Hi thank you for the pictures i hope you enjoy them , recently TPA (charlie and John Melling ) have been very slow this was becuse Charlie was ill, told to rest for 3weeks , old age getting to him , i am applogise that he has not been his usual helpful self , there was a comment that Charlie passes emails to a friend who then contats you , the Friend is ME , because i designed the pads and the pylons, if he gets a question he cannot answer he will pass it on to me , i have asked him to clear this up before any email arrives to me, i am sorry for the confusion , it will not happen again , he never just gives out peoples emails to any eone except to me to sort any problems out , keep well pete
Testing of the pylons they have been in use for more than 3 years , in that time i have had one set back , i dont no how many hove sold you would have to ask TPA, the set i had back was because the guy said they did not make the speakers dissapear , i have used a wow and flutter meter to check this , the result was far better than the std deck , you could i supposed as a test labortary to run tests before and after how ever the thounds of pounds needed to do this is way out of my league , May be you could also ask if the other type on the market have been independantly tested, all i know is that they have been tested and altered to the Customers requirements, yes thay are bespoke to the chassis , you may as why ,This is becuse every gyro and orbe is a complete one off , the holes in the chassis are all different sizes, the acrylic used is different thickness, form 9.75 to 13.7 , hole sizes from 34,9 to 33, 28,9 to 27.6, the three small suspenion posts should be equal in position how ever they are always out by up to 4mm so yes they time consuming , you cannot make 1000 and hope one will fit to the std i want , i have explained TPA are just 2 people who normally are very help full , but Charlie fell ill , he is now off for 2 weeks, his son has to run the business, by him self , and all customers always want to be first in the que , we all need a break , Trying to get parts in time has become a battle, parts they did not make for the pads Came from Spain and took 6 months, to arrvive , which was not expected, the bearings used in the pylons now take 4 months to arrive , and the cost has doubled , which has not been passed on to the customer by TPA, we can supply a set that will fit every gyro -orbe with out the need to be measured , which i will not guarrantee they will be the same fit as the bespoke set , just tell TPA , and may add more to the wow and flutter , all the best peter
Can you tell me who was unplesent , the pylons are made to order , to the bespoke size of the chassis , that is why they are not made to try out , but then TPA will always take them back if you do not like them and refund your money , that has always been the case, also if there are any independent tests avalible by a proper test facility on other pylon on the market? so why pick on these ? kind regards peter
I don't think that anyone has singled out those particular pylons. The discussion has really centred on how people would like to see some independent testing (audio, not laboratory) of the various alternate suspension systems available for Michell turntables, including the stock system. This was not about a form of try-before-you-buy option, which as you point out may be quite difficult, but simple comparative tests. I quite understand that such a test might be quite logistically difficult but I am sure that a standard deck could be selected, the dimensions supplied to those who need them, and then at a later date a series of different suspension systems tested in turn. Obviously, this would in no way be a blind test but my experience is that careful notes can give real insight to comparative performance. As for the unpleasant parts of the responses received by @GyroSE, I was not a party to those conversations so cannot comment other than to note that he seems to me to be a pretty reasonable sort of chap. What I do know is that this constant harping on about the alleged inconsistencies of Michell's manufacturing does not exactly endear you to some on this forum, myself included; in fact, it is one of the main reasons that I have not tried the pylons!
Just an FYI, my wife ordered the pads for me for Christmas and between order and receipt of the items was 1 week. (I live in Canada)
I think one of the huge plus points of any of the pylons (Pete's, Solid Air etc.) Is there is definitely no degradation in sound and extremely likely an improvement BUT at the same time also makes the deck extremely easy to set up. I know some are master's at this but calibrating the springs for a perfect bounce is tricky and as I found... VERY frustrating. So from a practical point of view they are a step forward IMO. I did find a notable reduction in surface noise from switching to the pylons and a change in sound that I could only explain as having more 'air' and less tinny (wish I could find better words). I can't give a more informed review as I only used the supplies springs for a very short amount of time before switching them out. I suppose the only downside of Pete's Pylons is they are not off the shelf and require a bit of measuring with some calipers etc. Which some may find daunting. There will be lots of people who had their Gyro set up for them and while curious about these upgrades they will be hesitant to strip it down and try it when it works perfectly well as it is. My two cents as a relative turntable amateur is the TPA ones are worth your time and money, My table was also very much out of alignment and I found the service from Pete and Charlie extremely good in all fairness. When I have some spare cash and the inclination I would be tempted to try the Solid Air ones also.
