.....And Then There Was Light....the Clearaudio Concept turntable

Some TTs use a DC motor. Most of these DC motors use the voltage for speed control. Therefore the more stable the voltage (and cleaner the power supply), the better. A battery is theoretically very clean, we don't get junk from the rest of the house circuit or from tenaga supply. Also it is very stable, compared to tenaga supply.

For a motor which taps steady current, a battery supply can be very good. My friends used to make a rechargeable battery pack, from car batteries and a custom recharge circuit into one single casing, for the Goldmund Studio turntable which requires a 24V DC supply for its motor. Huge improvement for TTs at the Studio's level. Another wanted to do one for his Oracle Delphi Mk4 but that TT requires a wierd voltage of 16.5V so it was not so straightforward (car are spec'ed for 12V so have to use two and build a circuit to step down the voltage). He sold the Delphi 4 before he could build the supply. Later Oracle Delphi's like the Mk 5 uses 24V DC.

Many turntables uses an AC motor. For those, you can't use a battery supply.

Horses for courses.

elhefe: ha ha ... u shud take the challenge and initiate a whole new vocabulary section in BM. After all, there is a market for audio mags in Chinese, Korean and Japanese, so why not something to cater to Malaysia/Indonesia? Will draw in the non-English crowd who may be intimidated otherwise. My BM ain't great as I studied abroad, otherwise I would have embarked on this long ago!

As for being a hi-fi journalist, no, I'm not one ... just a writer who takes on a number of subjects, hi-fi being one of them. Now, people like J. Gordon Holt (to start with), Robert Harley, Harry Pearson, etc have every right to be called hi-fi journalists. I just have a decent pair of ears, some opinions, a love of music and ability to sound lucid in print ... if I knew everything as a hi-fi journalist or sflam knows, then I would be working for a Brit or US mag!

Instead you can only lurk around H4S and talk to peasants like us ?

WongKN wrote:Instead you can only lurk around H4S and talk to peasants like us ?

ha ha ... no, instead I write for a newspaper. Hanging around H4S lets me learn more stuff, especially from experts like sflam ... so I'm learning from peasants, what does that make me, a knave ...?

Ah... sflam the very knowledgeable hifi journalist. He is the best !

WongKN wrote:Some TTs use a DC motor. Most of these DC motors use the voltage for speed control. Therefore the more stable the voltage (and cleaner the power supply), the better. A battery is theoretically very clean, we don't get junk from the rest of the house circuit or from tenaga supply. Also it is very stable, compared to tenaga supply.

For a motor which taps steady current, a battery supply can be very good. My friends used to make a rechargeable battery pack, from car batteries and a custom recharge circuit into one single casing, for the Goldmund Studio turntable which requires a 24V DC supply for its motor. Huge improvement for TTs at the Studio's level. Another wanted to do one for his Oracle Delphi Mk4 but that TT requires a wierd voltage of 16.5V so it was not so straightforward (car are spec'ed for 12V so have to use two and build a circuit to step down the voltage). He sold the Delphi 4 before he could build the supply. Later Oracle Delphi's like the Mk 5 uses 24V DC.

Many turntables uses an AC motor. For those, you can't use a battery supply.

Horses for courses.

Crystal clear. So its not actually TT specific but more on the fact that TT runs on either DC or AC motor and for DC, we would have the option to use battery which I agree is 'cleaner' than TNB power supply.

So, by theory other hifi kit that runs on DC like a QED uPlay BT, can in fact also run on battery.



INteresting....

Google around and look for high-end battery powered pre and power amplifiers (monster ones some more) from Jeff Rowland for e.g.

My M2Tech EVO for e.g. can be powered by both an AC/DC adaptor/power supply, or a 9V dry cell battery.

One thing to be aware of is that when the supply demands of an equipment is not steady like the turntable motor, then a battery may subjectively suppress the dynamics of the equipment. It makes the equipment sound 'dead', lack of life and devoid of energy or excitement.

bassraptor wrote:elhefe: ha ha ... u shud take the challenge and initiate a whole new vocabulary section in BM. After all, there is a market for audio mags in Chinese, Korean and Japanese, so why not something to cater to Malaysia/Indonesia? Will draw in the non-English crowd who may be intimidated otherwise. My BM ain't great as I studied abroad, otherwise I would have embarked on this long ago!

As for being a hi-fi journalist, no, I'm not one ... just a writer who takes on a number of subjects, hi-fi being one of them. Now, people like J. Gordon Holt (to start with), Robert Harley, Harry Pearson, etc have every right to be called hi-fi journalists. I just have a decent pair of ears, some opinions, a love of music and ability to sound lucid in print ... if I knew everything as a hi-fi journalist or sflam knows, then I would be working for a Brit or US mag!

