Basis Audio 1400 w/ Rega RB00

jdjohn
jdjohn Posts: 2,987
This is a new-to-me turntable (and tonearm), so I'm starting a new thread for it. I got a good deal for the combo - probably just above the market value for the RB900 arm alone.

Here it is in action:
ucagwvermm55.jpg
iwe6zj81uxpa.jpg

I mounted a Signet TK5Ea cartridge with ATN130 OEM stylus on the arm...sounding very detailed and balanced. But, I think I need to put a different phono preamp in the chain, with a lower MM capacitance load. These AT carts like ultra-low capacitance settings. Cabling alone adds enough capacitance with them, so a phono pre with -0-, or maybe 47pF, is the ticket here.
"This may not matter to you, but it does to me for various reasons, many of them illogical or irrational, but the vinyl hobby is not really logical or rational..." - member on Vinyl Engine
"Sometimes I do what I want to do. The rest of the time, I do what I have to." - Cicero, in Gladiator
Regarding collectibles: "It's not who gets it. It's who gets stuck with it." - Jimmy Fallon

Comments

  • msg
    msg Posts: 9,308
    Wow! That's a beaute, Jody. Sheeeeze...
    I disabled signatures.
  • Milito
    Milito Posts: 1,908
    Very nice, congrats!
    Yamaha RX-A2070, Musical Fidelity M6si integrated amp, Benchmark Dac1, Bluesound NODE 2i, Audiolab 6000CDT CD Transport, Parasound Zphono USB Phono Preamp, Fluance RT85, Ortofon 2M Bronze, Polk L600's, L400, L900's, RC80i's, SVS 3000 Micro, Audioquest Interconnects and Digital Cables, Nordost Silver Shadow Digital Cable, Cullen Gold and Crossover Series Power Cables, Douglas Connection Alpha 12AWG OCC Speaker Cables, Douglas Connection Alpha Analog Interconnect Cables, Douglas Connection Alpha 11 OCC Custom Power Cable, Signal Power Cable, Furman PL-8C 15 Power Conditioner, Sony 65" 900F, Sony UBP-X700, Fios, Apple TV 4K, Audioquest Chocolate HDMI Cables.
  • TEAforONE
    TEAforONE Posts: 999
    That is a gorgeous table!
    See my profile for list of gear.
  • Mike Reeter
    Mike Reeter Posts: 4,314
    edited July 2020
    Beautiful Table with a great reputation for wonderful sound. The Rega Tonearm is highly accredited as well, Nice catch!
  • jdjohn
    jdjohn Posts: 2,987
    Thanks guys! I wasn't sure I would like the clear look with no wood veneer or glossy paint, but this is growing on me :)

    I just noticed that my subject line says 'RB00' instead of 'RB900' :s The 9 sticks on this keyboard's key-pad.

    Speaking of the RB900, I'm really surprised (and disappointed) that it doesn't have adjustable tonearm height for setting VTA. Luckily, the Basis 1400 has a set screw incorporated for adjusting VTA.
    bpb8r645085t.jpg
    Notice this doesn't allow mounting with the three-point bracket for the arm's pillar.

    The lack of VTA adjustment in Rega arms seems to be pretty widespread. There are some aftermarket spacers and such that can be installed, but wow, come on Rega!

