My Work in Progress

Totemman · Posted: Tue Feb 16, 2010 9:55 am Post subject: My Work in Progress

Hi all, I was challenged by Blue Knight to post pictures of my system so here they are. The first picture of the whole system is dedicated to Monsieur Steve Bourke of UHF who could not accept the acoustically out standing Fon Lo Thingee because he could not figure out how to put it in his system.

Notice how the Fon Lo Thingee destroys the overall look of the system. What cannot find it? My speakers are Totem Mani-2 and the visible cables are Cardas Golden Cross. The CDP is a much loved Moon Nova.

Here is a close up a a very modified Ariston RD 11S. The table has had the motor replaced. It now uses an Origin Live DC motor. The springs, and drive belt have been replaced by Linn products. The main bearing is now a ceramic bearing.

The tonearm is an RS A1 tone arm.

The line conditioning is handled by a BC 6000 and the power supply for the turntable is a Gilbert Yeung which is a major improvement over the original by Origin Live.

The preamplifier started life as a Despina but is now a Despina/301FYI+

The amplifier is a Gilbert special SB 150T

My tuner is a vintage Magnum Dyna Lab Ft101. Record and CD storage is handled via this unit. Unfortunately CDs and records now have spilled over into another room and I need much more storage. I will omit the vinyl pictures in my office space.

Oh and for Steve Bourke , here is the Fon Lo Thingee with Biggie power supply and CP capacitor pack. Soory that you could not see it in any of the other pictures, but it hides behind the turn table and the Moon Nova.

BlueKnight · Posted: Tue Feb 16, 2010 2:44 pm Post subject:

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Mike

BlueKnight · Posted: Tue Feb 16, 2010 2:53 pm Post subject:

eh eh eh.... Great looking rig Jim!! I don't know why you felt you were unworthy!

I realize that you had to work with a tough space and it's to your credit that you managed to do such a great job. Very neat and tidy.

So when are you going to get a proper TT ??

Cheers mate!

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Mike

cjb · Posted: Thu Feb 25, 2010 4:53 am Post subject:

Sweet system!
I have 2 Aristons to experiment with. How do you like the RS A1?
chris

Double D · Advanced Member Joined: 18 Feb 2003 Posts: 523

very nice rig .. Cool

I'm curious how the balance is with one speaker working in a more open air setup on the left side ? I'm asking this because my own room has some "irregularities" as well.. particularly when I use it length wise, the way I've currently got it set up .. firing across the short distance.. works well for stats, but not so much for boxes.. Crying or Very sad

Brent · Member Joined: 15 Jun 2009 Posts: 23

I to have utilized an Origin Live motor to give life back to an Oracle II. It was a huge improvement over the original motor, other than the speed mysteriously will go off every now and then. Gilberts magic works wonders with this motor?

I had an aluminum housing made up for it and it turned out very nice. It resides at my brothers house now.

Totemman · Posted: Thu Mar 18, 2010 6:52 pm Post subject: Gilbert's mods

Brent you will not believe the level of improvement that Gilbert's level one mod brings to the Origin Live motor. I too had some strange speed anomalies but I have not had any since the level 1 mod was completed. It took about three days for my speed to settle down but once it did it has been rock solid.Really spend the 120 to have Gilbert do the level one modification. You will be stunned at the result. I have a customer who just had the modification done to his STD/Origin combination and he cannot stop marveling at the level of improvement.
The level 2 modification which entails changing all the interconnects replacing the wall wort and totally reconfiguring the capacitance will only cost you what the original Origin Live motor kit did. It brings a depth and silence to the table that I had not thought possible.

Ha Boi Egg · Advanced Member Joined: 13 Aug 2010 Posts: 367

Totemman · Posted: Sun Sep 26, 2010 8:34 am Post subject:

Hi Gentleman,
To answer the problem of the open wall I have made a movable wallboard wall. I then mounted a sound panel to said temporary wall. I will post pictures of my Gyprock "sonic upgrade' shortly. I have also had the opportunity to upgrade my Despina 301FY to a Galatea 301FY. The system continues to evolve, and I continue to love music the music that it produces.

Ha Boi Egg · Advanced Member Joined: 13 Aug 2010 Posts: 367

Totemman,
My entrance is similar to yours and I actually removed the railing and built a half wall in it's place.Since upgrading,I no longer use the living room as my listening area and have changed rooms twice following system upgrades.(my ht needs a new home)
Glad to see another Totem admirerer..... Very Happy

Totemman · Posted: Tue Sep 28, 2010 9:43 am Post subject:

I built a dedicated room for music in the basement but my wife refused to let me move my main system to the basement. Now my "b" system has the better room. I do not have a home theatre as I am still putting all of my money into my audio system. It was my wife's feeling that we do most of our living upstairs and so the system should be upstairs. She claims that good music helps her cook, and as she is a gourmet cook, and I love eating she easily won.

Ha Boi Egg · Advanced Member Joined: 13 Aug 2010 Posts: 367

"I hear ya!" Laughing

BlueKnight · Posted: Wed Sep 29, 2010 5:55 am Post subject:

I'm one of those [lucky] guys with a wife who totally understands and appreciates good music. And since I'm the cook and she likes to eat well...

Love those old Rodriguez cartoons.
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Mike

Ha Boi Egg · Advanced Member Joined: 13 Aug 2010 Posts: 367

The missus replies,"Sometimes I think my husband is so amazing that I don't know why he's with me. I don't know whether I'm good enough. But if I make him happy, then I'm everything I want to be."

....now back to Totemmans' system.... Embarassed