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New photos in from Bill (aka 'b'). He's just acquired another oil bearing 301. This time it has an Ikeda IT-407 tonearm with a Shelter 501 (type 2 ?) MC cartridge.More photos at the link.
I have some curiosity about the Ikeda line of arms. They are in the tradition of the earlier FR tonearms but with which updates/design differences? The styling and build quality of Ikeda looks really good in the photos that I've seen.
My thoughts on the Shelter 501 is that this is a cartridge which would work well in a high effective mass arm (like a 12 inch something). Yet Bill is the first one that I know of to try it.
-Steve
user510's system
Follow Ups:
and a Koetsu Onyx[img]http://img250.imageshack.us/img250/3853/aakoetsuui4.jpg[/img]
What can you say, simple, clean lines, elegant... a beauty.And what a nice design the Ikeda arm is.. think that's the newer iteration of the It407.
Having tried a couple of arms now with Garrard 301's, I'll add my vote to the 12-Inch appreciation club. Somehow the twelve-inch geometry conveys even more of the un-concerned confidence that the 301's already have.
Seems to me that all pivotted arms are a bit of a compromise (compared to that nonexistent perfect lateral-tracking ideal)... but the longer 12 inch arms are simply less-so of said compromise's negatives.....
Three Inches ? Not much, really --or is it ?
Three inches more is an addition of a full third of the length of the standard nine-inch arm. Not insubstantial.A drop in tracking distortion, even at the limited levels noticeable btwn 9 and 12 inch arms, brings a further feeling of expansiveness to the proceedings... Kind of like stretching out*, feeling uncramped-up. And, as I've mentioned before, puts the armbase further in the right direction from the motor by a substantial three more inches......
J.
* Funny how things in the phono world are often very nearly what they might seem to be......
Music will sound hard and crackly till you take a soft brush to the record..... Soft plattermats lessen harsh surface-noise, hard glass ones sound hard ... Lengthening the arm leads to a stretched-out sonic perspective....
*
groove
I was considering all possibilities of 12’ arms like the Ortofon RMG 309, the famous FR66 or the Ikeda IT 407, all arms capable to balancing the 32 g SPU headshell.. after several tests, I’m very happy with an Ikeda/Shelter duo.. this set-up sound natural, with rich tonal colours, elegance and on the top of that, the soundstage is transparent and focused with great precision... the Shelter 501 does everything I expect from a cartridge exceptionally well.. of course there is room for improvement as the 501 is a low cost (!) in the Shelter range..
* Funny how things in the phono world are often very nearly what they might seem to be......Is this quantum physics? Are we creating our own reality? Deepak, my man. Glad to see you.
Oi- what's that, some kinda jello mold she's got there ? Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.
I feel queasy. Oh so queasy.
*
groove
In Ulysses there is a symbol of crossed keys that Bloom uses in an advertisement. Was a mystery until I saw the papal crest.Many thanks Kinch.
Wack-a-delic, isn't it, though, the way the crossed-arms/keys emblem morphs very neatly into the goddess-Kali hindoo heraldry ? " Wake up molly I think I got somthin to say to you."
Yes, I said, yes I will, yes.
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