Thats not a bad idea bassraptor...maybe I can contribute in local papers like Kosmo hehehe.

I do envy the life of a hifi journalist, especially the international ones. They get to lead their life everyday doing something they enjoy - listening to music.

I was given a copy of an indonesian hifi mag.... Can't remember the title, but it was a pretty good read, even with my half past six command of bahasa....

elhefe wrote:I do envy the life of a hifi journalist, especially the international ones. They get to lead their life everyday doing something they enjoy - listening to music.

Oh, then you want to be sflam ... he de man to aspire to be ...

WongKN wrote:Actually Elhefe can run but there's nowhere to hide. Unless he shifts and goes to live in Timbuktu la. But then, he will still be around here in H4S. And there's always mail order.....

Wong, you are right. " He can run but can't kill the beast" just like the lyrics of the infamous "Hotel California"...you know what I mean.

elhefe...better stick to your England language! You'll make a mockery of the Bahasa Language. haha! & you could get legal implication problems from AudioJelas! Keep on searching for rice cookers man!

Hahahaha !! Reminds me of one of my favourite LAT cartoon back from many years ago and reprinted by the STAR two days ago. I am not sure if any of you guys remember or saw the cartoon "Saya taruh sama lu, awak terbaring !!!".

If I am to write a review in BM, I can see myself now "Saya taruh same lu semua, itu meja berpusing lagi best daripada kecil punya piring" ! I think best for myself and everyone else that I limit my hifi 'journalism' as a lowly moderator here in H4S, along with SJ. But I agree with SJ, "best sekali masihlah sflam !"

It's AUDIO Lifestyle Magazine from Indonesia!!... got it, been bugging me all day!!

Have a great evening guys... Spinning up some Dave Brubeck now before dinner...

JediSavant wrote:It's AUDIO Lifestyle Magazine from Indonesia!!... got it, been bugging me all day!!

Have a great evening guys... Spinning up some Dave Brubeck now before dinner...

Eh that does not sound like a Bahasa Indonesia magazine...maybe its in Dutch heheheh.

Today @ Subang Parade, Rock Corner: recently restocked with alot of AC/DC, some Metallica, Queen, etc... LPs

Has a copy of Dave Brubeck Time Out (180gm reissue) as well.

Elhefe, maybe you can make a beeline there tomorrow and browse thru while the picking's good.

mugenfoo wrote:Today @ Subang Parade, Rock Corner: recently restocked with alot of AC/DC, some Metallica, Queen, etc... LPs

Has a copy of Dave Brubeck Time Out (180gm reissue) as well.

Elhefe, maybe you can make a beeline there tomorrow and browse thru while the picking's good.

Too near to Empire...afraid of gas pipe explosion:shock:

WongKN wrote:

Ah... sflam the very knowledgeable hifi journalist. He is the best !

bassraptor wrote:

Oh, then you want to be sflam ... he de man to aspire to be ...

i keep very quiet also kena ketuk....(sigh)

elhefe: Remember, men of great and immense knowledge like sflam only speak when they have something to say ... unlike others who just rattle on ...

Passed by Victoria Music at Amcorp this afternoon, saw a copy of some reissue of Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon, LP, 180gm, it beckoned, I bought ... RM99, some Euro pressing, so impulsive ... ... in the words of the all-knowing sflam ... if u want it, buy it ... well, he would definitely have said it some time, in all his wisdom...

In the words of WongKN - DOnt waste your time, just buy lah... Hehehehe

bassraptor wrote:elhefe: Remember, men of great and immense knowledge like sflam only speak when they have something to say ... unlike others who just rattle on ...

Passed by Victoria Music at Amcorp this afternoon, saw a copy of some reissue of Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon, LP, 180gm, it beckoned, I bought ... RM99, some Euro pressing, so impulsive ... ... in the words of the all-knowing sflam ... if u want it, buy it ... well, he would definitely have said it some time, in all his wisdom...

Saw the same copy at Rock Corner Subang Parade also.

Curious to know how good - or not - this pressing is ...

Pink Floyd have reissued a whole lot of stuff on LP.....

Bass... The one you have might be the 30th anniversary edition.... I have a copy of that and it's pretty good.... Looking forward to seeing the official reissues though....

I got half a dozen LPs and CDs of DSOTM! Want a good reissue, LP, if Wish U Were Here ...

The best reissue of DSOTM is Mobile Fidelity's UHQR version.
That is the good news.
Now the bad news.
Try to check how much it is going for.....

