Wc65...then get in that mustang and resume your sleep. |
I run to the door every day, only to find jewelry, shoes, shirts, books, etc., that my wife bought. The arm is due any minute......... |
Brass is good .... the 3D arm now comes with brass counterweight and side weights...also, there is a new base for it ..since damping is not needed and indeed not recommended, there is no cup for the damping fluid. |
Don....the difference between the 3D arm and others (aside from the increase in stability due to the brass fitments, is that the resonance signature is extremely low...(vanishingly low as was explained to me). All other arms of metal, wood, etc. have their resonances damped which really just moves the resonance signature to a different frequency. The 3D material self damps providing much less microscopical movements of the tube which affects the stylus in the groove. What Harry tried to demonstrate was that an inexpensive cartridge on a 3D arm can play in the neighborhood with a very expensive cartridge in a regular JMW arm (which is no slouch itself). I will get my 3D arm in a couple of weeks and will report what my take is on it. Harry said I will be so moved by the increase in performance "it will make me cry". One more point ....the upgraded JMW arms are wired with Nordost wire....I was told that the 3D arm is wired with a very new Discovery cable which is very much better than the Valhalla. |
Don...why are you so angry?? Why are you writing at all?? You don't know what resonance is?? You don't know that a dropped counterweight lowers the center of gravity and makes the arm more stable? You probably don't know that the new Discovery cable is NEW and better sounding than Valhalla. You just don't know. |
..Just to pass the time with my 3D arm, not wanting to mount the cartridge, since it is residing very safely in its wooden presentation box, I applied various tuning forks to the arm to try to excite any resonances that might be there....just couldn't find any....this arm is DEAD. |
Actureus....you are correct....Valhalla WAS top of the line wiring for VPI arms..however the new Discovery wire that is used in the 3D arm is better...especially in the mids (is what Harry tells me..I'll report on it when I get my arm wired with the new Discovery) VPI will wire any of his arms with any wire you wish. |
Actusreus....it seems so very much irks you. Have you heard the Discovery wire? Once upon a time Harry Pearson said that Nordost Valhalla resides in his state of the art system....no longer. The world moves on. |
The only thing I care about is how it sounds. I have been using a 10.5i wired with Valhalla, and I am expecting my new 3D arm wired with Discovery any day. Harry said both wires are excellent, however, he likes the Discovery because in his estimation, it has better mids, though the Valhalla might have a more extended high end (maybe because it is silver??) ....we shall see. I have never felt my 10.5i/Valhalla was amiss in the mids, but I took Harry's advice and asked him to wire the 3D with the Discovery wire. I will post when I get my arm in position. Harry said that most striking about the 3D arm is its lack of resonance....that I will understand when i hear it in my system. |
Ahoy Captain.... right now, the entire arm is gone, awaiting the 3D. I imagine the tower will be (at least) similar to the 10.5 but for cosmetic changes. The tower works so well, I can't see VPI changing it for something else. The real pain in the neck is the anti-skate. If you use it, the arm tube is not readily changed since the whole arm has to be adjusted again. I haven't been using it on the 10.5i, and Harry is not a proponent of anti-skate, but I would like to have all options available. I understand the anti-skate gizmo is included with the 3D...we'll see. |
I just got an E-mail from VPI....it will be 3 weeks or so before they can ship my arm.....YUK |
Could VPI be selling these arms faster than they can push the button?? |
What I find so interesting is that HP (VPI) is judged so harshly. I don't think anyone has had such success in such a niche market. Success/failure of this arm will be better evaluated in time. With all this interest on these and other audiophile pages, I'm sure everyone will be given a voice. |
Peterayer....The bottom line is money. SME has a rear counterweight that actually does just what you say. You add or remove supplied lead (i think) shims to ad or remove the weight to provide the perfect rear counterweight to be as close as possible to the front fulcrum. The VPI weights are finished products of which you request the needed counterweight depending on the weight of your cartridge. I have a very heavy Benz LPS and a 200 gram weight is needed to balanced it properly. The weight that is normally supplied with the arm is 120 grams which would work with many lighter weight cartridges. One should be sure to get the proper weight for his/her particular cartridge, and not be satisfied with a rear counterweight that is too rearward to accommodate the cartridge. |
Hi Frogman.....Thanks for your evaluation of the 3D arm. I still have not received mine (4 weeks since I placed the order) . I am also perplexed why the same quality of sound should appear in all your recordings. It would seem that the arm, or something else would cast its resonance signature on all you're listening. If indeed the arm is not resonant, something else must be. When I get my arm, I will test its resonance.....according to Harry, it almost doesn't exist. We'll see. If your Koetsu is one of their stone bodied models....I do suppose you had the appropriate counterweight...?? The idea is to get it as close to the pivot as possible...200 grm counterweight? That one is not normally shipped with the arm. The arm comes with either Discovery or Valhalla...which one is yours, and did you give it a chance to work in. |
Lewn....When the counterweight is away from the pivot, and the arm/cartridge is negotiating a warp, the counterweight "wants to" continue in the direction it was thrown, thereby disturbing the tracking of the cartridge. When the counterweight is near the pivot point, it doesn't move as much and disturbs the cartridge much less.....letting it do its job as best as it can....making better music. The idea is to get the heaviest counterweight as close to the pivot as you can for best performance. |
Harry told me my 3D was shipped to me about 4 days ago......I suspect tomorrow is the big day. I'll post when I get it. |
..just got the 3D arm....they sent me the wrong counterweight.... I have to wait
for another week or so... yuk |
..as for MY 3Darm.... it sits atop my turntable, however, I'm unable to set it up because I need a 200 gm counterweight. Mat promised it to me a couple of weeks ago, but I haven't received it yet. I have my Fozgometer, Mint protractor, etc. at hand. The table is absolutely level and ready to go......c'mon Mat.... |
I've written on a new post about the sound of this arm....MUCH better than the 10.5, however, do not get it until the new rear counterweight is released to the public....about a month. |
