Vinyl Asylum

Welcome Licorice Pizza (LP) lovers! Setup guides and Vinyl FAQ.

Return to Vinyl Asylum

Message Sort: Post Order or Asylum Reverse Threaded

Phoenix Engineering Closing their Doors

99.255.208.159
Posted on December 16, 2016 at 07:07:15
Not Yet There
Audiophile

Posts: 541
Joined: April 8, 2006
 I just learned that Phoenix Engineering is closing their doors Dec 31 2016 and the owner is heading into retirement. I wish Bill all the best in his retirement, it was a good run while it lasted.

 

Hide full thread outline!
    ...
RE: Phoenix Engineering Closing their Doors, posted on December 16, 2016 at 07:31:15
bill_stevenson@bellsouth.net
Audiophile

Posts: 419
Location: West Palm Beach, FL
Joined: January 6, 2015
 That is a shame. I really like what a Roadrunner and Eagle does for my Prime. It would have been nice if some company had bought his business.

 

Seriously good products! What a shame...(nt), posted on December 16, 2016 at 08:12:41
Pappas3278
Audiophile

Posts: 206
Location: NYC
Joined: March 12, 2007
 NT

 

RE: Phoenix Engineering Closing their Doors, posted on December 16, 2016 at 08:31:51
Stephen Murphy
Audiophile

Posts: 1333
Joined: April 17, 2002
 Just bought an Eagle/Road Runner combo for my VPI HW19. Couldn't be happier. I wonder if a person should buy an extra sensor now when we have the chance...

 

RE: Seriously good products! What a shame...(nt), posted on December 16, 2016 at 10:38:50
raya
Industry Professional

Posts: 662
Joined: May 9, 2014
 He needs to sell his product to another party to keep the flame lit. Pass the torch, Bill!

 

Just got a nice reply from Bill.. and a nice rec on where to buy an extra sensor from, posted on December 16, 2016 at 10:43:45
marc-homeslice
Audiophile

Posts: 2889
Location: Bucks Co. Pennsylvania
Joined: March 17, 2003
 Nice man.. He got back to me immediately.. and he is planning on winding down the company in the beginning of the year. It's indeed a bummer..

I had planned to wait a bit on the purchase.. let the xmas damage heal up a bit, but I went for it. Just in case they get scarce quickly.. I've heard great things about these units with the Lenco motor that I use.

Bill recommended HiFi Heaven, an online vendor i'd never used before.

They stock the extra sensors for $33. Their pricing on both the Eagle and Roadrunner were even bit better than i'd seen in other places and they also offer free shipping for orders over $100. So order in and new toys on the way.

Disclaimer: I have no affiliation with the vendor mentioned above.. it was a rec from the manufacturer and the pricing looks good.

Thank you to the OP for the heads up!

Marc

 

Sure didn't last long., posted on December 16, 2016 at 11:12:40
Rick W
 Don't mean anything negative about the products, but going outta biz after a such a short time is the kind of thing that makes me leery of buying stuff from basically one-man companies.



 

That's a shame..., posted on December 16, 2016 at 11:16:41
John Elison
Audiophile

Posts: 24045
Location: Central Kentucky
Joined: December 20, 2000
Contributor
  Since: January 29, 2004
 Bill Carlin certainly had an excellent product. In fact, when I first saw it I wondered why it hadn't been thought of before. I'm speaking primarily of the RoadRunner tachometer. It sure beats a strobe disc and it monitors platter speed while the LP is playing. I guess I should buy an Eagle to go along with it just in case I ever get a turntable with a synchronous motor. Unfortunately, I can't use the Eagle power supply with either of my current turntables.

Good luck, Bill! Have a happy retirement.

Best regards,
John Elison

 

RE: Sure didn't last long., posted on December 16, 2016 at 11:22:28
John Elison
Audiophile

Posts: 24045
Location: Central Kentucky
Joined: December 20, 2000
Contributor
  Since: January 29, 2004
 If your hobby is vinyl, you really don't have much choice. I'll bet most of the companies involved in vinyl are essentially one-man companies. The market is just too small to support larger companies.

