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Well inmates,
I took all the advice you've given on turntable supports and decided to try a short lightweight (10lbs?) Target TT rack in place of my 40 inch tall high mass (75lbs?) rack and sandbox. On this rests my sprung turntable weighing about 40lbs. I've now got 10lbs under the Turntable instead of over 100lbs.Whaddaya know, the results were stunning:
1) Much less bass
2) No dynamics, no "jump" factor at all
3) Everything seems softer
4) Less detail. On Dire Straights "Brothers in Arms" which happened to be on the TT, I hear a big letdown. With the high mass setup I could hear lots of room sound around the vocals and the guitar was sharp and real. With the light rack, it all went away and just sounds like an avarage record.
5) Smaller soundstage. It's all within the speaker boundries, and the speakers JR149's (no slouch in transparency) don't disappear as well.On the good side, it's a little more musical and smooth. The sound does hold together a little better on really dynamic passages (Dire Straits, side 2), but it isn't as fun to listen to.
Does anyone have an idea for a replacement for the cheap mdf top shelf? Maybe a stiffer support here would help.
Thanks in advance.
Follow Ups:
It sounds like the weight of your turntable is overstressing the stock Target TT shelf.
An easy fix is to stiffen the stock shelf with perimeter bracing. Cut two approx. 12" lengths of 5/8" - 3/4" half round and attach them securely with woodscrews and glue to the underside of the shelf along its length between the support spikes to raise the structural Q.
You will probably need to mark the brace locations first and using a razor knife, remove the vinyl covering for a more secure glue bond.
The perimeter brace mod will significantly increase the shelfs stiffness without a major increase of unsupported mass.
Your dynamics,clarity, resolution,focus and stage size should return.
manufacturer. MDF sucks, period under TT's.Have you read about the Neuance shelves or the cheap Ikea Lack table? These are the right way to do light and rigid. Either of these need to be properly mounted on upturned spikes in order to achieve the desired results.
My table is sprung (probably weighs a bit more than the AR - see listed system) and I get very good results from a properly installed Neuance shelf.
I also tried an Ikea Lack table, on the floor, and not even properly set up (I did not reduce the leg length as it is used every day as a TV table and I used brass cones instead of spikes), it beat the pants off a stock MDF shelf resting on upturned spikes (on my rack).
Your Beta has a spiked top shelf, right?
Anyway, for $15 you could try an Ikea Lack table top (though they are approx. 24" x 24" and the top of the rack legs might interfere with installation). I have never cut into one, so don't know if they can be downsized (by cutting and relaminating), though I will be experimenting with this when I make a wall shelf for tube gear that I would like to get off of the equipment rack (I am waiting for one of the larger Ikea "Lack type" coffee tables to hit one of the local thrift shops because I need a larger surface area than the little table - I'm also cheap when it comes to "iffy" projects).
Hmmm. This business with the light and heavy seems to be not so straightforward after all. What works for me is light components on light supports and heavy on massive supports. All my turntables are very heavy and make pityful sounds on light supports. My gaincard clone otoh really digs an ultralight aluminium shelfless rack. The target you use may have other shortcomings in addition to being light. You should get rid of the mdf though. Butcher's block, heavy plywood practically anything is more musical than mdf. In any case you may end up going back to the sand box, or as in my case - to an innertube sandwitched between monstrous plates of slate.peter
I had always thought the same: Heavy on heady and light on light.
Due to the sheer volume of advice to go light, it seemed like the thing to do. May try the sandbox again.
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