Sirius and Walker

Hello Raul, yes, it appears that your observation is correct.

Hi Daniel, yes, we did really try. Daniel and myself were going to either rewire the tonearm on the Rockport or utilize the template that we had manufactured for a replacement FR-64s silver tonearm. The later was simply called blasphemy by Syntax, and former would have not been acceptable to the new custodian; a fine chap that has a small collection of Rockports and has a propensity for Stonebody cartridges.

Mmakshak, IMHO, the directdrive unit with the Rockport is top of the class! When you refer to cheaper ones...are you thinking of the recapped/ newplinth SP-Mk3 and/or this other new one? They were both being offered for around $12.5k a few months ago.

Cheers!

Dear Unoear,

I took a careful look at the photos of your tone arm, and here are a couple of suggestions:

1. I see that the wire are nearly completely covered by the black shrink wrap (or it may actually be a host, I am not sure as I don’t have my 6000 arm right in front of me), and only a couple inches of the bare wire was showing. In my 6000 arm the shrink wrap only covers the wire an inch or so where it exits the guider at the back and before it enters the armtube holder, so there was mainly bare wire hanging all the way. I think it you could strip out the shrink wrap (or it can be pulled back if it is a host), there will be much less resistance.

Curiously, I have seen a photo of Mike’s Rockport, which seems to show a lot of bare wires hanging:
http://pic8.audiogon.com/i/c/f/1297789006.jpg

2. In your photo, the black airhost was leaning on one side. If you can arrange it to hang like an n, then there will be much less resistance. There is actually a small nozzle where the airhost enter the armtube holder, and the airhost can be pulled free. So, you can do a little twisting on the airhost at the nozzle to make it hang like an n. The same applies to the wire, but it needs more coaxing!

This is how it looks like in my system:
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f20/daiwok/Hi%20Fi/IMG_1823.jpg

Hope these help.

Cheers!

What amazes me always in those discussions, is how many name a turntable "great design" and have absolutely no idea from its Performance (see here, or NVS, or Continuum and more).
Let's face it, most of us (I am an exception) hear with their eyes. And when the price tag is in the upper region, well, then we have it. THE great design.
And it is absolutely not necessary to insist, that for such a comparison each Turntable has to have the same Arm. A typical excuse from an "Audiophile" who does not know what is responsible for what.
In a way, it is very good because it keeps that hobby alive, specially for those who want to spend big money and for those who do not have that money but dream of these "machines".
This fact amazes me most all over the years. It is not difficult to hear imo, but most can't hear what is going on in front of them and that's fact. Nice toys (same for Continuum, Kuzma XL & more). Now I believe that some prefer a 800$ Technics SP-10 Turntable (with a 12k plinth to make it serious).
Don't get me wrong, all is compensated by "reviews". Sometimes I think, the manufacturer writes them and

Dear Unoear, Dertonarm,

Do you mean the Rockport arm would “skip track” or has serious distortion towards the end of the LPs?

I have been using the Rockport 6000 arm on their Capella II turntable for nearly 10 years now. While I can’t say the wire has no effect on tracking, I have never had any problem with the arm tracking the whole record. Of course, I need to clean the spindle with alcohol occasionally.

As such, it is quite unimaginable that it would happen to the Sirius III !

Cheers!

Unoear, I'm afraid my experience is limited to some of the older Denon's, the Nakamichi centering turntable, the $400 Technics that you can still buy new, and some needle-drops of the Technics sp10 mk11. I cannot afford $12.5k. Since I'm speaking my mind, the way that Salvador speaks of Linn turntables, comes to mind with the direct-drives that I've heard. In the relentless quest of absolute drive(equivalent to Linn's simplification of music, i.e.playing the tune), it comes to mind that music might be simplified. My example is a needle drop that I heard comparing(I think it was)"Let if Be", by the Beatles. One version was, I think, a direct-drive, the other was a well-sorted Linn(maybe a Radikal?). I believe I heard this on Pink Fish media.