Elhefe,

My more famous words are
"If bekside itchy, scratch it."

Just a little bit more famous than
"Don't want time la, just buy it"

They say wise sayings are often conflicting each other....

elhefe,

it's not just the dc power supply being cleaner or more stable, it's also that the dc motor is quieter and vibrates less than the ac motor.

phono preamps, preamps and poweramps that use battery power benefit from the clean and stable power supply.

elhefe: see what I meant about sflam ...hope u learnt something precious at 12.16am. Treasure the rare moment ...

It was likae a bedtime story for me hehehehe...on the motor..then its TT specific...which is good to know...

Rock Corner, The Curve: Has alot of Megadeth, AC/DC, Queen, etc etc...
modern contemporaries & some oldie reissues. Worth a checkout.

Hi all,
Am new to the blog but am already impressed by the camaraderie amongst you all. So am sort of committing suicide by exposing myself to all the poison out there.
Elhefe, was actually waiting to hear your tales on listening to vinyl thru headphones as I am deliberating on whether to explore this mode.

Thanks

Toying in my mind about MC step up transformers and priced about RM600/pair new, excluding DIY hardware to box them in. Was very impressed when I tried something similar recently. Not meant to discard existing MC phono stage but as a nice alternative to play play.

wow, y'know, i met some of u guys at the cmy do, the dac interests turned to deck mania. this thread had me reviving my LP12 and i was just getting comfortable w the 22 hrs continous music from my thumbdrive. i forgot how tactile the analog sound is. good for u elhefe getting ur poison doses intravenously but u know there is such a thing as going overboard. heh, but drugs r addictive, poison in this case. now i'm listening to the music of my youth and thinking does that magic mat someone is selling in these pages really work like he claims? u guys ha, aiiyya.

tmahmood wrote:Hi all,
Am new to the blog but am already impressed by the camaraderie amongst you all. So am sort of committing suicide by exposing myself to all the poison out there.
Elhefe, was actually waiting to hear your tales on listening to vinyl thru headphones as I am deliberating on whether to explore this mode.

Thanks

Tmahmood....

welcome to the forum and dont be shy to succumb to the poison...

I am running in the headphone amp as I am writing this. Will be doing the review soon. Will also compare listening through the cans between CD and LP.

Stay tune.

mugenfoo wrote:Rock Corner, The Curve: Has alot of Megadeth, AC/DC, Queen, etc etc...
modern contemporaries & some oldie reissues. Worth a checkout.

This is what you call a full blown poison....comes with picture to lure you....

Thanks MF.

mad.onenad wrote:wow, y'know, i met some of u guys at the cmy do, the dac interests turned to deck mania. this thread had me reviving my LP12 and i was just getting comfortable w the 22 hrs continous music from my thumbdrive. i forgot how tactile the analog sound is. good for u elhefe getting ur poison doses intravenously but u know there is such a thing as going overboard. heh, but drugs r addictive, poison in this case. now i'm listening to the music of my youth and thinking does that magic mat someone is selling in these pages really work like he claims? u guys ha, aiiyya.

Good to know thast my thread and the the do in CMY manage to get some people re-live their youth..thats what all this is about, having fun.

Now...the truth of my quest into LP....

I could have started this 13 years ago...but I was always put off with all the meticulous LP set up... Malas....

But this raya timethis year, my memory of my late father spending the weekends listening to his 1970s hifi set up, came into my mind almost everyday.

He too didnt really like when CD came about. Cassette was OK when it replaced the 8 tracks cartridges. But CD over LP, no way for him.

This was my part showing him that I do agree with him....

Elhefe Thanks. Will do. To be honest am never shy to receive poison. In fact had been self poisoning for the past 10-11 years. But feel better having someone else to blame for the poisoning,hence the plunge into this forum.It's also good to to read that you too fly down to spore to seek ways to burn holes in your pocket.
Look forward to your can reviews. In the meantime, carry on spinning the b lack circle.

A very fruitful morning in Amcorp mall. Damage was unexpected.

Got the following:

1. Guns & Roses - appetite for destruction
2. Eric Clapton - Timepieces
3. Ella Fitz - live in montreux
4. The Eagles - hotel california...this would be an interesting comparison with the 192/24 hi res files
5. The Police - Synchronicity
6. The Beatles - Best Of
7. George Harrison - Best Of
8. Carpenters - Singles
9. Bonnie Tyler - Total Eclipse of The heart
10. Barry White - Best Of
11. Loius Armstrong and his All Stars
12. A Malay Mix album with broery, latiff ibrahim etc
13. Headwind - Suraya album
14. Bread - Best Of

So far have spinned Ella, Eric, Eagles, Beatles, Malay Mix and Bread...such classics.. Enjoying the crack and pop in the background hehehehe. Ella's recording eventhough it was a live concert, it sound great.