    Some folks go to great lengths to try and prove VTA doesn't matter - many of them Rega fans - but I, for one, can hear a difference, so prefer to have the ability to adjust it.
    "This may not matter to you, but it does to me for various reasons, many of them illogical or irrational, but the vinyl hobby is not really logical or rational..." - member on Vinyl Engine
    "Sometimes I do what I want to do. The rest of the time, I do what I have to." - Cicero, in Gladiator
    Regarding collectibles: "It's not who gets it. It's who gets stuck with it." - Jimmy Fallon
  • gp4jesus
    gp4jesus Posts: 1,969
    I put a brass spacer under mine
    Samsung 60" UN60ES6100 LED Outlaw Audio 976 Pre/Pro Samsung BDP, Amazon Firestick, Phillips CD Changer Canare 14 ga - LCR tweeters inside*; Ctr Ch outside BJC 10 ga - LCR mids, inside* & out 8 ga Powerline: LR woofers, inside* & out *soldered LR: Tri-amped RTi A7 w/Rotels. Woofers - 980BX; Tweets & “Plugged*” Mids - 981, connected w/MP Premiere ICs Ctr Ch: Rotel RB981 -> Bi-amped CSi A6 Surrounds: Premiere ICs ->Rotel 981 -> AR 12 ga -> RTi A3. 5 Subs: Sunfire True SW Signature -> LFE & Ctr Ch; 4 Audio Pro Evidence @ the “Corners”. Power Conditioning & Distribution: 4 dedicated 20A feeds; APC H15; 5 Furman Miniport 20s *Xschop's handy work
  • jdjohn
    jdjohn Posts: 2,987
    GP, what is the height/thickness of your spacer? In my case, I'd say there is about a 3/8" gap between the chassis and the bottom of the mounting bracket.
    "This may not matter to you, but it does to me for various reasons, many of them illogical or irrational, but the vinyl hobby is not really logical or rational..." - member on Vinyl Engine
    "Sometimes I do what I want to do. The rest of the time, I do what I have to." - Cicero, in Gladiator
    Regarding collectibles: "It's not who gets it. It's who gets stuck with it." - Jimmy Fallon
  • gp4jesus
    gp4jesus Posts: 1,969
    In storage at the moment but IIRC ~1/4-3/8”?
    Samsung 60" UN60ES6100 LED Outlaw Audio 976 Pre/Pro Samsung BDP, Amazon Firestick, Phillips CD Changer Canare 14 ga - LCR tweeters inside*; Ctr Ch outside BJC 10 ga - LCR mids, inside* & out 8 ga Powerline: LR woofers, inside* & out *soldered LR: Tri-amped RTi A7 w/Rotels. Woofers - 980BX; Tweets & “Plugged*” Mids - 981, connected w/MP Premiere ICs Ctr Ch: Rotel RB981 -> Bi-amped CSi A6 Surrounds: Premiere ICs ->Rotel 981 -> AR 12 ga -> RTi A3. 5 Subs: Sunfire True SW Signature -> LFE & Ctr Ch; 4 Audio Pro Evidence @ the “Corners”. Power Conditioning & Distribution: 4 dedicated 20A feeds; APC H15; 5 Furman Miniport 20s *Xschop's handy work
  • honestaquarian
    honestaquarian Posts: 3,186
    Always been a fan of basis turntables. Never had the pleasure of actually getting my ears or eye on one though.
    Conflagrations!
    Hatred😝
    Jealousy😉
  • jdjohn
    jdjohn Posts: 2,987
    edited July 2020
    Well, this is just their entry model, but I'm enjoying it :) Interestingly, today I noticed a real 'lack' of static with this tt. This is basically an all-acrylic design, including the platter, so perhaps the acrylic helps to insulate the vinyl from static???

    AND, notwithstanding my last comment about static, it seems that the vinyl almost 'adheres' to the acrylic platter. There is a tight grip when trying to remove a vinyl record from the platter after playing, but static is not the agent. It's almost a vacuum seal between the acrylic platter and the vinyl disc. I don't know...maybe I'm dreaming it, but I will continue to monitor and observe.

    BTW: I was able to pull the sub-platter and spindle bearing out of the well, and glad I did. There were a few random hairs about, and the lubricating oil was rather dark IMO. I cleaned everything with alcohol, and put fresh 3-in-One oil into the bearing well and on the shaft. Don't even go there, you bunch of pervs! :D

    I have had good results with the 3-In-One oil with the BLUE banner for turntable motor bearings and spindle bearings. This is SAE 20 motor oil, so rather light. The 3-In-One oil with the BLACK banner is penetrating oil, so no bueno for these applications.
    "This may not matter to you, but it does to me for various reasons, many of them illogical or irrational, but the vinyl hobby is not really logical or rational..." - member on Vinyl Engine
    "Sometimes I do what I want to do. The rest of the time, I do what I have to." - Cicero, in Gladiator
    Regarding collectibles: "It's not who gets it. It's who gets stuck with it." - Jimmy Fallon
  • jdjohn
    jdjohn Posts: 2,987
    Refreshing this thread (for my own selfish purposes) with a new-to-me tonearm for this turntable. The 'new' tonearm is actually a Basis Vector Model 4 uni-pivot arm.
    24r0ik10zgud.jpg
    Great Labor Day FedEx delivery surprise, so very excited to mount this guy and see how it sounds B)
    "This may not matter to you, but it does to me for various reasons, many of them illogical or irrational, but the vinyl hobby is not really logical or rational..." - member on Vinyl Engine
    "Sometimes I do what I want to do. The rest of the time, I do what I have to." - Cicero, in Gladiator
    Regarding collectibles: "It's not who gets it. It's who gets stuck with it." - Jimmy Fallon
  • maxward
    maxward Posts: 1,490
    Very nice! Looking forward to hearing your impressions. Plans for the Rega arm?
  • jdjohn
    jdjohn Posts: 2,987
    maxward wrote: »
    Very nice! Looking forward to hearing your impressions. Plans for the Rega arm?
    Funny you should ask that. I had already moved the RB900 to another deck - a Logic DM-101 - with a custom armboard mount:
    y1ioobp07375.png
    This made a surprisingly wonderful combination, mainly due to the serendipitous VTA result...since the Rega arm offers no VTA adjustment. However, I may decide to offer the RB900 up-for-sale in the near future.
    "This may not matter to you, but it does to me for various reasons, many of them illogical or irrational, but the vinyl hobby is not really logical or rational..." - member on Vinyl Engine
    "Sometimes I do what I want to do. The rest of the time, I do what I have to." - Cicero, in Gladiator
    Regarding collectibles: "It's not who gets it. It's who gets stuck with it." - Jimmy Fallon
  • maxward
    maxward Posts: 1,490
    I’ll be paying attention.
  • jdjohn
    jdjohn Posts: 2,987
    I got the Basis Vector tonearm installed. As with all unipivots, installation and setup is a bit fiddly...but worth it.
    anv9mk4al8jn.jpg
    qdl8cpcohcby.jpg
    Cartridge is a vintage Coral MC-8 w/ Beryllium cantilever.
    Close-up of the pivot bearing assembly.
    s3hf3zbguc71.jpg
    Installation instructions call for filling the base reservoir with silicone oil for damping, but for now, I'm enjoying it 'dry'.