Good luck,
John Elison

 

Use with Lenco motor..., posted on December 16, 2016 at 11:23:23
Lew
Audiophile

Posts: 11011
Location: Bethesda, Maryland
Joined: December 11, 2000
 Has that been discussed on Lenco Heaven? I have not visited there for a while, but I was under the impression that the Lenco motor is an induction type, not a synchronous type, and therefore could not benefit from the technology. Perhaps you are thinking about just monitoring platter speed? Let me know, because I would buy one too if can benefit my Lenco idler. Thanks.

EDIT. According to a thread on Lenco Heaven, my assumption that the Lenco motor is an induction type is incorrect. It seems to be an AC Synchronous type.

 

It works with the Lenco motor., posted on December 16, 2016 at 11:35:28
marc-homeslice
Audiophile

Posts: 2889
Location: Bucks Co. Pennsylvania
Joined: March 17, 2003
 Somewhere on the Phoenix site Bill mentions that the Eagle works with induction motors too. Verify that on your own.. just to be sure.

I was basing my purchase off of this thread and a couple others like it:

Additionally, as the 25 watt Eagle PSU went from bete testing to production, someone on Lenco Heaven posted this message from Bill:

Stephen,
We are are in full production on the 25W Eagle that will work with the Lenco
motors (the customer in the video bought one of the beta units). Because we
still have inventory of the 15W version, we are not shipping them to dealers
until the inventory is depleted, so they are only available directly from us
for now. The price is the same as the 15W version, $525; the RR tach is
$235; shipping to Florida is $15.68 for both. We accept PayPal at the
payee address:

Best Regards,


Bill Carlin
Phoenix Engineering LLC
www.phoenix-engr.com


 

Great products, posted on December 16, 2016 at 11:39:31
Cuernavaca
Audiophile

Posts: 878
Location: NW
Joined: December 23, 2011
 I use the power supply with my 2 modified AR turntables, really takes it to the next level. I wish Bill all the best and thanks!

Thomas
"I've never owned a firearm, but I do have an attack parrot!"

 

Huh? , posted on December 16, 2016 at 11:53:15
Rick W
 I'd hardly equate companies like Grado, Dynavector, SME, Rega, VPI, Basis, Well Tempered, Walker (just to name a few) with a company that exists for a few years.

Grado: 1953
VPI: since 1978
SME: 1946
Rega: 1973
Basis: around 30 years and continuing after founder's recent death
Well Tempered: mid '80's
Walker: about 30 years
Dynavector: not sure, but website copyright dates from 1997

 

thanks very much, posted on December 16, 2016 at 12:13:18
Lew
Audiophile

Posts: 11011
Location: Bethesda, Maryland
Joined: December 11, 2000
 As you probably know, induction motors are speed-controllable by varying AC voltage, up to a point. At some critical point below the nominal operating voltage, torque falls off rapidly until the motor ceases to spin at all, I guess. (These are lessons I learned by reading Mark Kelly's many posts on motor characteristics.) I have been using a Walker Audio controller that works fine in the gross sense, but it has no feedback from any speed sensor mechanism, which is what the Phoenix stuff could add in the way of an improvement. Thus the Phoenix stuff interests me. Guess I'd better grab one while they're still possibly available.

 

RE: Huh? , posted on December 16, 2016 at 12:32:02
John Elison
Audiophile

Posts: 24045
Location: Central Kentucky
Joined: December 20, 2000
Contributor
  Since: January 29, 2004
 You've named eight companies. How many companies do you think are involved with vinyl only products?

 

RE: Huh? , posted on December 16, 2016 at 12:36:11
Uncle Mike
 And they are survivors. How many others have fallen aside or closed shop along the way?

