really appreciate your giving some attention to the HW series tables. I bought my Mk IV in 1997 with the TNT platter and coffee can SAMA with a PT-4 arm for about $2100. In 2002 I got a great deal on a grey market SME IV and got the Graham IC-70 tonearm cable. That was at about the time when VPI ditched the goofy springs and went with sorbothane hockey pucks. I tried your AT-103 custom cartridge in about 2012 just for fun (way after I sold my megabuck Audionote DAC and transport for a MiniMax phono stage and a Shelter cart.), but the 103 must be a horrible match for the SME arm. Went with a Shelter 501ii, which was a fantastic mate to the arm. After I went with MC cartridge, it was the death knell for CDs which I've found aren't even good as drink coasters! Finally I got the Shelter 901iii and ripped the inferior Van den Hul internal arm wiring from the tonearm and replaced with A/N silver Litz and RCA connectors instead of DIN. I noticed you had shown a what looked like a classic, and a prime in the video. After I got a speed controller I consider the Mk IV a terminal upgrade. I have listened to lots of tables at RMAF and AXPONA and surely there is a variety of colorizations between tables, but I don't think anything under and SME 20 with a 12" arm would best the MK iv. I am really glad I didn't get suckered into their acrylic platter of the month gimic. Thought I heard from VPI that they stopped selling Delrin platters because the reject rate was too high, therefore expensive (also hassles with lead filling and the EPA). The only VPI table I would swap for would be an Aries I table, again with the TNT 5 platter.
Thanks for discussing the music you listened to while testing your turntable. Didn’t quite get the gaffer’s tape concept. I have a Rega P3 from 1990 and a Planar 6 of more recent vintage so I’m more of a mat user. Thanks for your efforts!
Thanks for watching. I have P8 and also use the felt mat as that is part of the design. A totally different but very viable approach to vinyl playback.
I believe you have lubricated the bearing incorrectly. You have applied grease to the ball bearing. That's the way to lubricate an inverted bearing. But you have a non-inverted bearing. That is lubricated with a motor oil type lubricant creating an oil bath for the bearing. Also, Mat is incorrect about the acrylic/delrin platter that replaced the original aluminum one. Both of them, by the way, had a lead insert. The acrylic one was introduced because it sounded better. A review in The Absolute Sound made that very clear. Until the platter was changed the TT was not considered competitive witht he best. The new acrylic platter made the table competitive. It is nonsense that the change was made because others were using acrylic. The most competative TT of the day was the Linn that used, aluminum (or some metal). Acrylic was used by VPI because it sounded better, and it went through many iterations. The heavier acrylic/lead plater for the original TNT is probably the best platter VPI ever made. They went back to aluminum later because it was cheaper to make. You might experiment and replace the platter with the acrylic that the TT came with and do some listening. By the way, is the bearing that you are using a new one? If not you should inspect the ball and thrust plate for wear.
Thanks for these. How did you account for the increased height of the upgraded platter when installing the tone arm? I thought you would need a thicker arm board but you appear to be using stock. Did you need spacers when mounting the new arm? Is this because it was a .jr? I have an HW-19 and would love to work on it a bit.
Thanks for watching. The Wand tonearm sits on a long threaded screw that is very accomadating for height adjustments. I just used the supplied tools to get the arm height just right.
Why is there always knocking on the videos you haven't workmen doing some work next door really is irritating Who makes the platter and bearing?? What's the idea of the type on the platter? which video?