Now, I have a few questions on certain sypmtoms I have notice spinning various LPs. Appreciate it fellow forummers can explain what causes it and what can be done to improve?

1. The crack and pop sound?
2. The last track on each side usually sound noisier than the first to mid track?
3. On certain albums, I can hear some stress in the sound. Guitar riffs does not sound clear and as if distorted.
4. How do we know whether there is somethng wrong with the cartridge or tone arm?

elhefe wrote:

1. The crack and pop sound?

2. The last track on each side usually sound noisier than the first to mid track?

3. On certain albums, I can hear some stress in the sound. Guitar riffs does not sound clear and as if distorted.

4. How do we know whether there is somethng wrong with the cartridge or tone arm?

1. Some causes:
a) If its stubborn dirt, get the LP cleaned by those wet-vacuum sucking machines.
b) If its got physical damage ie scratched surface, nothing u can do about it (well almost, read (c) ).

c)if you splurge on a super duper crazy high end cartridge that has a ultra sharp stylus profile that really digs deep into the deepest darkest recesses of the vinyl groove, you might yet just find the original press of the music as it was cut on the master disc (to a certain extent of course). But beware, you'll need an equally super duper high end and "compatible" tonearm and platter system to work that high-end cartridge properly.

2. Yes, thats called "Inner Groove Distortion" (IGD). The main causes are:
a) Improper alignment, trackforce and anti-skate settings. This would reveal as IGD. Now you realise, playing a TT is easy. Setting it up properly is another story altogether.
b) The LP was originally cut badly, like the Tsai Chin - Old Songs German-reissue. Or even the modern Coldplay- Viva la Vida Album LP. Terrible IGD.
c) If it was a used LP, probably the previous owner didn't have a well set up TT and has inadvertently damaged the LP.
d) Budget arms / cartridges tend not to track so well at the inner grooves. That's a fact of life and "you gets whats yous pays for".


3. Bad mastering perhaps ? Not every LP (or CD or whatever) are recorded well right from the start. Blame the recording/mixing/mastering engineer.

4. Well, You don't until you've listened to a superlative TT system and then realise what you're missing in your own system. But if you keep up at this pace, sooner or later you might just end up with a Clearaudio Statement or VYGER Indian Signature Turntable in your home... Good luck.

I'm thinking you didn't really wash those old records eh? Do think of buying a quality record cleaner machine (I don't really have to elaborate why), stylus brush cleaner, stylus cleaning solution,high quality record sleeves (paper or Nagaoka brand)...those sort of things must have lah if you don't have them yet as your collection grow bigger and you're playing LP's often. Of course when buying used LP's never assume they're clean and discard those old sleeves for new ones if your LP's are for keeps. A thorough deep clean is mandatory or very essential before playing them on your beloved rig with a pricy cartridge. Distorted or noisy sound from LP's is quite irritating.

Elhefe,

And you used to wonder why your wife needs all those accessories, hair pieces, jewelery, shoes, etc to match her brand new expensive dress eh ?!! If you have ever made any tiny little comment about her accessories, and you let her know what's happening to you now and I am sure she will laugh her head off at you !

And now the bad news.

THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING.....

MF,

Thanks for the answers. Straight forward and fully understood. Lots more to learn.

Setting up the TT I guess might be the main culprit for IGD as almost all the records showing the same issue. May need to call CMY to come back and look at the unit.

Statement is actually seems beyond my reach...but thats what I said about ProAc and MF M6i hahahahah. We shall see.

Cmboy,

Thanks for the recommendation. I am thinking of a dedicated cleaning machine from ClearAudio but it depends on how many LPs I will be inheriting from my wife's grandpa this Oct. If it is in the hundreds, than I think its worthwhile to own one.

Listening to Barry White. Its actually quite good quality. Feel like boogie-ing now.

WongKN wrote:Elhefe,

And you used to wonder why your wife needs all those accessories, hair pieces, jewelery, shoes, etc to match her brand new expensive dress eh ?!! If you have ever made any tiny little comment about her accessories, and you let her know what's happening to you now and I am sure she will laugh her head off at you !

And now the bad news.

THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING.....

She knows...she was with me at Amcorp Mall. Heheheh. She noticed I had to go to the ATM twice in the span of 20 minutes....

She then self decided that she should get a new handbag from The Gardens.

elhefe wrote:

Setting up the TT I guess might be the main culprit for IGD as almost all the records showing the same issue. May need to call CMY to come back and look at the unit.

