Should I upgrade to a Mitchell Gyrodec SE Turntable?

Nice, not enough pictures in this thread! The Gyros are very cool tables, and yours looks very cool too.

 

@LakeMountain your Gyro looks lovely- is that cartridge a Cadenza Black?

The platform ( whatever it is ) looks cool too.

 

Thanks! The cartridge is an Ortofon Cadenza Blue. It has a Ruby cantilever, which in the new position/light sparkles in red now. The Black is on my wish list, but first I can re-listen to my entire collection again.

The platform is custom made for a Thorens 320 &321 by Bifly audio. It has 3cm rim to accommodate the metal base bowl of the Thorens. Therefore the already high Gyrodec stands lower than on a standard base.

Andy, thanks for your tip about Pete’s pylons. I got them now here, all measured out by Pete!
Cheers, Fritz

 

Fritz- you are in for a treat Sir!

 

Hi there. How does the HR PS change the speed? I have one of these with my Gyro but there's nothing on it to switch speeds. Am i missing something?

 

Hi, there is small screw like type speed controller (use a screwdriver for example) at the rear of the HR. However you need a stroboscope or alike to check the speed. Hence it is a bit of trial and error to get there.

 

No, you still have to change the belt manually on the pulley to go from 33/3 to 45RPM... however on the HR PSU you can adjust speed slightly (+/- on the two speeds.

What you do get also is a nice lift in sound quality.

 

Any other pictures of Gyro SE set up’s out there?

 

Here's mine. I'm using an Audiomods Classic II and a Hana SL.

 

Thanks but how do you do it? There’s nothing on my my HRPSU to adjust the speed even slightly. It has off/on and that’s it. Cheers

 

Oops. Just read @LakeMountain response. Many thanks. Sorry @Andy Saunders

 

To change the speed from 33 1/3 to 45 rpm or vice verse you need to lift the belt into the second notch on top of the motor drive, which is just next to the green on /off switch.

For fine tuning speed you need to look at the back of the black HR power unit.

 

Thanks. Yes, I knew about the manual belt lift but it was the fine tuning I wasn’t aware of.

 

....you have a point, operating instructions could definitely be improved!

 

I Pete‘s pylons installed. I broke a tonearm cable in the process . I replaced it now and I can round off my report finally.

Whilst the Gyro gave me already more resolution, the pylons improved sound further. They make the sound more natural and fuller, whilst all detail is preserved and bass is tight!

I can only fully recommend these pylons, great engineering and well thought out. They are available with Truepoint audio, but you will need to measure you your Gyro or Orbe to get a good fit.

 

What l found with the Pylons are the more you listen the more you realise how good they are- glad it worked out for you Lakemountain.

 

Pete's suspension is really quite impressive. His new armboard design is also a major improvement. Hard to believe how much more performance you can wring out of the table.

 

I finally got round to doing the bearing an oil service on my AC Gyro Dec last night. This made a slight difference (improvement) to the sound and the TT just felt better to use (probably psychosomatic).
After I had done this, I then fitted the Orbe Clamp/Spindle upgrade - really easy to do and what a difference. More space and air, lower noise floor, wider and deeper soundstage, more space between instruments and the timing seemed to just be a little bit better as well. At the £108 that I paid for the upgrade, plus 10 minutes to fit it, this has to be one of the best pound (£)/sound upgrades that I have ever made.
Now contemplating the DC and free-standing motor upgrade(s).
I do not want to go down the Orbe platter route, by the way, as I really love the look of the Gyro Dec and want to retain that elegance and talking point.

 

I got the Orbe clamp and HR power supply straight away, based on recommendation by this forum. I also installed Pete’s pylons and they really pushed performance even one level higher; a must have upgrade available via Truepoint audio.
So, I can’t comment on the impact of the Orbe clamp and HR unit, but I can say that whole rig sounds absolutely amazing. I have no itch to upgrade anything for now, which means that I can also stick to the beautiful Gyro platter .

 

Yes, I am thinking about the Pete's Pylons (and checking to make sure that I have the latest suspension posts - I think that they were changed out along with the springs in about 2003 but cannot really tell without taking it apart and not sure when the two-part posts were introduced). These changes along with the free-standing motor and DC motor upgrade will place me in the same position as you - unable to tell which upgrade is making which (if any) any improvements.

 

Just get the pylons......

They are superb.

 

Better to do one rebuild I think than many. Likewise I would say if you have not done the Orbe Clamp upgrade ... Just do it!

 

Pete will provide the a fitting pylons for your edition. He will ask all kinds of measurement, as indeed Michell layout can vary.
Since you got the Orbe clamp already you can continue step by step? My feeling is that pylons may be the bigger gain.

 

Yes, and that is exactly what outs me off. The fitting is quite complex and requires dismantling and measurement, after which only the can you order and eventually fit. So it will have to be part of the larger job of rebuilding with DC/detached motor.
To emphasise, the Orbe Spindle/clamp grade was super easy and quick, about 10 minutes including changing the oil. In that context "it would be rude not to!".

 

I overlooked that you have the AC powered motor. Is the AC motor not also detached from the frame, I.e could be exchanged with DC motor by lifting the frame?

You did the oil service and found the Orbe spindle upgrade easy, then replacing spring suspension with Pete’s pylons should be easy for you as well. But it is good to reserve some time for the job (2 hours?), mainly so that you do not feel rushed.

BTW, you also get ceramic ball bearings with the upgrade.