    Basically, the idea is to partially fill the black anodized cup on the bottom with silicone oil, and let the base of the top cone-shaped bearing 'bathe' in the oil for damping purposes. Seems to me that the oil would become contaminated with dust/debris over time. Again, for now, it sounds great without the oil damping bath.
    "This may not matter to you, but it does to me for various reasons, many of them illogical or irrational, but the vinyl hobby is not really logical or rational..." - member on Vinyl Engine
    "Sometimes I do what I want to do. The rest of the time, I do what I have to." - Cicero, in Gladiator
    Regarding collectibles: "It's not who gets it. It's who gets stuck with it." - Jimmy Fallon
  • audioluvr
    audioluvr Posts: 5,420
    Nice! So what did you pay for all that? $20-30?
    Gustard X26 Pro DAC
    Belles 21A Pre modded with Mundorf Supreme caps
    B&K M200 Sonata monoblocks refreshed and upgraded
    Polk SDA 1C's modded / 1000Va Dreadnaught
    Wireworld Silver Eclipse IC's and speaker cables
    Harman Kardon T65C w/Grado Gold. (Don't laugh. It sounds great!)


    There is about a 5% genetic difference between apes and men …but that difference is the difference between throwing your own poo when you are annoyed …and Einstein, Shakespeare and Miss January. by Dr. Sardonicus
  • jdjohn
    jdjohn Posts: 2,987
    audioluvr wrote: »
    Nice! So what did you pay for all that? $20-30?
    All what? :) Vinyl playback involves lots of different components along the way. Did we mention it is a rabbit hole???
    "This may not matter to you, but it does to me for various reasons, many of them illogical or irrational, but the vinyl hobby is not really logical or rational..." - member on Vinyl Engine
    "Sometimes I do what I want to do. The rest of the time, I do what I have to." - Cicero, in Gladiator
    Regarding collectibles: "It's not who gets it. It's who gets stuck with it." - Jimmy Fallon
  • audioluvr
    audioluvr Posts: 5,420
    I am a Jack Russell terrier! Always looking for a good rabbit hole!
    Gustard X26 Pro DAC
    Belles 21A Pre modded with Mundorf Supreme caps
    B&K M200 Sonata monoblocks refreshed and upgraded
    Polk SDA 1C's modded / 1000Va Dreadnaught
    Wireworld Silver Eclipse IC's and speaker cables
    Harman Kardon T65C w/Grado Gold. (Don't laugh. It sounds great!)


    There is about a 5% genetic difference between apes and men …but that difference is the difference between throwing your own poo when you are annoyed …and Einstein, Shakespeare and Miss January. by Dr. Sardonicus
  • jdjohn
    jdjohn Posts: 2,987
    Haha! We should take this back to your 'new turntable' thread for potential upgrades B) We are all happy to help you spend your money :)
    "This may not matter to you, but it does to me for various reasons, many of them illogical or irrational, but the vinyl hobby is not really logical or rational..." - member on Vinyl Engine
    "Sometimes I do what I want to do. The rest of the time, I do what I have to." - Cicero, in Gladiator
    Regarding collectibles: "It's not who gets it. It's who gets stuck with it." - Jimmy Fallon
  • SCompRacer
    SCompRacer Posts: 8,350
    edited September 2021
    Nice table. IIRC Ed the SRT king picked one up on one of his travels and stopped here on his way home. I had to service the motor, dry bushings slowed it down.

    To damp or not to damp the tonearm. There are different weights of damping fluid available. Some folks confuse cueing silicone (300,000 cSt) with damping silicone. Some folks say if the cartridge compliance is correct, no need to damp.

    I tried damping on my linear air bearing arm and went back to not damping it. I experienced a drop in dynamics. I tried 10,000, 30,000 and 100,000 cSt. Mono pivot wells suggest 600,000 cSt. IMO try it both ways and stay with what sounds better.

    And yes, you are right, damping fluid becomes a dust magnet. My damping trough is long and narrow, fully exposed and not real deep.
    Salk SoundScape 8's * Audio Research Reference 3 * Bottlehead Eros Phono * Park's Audio Budgie SUT * Krell KSA-250 * Harmonic Technology Pro 9+ * Signature Series Sonore Music Server w/Deux PS * Roon * Gustard R26 DAC / Singxer SU-6 DDC * Heavy Plinth Lenco L75 Idler Drive * AA MG-1 Linear Air Bearing Arm * AT33PTG/II & Denon 103R * Richard Gray 600S * NHT B-12d subs * GIK Acoustic Treatments * Sennheiser HD650 *