 

Of course.., posted on December 16, 2016 at 14:57:08
marc-homeslice
Audiophile

Posts: 2889
Location: Bucks Co. Pennsylvania
Joined: March 17, 2003
 It's all about sharing information Lew.

I know a little bit about about the differences in certain motors but not much. I just know of the Phoenix stuff from here and LH and hwas first hoping.. than stalking the idea of grabbing the units for my slate decked L75.

I have heard of Mr. Kelly's wealth of know how on controllers from conversations with Win.. but i'm as technical as a cub scout.

Do a few searches on the Eagle PSU and Lenco in the same subject line.. there is a guy, who I believe, found some kind've voltage sweetspot.. say 85 volts.. whereby he was able to tame out some resonances.. and still maintain good control and feedback with his Eagle/RR combo.

I'm not evern sure i'll be able to just use the Eagle to toggle between 33/45 RPMs without changing the motor pulley at all.. but i'm hopeful.

 

C'mon, John. , posted on December 16, 2016 at 15:09:16
Rick W
 First of all, the only one who brought the rap to "vinyl only" is you. I said nothing about "vinyl only". I made a simple statement of my own buying preference, and Phoenix's demise is a perfect example of why.

Want more than 8? Look up Ortofon, Michell, Audiotechnica, Benz, Koetsu, Pro-ject, London Decca, Last, Thorens, Oracle, Stanton, Goldring, Clearaudio, Shure, Dual, and quite a few others yourself. Think they only lasted 3 or 4 years?

Other than your Roadrunner, what vinyl related products do you own from companies that only existed for 2-4 years?

 

What on earth are you guys arguing about?, posted on December 16, 2016 at 16:32:10
rbolaw
 I'm no vinyl industry expert, but obviously there have been smaller family owned and run companies like Walker and Grado where the son was in the business and ready to take over when the founder retired or died. Others just disappear, I assume when there are no sons or other relatives to take over.

But there are bigger companies too, right? Panasonic (Technics) and Pioneer are pretty big. They are both currently selling turntables.

As in many industries, usually small companies can deal better with niche submarket customers such as high-end connoisseurs (you guys). But if there is a mass market out there, as there now is to some extent for vinyl, the big boys will come in.

 

RE: Of course.., posted on December 16, 2016 at 17:25:29
Lew
Audiophile

Posts: 11011
Location: Bethesda, Maryland
Joined: December 11, 2000
 Anyway, somehow, somewhere, and without doing any sort of careful investigation, I picked up the notion that the Eagle was for controlling AC synchronous motors, only. Thanks to you also, I did find those threads on Lenco Heaven. Interesting.

 

Well Nuts!, posted on December 16, 2016 at 19:15:40
steve.ott@kctcs.edu
Audiophile

Posts: 795
Joined: January 16, 2009
 The 33 1/3 setting on my Eagle just went out recently (the 45 works fine), and I tried his website; seems to be gone. Anybody got any ideas?

 

RE: Sure didn't last long., posted on December 17, 2016 at 05:55:09
Crazy Dave
Audiophile

Posts: 14381
Location: East Coast
Joined: October 4, 2001
 I am surprised he did not try to sell the company or the technology. Then again, maybe he did.

Dave

 

RE: C'mon, John. , posted on December 17, 2016 at 07:34:05
krandle37
Audiophile

Posts: 89
Location: Midwest
Joined: July 14, 2011
 Hi RickW, Fifty year old companies go out of business, too. If you purchase their product in the last year of operation, what is your recourse? All new companies start out small. They cannot become 5-year or 10-year old companies unless customers purchase their products in the preceding years.

If everyone follows your implied logic, no one would purchase from a new company founded by one person (Thomas Edison, Steve Jobs, Bill Gates: Sorry guys, you must become 5-year old companies with a 100 employees and a succession plan before anyone will purchase your products).

 

RE: Use with Lenco motor..., posted on December 17, 2016 at 08:02:52
kentaja
Manufacturer

Posts: 4649
Joined: March 26, 2001
 Works fine on my Lenco L-75.

