Building high-end 'tables cheap at Home Despot II

Getting back to normal, I have some big upcoming news to share: the owner of a SME 30 has agreed to a Spin-Off against my Bauhaus Lenco (arranged by a friend who is currently borrowing it)!! Not threatened, he is only interested in sound quality and curious, and so it will happen in the near future. Watch this space.

I'm currently working on a Reinderspeter top-plate/CLD Giant plinth, and will report on THAT as soon as it's done too. Boy, lots of work ahead, and added to that the slate plinth. I'd better hire someone ;-).

I've recently scored a Leak Stereo 20 amplifier, considered the best Leak ever made and currently being restored, and I'll be matching it to, of course, my prized Klipsch Heresies MKIs (metal horns). Might even update the matching Leak Point One preamp, considered crap, but I've heard THAT before ;-). Also scored a pair of Coral Beta-8 full-range drivers, considered about the best vintage Japanese full-range drivers ever made. Beautiful drivers with cast baskets finished in pebbly coral paint and incredible chromed magnets, will be great to match these as well to my Leak. Will see what the full-range/high-sensitivity thing is all about. A very busy Spring/Summer ahead, and hopefully another voyage on the horizon as well, what I live for!!

Anyway, have fun all, keep reporting in your idler experiences!!

Nice score on the Leak Stereo 20, I had one a little while ago
and I just loved the sound. Something about EL-84's sounds very "right" to these ears. You do have to get them updated to sound correct though, so that's a good things you're doing that. That amp should be wonderful running your Klipsch's. That being said, I have to agree with what you heard about the Point One preamp. Those are o.k. if you like the "vintage" sound, but the preamps of today kick the snot out of them.

Good luck on the SME camparison, that's a heck of a table to put up against a big plinth Lenco.

Thanks for that Rf, I can't wait to try out the finished Leak, which is being completely revamped. Bought a quartet of matched JJ tubes as well from an instrument store, MUCH cheaper than the same thing from a high-end audioshop! Feelin' good about this project. Won't have time to update the preamp, thanks for the warning anyway, but has anyone tried to replace all the parts with high-tolerance parts to see how far it can go? Seems a shame to waste such a cute all-tube product (WITH tube phono stage!!).

In the meantime, I have to say the Lenco/MAS/Grado Woody/Sony 2000F/Dynaco ST-120/Klispch Heresy set-up is still sounding magical, just something here - gestalt, beauty, PRaT, excitement - is sooooo RIGHT. Only weakness is the bass (not horrible, just not stellar), the Klipsch somehow just not melding on this point with the sound-room (they were gangbusters in this sense in my last sound-room). But the rest is so right I just don't care for now. Hopefully the Leak will make them dance in this sense.

Demonstrated a Giant Lenco to a fellow with a 100-pound belt-drive (something exotic from France, lots of lead and acrylic, and a platter made up of three stacked glass platters with some sort of damping material in-between), who pronouced himself smitten and fascinated by the Idler Sound, which STILL, despite the size/weight/impressiveness of his belt-drive, blew him away with the bass and richness of the sound. Wants to hear more some day, and given he lives in Montreal, a terrific city with fantastic food and sexy women, I'll oblige ;-).

Back to my MAS/Grado/Dynaco/Klipsch magic!! Have fun all, Vive la Lenco, Vive la Idler Wheel...and, FINALLY, Spring!!

'he lives in Montreal, a terrific city with fantastic food and sexy women,'
You can say that again John!!! Wow, I can't wait to hear about those Beta 8's.. I have been wanting a set of those for years!!! I am building some Saburo "spawn" horns with 6" Corals... Can't wait!! Guess I had better start looking for a flea amp....
I found out (unfortunately) that my all-slate Lenco will take some time to put together... The key to finding 'cheap' slate is to get 'offcuts' or leftovers from installations, My friend happened to have a spare piece that suited my purpose, hence the low price.. So my friend is keeping his eye open for suitable pieces.
I believe I will stick with what I have for now, and see how I feel when I finally find a 'Broken-In" DL 103 for sale!!! (Hint-Hint) sigh....

I haven't posted here in awhile but I wanted you to know Jean that Big Black is still spinning and sounding great. I for one am glad I stumbled onto this thread four years ago. The Lenco is what kicked off my interest in DIY electronics and now I build my own stuff. I have no desire to upgrade my TT and Jean, I'm still loving that arm!