Because I've finally found the time to have a go at the slate plinth for my 401.
I was at the Tonbridge Hi-Fi Jumble about 18 months ago and came upon a bloke selling his two piece skeletal plinth in lovely green Cumbrian slate for £130. After a bit of haggling I got it for just £100 ! It had never been used and didn't have an arm hole cut in it. It had also been hanging around for a while as it had a few scratches, but no chips - good. Well it sat under the couch in the conservatory ever since, until two days ago! I don't like skeletal plinths as there's nothing remotely attractive about the underside of a 401, so I'd ordered in some 10 x 40mm aluminium bar to make a solid middle section. The idea was to make two mitred frames so that one would fit snugly inside the other. The smaller frame would be glued to the base and the larger to the underside of the top so that the whole top section can lift off to access the workings / wiring etc. I cut the aluminium with my mitre saw - horrible stuff to cut.
The first job, however, was to cut out for the SME V. Luckily my arm came with all the original templates and guides so I could mark out the correct location. Then it was time to crack out the Dewalt and diamond core drill I use when tiling. The slate cuts quite easily but using a hand drill freehand it was difficult to keep things perfectly neat and tidy. Overall I was quite happy with the result, considering. There was some slight chipping but all covered by the spacers. I then drilled the mounting holes slightly oversize and glued in some threaded inserts for the arm screws. I spent a few hours trying to polish out the worst of the scratches then sealed the slate. Sorry, that got a bit long-winded and dull, but here's some pics.
Thank Goodness for this enforced down-time!
- zebbo
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Thank Goodness for this enforced down-time!
Audio Grail "Sable" Garrard 401 with Cumbrian Green Slate plinth / Audiomods 6 / Benz Micro Gullwing SLR, Phono 2, NVA INT400sa. (Oh and a Copland CDA823 CD Player, for when I fancy a bit of the devil's spawn!)
- Latteman
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Re: Thank Goodness for this enforced down-time!
Amazing
Looks great
Like the alloy edging
Looks great
Like the alloy edging
Analogue Source -
Denon DP47f; AT-VM95SH
GL-59; ARB uni pivot; AT- Signet
Ifi Zen Phono
Doug Self balanced Pre amp
Akai 4000DS mk2 R2R
Digital Sources- Argon Pi4 v2; IfI iUSB 3.0, Ifi Neo idsd Dac;
Tidal / Radio Paradise
Amplification Nva 300va mono blocks
Speakers Lii Audio F-15 in Open Baffle; Ls6
Weiduka AC8.8- for digital sources
Mini BMU for analog sources
Denon DP47f; AT-VM95SH
GL-59; ARB uni pivot; AT- Signet
Ifi Zen Phono
Doug Self balanced Pre amp
Akai 4000DS mk2 R2R
Digital Sources- Argon Pi4 v2; IfI iUSB 3.0, Ifi Neo idsd Dac;
Tidal / Radio Paradise
Amplification Nva 300va mono blocks
Speakers Lii Audio F-15 in Open Baffle; Ls6
Weiduka AC8.8- for digital sources
Mini BMU for analog sources
- Fretless
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Re: Thank Goodness for this enforced down-time!
Looks really smart, Zebbo.
Enjoyed reading your DIY adventures as well.
Enjoyed reading your DIY adventures as well.
Upstairs:
VinylPro-Ject 1.2 + Grado Sig Jr + Cambridge Alva Duo
DigiVolumio PC + Kiss DP-500 + Sabaj A20d
NVA: Cube2 - SSP - LS6+ Sabaj A10a {x2)
Little Bear MC2 + AQ NightHawk
Downstairs:
VinylLogic DM101 + Syrinx LE1 + Grado Sig MCX
DigiDenafrips Ares II + Volumio PC + Cambridge CXC
NVA: P50 & PSU - BMUAiyima A07 MAX + Arcam One
HP: Allo DigiOne + Sabaj A10d + AQ NightOwl
Office: Allo DigiOne SIG + SMSL M300se + Douk G4 (x2)
Mission 760 + Monolith 887 + German Maestro GMP 450
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- zebbo
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Re: Thank Goodness for this enforced down-time!
Cheers.
For purely aesthetic reasons, I would have liked it to be a couple of inches wider to give it better proportions but at £140 all-in I'm really not complaining! Just waiting for the long arm mounting allen screws to arrive.
For purely aesthetic reasons, I would have liked it to be a couple of inches wider to give it better proportions but at £140 all-in I'm really not complaining! Just waiting for the long arm mounting allen screws to arrive.
Audio Grail "Sable" Garrard 401 with Cumbrian Green Slate plinth / Audiomods 6 / Benz Micro Gullwing SLR, Phono 2, NVA INT400sa. (Oh and a Copland CDA823 CD Player, for when I fancy a bit of the devil's spawn!)
- savvypaul
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Re: Thank Goodness for this enforced down-time!
Looks well suited, to me.
I've heard Andy-831's 401 in a split layer slate plinth, and mine is in a composite layer plinth made by Vinyl-Ant. Not sure what yours was in before, Zebbo?
Be interesting to hear what you think about any changes in SQ.
I've heard Andy-831's 401 in a split layer slate plinth, and mine is in a composite layer plinth made by Vinyl-Ant. Not sure what yours was in before, Zebbo?
Be interesting to hear what you think about any changes in SQ.
- SteveTheShadow
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Re: Thank Goodness for this enforced down-time!
Dead cool that is Zebbo
Somebody’s telling me the latest scandals.
Somebody’s stepping on my plastic sandals. Joe Jackson (1979)
Somebody’s stepping on my plastic sandals. Joe Jackson (1979)
- zebbo
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Re: Thank Goodness for this enforced down-time!
This is the other plinth, constrained layer with: Birch ply, cork/nitrile, bitumen, lead & acrylic.
Audio Grail "Sable" Garrard 401 with Cumbrian Green Slate plinth / Audiomods 6 / Benz Micro Gullwing SLR, Phono 2, NVA INT400sa. (Oh and a Copland CDA823 CD Player, for when I fancy a bit of the devil's spawn!)