((( EViL-GRiN )))

I sometimes think its not entirely right to be hesitant (unless you've less than perhaps 40 lp's) AND I think you CAN afford a Record Cleaner machine in due course rather than wait till you hugely increase your LP inventory. I would think it'll grow regardless you inherit or not from grandad. Its a matter of your own high enthusiasm and assuming your hardware investment is already quite a sum, a RCM is not really another a huge investment. VPI brand RCM is another great alternative to the Clearaudio model. Yep, I could admit I'm procastinating here, I haven't got down to buying one either, and speaking about another great LP kaki buddy of mine, have got 2 rooms FULL of LP's, got a VPI RCM bought years ago but NEVER used it even once.. funny and wierd world we live in.

mugenfoo wrote:

elhefe wrote:

Setting up the TT I guess might be the main culprit for IGD as almost all the records showing the same issue. May need to call CMY to come back and look at the unit.

((( EViL-GRiN )))

Ooohhh why I need CMY when there is MF right? silly me....

cmboy wrote:I sometimes think its not entirely right to be hesitant (unless you've less than perhaps 40 lp's) AND I think you CAN afford a Record Cleaner machine in due course rather than wait till you hugely increase your LP inventory. I would think it'll grow regardless you inherit or not from grandad. Its a matter of your own high enthusiasm and assuming your hardware investment is already quite a sum, a RCM is not really another a huge investment. VPI brand RCM is another great alternative to the Clearaudio model. Yep, I could admit I'm procastinating here, I haven't got down to buying one either, and speaking about another great LP kaki buddy of mine, have got 2 rooms FULL of LP's, got a VPI RCM bought years ago but NEVER used it even once.. funny and wierd world we live in.

That is actually my predicament....i dont want to be spending my precious stress releasing time cleaning records....prefer to listen to music...

And now listening to Sweet Child O Mine.... Some may say G&R are sell outs....but hey, who isnt? They still rock like hell man....

Good times good times...

I actually do not want to kid myself..yes oldies, jazz in the likes of etta, louis and ella...can sound great but hey, I can relate to G&R, metallica, nirvana, RATM, PANTERA etc more...as I grew up with these bands...not to mentione jamming to their tunes...

Oh but I should not forget Rick Ashkey, Kylie Minougue and Boy George too hahahaha.

Never mind the predicament. Just buy one, locate it at my place till you feel you're up to it to spend time cleaning them, then you can have it back. Nevermind, I'll pay for any consumables or replacement of the consumable brush component.

The longer you wait, price may shoot up for VERY STRANGE reasons. Prices in MY goes up ONE WAY, almost never come down, rain or shine, economy good or no good or currency exchange rates go up or down. THIS IS VERY TRUE! Believe it or not! Look at CD shops, most imported CD's are already tagged with higher prices, for NO GOOD REASON!

elhefe wrote:

mugenfoo wrote:

elhefe wrote:

Setting up the TT I guess might be the main culprit for IGD as almost all the records showing the same issue. May need to call CMY to come back and look at the unit.

((( EViL-GRiN )))

Ooohhh why I need CMY when there is MF right? silly me....

You seem like a smart chap ... so here, go Google and learn how to do it yourself. Why depend on other people, right ?

Elhefe, I am no expert but I think I know good advice when I hear one. The sifus, wongkn,mf et al is quite right. You do want to consider getting a RCM. No need to break the bank nor pilfer from your piggy bank for The Statement to do it. I have been using a made in prc Amari RCM for the past few years, and it's does what it's says on the label. No two way rotation tho but gives my records the care they deserve in line with my budget. In fact I clean my brand new sealed records too before playing them for the first time. If you need convincing, you are most welcome to bring over a couple of your uncleaned LPs and see how a few drops of solution, a careful scrub and a good vacuum can do to get rid of most (but not all) of the hiss and ticks..

Well, you know what SJ would say, a good suck will bring a huge smile to your face (I am talking about cleaning LPs for the perverts out there !! ).

When buying used records, it is almost mandatory to clean it. Often they come with lots of dirt and sometimes even gunk on the surface and in the grooves. If you don't already have a stylus cleaner, these dirt and gunk will be dragged up and will accumulate in the stylus. They will then degrade the sound. A good clean of the stylus is like literally cleaning a dirty window. The other thing is after you have seen the amount of junk the stylus picks up, you wouldn't want to let it continue. Especially when you go the next step, upgrade the catridge.....

One more for the road. Do your phono stage have adjustable input loading ? Have you checked what is the recommended impedance the catridge needs to be play at ?