My dealer told me to always remove the dust cover - it’s a bit like removing the speaker grills - there IS a slight difference in my view
I think the lid in situ works well and is beneficial to the sound quality as with the lid down during play it cuts out the pick-up chatter from the deck and also better isolates it from acoustic feedback.
Not to mention the damage possibilities of constantly sliding them in and out and finding somewhere to put it.
I’ve seen Aro with finger lift reshaped for this purpose before.
I will ask Peter Swain about re-shaping the ARO finger lift when he visits soon.
But your rig has more spikes, and personally looks better
Ask him about the step up transformer too.
I have. We’ll continue that discussion when we meet.
The finger lift is an easy adjustment.
There’s a theory that with the lid closed any static charge in the lid could have an effect on the tracking force, although generally it’s felt to lessen it slightly as the arm is attracted upwards to the lid. However, with the ARO, the lid can have a definite effect on the tracking force by forcing it down on the record because of the lack of clearance! As advised, the arm lift can be gently reshaped to just clear the lid, however, much better to play without one.
That’s what he did to mine. Good thing too as the pillar had to be raised quite a bit when I had the Kandid installed - the Kandid is quite deep.
Thanks, Richard, I confess to being too lazy to take the lid off and on for each listening session, so if Peter can ‘flatten’ the armlift, to allow records to be played with the lid down, that will be ideal.
I have found an old pair of the hard rubber thingies that were on the old smoked lid, so that will give a few more fractions of an inch clearance.
The lid can be placed on the turntable without the lid clips. That way you don’t have to detach the lid at all, just lift it off as easy as lifting the lid off a pot.
Ah, but if you have Kids or Animals, that’s asking for trouble…
I go through enough of a ritual as it is, with cleaning the record with a Decca brush and the stylus with Stylus Clear fluid before each LP side. Removing the lid as well would be a step too far.
I’ve been an ARO user for over 30 years, Clive, and have never had a cantilever-damaging incident.
Am I tempting fate with that remark? Dare I play any of my new, unplayed LPs now?
Stylus wash between every side played…
For me, and from when I had an LP12:
Best sound = lid off
2nd = lid on and closed
3rd, by a long way = lid on and open
I’m sure you’re right, which is why I’m hoping that Peter Swain has Uri Geller-type skills when bending the ARO fingerlifts when he visits!
He will for sure Graham
As an aside - we all know ARO rules
Which is why I have two!
AROs, I mean!!
You bugger - I’ll find another one