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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 ?
128x128ct0517
slaw's avatar
slaw
20,403 posts
 
Frogman... as a funny antidote... are you any kin to R. Vandersteen?
slaw's avatar
slaw
20,403 posts
 
Another important factor as far as my limited experience is concerned (with regards in making your own tonearm wire), the cartridge ends, (the ones I used are great!), they are extremely solid(silver,of coarse), with a hole made for the exit of any air/gases when soldering to ensure a extremely tight/worry-free joint.
ct0517's avatar
ct0517 OP
2,041 posts
 
Oilmanmojo, Daniel thanks for chiming in here with your experiences.

Daniel –

I modified mine quite a lot and tweaked it to what I think are the limits of it's design.

I already posted the thread link to your table from 1993. Do you happen to have the picture with the ET-2 on it :^) by chance. Some eye candy for us. Can you at least tell us if you replaced the I-Beam and what brand of wire you preferred.

Frogman – I was not aware of multiple I-beams and those mods with the springs. My ET-2 arms were both bought used and came with just one I Beam each. One of them was a high pressure manifold. The other one I sent to Bruce to replace to the high pressure one.

Cheers Chris
frogman
7,356 posts
 
Slaw, I will post a picture of my ET on my TNT6 next time my son comes over with his digital camera; being a bit of a Luddite, I don't own one.

No, no relation to R Vandersteen. Curious, why do you ask?

Ct, look closely at the leaf spring on your I beam. Is it a single spring, or are there two spring glued together for lower compliance?
dertonarm
1,042 posts
 
Dear Chris,
I preferred the IKEDA silver litz - here in particular because it features extremely soft Teflon-foil insulation - resulting in extremely low reset force.
Very important IMHO with an air bearing tangential tonearm.
Besides that mechanical advantage it sounds very open and has become my tonearm inner wiring of choice due to some other mechanical advantages as well as no sonic shortcomings whatsoever.
I used the high pressure manifold as soon as it became available.
Furthermore I used a very large surge tank to smooth air flow.
Compressor was the old venerable Jun-air "Troll".
Still in my experience, the ET 2/2.5 developed problems at 19-22 psi and higher.
Extremely important too, to bring surface of platter AND ET2/2.5 in perfect level - but that's mandatory anyway .. ;-) ...
Cheers,
D.
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