hiwattnick
Active Member
Hey John,I gotta say I'm really loving this forum and appreciate your input. I decided to go forward with the rewire and liner. I have seen the KAB fluid damper and would love to hear your feedback on that when you do it. One other thing I have been researching is removing the transformer from the plinth as well as external power supply options. I'm curious to see if anyone on this forum have tried these upgrades and the results they found. I've got a lot of research to do here. If you are any indication of the help people on this forum can provide, I'm in the right place. One other thing. Since I'm gonna do the tonearm wiring, would it make sense to upgrade the headshell and headshell wiring with this upgrade? I'm considering a headshell which allows azimuth adjustment. Any thoughts on headshell brands or materials ? I currently use a bullseye bubble level on a record in front of the head shell and then on the headshell itself to try to make sure the cartridge is perpendicular to the platter as well as to set the vta. A $600 fozgometer is out of the question. Thanks again Nick. I look forward to hearing your thoughts on these upgrades. In the meantime I'll be scouring this forum. Happy memorial day....John
Oh, and yes, I have an MKII
I have been personally using a “Zupreme” Headshell which is actually just a Jelco HS-25. I bought it from LP Tunes, as they had the best price I could find. I too bought it because of it’s adjustable azimuth, and it also comes with Audioquest Litz lead wires which are great lead wires. I’ve got a vintage Stanton 681EEE cart with a VividLine Stylus also from LP tunes, and I couldn’t be happier. I own many Headshell/cartridge/stylus combos but that’s the one I’ve been digging the most. I also really love Nagaoka cartridges. They seem to be the most detailed and best sounding cartridges outperforming carts costing many times more. Your 2M bronze is a great choice too. I own a few Ortofon carts.
And a Fozgometer? $600?! I didn’t know they were up that high in price! A bit to rich for my blood right now. The thing with your cart/stylus combo is that you want the cantilever to be as perfectly vertical and straight in regards to the surface of the LP as possible. Even if your cartridge is square with the Headshell, the cantilever may not be.
Anyway, here’s a link to the Headshell:
https://lptunes.com/products/lp-gear-zupreme-headshell
And as far as an external supply, I wouldn’t worry about it quite yet. I haven’t and may actually never. It seems to be more important for cartridges such as Grado that aren’t shielded, and even then, it doesn’t seem to make that much of a difference. I could be totally wrong, as I’ve never tried it though. Haha!
Happy Memorial Day, John!
- Nick