Thanks for watching. Making TH-cam videos by yourself are not alwasy as easy as they look. I am always trying to improve my production values. The platter and bearing are sold by VPI. The black gaffers tape tweak is something that Harry of VPI had on a demo turntable several years ago at the Capital Audio Fest. If you watch the first video in my VPI series, you will hear Mat explain the origin of this tweak. At worst it is harmless and at best it might offer an improvement? Cheap and easy to try.
really appreciate your giving some attention to the HW series tables. I bought my Mk IV in 1997 with the TNT platter and coffee can SAMA with a PT-4 arm for about $2100. In 2002 I got a great deal on a grey market SME IV and got the Graham IC-70 tonearm cable. That was at about the time when VPI ditched the goofy springs and went with sorbothane hockey pucks. I tried your AT-103 custom cartridge in about 2012 just for fun (way after I sold my megabuck Audionote DAC and transport for a MiniMax phono stage and a Shelter cart.), but the 103 must be a horrible match for the SME arm. Went with a Shelter 501ii, which was a fantastic mate to the arm. After I went with MC cartridge, it was the death knell for CDs which I've found aren't even good as drink coasters! Finally I got the Shelter 901iii and ripped the inferior Van den Hul internal arm wiring from the tonearm and replaced with A/N silver Litz and RCA connectors instead of DIN.
I noticed you had shown a what looked like a classic, and a prime in the video. After I got a speed controller I consider the Mk IV a terminal upgrade. I have listened to lots of tables at RMAF and AXPONA and surely there is a variety of colorizations between tables, but I don't think anything under and SME 20 with a 12" arm would best the MK iv. I am really glad I didn't get suckered into their acrylic platter of the month gimic. Thought I heard from VPI that they stopped selling Delrin platters because the reject rate was too high, therefore expensive (also hassles with lead filling and the EPA). The only VPI table I would swap for would be an Aries I table, again with the TNT 5 platter.
Thanks for discussing the music you listened to while testing your turntable. Didn’t quite get the gaffer’s tape concept. I have a Rega P3 from 1990 and a Planar 6 of more recent vintage so I’m more of a mat user. Thanks for your efforts!
Thanks for watching. I have P8 and also use the felt mat as that is part of the design. A totally different but very viable approach to vinyl playback.
Hey more great content. I’m also from Dallas
Thanks for watching. So happy to have you along.
I believe you have lubricated the bearing incorrectly. You have applied grease to the ball bearing. That's the way to lubricate an inverted bearing. But you have a non-inverted bearing. That is lubricated with a motor oil type lubricant creating an oil bath for the bearing.
Also, Mat is incorrect about the acrylic/delrin platter that replaced the original aluminum one. Both of them, by the way, had a lead insert. The acrylic one was introduced because it sounded better. A review in The Absolute Sound made that very clear. Until the platter was changed the TT was not considered competitive witht he best. The new acrylic platter made the table competitive. It is nonsense that the change was made because others were using acrylic. The most competative TT of the day was the Linn that used, aluminum (or some metal). Acrylic was used by VPI because it sounded better, and it went through many iterations. The heavier acrylic/lead plater for the original TNT is probably the best platter VPI ever made. They went back to aluminum later because it was cheaper to make. You might experiment and replace the platter with the acrylic that the TT came with and do some listening.
By the way, is the bearing that you are using a new one? If not you should inspect the ball and thrust plate for wear.
The type of the platter does it matter anything about distance or where it's placed.
Thanks for these. How did you account for the increased height of the upgraded platter when installing the tone arm? I thought you would need a thicker arm board but you appear to be using stock. Did you need spacers when mounting the new arm? Is this because it was a .jr? I have an HW-19 and would love to work on it a bit.
Thanks for watching. The Wand tonearm sits on a long threaded screw that is very accomadating for height adjustments. I just used the supplied tools to get the arm height just right.
Maserati
Why is there always knocking on the videos you haven't workmen doing some work next door really is irritating
Who makes the platter and bearing??
What's the idea of the type on the platter? which video?
Thanks for watching. Making TH-cam videos by yourself are not alwasy as easy as they look. I am always trying to improve my production values. The platter and bearing are sold by VPI. The black gaffers tape tweak is something that Harry of VPI had on a demo turntable several years ago at the Capital Audio Fest. If you watch the first video in my VPI series, you will hear Mat explain the origin of this tweak. At worst it is harmless and at best it might offer an improvement? Cheap and easy to try.