Townshend Rock 7 turntable (kewl)

doctorcilantro

Have any of you seen this table? The damping tray is a nice implemention. I just started using my tray (not this arm/table), and I am noticing more focus, less distortion. This thing is pretty impressive; never heard of the brand before today.

schwarcw

Jon,

How does the tray work?

doctorcilantro

It's filled with a silicon damping fluid. I use 10,000CST on mine, and you can see there is a little extension of the arm that just "floats" in the liquid.

It never touches any part of the tray itself, but hovers in that damping liquid.

Did that make sense?

I really dig this table; I'll take a pic of my damping tray now.

schwarcw

Ahhhhh! I see it now! Very interesting. What is the fluid? Any chance of splashing some onto the vinyl?

Fongolio

I've read a review on that table and system and it sounds quite excellent. I think it was in The Absolute Sound.

cnh

It looks like a show piece from an Engineering College contest to me? Silicon? When I see something like this I just think. Just get out a decent Reel-to-Reel tape deck and find some Master Tapes because it's not going to get better than the original source!

Having said that. I realize how impossible and impractical that is. Few Master copies of recordings can be found, whereas Vinyl is everywhere! So Enjoy the engineering!

cnh

doctorcilantro

I can't find an SD card for my cam, so I had to use my iPhone:

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doctorcilantro

Warning, gratuitous Voice shot below, sound so good, couldn't help myself:

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schwarcw

Great pics!

polydimethylsiloxane, I think that I use that for jock itch!

Fongolio

I need to buy some silicone dampening fluid for my Pro-ject 6.9 table. Attached to the upper suspended plinth is a little vertical rod that dips into a pot of silicone dampening fluid. It's adjustable and is designed for tuning the suspension's resonance. The further into the fluid the rod goes the more the springs oscillation is dampened. I've read that the silicone fluid on the Townsend Rock table does a similar thing with tonearm resonance. It almost totally nulls the tonearm resonance so that only the stylus' movements are picked up by the cart and none of the arm's. Do I have that right Doc?

jm1

doctorcilantro wrote: »

It's filled with a silicon damping fluid. I use 10,000CST on mine, and you can see there is a little extension of the arm that just "floats" in the liquid.

It never touches any part of the tray itself, but hovers in that damping liquid.

Did that make sense?

I really dig this table; I'll take a pic of my damping tray now.

Interesting to see a plinth implementation of damping. Makes sense to have it at the business end of the tonearm.

I really dig this table

I would take your plinth over just about all others due to the self damping 'wood' (Panzerholz) material used. This stuff really works.

Tour2ma

DocC,
Linear tracker? Could you snap a couple pics from different angles a bit further away, please. It occurs to me that your "track" has a different purpose... yes?

.

The trough is a first for me, but it seems to make a great deal of sense. Not that you'd want to, but with the right fluid viscosity you could "match" even a low mass arm and a low compliance cartridge.

I'm trying to think of a downside if your arm and cartridge are already well matched. Seems like there would be one, but so far I haven't thought of one.

doctorcilantro

Good point about having it on the "business end"....WARNING - gratuitous Panzerholz shot!

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jm1

doctorcilantro wrote: »

....WARNING - gratuitous Panzerholz shot!

I prefer to have my Panzerholz covered with maple and stained black. Thanks for the pics. :cool:

doctorcilantro

Keiko wrote: »

Nice table, Jon. KAB makes a fluid damper for the Technics 12xx and I've read it makes a very noticeable improvement. I've considered investing in one.

Happy spinning!

Hi Keiko, I have always been impressed with those KAB damping troughs, very cool. Would love to hear about it if you try one.

doctorcilantro

Tour2ma wrote: »

DocC,
Linear tracker? Could you snap a couple pics from different angles a bit further away, please. It occurs to me that your "track" has a different purpose... yes?

.

The trough is a first for me, but it seems to make a great deal of sense. Not that you'd want to, but with the right fluid viscosity you could "match" even a low mass arm and a low compliance cartridge.

I'm trying to think of a downside if your arm and cartridge are already well matched. Seems like there would be one, but so far I haven't thought of one.

Yes, this is the Advanced Analog MG1, a linear tracking tonearm, but the trough does server the same purpose of fluid damping.

Tour2ma

Thanks, DocC...

Found the Advanced Analog website, but no info on the trough's purpose...

If I had to guess, the amount of resistance it adds to the movement of the arm may "quiet" the servo feedback loop's activity reducing a tendency to over control the arm. That could explain the increased clarity you're hearing.

.

Still no downside case on the trough on a well matched cartridge/ pivoting arm, but it "feels" like there is one somewhere...

jm1

doctorcilantro wrote: »

Yes, this is the Advanced Analog MG1, a linear tracking tonearm

I have been looking at new tonearms (Graham Phantom II is at the top of the list) and have contemplated purchasing a linear tracker. Unfortunately, I have not had the opportunity to play with an air bearing yet so am somewhat unsure of purchasing one.

How do you like this tonearm? Which compressor are you using and how noisy is it; fortunately I would be able to install the compressor in another room. Is this tonearm 'high maintenance' and 'delicate' which needs to be tweaked before you use it? Any audible hiss from the air bearing? Did you get a cart alignment template with it?

Also have looked at the Opus3 tonearm which uses a carriage in a linear track. Had it in my had but have not heard it yet. Clearaudio took this and uses it in their high end linear tracking tonearm.

I had used several servo based linear trackers for a short time in my prior analog life.

Tour:

If I had to guess, the amount of resistance it adds to the movement of the arm may "quiet" the servo feedback loop's activity reducing a tendency to over control the arm.

Are you referring to the Advanced Analog MG1 tonearm? If so, what is the servo feedback loop on the air bearing?

Tour2ma

Good question... Picked up this name of an optional air pump, GAST BLDC SERVO AIR PUMP, on the web-site and ran with it. In doing so I may have just dreamt up a whole new, and very intriguing, design.

Anyway, now the trough’s purpose is much clearer, i.e., inertia.

TroyD

I read the review on the Townshend Rock 7 and have been doing some reading otherwise, it seems to make a lot of sense....I'd LOVE to get my ears on that table. Hmmmm...Keiko, might be able to make you a hell of a deal on a Scoutmaster shortly.

BDT

doctorcilantro

I have the Alita pump and have never added, or found, a regulator that I could use. For now I use two ballast tanks, one small - close to the arm, and the larger one shown here:



The ALITA AL-15A AIR PUMP:



You can hear air coming out of the bearing as it is a high flow unit, but I can't hear it from more than 3? feet away.

I can post more on setup; it's pretty easy to set up and he provides some alignment and mounting guides. It has gotten rave reviews on the Lenco forum. Let me look if I have an email about it being comparable to the Rockport.

jm1

Doc,

I am looking for your impressions as an owner of the tonearm. When I looked at the web site, I was somewhat surprised with the price. I guess I was expecting it to be way more.

doctorcilantro

Yes, I have sometimes considered the Trans-Fi T3. The MG1 was tested by someone I know against a few really nice arms and was just as good if not better. It's solid, but the short Tomahawk wand on the T3 is really exceptional design.