30 years on...

where?

Third paragraph down:

In 2003, I had the chance to get two LP12 with more sophisticated power supplies or upgrades: one had a Naim Armageddon, the other the Valhalla power supply, one had a pre-Circus bearing, the other a Circus bearing, one had a stock top plate, the other a stronger steel plate with the motor position moved to the 7 o'clock position.

Then again in his sum up:

LP12 options: alternate steel top plate
The steel top plate gives a bit more dynamics and solidness to the music, but the difference is not big enough to lose hair about.

 

Ah, if he says so, then I guess it must be so.

 

Much like the Stereophile review I suspect, there is an element of truth in there somewhere.

 

No difference is big enough to lose hair about. It's only hi-fi, not real life.

 

Ahh - but it's still a bit of a diss because I don't find the Michell orbe to be anything like as awkward to use bounce-wise - which is odd since it's a skeletal deck (so nowhere to rest your fingers while cueing...).

ALL the LP12s I've heard (even the ones I liked) still have that slighly bloomy bass hump - it might well be that the two decks I really liked worked for me because they were in Naim rigs - so had a mildly over-damped bass courtesy of the amps?? It's that LP12/Naim synergy thing again methinks.

Oh well I guess that's fair - he he!

 

Having cued Michell Orbe many times, and LP12 more times, I would rate the two as equally easy. IOW, not a problem.

I've never heard an LP12 with a "bass hump", and I've heard a lot of them. The bass hump is yet another internet myth.

If something is repeated often enough, people will accept it as a fact. (Hitler)

 

This could of course be the reason behind most of your Mana/ATC posts couldn't it?

I like the LP12 but I have to say that most examples I have heard have not been exactly neutral in the bass. Musical most certainly, but not what I would term to be strictly accurate.

 

Goebbels, actually.

 

Admittedly (I'm gonna get shot here!) the last LP12 I cued up myself was Henryt's back in 1998 - having had exposure to his Orbe since then, it might well be that the LP12 ain't THAT bad in that arena either if I got my mitts on one today

 

I sit corrected.

Salut!

 

Has anyone seen that episode of Futurama where everyone is issued a $300.00 tax rebate and Fry spends his on 100 cups of coffee, resulting in Fry reaching some sort of Zen-like state at the end of the show? I wonder if a similar thing might happen if this thread reaches 30 pages?

 

Cueing unipivots on an Orbe is dead easy -- you can rest a pinkie on the front right suspension pillar... after a few days/weeks you forget its there and just pick-up and lower.

Even with my old Koetsu Onyx Platinum I never worried about the cartridge.

Easy peasy. Nothing could be simpler.

 

How does the system sound in that field, fox?

 

If it's anything like Glastonbury, it should sound ace

Fox - now THERE'S an idea - not thought of that! Mind you, I wouldn't DARE try that on Henryt's without the arm lift - nice Van Den Hul Frog - urm, which is rebuilt due to a rather nasty vinyl/cantilever interface (no, it wasn't me - thank god!!!).

 

Indeed. According to John Michell, that's why he put it where it is, it's in exactly the right place to be a cueing platform, so much so that I found myself using it that way instinctively.

-- Ian

 

Don't hardened audiophiles get rid of the pillars anyway and go for the naked spring look?

 

They do. It doesn't sound any different that way, but some people like to make it look ugly, reasoning that it must sound better if it looks stupid.

-- Ian

 

I tried the naked springs as well after several people mentioned it.

If it makes a difference my ears couldn't tell - just makes the deck look ugly.

 

I sort-of ignored this at first. 'Musical' seems meaningless.

I have a few duplicates on both vinyl & CD. Despite internet folklore & wisdom surrounding the LP12 & the Aro, I don't detect any obvious differences in tonal balance/bass between them.

 

The Mana Effect.