Oh well..I guess I learned a valuable lesson...if you have to make adjustments with a record in place,chose a heavy one:)
     
    jupiterboy likes this.
  2. jupiterboy

    jupiterboy Forum Residue

    Location:
    Buffalo, NY
    It’s always something.
     
  3. Mister Charlie

    Mister Charlie "Music Is The Doctor Of My Soul " - Doobie Bros.

    Location:
    Aromas, CA USA
    But just imagine what it will sound like when you finally DO get it all dialed in! And thank you for sharing and helping us prevent doing that ourselves.
     
  4. The Good Guy

    The Good Guy Forum Resident

    Location:
    UK
    I played a record on my turntable one evening . Sounded great . I changed a cable in the back of my amp (cd player) sounded good. I decided to go back to vinyl. It sounded abnormally quiet & echoey? I trouble shooted (looked at stylus , connections etc then assumed it must be the headshell wires! I decided to remove each one & reinstall . To put it mildly it was like putting pyjamas on an ant!!! The headshell wires were really difficult to really install. 2 hours later all done but still the same sound???

    As a last resort I decided to disconnect ALL wires at the back of amp & reconnect each one slowly . As I was about to reinstall phono I noticed my MM switch was switched into Moving Coil!!! Doh!!!!

    Sound reinstated but how Wallyish on my part!!!
     
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  5. Analogman

    Analogman Well-Known Member

    Your platter rides on something that is that compressible? (aside from the "T" bar?)
    I don't understand; what is "optimum clearance from the plinth"; anything beyond not striking or rubbing it (not talking total spring tension/tuning)?
    Not familiar with this aspect of the AR decks (this is about the 10th mention of a "Legend" I've seen this past week)
    I am aware of the "EB" and "ES" decks (and that AR all decks are "sprung" types to my understanding); was the "Legend" badge a British offering?
    I assume this is the table we are talking; it's the table in your profile
    But the platter assembly and the arm both attach to the same "T" bar, no?
    Please elaborate
     
  6. Tonmeister

    Tonmeister Forum Resident

    Location:
    New York
    Brilliant... :laugh:
     
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  7. frimleygreener

    frimleygreener "It 'a'int why...it just is" Thread Starter

    Location:
    united kingdom
    I t is a sprung sub chassis...therefore the height of the plinth/platter can be adjusted to make sure it is level I t is done by hand turning springs..it seems fairly obvious to me that if you placed a brick on it the platter/plinth would foul the turntable body.Not sure what you are questioning?

    P.S I THINK "The Legend" was branded "The Turntable" your side of the pond:)
     
  8. Analogman

    Analogman Well-Known Member

    Understood; what I do not understand is the reference to making "spacers"; why what and how?
    The AR "T" bar as I understand it maintains a constant relationship between the arm and the platter (or main bearing assembly) regardless of spring tuning
    I also understand that if you overload the springs you could conceivably "bottom" things out and the results could be that the platter could in fact come into contact with the plinth
    Be surely this would be some sort of extreme and or indicative of worn out parts (springs fatigued?)
    What I don't understand is how this whole deal (or is it just your "spacers") be so compliant that simply placing a heavy pressing (in this case a 180 gram pressing) on the platter would "foul" things
    In other words, "foul" them how (what exactly did the weight of the pressing "foul")?
     
  9. frimleygreener

    frimleygreener "It 'a'int why...it just is" Thread Starter

    Location:
    united kingdom
    Not with you..You do not understand why a sprung platter has to be levelled? And that it should be consistent? I just made some chips that I placed between the platter and the turntable base,and made adjustments to ensure the gap all round was both equal,and more importantly absolutely level.This is required to ensure that the belt rides on the crown of the pulley,rather than "ride" against the top or bottom flange.So I did all that,using a conventional weight record.I guess 180 gm vinyl did not figure when Acoustic Research built/designed this turntable.
     
  10. frimleygreener

    frimleygreener "It 'a'int why...it just is" Thread Starter

    Location:
    united kingdom
    Let me try to be more detailed:)...The plinth is attached to a facing plate on the turntable body by four screws that stand proud:O n the underside of the platter are four "ribs"...using a conventional record,the clearance between the platter/plinth and those mentioned "screws" was ideal: When a "heavy gauge"record was placed on the platter,the extra weight was sufficient to make the "ribs" on the underside of the platter make fleeting contact with the plinth mounting screws.
     
  11. Colin M

    Colin M Forum Resident

    Generally has involved transport screws

    Though did spend an afternoon trying to determine why I lost the right channel on the turntable. Swapped everything, decided had to be the power amp. Removed the side panel of the equipment shelves to then see a banana plug on the right speaker cable had ejected itself.
     
  12. Brother_Rael

    Brother_Rael Senior Member

    That moment where I sheared off the power switch on the back of my AVI Lab Series CD player. Thankfully, replaced with a better one since!
     
  13. frimleygreener

    frimleygreener "It 'a'int why...it just is" Thread Starter

    Location:
    united kingdom
    Another one...I purchased a used set of Mordaunt Short floorstanders...fired them up...phase okay,balance fine...but something missing..."Must just sound very different to my Bowers and Wilkins thought I,must just take time to get used to them".I gave them time...but time did not heal.Tried different speaker cables....but still something definitely missing.
    A couple of weeks later I discovered the jumper plates taped to the back of one of the cabinets...Doh.
     
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  14. c-eling

    c-eling They're made of light,We never would have guessed

    Yep had a Doh! of my own tonight, I was going through my various cd players, trying to eliminate a few and I was using New Order's pre-emphasis Low Life as a test disc, song Perfect Kiss came on and towards the 10 seconds it pans left and right, I noticed right off the bat my left speaker sounded bad, crap, checked the wiring and noticed a few months ago I must of put the jumpers on backwards so I wasn't getting a good connection to the highs, pretty bad that I hadn't noticed before
     
    Mister Charlie likes this.
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