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 ?
ct0517
Chris
If that is the case and depending what the reverb seller would drop too it sounds like an excellent buy.
Lol, what's money, when it's gone it's gone!
Kevin unlike most of the readers and posters on this thread, including myself; you are in a very unique, and envious position I must say, (probably to the owners of ET 2’s and ET speaker products), to be able to contact Bruce, take the short drive, and see Version 2 of the ET tonearm in action. When you witness and feel, first hand the action of the bearing, you will understand how extraordinary it is, compared to other air bearings.

Regarding those two linked ET tonearms/tables for sale - I myself don’t buy anything unless I perceive it as a deal. Now something can become a deal for me, if I know I can personally sell (easily) part of the package that doesn’t interest me.

Caveat
For someone like yourself, coming from long time experience with only pivot tonearms, it is IMO, important that the person be the personality type to see "OUTSIDE" the Box, and to be able to see, work and play ......"straight".

A straight line is demanded for proper operation, whether we are talking about how the tonearm tracks, or how level it needs to be. 8^0

Chris,

Seems like a great buy on the arm. That pump doesn't have enough output for a high pressure manifold, does it? The surge tank, at this point would not be safe run at higher psi, as they weaken over time.
A few comments about the offered arms:
- the ET one is a good choice for a low to medium compliance cartridge, usually a MC. I think the bearing was almost  (?) as high quality as the "low pressure" ET2 bearing. The bearing (and the headshell / arm / bearing connection) is less stiff than the ET 2.5 though.
The main advantage of the ET 2 and ET 2.5 is that they are more adaptable (than most any arm on the market except the Mörch).
- Surge tank: My Airtech tanks end caps broke during a long time of being stored away. My replacement was a standard HDPE gasoline tank, 10l (ca. 2 gallons) with two 5mm holes drilled in the screw cap, with silicone tubing entering each hole, one with a short piece entering the tank, one with a long piece touching the "floor". The tank is filled with polyacryl wool for damping. The seam of screw cap / tubing then is "glued" with hot glue. This stays air tight since 10-15 years, and i's cost were almost nothing.
- My original ET pump with ET 2 arm gave  ca. 0.25 to 0.3 Bar. With the improved tightness of the ET2.5 air bearing I'd expect 0.4 Bar. This is at least enough for a (well) "working" bearing. My high pressure manifold still runs at 0.15 Bar - much better than the original "low pressure" ET 2 bearing!