New toy - a 'Source' turntable

edited March 2011 in Analogue
Thought I should post some analogue to balance out the 3000 Young posts (only kidding !)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/57930567@N05/5512162205/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/57930567@N05/5512162321/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/57930567@N05/5512758738/

Here is a MRM Audio ‘Source’ turntable I acquired merely with a view to keeping the Alphason HR100S tonearm ( for my 401 project) and selling on the deck. It is a belt drive t/t from the early 80’s designed to compete head on with the LP12. From doing a bit of googling the designer Mike Moore was a bit of character determined to outdo Linn and originally built these in his house. Many parts were sourced from Ariston hence the similarity but he used a 5 spring design with a solid milled phosphor bronze platter – it weighs over a stone ! (or over 6 kilos in new money). It uses 24v dc and has a Papst motor.
Just to play with it I stuck on a Shure M3D and bingo – what a big bold musical sounding deck. intrigued I got a new £3 Thorens belt off ebay and changed the bearing oil with a spare bottle of J Origami’s best and I have not stopped playing it since. It shows it’s Ariston/LP12 inheritance with its sheer musicality but with a bass that just shakes the house. Stereo is very good and the arm definitely adds detail and finesse – in fact it seems a very good partner to the deck tempering the boldness somewhat.
Now with a decent power supply and better suited cartridge – Jim’s your uncle !! (sorry Jim)

Comments

  • That's a hell of a deck and arm. Rewire that arm and set that suspension and you have a giant slayer.
  • That looks cool, Mervyn.

    Still not sure what it is, though :-)
  • What a lovely looking thing - that arm is a lovely shape, and the platter looks wonderful. If it sounds good that's a bonus...
  • Yes the arm is a work of art made in his garage by another 80's hi-fi maverick apparently ! The arm tube is made from titanium ( don't ask me how you bend titanium in your garage ) and the gimbal uses ceramic bearings. Way ahead of its time and of course subsequently copied by larger manufacturers squeezing him out of the market. He also made a seriously good deck that got rave reviews but was never really sold by the retailers who preferred LP12's of course !! 

  • So are you keeping the Source as a complete t/t?
  • Well plan A was to keep the arm and sell the deck, But will probably now keep the Source and swop the arm with it and the Garrard 401. It's plinth will have interchangeable armboards to allow that - well that's plan B !
  • May I suggest Plan C? Keep the Source whole and find another arm for the 401?

    Or Plan D: Swap the arm to the 401 and find another arm for the Source?

    There's never a problem that throwing money at it can't solve 
    :-D
  • Don't forget plan Y - sell all the decks and buy a Young DAC !!
  • Do that as well - your system is going to take over the world one day! What speakers are you using these days Mervyn?

  • Don't forget plan Y - sell all the decks and buy a Young DAC !!
    There is that.

    If you fancy a day by the sea, you can always come down and listen to the RR3s and the Young.
  • hi Alan using my RR1's - they are like 'grown up' Minstrels and probably quite similar to your RR3's. Hard to see me ever selling them as they do everything so well and the NVA TSS just loves them. As I am sure you know because they resolve so well they are particularly good at monitoring any system upgrades or tweaks - great asset of any speaker imho.
  • Quite right - congrats on a very tasteful speaker choice.
    B-)
  • Lovely deck Mervyn and an equally lovely arm.  Always did like the H100S arms...built to last a lifetime and great performers.  Personally I'd keep it on that deck and source a good 3009 Improved for the 401.  
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