Diamond cantilever - yes, I think it is most definitely worth it. For those interested in the basis of my opinion, I am using the DC rosewood body with
- trans-fi air bearing tonearm, heroically regulated air supply
- NAS Mentor, machined Al / plywood plinth, new Wave Mechanic and motor
- Sowter transformers with nude Vishay loading resistors
- homebrew cost-no-object electronics
- multiple new generation Quad ESL's with reworked high cost electronics
- 80 KHz ultrasonic record cleaner
I was advised that the DC would harden the sound. I can't comment on a standard KRSP, but the DC makes the music uniquely smooth and elegant. My taste in music is "classical", by which I mean serious music, especially from the Renaissance. Polyphony is especially hard to get right - my system does it, and the DC is an important element thereof. The main difference between my system and live (acoustic) performance is slightly inferior leading and trailing edges - and that is the current research topic (turntable).
DC Fragility? Perhaps, but I have not, as yet, had an issue with that. Just make sure that if you use a coin as a standard weight for your stylus gauge, you use a silver coin, not one of the modern steel ones, as the platinum magnet is unexpectedly strong. |
@mulveling
Tell you what, Mulvening. If you want to pay the mail too and fro, I’ll clean a record for you (free) and you can see if it's worth the investment. I hang out in Victoria, Canada, on the wet coast. |
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@mulveling
Expect I'm preaching to the Pope, but just wanted to say that I've had great results with ultrasonic cleaning. I use a German commercial unit, the Elmasonic, which has an 80KHz option. The results are obvious sonically, but also you can see the grunge in the bottom of the tank.
That's important because the grunge in a record groove is said to be equal parts of fluff, grease, and diamond dust. If true, it is an ideal grinding compound. And I don't need my stylus reshaped with every record.
Had a photomicrograph of the stylus taken with a scanning electron microscope after 980 hours. According to the dealer, wear was "minimal", and absolutely not ready for rebuilding. Unless I had a LOT more money than he suspected.
Hope this might help a little. |
Update
DIY air bearing turntable with 45kg platter makes the Koetsu still better. Clarity without the edge, detail without noise.
Trans-Fi tonearm is weighted with brass weights and deadened with damping material.
And the silver Lundahl transformers don't hurt either. |
@mulveling
I have the LL1931Ag. I consulted the factory and they referred me to K&K, and after discussion, I took their recommendation. Very pleased.
Haven’t noticed any diminution of mid bass punch or impact. Some loss of sweetness, yes, I think so - but I recovered that, and more, by precisely torquing and aligning the cartridge. I concluded that the 31Ag was simply faithfully rendering the signal it was given.
Since you already have LL1931’s, you know that they don’t need anything but loading resistors and a box. That makes DIY SUT’s feasible for almost anyone, and makes the 1931Ag’s highly cost-effective. Speaking of loading resistors, I strongly recommend nude Vishay. To my ears, there is not even a competitor.
Good luck! |
Loading is record dependent, to me. I like values between 30 and 500 ohms, but having said that, I'm probably going to change my tune when I finish my phono/pre V2.0 (which allows values 10 to 1500).
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@mulveling
Forgot to reference you. My phono should be finished in a few weeks (said that months ago!), should be able to give you a tighter range at that point. |
@mulveling
Sorry for the delay - installed my air-gap phono/pre, and now have a very good idea of preferred loading.
After the 1931Ag Lundahl's (set at 8 x step-up gain), I am loading the input between 2K and 3K (nude Vishay's), and 0 pF capacitance. This corresponds to a cartridge loading of 25R to 40R, according to the factory rep's website (K&K Audio).
That said, my room is a real bear, and it just eats up low frequency signal; an LF black hole, if you will. So, if I ever get the room tamed, or build a new one, I may well like a higher resistive loading.
That's the KRSP/dc, air bearing arm, air bearing TT. |
@nicknick
Thanks for sharing your experiences - I'm happy with my KRSP, but ... good to know the options.
Please keep us informed. |
@mulveling
I use 8x because I constructed my phono stage so that the volume control is identically the gain control on the output stage, so there is no wasted amplification. The gain control usually sits between a gain of 50 and 150 (plus the 8x contribution from the Lundahls).
Since the volume control consists of a rotary switch selecting different nude Vishays (not a ladder), the gain is not compromised in any respect, and the output is black at 8x. Since I suspect that distortion is an increasing function of gain, even in Lundahls, I leave the Lundahls at their floor.
Those Vishays sure do keep the circuit quiet, and complementary aerospace MATxy don't hurt either. |
@mulveling
An update. I tried to run my phono without SUT's, and my gain was just high enough. Just a little hiss, inaudible from 2 feet. More dynamic, sweeter, fuller. Nothing against the LL, just a different sound, which I think that I prefer.
Current loading is 200 to 1000 ohms (polyphony and piano respectively). |