I am skeptical the motor controller will be a step forward for the Lenco. At 25 watts it does not have enough output to properly drive an idler motor IMO. It won't hurt anything but it is not going to help. Just not enough power.

The RR supplies are more suited for belt drive IMO.

 

RE: Just got a nice reply from Bill.. and a nice rec on where to buy an extra sensor from, posted on December 17, 2016 at 08:42:51
Travis
Audiophile

Posts: 6170
Location: La Grange, Texas
Joined: November 25, 2001
 Thanks for the tip about Hi-Fi Heaven. Roadrunner on the way.


"If people don't want to come, nothing will stop them" - Sol Hurok

 

He's there., posted on December 17, 2016 at 08:44:53
marc-homeslice
Audiophile

Posts: 2889
Location: Bucks Co. Pennsylvania
Joined: March 17, 2003
 I just exchanged emails with him and asked him about servicing issues with units that are out there.. and he said he wasn't going anywhere for a few years.. so i'd email him again.

 

Does it keep the pitch stable? , posted on December 17, 2016 at 08:55:56
marc-homeslice
Audiophile

Posts: 2889
Location: Bucks Co. Pennsylvania
Joined: March 17, 2003
 My L-75 is a lot more speed and pitch stabile than the TD 124 I used to use and even more than the Kuzma Stabi S belt drive I used to have.. but I have noticed small changes in wall voltage in the house occasionally.

Figured the Phoenix stuff would at least, basically insure, that the rig always ran at the proper speed.. If it ever seemed to lessen "drive, slam, torque, prat", etc. or was a hindrance.. it'll be gone.

If it seems to add nothing.. maybe i'd sell it off to someone who's get more benefit. The cost to try wasn't real crazy IMO.. and it just seemed like the last tweak that made sense for my table.

I have a titanium bearing, idler arm/wheel and a graphite platter mat.. not many tweaks left to try on her. :-)

 

Works very well for me, posted on December 17, 2016 at 09:10:10
rickmcinnis@dogwoodfabrics.com
Audiophile

Posts: 3041
Location: Atlanta
Joined: December 15, 2003
 And I have added about ten pounds to the platter using 5 of the TTWEIGHTS copper mats. I do give the platter a little push to ease the load. I did this before when I was using a P300 for lowering the AC frequency.

It does not have to be helped but I figure why put the wear on the mechanism?

I am saddened to hear this since in my most unhumble opinion the PHOENIX products are the closest to a perfectly realized product I have ever purchased.

The ROADRUNNER reads out RPM with a toggling of the third digit. I cannot imagine needing any more accuracy than that.

Compared to the motor controller many have built at LENCO HEAVEN the PHOENIX is compact and I cannot imagine the other one coming close to the speed accuracy.

I am very grateful to have mine. Sorry to hear Mr. Carlin has had enough but one can understand. I was hoping to see what he might come up with next.

He does post with some regularity at DIYAudio. He is offering a semi-kit of a simplified motor controller. Maybe he will keep his oar in the water this way. He is a fine electrical engineer!

 

I don't require anybody to follow my choices., posted on December 17, 2016 at 09:58:57
Rick W
 You're welcome to buy a tt from a company that started offering products yesterday. Buying hifi can be somewhat of a crapshoot, and yes, 50 year old companies can go outta biz. For me, its simply a matter of lessening the chances of problems down the road.

I did buy a McCormack amp and got lucky in 2 ways -- Steve started a company modding his old products and CJ took McCormack over. If neither had happened getting service would have been a PITA and more costly. I also took a chance on buying a Jolida 100 cdp from not only a relatively new company but, gasp, unheard. I got lucky again and its been hassle free for around 8 years and I love it.

