Thorens 126 MK III vs Empire 698
- Thread starter x2turbo
- Start date
Yep, the wire leads start interfering with the back of the headshell when you get that far back. The 698 headshell is definitely fidgety and delicate. I can change the VTA somewhat by loosening the collar and lightly holding the front of the headshell down and retightening. It also has enough play once tightened to allow for slight rotation to adjust azimuth.
I think that my headshell must be an aberration. Instead of the tonearm wires running through the sides of the headshell itself, mine attach directly to the solder joints on front of the black plastic piece. When I detach the metal headshell, the wires don't come off with it. Maybe someone modded it in the past. If so, they did a great job with the workmanship. Picture below is before moving the cartridge back in the headshell:
:thmbsp:
I have a TNT 3 with the JMW 12" arm and the VTA-on-the-fly is really trick, though I haven't fallen in love with that uni-pivot arm...
:thmbsp:
Happy Listening,
Dave
Attachments
I suspect that your headshell was modified. The headshell should be completely detachable from the arm. Here's what it should look like:
At some point, the plastic headshell mount must have snapped off and a repair was done.
A word of caution: don't overtighen the collar when reinstalling the headshell. The old plastic tends to be brittle and if it breaks, it will really ruin your day.
Les.
Probably so. The rear-most metal back of the headshell slips directly into the metal collar protruding from end of the arm and tightens down. The black plastic piece is no longer a part of the equation of clamping the headshell to the arm. Whoever did this was a good craftsman. It looks "factory" and may actually be better than the original, excepting that the wires have to be removed from the cartridge leads before detaching the headshell.
Right. Thanks Les!
Dave
It's great to hear that someone went to the trouble of saving a 698 with a broken headshell mount. In many cases, 698's with broken headshell mounts end up being parted out. One fellow posted in the Empire thread about how he saved his 698 with a mod like the one on your table.
x2turbo
Well-Known Member
When I got mine the headshell was loose so I tightened the collar and before I knew it the end of the tonearm where the contacts are came right off. I was able to use plastic weld and replace it but obviously I'm now overly cautious. I don't even feel comfortable lifting the tonearm out of the holder using the arm on the headshell fearing that it may break as well.
I don't "clip" the arm into the armrest unless I am tinkering with the platter or something for fear of fatiguing the prongs on the armrest. I just let the tonearm sit atop the prongs. Much easier on the head shell and finger lift too.
BTW - I installed the new grommets from Esoteric Sound today. Highly recommended! Lowered rumble noticeably. Makes the music emerge from a blacker background. Great bang for the buck!
Happy Listening,
Dave
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Three. They are right under the motor cover, where you adjust the belt tension. They look like black doughnuts with "goldish" flanges on top.
My old ones looked to be in okay condition, but these new ones use a better rubber compound for superior vibration isolation. They really work. I had a funky hum-type rumble before, now the table is dead quiet with a good pressing. I expected that reducing rumble would greatly improve micro dynamics (detail), but they seem to improve macro dynamics as well.
The grommets are not difficult to change out, but there is a trick I learned that will save you a good bit of time and frustration when you decide to replace them.
Happy Listening,
Dave
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classicform
Active Member
Sorry to resurrect an old thread while searching for an answer to my question I found this one.
Can someone explain how to set vta on this 698? I just removed a Denon 110 and installed my Ortofon M20fl and the arm is no longer level making the bottom of the cart angled down. It sounds like maybe there is a set screw that I can loosen and I guess manually lift the arm support up and then retighten? Can't find the setscrew though.
LOVE this table by the way
Can someone explain how to set vta on this 698? I just removed a Denon 110 and installed my Ortofon M20fl and the arm is no longer level making the bottom of the cart angled down. It sounds like maybe there is a set screw that I can loosen and I guess manually lift the arm support up and then retighten? Can't find the setscrew though.
LOVE this table by the way
Congratulations, classicform. Beautiful 698. There is a small set screw on the tonearm base collar at the 3 o'clock position. Remove your M20FL stylus from the cartridge body and make sure that the armwand is not clipped into the Lexan armrest clip and then firmly grasp the outer tonearm horseshoe housing (avoiding touching the tonearm wand!) with your left hand and loosen the set screw 1/2 turn or so counterclockwise with a small flatblade screwdriver. Move the housing up or down (WITHOUT rotating it or your auto-lift will be out of adjustment) and retighten the set screw.
BTW- after you raise or lower the arm at the base, the queue height will need to be adjusted by inserting a round wooden toothpick into the small holes in the shaft between the bell shaped housing and the rubber queue platform and turning it clockwise or counterclockwise until the height between the stylus and the LP suits you with the arm lifted.
Dave
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classicform
Active Member
Thank you very much. Cant wait to have at it!
classicform
Active Member
Well that was easy...sounds better already. Might tweek a little more but I'm happy with it. NOT going to break out a scope and measure any angles
. Thanks again.
. Thanks again.