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In Reply to: RE: AR AX T.T. posted by jtpzenith on April 28, 2016 at 15:48:19
I have one I have used daily for years. Currently it is equipped with a Shure V15Vx/Jico SAS. I have no interest in replacing it.
There is a wealth of information on the AR Turntable at vinylnirvana.com.
Headshells are essentially unobtainable. Belts are abundantly advertised, but be careful. The ones I have ordered -- and returned -- were all metric dimension belts that were too small and stressed the motor. Fortunately I have a couple of original belts that are carefully maintained and work well.
An AR-XA that is basically sound and knowledgeably maintained is capable of very good performance. The arm is often criticized, and difficult to replace, but I found that, even with my limited skills, I could work with it.
Follow Ups:
The AR table had a damping device built into the arm so if dropped it would go down slowly to minimize stylus damage. This was often the cause of the AR arm problems. Record warps could be enough to engage the damping and the stylus would lift out of the groove on the back of the warp. There is a small pin on the side of the arm around the pivots. Pull it out with a needle nose pliers and the damping is disabled and the problem solved. Just be careful when cuing.
A potential second problem could be the user adjustable vertical pivots. If set too tightly they can bind.I used an AR table many decades ago with this mod and with a low compliance Decca 4RC and high compliance ADC Point 4E and ADC XLM with no problems.
Edits: 04/29/16
AR Inc. was aware of the problems with their damping system for the arm. In fact they furnished instructions to disengage it (remove the pin). I did that with a couple I owned.
The AR XA I wish I still had was the one that I installed a Mayware Formula 4 arm - with the help of a friend who had access to a machine shop. The modification he did on the T-bar and the punch used to enlarge the top plate hole for the arm looked as good as factory finish. Oh well . . .
"You can't know what the "best" is unless you have heard everything, and keep in mind that given individual tastes, there really isn't any such thing." HP
Interesting you used a Mayware. Gordon Holt published an article in Stereophile to do the same thing.
I also mounted a Mayware on an xa with some careful drilling and a little epoxy. Looked cool, sounded good.
WW
"A man need merely light the filaments of his receiving set and the world's greatest artists will perform for him." Alfred N. Goldsmith, RCA, 1922
I chose the Mayware for two reasons. I'd seen several positive reviews (US and Brit mags) and it weighed about the same as the AR arm so I wasn't so concerned with problems in balancing the suspension.
"You can't know what the "best" is unless you have heard everything, and keep in mind that given individual tastes, there really isn't any such thing." HP
Very good aftermarket headshells are available on Ebay.
It was *just* north of $50 with shipping, it fits perfectly, and if I recall correctly, mine weighs exactly the same as the NOS examples (I kinda went on a hoarding spree a few years back). One big difference is that the new ones have a pebbly texture and are black, rather than the polished gray-brown of the originals; another is that the plastic itself seems a bit less brittle, though equally rigid.
Link to sample auction below (no affiliation other than as a satisfied customer, etc).
...that would fit the AR arm, except for some original ones in the $50 and up range.
Where did you find them?
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