Ya know, I just used Phoenix as an example and am certainly not impugning his products/service or desire to retire. In this case its a relatively inexpensive accessory. But I'd much rather buy - for example - a $5,000 preamp from CJ than a similarly priced pre from a company that started offering products 6 months ago. Wanna buy a $10,000 amp from a 1 year old company? No problem, I pondered a Wells Audio amp. But I'd prefer spending that kind of money on a product from an established company with a track record of good products/service likely to be around 10 years after my purchase.

Hey, all I did was state *my* preference. I responded to John's rap because I felt what he said was incorrect. Its not like we don't have any choices in analog except very small and/or one man shops that may end when the founder dies or retires. I found John's rap kind of silly coming from a guy whose system - excepting his Roadrunner - is comprised of products made by companies exactly like the ones I'd prefer buying from.

 

Hey Rick!, posted on December 17, 2016 at 10:32:53
marc-homeslice
Audiophile

Posts: 2889
Location: Bucks Co. Pennsylvania
Joined: March 17, 2003
 Good to hear from you man.. and nice and reassuring comments.

I don't have a stacked or massive platter (graphite Boston Audio Mat adds a little weight).. but our decks are similar enough.. so nice to hear a direct success testimonial.

 

RE: He's there., posted on December 17, 2016 at 11:36:36
steve.ott@kctcs.edu
Audiophile

Posts: 795
Joined: January 16, 2009
 I did, and he told me how to fix it. Thanks.

 

I am not sure of your meaning.., posted on December 17, 2016 at 14:35:18
Lew
Audiophile

Posts: 11011
Location: Bethesda, Maryland
Joined: December 11, 2000
 Your first sentence says "it" works fine on your L75. I presume you are referring to the Phoenix Eagle power source. Yes? If yes, then you go on to say that you are not sure "it" will be a step forward, because of marginal power capability. That statement seems to undercut your first sentence. Can you clarify? I ask as a potential buyer.

From the reading I have now done, it appears that Phoenix developed the 25W power source precisely because their original amplifier only developed 15W which was obviously insufficient for the Lenco. If the 25W Eagle was designed with the Lenco in mind, it seems unlikely that such a capable engineer as the one at Phoenix would have got that wrong the second time around. (Not that I know this for sure.) I guess I can just go and measure the current drawn by my Lenco and calculate its power needs for myself, before going ahead with a purchase.

I've been running my Lenco L75 off of a Walker Audio Precision Motor Controller. It's a bit of a mystery how much power the Walker can deliver, but I think/thought it was somewhat less than 25W.

 

RE: I am not sure of your meaning.., posted on December 17, 2016 at 14:50:31
kentaja
Manufacturer

Posts: 4649
Joined: March 26, 2001
 The tachometer is what I am referring to. It works fine.

Like anything in audio 25watt may be sufficient on paper to drive the idle motor but it is not optimal. The motor will want a bigger supply.

 

RE: I am not sure of your meaning.., posted on December 17, 2016 at 15:35:09
John Elison
Audiophile

Posts: 24045
Location: Central Kentucky
Joined: December 20, 2000
Contributor
  Since: January 29, 2004
 > I guess I can just go and measure the current drawn by my Lenco and calculate its power needs for myself, before going ahead with a purchase.

Power = Current x Voltage. Therefore, a current of 208-milliamps with a line voltage of 120-volts equals 25.0-watts.

I'd be interested in knowing what you measure. Can you keep us informed?

Thanks,
John Elison

 

Power, posted on December 18, 2016 at 10:32:49
Lew
Audiophile

Posts: 11011
Location: Bethesda, Maryland
Joined: December 11, 2000
 I haven't had a chance to perform this little experiment myself, yet, but searching on the internet reveals estimates of the power required by the Lenco L75 motor to be right around 20W, so there may be some substance to Kentaja's doubts, if you believe an excess of power is beneficial. Yet I also found posts by "Pyramid", which seems to be Bill Carlin's moniker on DIYAudio, to the effect that he designed the 25W version of the Eagle precisely to accommodate the Lenco, Garrard, Thorens TD124 groupies. Perhaps 25W is a conservative rating for the Eagle; for sure I do not find any dissatisfied customers using it to power their Lenco's.

