Show us your Sondek

Which AT cart is that?
Edit AT-OC9XML?

Thank you, it’s Oak replacing original Aformosia fluted.

It seems to be 'aging nicely.

:slightly_smiling_face:

Correct it’s an OC9XML. I’m a big fan of micro linear styli - on a clean record it plays almost silently.

I think maybe the recently fitted ‘Karousel’ helps as well.

:slightly_smiling_face:

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Very nice plinth! Was it made by Linn, or an independent?

Another vote for the magic wood, just completed my walnut project from scratch:

Bought this beautiful walnut plinth from my Linn dealer, LP12Bits:

Sub-chassis, armboard and cross-brace from StackAudio:

Vinyl Passion Revolution PSU, motor treatments from SRM-Tech:

Top-plate and baseboard also from StackAudio in the UK:

Finished work, magic wood indeed!

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Is that a Rega arm?

The counter weight appears to be in brass, and semi-circular?

And a non-standard on/off switch.

Is the plinth from Linn, or an independent?

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Yes, Rega RB3000 tonearm with Expressimo Audio Half Moon Heavy Weight. The switch is standard with the VP Revolution PSU, plinth was a custom option ordered from Linn according to the dealer.

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Thanks for that, which is all new to me.

Isn’t it just amazing how many variants there are for the LP12? There can’t be any other component in the hifi sphere with so many possible variants.

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This is a Linn Oak plinth, fitted by Ceritech (now gone unfortunately) in 2016.

:slightly_smiling_face:

Thanks, HW. I have a Wenge plinth on mine - dark tropical hardwood, on the verge of the ‘endangered’ list.

I have a second LP12 on order with Cymbiosis, with a cherry plinth.

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I’ve not seen that before. Intuitively I’d expect a complete circle to balance the forces and I’m intrigued to know how the half moon solution works at the theory level.

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I wonder if the Half moon counterweight compensates Azymuth as well as counterbalance.
It must induce torque if not dead plumb. :thinking:

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The main idea behind the design is to lower the counter weight’s center of gravity closer to the needle tracking the record, hardly groundbreaking as this is done by many manufacturers, Aro and Javelin immediately come to mind. Before the half moon weight they use to have a rounded one, now discontinued:

I can tell you after using the half moon I cannot go back to the stock one, though I wonder if the improvement that I hear has more to do with the delryn interface than with the half moon shape itself.

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Thanks. That’s interesting. Another learning - one of the things I really like about this forum!

…wow, I would worry about asymmetrical force acting on the bearings, unless this is aligned perfectly (rather than ‘by eye’)?

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Yes, I taped a bubble level to it for final adjustment.

The manufacturer claims it makes adjusting azimuth a breeze for uni-pivot tonearms.

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Here’s my Sondek, I’ve had it for 3 years. I’m still staggered by how dynamic it sounds, it’s only a modest spec. One day I may upgrade the power supply to a Lingo 4, I think that would be a significant upgrade over the Hercules I currently use. I will have to get a demo at Cymbiosis to make sure my cloth ears can hear a difference.

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@Paul6
Lovely retro picture.
Is that an AT Signet cartridge.? :thinking:

It’s an AT33EV, only a budget priced moving coil but it’s one that Peter Swain highly recommended.

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