I have now been living with Pete Pads and Pylon’s for more than a month and here is my thoughts on them. I first installed the Pads and had them on for two weeks before I went on installing the Pylons. Installation of Pads were a damn hassle, had to completely dissemble the TT to properly screw on the Pads. It was definitely not as easy as on the True Points video but than again all turntables are different. Mine was apparently not that collaborative and I had to dismantle the whole thing to properly screw on the Pads. After the base was removed and I had free access to suspension posts the installation went smoothly. After few spins with Pete Pads I really couldn’t tell any difference in sound. Everything sounded the same. I have a concrete foundation and wooden flooring with sturdy cabinet and pretty good isolation platform where the TT sits. I wasn’t expecting any real gains but was willing to try to see what’s the fuss about. Unfortunately I couldn’t here any difference. I decided to keep them on, they don’t look bad with the rest of the TT and if they are benefiting in some way it’s just positive but like I said in my setup I couldn’t tell a difference. After few weeks with Pads on, I installed the Pylons and with the Pylons on, I immediately heard a difference. I could hear more detail on all levels. Bass was more prominent and everything gained in clarity. I experienced one very calm and slightly wider soundstage. What impressed me the most is the amount of details I gained pretty much on all levels. Now remember, this is not night and day difference but it’s such a difference that even a skeptic as myself could hear it. It doesn’t affect the Michell sound at all, it just makes it a better sounding deck. Lovely upgrade in my opinion and this upgrade alone has make me reconsider moving away from my GyroSE. Installation went extremely smooth but it’s important to acknowledge the importance of measuring the holes in the base. I provided the most accurate measurements and that reflected in the installation process, which went much smoother than Pads. Also the covers fit nicely if you don’t like the look of Pylons. I kind like the looks of them. Very happy with Pylons upgrade while Pads didn’t do anything in my setup. Thanks for reading.
A question for Gyro owners regarding what is considered best practice with regards to tonearm cable dressing/routing. I have recently purchased (s/hand) a full Gyrodec which has a little metal clamp at the rear edge of the acrylic base for attaching the arm cable to, I have also just fitted the armboard decoupling kit which came with a sticky backed clip and cable tie but I have not (as yet) installed the clip and cable tie. Tonearm fitted is a Rega RB300 but which has been rewired by Rega with the newer, low capacitance arm cable (which is physically thicker than the original). My question is what is the best way to have the cable routed and attached to the turntable in order to achieve the best bounce/impact the suspension the least? Is it to use the metal clip on the acrylic base of the Gyrodec rather than the stick on clip and tie provided with the decoupling kit? And should the cable run straight down towards the shelf the turntable sits on with a tight bend in it so that it doesn't touch the shelf itself (doubling back on itself, if you see what I mean) before clamping it using the metal clamp? I've tried to find photos of how others have run the arm cable but haven't really had much luck in my search so any tips from other users would be appreciated as I get the turntable set up, to hopefully allow me to get the best suspension set up I can (which I am struggling with at the moment).
Not sure about the decoupling kit with stick clip etc. But my Gyro supplied with Rega RB330 I just use the silver clip to clamp the cable to the underside of the acrylic and then the cable free hangs from there down to amplifier. This I assume is the point so that the cable does affect any bounce. Albeit with the pylons I doubt it would have any major impact but with this springs I imagine it's a different situation.
the pads just separate the suspension from the foot , also with a competition now going over to o rings form strings , proves i was correct in doing this, SME 60 using orings, can only be good for the michell gyro ,
I have a Gyro with DC motor Probably 15 years old , runs fine , no noise, but does it need any oil sometime?
Not sure oil is needed after reading this on Vinylengine “ Werner long player Re: Can you add oil to a Michell Motor? Quote Post 21 Jan 2013 06:59 DC: no, apart of checking if the motor shaft rubs against the rubber sock it is mounted in, the DC motor is hands-off. AC: no need, but if the motor is noisy then a drop of bearing oil (or any good machine oil, I presume) against the shaft may help a bit. But normally a noisy motor needs cleaning. ”
Michell owners may well be intrigued by the new coated springs (just noticed that they are available). I have them on my much-modded Gyro SE and they make a very decent upgrade without changing the look of the turntable: https://www.michellaudio.com/coated-suspension-spri The forthcoming Michell stand also looks interesting (about halfway down the linked page), although I would want to get some significant mass on the lower shelf(ves): https://www.thelisteningroom.co.za/ourrecentvisittomichell It would not work in my room so I am saved anguishing over whether to 'invest' in that item but it looks as if the TT feet are removed and the TT becomes an integral part of the stand.
Thanks for bringing the new rubber coated springs to my attention. You say the upgrade is worthwhile so I may give them a go as a Christmas present to myself and as you point out they don't alter the looks of the table. That stand has been doing the rounds for a few years now and whatever the advantages in terms of sound, to my eyes, it makes the poor gyro perched upon it look ridiculous, which is quite a feat considering it is one of the best looking decks out there.
Interesting! Do you mean that the stand has been available for purchase? It is not currently on the Michell website (and I have not seen it there before) and there is no date (that I could see) on the article that I linked. I suspect that it might well be one of those things that look better 'in the flesh' but as noted it would not work for the rest of the system/room for us and the silver legs would probably rule it out aesthetically. I do however like the idea (that I assumed) of the Gyro being an integral part of the stand.
I meant I had seen it some years back and if you Google it, the very same stand is shown being presented at "The Festival of Sound 2018." where Paul Rigby, The Audiophile Man, talks to Steve Rowland of Michell. You are right, there is no date discernible on the site where Mike Blake talks about his "recent'" trip to the UK and the Michell factory, so it almost certainly dates back a few years and if the stand has not made it into production by now it probably never will. Personally, I think most of us have our own tried and trusted means of isolation, which may or may not be as effective, but from where I sit I would say they are almost certainly more elegant
Michell obviously changed their website layout, but it is not exactly hard to find! Coated Suspension Springs | System Upgrades | Michell Audio Or Products, System Upgrades and it is the first option.