 

RE: I am not sure of your meaning.., posted on December 18, 2016 at 10:45:49
Lew
Audiophile

Posts: 11011
Location: Bethesda, Maryland
Joined: December 11, 2000
 See my response above to John Ellison.
However, I do take your reservations seriously, because I respect your experience. Can you say whether you have made measurements of the power requirements of the Lenco motor that would support your view? Or is this scuttlebutt from Lenco Heaven, which would also cut some ice with me?

I've been running my Lenco off the Walker PMC, which by all accounts is slightly less powerful than the 25W Eagle. I don't notice any problem, no over-heating of the Walker or speed irregularities of the Lenco, that would point to power starvation. On the other hand, the Walker effect is not as profoundly obvious with the Lenco as it once was when I used the Walker to drive my previous Notts Hyperspace. On that tt, the Walker was a revelation.

I found this quote from "Pyramid" (Bill Carlin, I think) on DIYAudio:
"AC synchronous motors are locked to the driving frequency so the speed is controlled by changing frequency not voltage. The speed (RPM) is Freq x 60/#pole pairs. So for a 12 pole motor at 60 Hz, the speed is 3600/6 or 600 RPM. A 300 RPM motor (designed for 60 Hz) has 24 poles. We can change the frequency of the output signal in 35

 

RE: I am not sure of your meaning.., posted on December 18, 2016 at 11:38:45
kentaja
Manufacturer

Posts: 4649
Joined: March 26, 2001
 I have not done any power measurements of the Lenco motor. I am sure the 25W Road Runner will run the Lenco motor just fine. And for the record I have not actually tried the RR 25W unit. My experience is with similar small wattage motor controllers.

The small wattage controllers that I have tried, i.e. 25-30W, did improve the performance of the Lenco in several areas. Better resolution, focus, less grain to the sound versus running the motor directly off the AC.

Where they fall apart for me is they reduce the qualities that make me want an idler in the first place. There is a reduction in drive, slam. Everything seems to close in on itself. Nothing terrible by any means but a step in the wrong direction IMO.

Perhaps this is the nature of the Lenco motor since as I understand it is not a true AC synchronous motor. I have a restored Garrard 401 from Grail Audio arriving this week so I can make motor controller evaluations with this machine as well.

I am still intrigued by the RR supply because of its ability to apply a feedback loop in conjunction with the tach. In this regard it is similar to the old Japanese direct drive but will not achieve the true quartz-lock performance of the better Japanese DD tables.

At the moment I am running the Lenco off a 500VA isolation transformer. This seems to give the improvement of the motor controllers, improved resolution, focus, less grain without screwing up what I like about idlers.

While RR designed the 25W unit for idlers I think there focus as a company has been more geared around belt drives and with these type tables I have no doubt it is a nice unit. The 25W unit may work very well with idlers including the Lenco. Skeptical given its limited output but no more than they cost willing to give it a try.

I plan on buying the RR 25W supply before they are all gone. If I don't like it on the Lenco, or Garrard, I can always try it on my Linn or sell it. Once the new units are gone no doubt there will be high demand for used unit.

I have a Monarchy supply on the way. This unit is rated at 100W. I have heard it on a friends Garrard 401 and liked the results. But you never know until you have it in your own system.

Then of course there are a certain number of folks that think any motor controller is a step in the wrong direction. I am thinking Linn as an example. With the introduction of the Valhalla supply there have been some that think the table sounds better with the older Basic supply. I have never tried my Linn this way just the Valhalla, Lingo II supplies. But I still have a 60Hz motor and may install this in the Linn and run it off the AC line.




