I recently set up my new DP6, replacing an Audioquest PT6. Here's a few things I found.
(1) The PT6 mounting hole was WAY too large for the Moerch. I had to route out extra space, about 3/16" down into the plinth. Then get a rather large metal washer, top and bottom, so I could set the Moerch arm level with the plinth. The washers effectively squeeze the plinth and set a mounting surface for the arm.
(2) I have a VPI MK III platter and am using a Dynavector 20XH cartridge. The surface of the platter is about 1 1/4" or so high off the plinth. The Moerch VTA just about makes it with the arm ever so slightly up from being flat on the plinth. Ideally I would like more play here. I probably should have routed the plinth some more to allow the Moerch to sit even lower (below the top surface level of the plinth).
(3) The cartridge mounting is perfect. Just follow the directions and it worked flawlessly and easily. Align the cartridge stylus with the front edge of the arm (standard, not precision) and the overhang and alignment were perfect - 1st shot.
(4) I find that I need very little anti-skate. Everything tracks amazingly well - not a single skip encountered so far.
(5) The Moerch also seems to be amazingly quiet. Very little surface noise.
(6) The counterweights were a bit of a pain. Try to use the largest weight first, as close to the pivot point as possible. Then use as many of the other three as possible, trying to keep them close to the pivot point if you can.
(7) Don't damp the arm at all unless you find you need to over time.
(8) Be very careful when adding the silicon to the arm lift. Don't touch any to the walls or you'll need to clean it off and start over. Get it right the first time.
(9)I butned in my arm and interconnect wire before mounting it on the plinth. Got some cheap RCA's and soldered some solid core wire to them. Plugged them into the CD player and ran the wire to thecartridge clips. Plugged in the tonearm cable and ran it to the preamp. Then played CD's through the arm for 4-5 days. Remember the wire is silver and will take forever (if ever) to burn in with a phono cartridge (2 milivolts or so for high output or .5 milivolts for low output MC's), but a CD puts out 1-2 volts and will burn it in much quicker.
Good luck and enjoy the arm. It's a work of art and sounds very, very, very good to my ears.
Enjoy,
Bob
(1) The PT6 mounting hole was WAY too large for the Moerch. I had to route out extra space, about 3/16" down into the plinth. Then get a rather large metal washer, top and bottom, so I could set the Moerch arm level with the plinth. The washers effectively squeeze the plinth and set a mounting surface for the arm.
(2) I have a VPI MK III platter and am using a Dynavector 20XH cartridge. The surface of the platter is about 1 1/4" or so high off the plinth. The Moerch VTA just about makes it with the arm ever so slightly up from being flat on the plinth. Ideally I would like more play here. I probably should have routed the plinth some more to allow the Moerch to sit even lower (below the top surface level of the plinth).
(3) The cartridge mounting is perfect. Just follow the directions and it worked flawlessly and easily. Align the cartridge stylus with the front edge of the arm (standard, not precision) and the overhang and alignment were perfect - 1st shot.
(4) I find that I need very little anti-skate. Everything tracks amazingly well - not a single skip encountered so far.
(5) The Moerch also seems to be amazingly quiet. Very little surface noise.
(6) The counterweights were a bit of a pain. Try to use the largest weight first, as close to the pivot point as possible. Then use as many of the other three as possible, trying to keep them close to the pivot point if you can.
(7) Don't damp the arm at all unless you find you need to over time.
(8) Be very careful when adding the silicon to the arm lift. Don't touch any to the walls or you'll need to clean it off and start over. Get it right the first time.
(9)I butned in my arm and interconnect wire before mounting it on the plinth. Got some cheap RCA's and soldered some solid core wire to them. Plugged them into the CD player and ran the wire to thecartridge clips. Plugged in the tonearm cable and ran it to the preamp. Then played CD's through the arm for 4-5 days. Remember the wire is silver and will take forever (if ever) to burn in with a phono cartridge (2 milivolts or so for high output or .5 milivolts for low output MC's), but a CD puts out 1-2 volts and will burn it in much quicker.
Good luck and enjoy the arm. It's a work of art and sounds very, very, very good to my ears.
Enjoy,
Bob