Official AR Turntable Owners Thread

[pmdclassics]

I picked up a non working AR XA table a couple years ago and finally got it going. I was very surprised on how excellent it sounds. Any tips on mounting the stock arm on the post? I get the weight dialed in at 1.5 and then sometimes when I lift it off the stand the arm sticks and is balanced at 0. I've played around with the screws but can't seem to correct the issue.

 

[gkimeng]

Has the damping pin been pulled? If not, your arm is probably hanging up on that.

 

[chris_f]

Yeah Marc and I have exchanged some messages, I didnt realize when I bought it that the motor was missing. Not going to say the seller was intentionally misleading, they may not have known but such is life. Still debating on putting a motor in it and seeing how she sounds. Also have a working XB1 on the way, so all is not lost.

 

[AvFan]

Tonight I moved my Shelter 501II from my Technics/Jelco turntable to my XB. I wasn't sure how it would work on the XB's arm as the Shelter has a stated compliance of 9cu and the XB's tonearm's effective mass is about 12gr. I'll check the resonant frequency tomorrow with a Shure test record but after listening to it the specs don't really matter as the two work really well together! Maybe the cart's compliance is closer to 12 to 15cu. Lots of toe-tapping right away and it is obvious the Shelter has better soundstage on the AR than the Jelco arm. It is also very quiet between songs.

So now I'm going to fine tune things like trying a range of cartridge loads after starting at 100ohms. It looks like the cart may be just a tad tail up so I may add some playing cards under the leather mat to see what that does. And I think there is a little skating going on as the left channel gets bright more often than the right at the start so I may try some STP in the tonearm well to see if it evens things out.

 

[bobins08]

Tonight I moved my Shelter 501II from my Technics/Jelco turntable to my XB. I wasn't sure how it would work on the XB's arm as the Shelter has a stated compliance of 9cu and the XB's tonearm's effective mass is about 12gr. I'll check the resonant frequency tomorrow with a Shure test record but after listening to it the specs don't really matter as the two work really well together! Maybe the cart's compliance is closer to 12 to 15cu. Lots of toe-tapping right away and it is obvious the Shelter has better soundstage on the AR than the Jelco arm. It is also very quiet between songs.

So now I'm going to fine tune things like trying a range of cartridge loads after starting at 100ohms. It looks like the cart may be just a tad tail up so I may add some playing cards under the leather mat to see what that does. And I think there is a little skating going on as the left channel gets bright more often than the right at the start so I may try some STP in the tonearm well to see if it evens things out.

Very good news.

What headshell are you using? Never heard of playing cards to thicken the mat? interesting?

 

[flasher1]

Just a quick question for the fans.
Will a boxy cartridge like the Denon DL-110 or a Denon DL-103 or DL-301 fit in the stock AR-XA headshell.

 

[AvFan]

I think that the Shelter sounds so nice is a testament to the XB's design and marcmorin's suite of upgrades. It will be fun to figure out how to make it sound its best. I'm using an inexpensive headshell like this https://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-SILVER...epid=0&hash=item5b2253acd3:g:9NMAAOSwAYtWHUOY. I've used this type of headshell with the other cartridges I use on my XB. I have no idea if playing cards under the mat will have a negative impact on the sound but they are an easy way to fine tune the VTA when the tonearm is tail up. Adjusting the VTA when the tonearm is tail down is more of a challenge on an AR and requires shimming the cartridge. The fact that the arm seems to skate a small but noticeable amount on the first track or two may be a tougher nut to crack.

 

[marcmorin]

I think that the Shelter sounds so nice is a testament to the XB's design and marcmorin's suite of upgrades. It will be fun to figure out how to make it sound its best. I'm using an inexpensive headshell like this https://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-SILVER...epid=0&hash=item5b2253acd3:g:9NMAAOSwAYtWHUOY. I've used this type of headshell with the other cartridges I use on my XB. I have no idea if playing cards under the mat will have a negative impact on the sound but they are an easy way to fine tune the VTA when the tonearm is tail up. Adjusting the VTA when the tonearm is tail down is more of a challenge on an AR and requires shimming the cartridge. The fact that the arm seems to skate a small but noticeable amount on the first track or two may be a tougher nut to crack.

dress the arm wires..........set tracking weight to near zero where the arm just wants to set the stylus down. put a smooth piece of platsic on the platter and set the arm down about runout area. counts seconds to see how long it takes to sweep to the run-in groove distance. if it doesn't want to sweep, slightly twist the loop in the arm wires until it does.
1 second = 3 on an antiskate dial( as an approximation) 3 seconds = 1

how soon before the XA is up and running?

 

[marcmorin]

Just a quick question for the fans.
Will a boxy cartridge like the Denon DL-110 or a Denon DL-103 or DL-301 fit in the stock AR-XA headshell.

I've had a DL110 on one.