 

Thanks for your comment, posted on December 18, 2016 at 14:59:45
Lew
Audiophile

Posts: 11011
Location: Bethesda, Maryland
Joined: December 11, 2000
 What you say about the loss of "slam" and other qualities commonly attributed to idler drive turntables, when using an AC supply, is worth noting. I think the Garrard motor may be even more power hungry than the Lenco motor. Just to keep the terminology straight, the name of the power supply made by Phoenix is "Eagle". So far as I understand it, the tach made by Phoenix Eng is called the RoadRunner and apparently can be used on any turntable so long as it is possible to mount the two speed-sensing devices, one stationary beneath the platter and one on the underside of the platter. I think that's what John is doing. When you use the Eagle with the RoadRunner tach (which isn't required, so far as I can tell), it can feed info back to the Eagle so the Eagle can compensate for speed variation, up or down. My thought was that because the sensing is done only once per revolution, the corrections can only occur once every 1.8 seconds for a 33 rpm LP. This is where I would look for a change in the character of the sound of an idler driven by such a power supply, more than what might be due to watts alone. If I buy an Eagle, I may listen to it for a while as is before setting up the Roadrunner, to find out if I can hear any added or differential effects of the latter.

Direct-drives differ from one another as to how speed is sensed and corrected. For example, the Kenwood L07D and the Yamaha GT2000 seem to do it once per revolution, whereas the Denon DP80 has a continuous sensor (and uses an AC synchronous motor, to boot). I am not sure how Technics does it, even though I own one.

 

Current draw, posted on December 18, 2016 at 15:18:08
Lew
Audiophile

Posts: 11011
Location: Bethesda, Maryland
Joined: December 11, 2000
 On the same thread at Lenco Heaven where I learned to my surprise that the Lenco motor is an AC type, I also learned it draws 140mA at 110V. Thus should be no problem for the 25W Eagle.

EDIT. That's about 15W.

 

RE: Phoenix Engineering Closing their Doors, posted on December 18, 2016 at 15:25:48
FSonicSmith
Audiophile

Posts: 528
Location: Midwest
Joined: February 18, 2009
 I am shocked/ dismayed as well. Primarily because the Phoenix and Roadrunner are such great products at great prices and imo do their respective jobs better than the very limited competition. I love how small/ discrete the pair are. What happened to the truth in the pld saw, "Build a better mouse trap and...."?
The owner Bill really mixed it up with Harry on Harry's site about the relative design merits of the respective speed controllers and I can't help but wonder why Phoenix's founder chose to do so if this was in mind (I assume it was not at the time). I also can't help but wonder if HW did anything to make moving forward difficult/imposible as retribution (I trust not but Harry does have an ego and temper). Then again, other than insisting that Phoenix desist from using the name "VPI" what else could Harry possibly have thrown as a roadblock? Any of us into this great hobby for twenty or more years can rattle off names of business closures that came as shockers but for me, only two come to mind that equals this; Audio Alchemy and McCormack. Actually, McCormack didn't shock me so much as sadden me.

 

RE: Phoenix Engineering Closing their Doors, posted on December 18, 2016 at 16:44:41
DrN
Audiophile

Posts: 368
Joined: January 31, 2014
 Aww terrible! I have one also and think it's a great product. Compact, reasonable cost most of all, and microprocessor controlled what more would you want.
Someone should purchase the rights to the company and continue.

 

Thanks, Lew! /nt\, posted on December 18, 2016 at 17:13:25
John Elison
Audiophile

Posts: 24045
Location: Central Kentucky
Joined: December 20, 2000
Contributor
  Since: January 29, 2004

 

RE: Phoenix Engineering Closing their Doors, posted on December 18, 2016 at 20:38:49
Lew
Audiophile

Posts: 11011
Location: Bethesda, Maryland
Joined: December 11, 2000
 I've got a feeling Mr Carlin is really only retiring from the audiophile arena, not necessarily from working for a living.

 

RE: "The king is dead ... long live the king"! ..., posted on December 18, 2016 at 22:03:49
andyr
Manufacturer

Posts: 12655
Location: Melbourne
Joined: September 2, 2000
 Indeed it was (is!) a great product and gave Linn owners, at least, something waaay better than the 80s technology inherent in the Hercules and Linn's own Lingo.

