Eminent Technology ET-2 Tonearm Owners



Where are you? What mods have you done ?

I have been using these ET2's for over 9 years now.
I am still figuring them out and learning from them. They can be modified in so many ways. Bruce Thigpen laid down the GENIUS behind this tonearm over 20 years ago. Some of you have owned them for over 20 years !

Tell us your secrets.

New owners – what questions do you have ?

We may even be able to coax Bruce to post here. :^)

There are so many modifications that can be done.

Dressing of the wire with this arm is critical to get optimum sonics along with proper counterweight setup.

Let me start it off.

Please tell us what you have found to be the best wire for the ET-2 tonearm ? One that is pliable/doesn’t crink or curl. Whats the best way of dressing it so it doesn’t impact the arm. Through the spindle - Over the manifold - Below manifold ? What have you come up with ?
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Cardas still makes his RCA jacks and plugs of brass! The WBT Nextgen and Klei use copper and/or silver, and with anti-eddy current RCA "barrels".
Hello all,
Been away for a while.  Spring has arrived in Western Carolina and my mini farm has been demanding attention.

John,
I don't know what Calypsos and Callistos are so I guess I don't have either.  Enlighten me.  I agree, with my Delos level and all other parameters set I find myself playing with VTA less and less.

Chirs,
My complaints were just poking fun at myself.  All of these choices/tweaks, aside from being a great learning experience, have brought me a whole lot of great listening.  I agree, don't start playing with the sub until everything else is set up to your liking.  I don't run my sub from the preamp and only use the crossover in the sub for setting the upper limit for sub.  Main speakers are driven directly from power amp and sub driven from power amp to high level inputs on sub.

You straight in loom guys are ganging up on me.  It's not that I don't believe you.  I'm just intimidated by the thought of all that loose wire hanging all over my ET II.

Bill Evans is calling,

Harry


Hey Harry,
I was mixed up about which preamp you were using. Sorry.
I'm with you on the loom thing. My AQ interconnects with the DBS system are working just fine (it apparently keeps the dielectric in the cables constant), and the original litz wire from Bruce effects the arm balance not at all. There are trade offs in everything. I'm sure that a straight shot from cartridge to preamp with a loom would sound great, but I simply don't want to take everything apart and start over again. 
-John
You straight in loom guys are ganging up on me.


Damn straight shooters .....8^0

Choices are clear to me. One can walk around the forest, or go through it.

Harry - re: your mini farm comment.
Farms, gardens, even "lawns" are a lot of work. Lawns around here are going to hell with the Pesticide ban. Controlling ones lawn has become a very difficult thing. Friends cross the border into the US at Niagara Falls to purchase (Killex) at big box stores; then smuggle it back.

My neighbor’s "hobby" is his lawn. He goes out there and picks the weeds out one by one.

and the original litz wire from Bruce effects the arm balance not at all.


IMO, The best way to determine this John is with Gravity and physics. Forget the bubble levels. Move your arm to different spots on the platter. With air on - place the cartridge weight blue tac blob on the weights. Make it free float. If the spindle does not move it is balanced. Try it at the lead in, middle and run out grooves.

I should put this much detail into my lawn. :^(

Hey Chris,
I've always balanced my arm that way. Doesn't everyone? I don't use the damping trough, however. I'm also only using 7.5 psi on the arm, as that's the best two wisa pumps in parallel can do. Am I missing something here?
-John