 

[AvFan]

dress the arm wires..........set tracking weight to near zero where the arm just wants to set the stylus down. put a smooth piece of platsic on the platter and set the arm down about runout area. counts seconds to see how long it takes to sweep to the run-in groove distance. if it doesn't want to sweep, slightly twist the loop in the arm wires until it does.
1 second = 3 on an antiskate dial( as an approximation) 3 seconds = 1

how soon before the XA is up and running?

Thanks for the method to apply some anti-skate with the tone arm wires. I have a record with a blank side and I will let you know my results. I am "retiring" for the second time after the first of the year and one of my first projects is to assemble the XA. The base from mkane's walnut needs a few more coats of finish and rubbing out before assembly so I expect it will be up in January. I've mostly figured out a cue using a Jelco lift with a magnet to hold it versus drilling a hole in the beautifully painted top plate. Once the XA is done I'm going to install the XB in a really wild quilted maple base I made. I'm thinking of applying a wood veneer to the XB's top plate to compliment the maple and maybe manage some top plate vibration?

 

[marcmorin]

Thanks for the method to apply some anti-skate with the tone arm wires. I have a record with a blank side and I will let you know my results. I am "retiring" for the second time after the first of the year and one of my first projects is to assemble the XA. The base from mkane's walnut needs a few more coats of finish and rubbing out before assembly so I expect it will be up in January. I've mostly figured out a cue using a Jelco lift with a magnet to hold it versus drilling a hole in the beautifully painted top plate. Once the XA is done I'm going to install the XB in a really wild quilted maple base I made. I'm thinking of applying a wood veneer to the XB's top plate to compliment the maple and maybe manage some top plate vibration?

that will help some with the top plate, email me for photos of the bottom side.

 

[4300]

Just a quick question for the fans.
Will a boxy cartridge like the Denon DL-110 or a Denon DL-103 or DL-301 fit in the stock AR-XA headshell.

Can't imagine that it wouldn't. That headshell is huge.

 

[tnsmnichols]

Thanks for the method to apply some anti-skate with the tone arm wires. I have a record with a blank side and I will let you know my results. I am "retiring" for the second time after the first of the year and one of my first projects is to assemble the XA. The base from mkane's walnut needs a few more coats of finish and rubbing out before assembly so I expect it will be up in January. I've mostly figured out a cue using a Jelco lift with a magnet to hold it versus drilling a hole in the beautifully painted top plate. Once the XA is done I'm going to install the XB in a really wild quilted maple base I made. I'm thinking of applying a wood veneer to the XB's top plate to compliment the maple and maybe manage some top plate vibration?

@AvFan
Please post pics and/or a description when you're finished figuring out the implementation of the Jelco lift.

Here is how I avoided drilling into my top plate by using magnets to attach a Jelco JL-45 to my AR XA.
http://audiokarma.org/forums/index....eing-device-integrated-with-ar-xa-diy.801615/

 

[Rentz]

i've been doing some digging on the speedcontrol boxes to easily move from 33.3 to 45rpm, anyone here used them on an AR table?
mines morin modified but the stock motor so i assume it should work fine plugged into the cruise control and let it handle the voltage for speed.

 

[woodj]

Unless the motor is voltage sensitive, not frequency sensitive, the speed is a function of frequency (house power).
Belt thickness is also a factor of platter speed.

 

[captouch]

i've been doing some digging on the speedcontrol boxes to easily move from 33.3 to 45rpm, anyone here used them on an AR table?
mines morin modified but the stock motor so i assume it should work fine plugged into the cruise control and let it handle the voltage for speed.

I use a Music Hall Cruise Control 2.0 on my single motor AR XA and it works great.

 

[Rentz]

I use a Music Hall Cruise Control 2.0 on my single motor AR XA and it works great.

cool thanks. thats the one i had been eyeing since it just jumps off the power cable.
i always avoided 45's but got a bunch from the AP sale at black friday

 

[captouch]

cool thanks. thats the one i had been eyeing since it just jumps off the power cable.
i always avoided 45's but got a bunch from the AP sale at black friday

I know what you mean. I bought a deerskin mat for my XA that fits a bit tightly on the spindle. Besides the normal steps of removing the platter and moving the belt, I'd have to shimmy off the mat as well. So it would be hassle enough to play 45's that I would play them less often, even though they're some of the best sounding records I own.

Now, it's just a button press to switch speeds, as well as knowing you can find tune to the exact speed as needed. I haven't used a strobe yet to see if I'm exactly on, but knowing I can is another cool feature.

 

[matt2k]

Hey guys,

I restored an AR XA turntable recently and, due to some bad luck and, well, clumsiness on my part it requires a new tonearm. I have read some of the older posts here on AK.org and they suggest the Grace 707 or the Infinity Black Widow but I wonder if there's anything newer that is compatible.

Also, I prefer solutions that do not require me to take a hacksaw to the thing.

The cart is a new Ortofon Quintet Black and the transformer is a Rothwell MCL. Not at all married to the OEM headshell.

Thoughts? Ideas?

Peace,

Matt

 

[sberger]

What did you do to the tonearm that can't be fixed? Once restored properly the original tonearm is quite good.