But a new product is about to be released to fill this gap - today Steve Tuckett showed me the first one off the production line ... unfortunately, its case lacked a cover due to a mfg f*ckup, so it wasn't for sale. But this will be fixed very soon. :-))

I've been using a prototype of this motor speed controller for a year or so, on 2x 24v AC Premotec motors (it can independently drive 2 motors, not just 1). The production version comes in 2 flavours:
* the 'Control Freak', and
* the 'Turntable Control Instrument' (TCI).

Both are accurate, speedwise, to 0.002% and allow you to adjust the:
* hz going to the motor(s) - which affects speed
* phase difference between the 2 motor circuits - which affects motor vibration, and
* voltage going to the motor - which affects 'horsepower' driving the belt.

The Control Freak needs to be attached to a PC to change the motor parameters ... the TCI comes with an inbuilt touch-sensitive screen - so is self-contained. Because of this, it's the more expensive alternative.


Regards,
Andy

 

Eagle Speed Setting Fix, posted on December 19, 2016 at 11:49:17
weedeewop
Audiophile

Posts: 236
Location: Midwest
Joined: June 22, 2013
 Would you share the Eagle 33-1/3 speed setting fix you worked out with Bill. That way we won't all have to hit him up should we encounter it. I have an Eagle, Road Runner and spare sensor on order now for my VPI Prime. Thanks!

 

RE: "The king is dead ... long live the king"! ..., posted on December 19, 2016 at 18:30:27
alan m. kafton
Manufacturer

Posts: 5295
Joined: April 7, 2000
 I very much look forward to these.

 

RE: Phoenix Engineering Closing their Doors, posted on December 19, 2016 at 19:29:19
edwyun
Audiophile

Posts: 44
Location: USA
Joined: October 4, 2010
 Anyone else see the price gouging now on the Phoenix units. SMH.

 

RE: Phoenix Engineering Closing their Doors, posted on December 19, 2016 at 19:31:36
krandle37
Audiophile

Posts: 89
Location: Midwest
Joined: July 14, 2011
 Yes. HifiHeaven raised their price by $100 as soon as they learned Phoenix Engineering was closing their doors.

 

RE: Phoenix Engineering Closing their Doors, posted on December 19, 2016 at 19:40:06
edwyun
Audiophile

Posts: 44
Location: USA
Joined: October 4, 2010
 Actually most like going from 525 to 700 for the Eagle. Ouch.

 

RE: Phoenix Engineering Closing their Doors, posted on December 20, 2016 at 07:53:38
Travis
Audiophile

Posts: 6170
Location: La Grange, Texas
Joined: November 25, 2001
 Not for me. Guess I beat the greed. $220, free shipping for RR and on the way. I already have the Eagle.


"If people don't want to come, nothing will stop them" - Sol Hurok

 

Check LPGear.. They were a big stocker of these and it doesn't seem like they've raised their prices as of yet, posted on December 20, 2016 at 08:30:25
marc-homeslice
Audiophile

Posts: 2889
Location: Bucks Co. Pennsylvania
Joined: March 17, 2003
 NT

 

RE: Power, posted on December 21, 2016 at 07:40:34
Erocka2000
Audiophile

Posts: 302
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Joined: April 26, 2011
 I tried the Eagle/Roadrunner on my Thorens TD-124 and while the speed stability was excellent, the Eagle produced a hum into my system that was noticeable and I couldn't get rid of it regardless of what I tried.

 

Page processed in 0.051 seconds.

[ Top Top of Page ] [ Contact Us ] [ Support/Wish List ] [ Copyright © 2025, Audio Asylum, all rights reserved ]
[ General ] [ Speakers ] [ Tubes ] [ Vinyl ] [ Digital ] [ Hi-Rez ] [ Video Asylum ] [ Cables ] [ Tweaks/DIY ] [ Music ] [ Films ]