Turntable Setup

We take turntable and cartridge setup seriously. We consider the setup and tuning of a turntable to be a craft, and like any craft the only way to get better is to do it often and to actively seek improvement. 

We use tools from Feickert, Acoustical Systems, Wally Tools, Linn, Rega, Pro-ject, VPI and Clearaudio. We use an oscilloscope, Fosgometer, Analogmajik, SMARTractor, Feickert protractor, several in and out of print setup records, and a long working distance video-capable USB3 microscope to examine azimuth, cartridge condition, and landing behavior.  We don't use these all the time on every setup, but we're always prepared and these tools allow us to quickly and correctly rule out issues such as a slightly bent needle, incorrect spindle distance, noisy motor, uneven cartridge wear, or a worn-out suspension. Lastly, for final tuning, we use our ears and our extra-quiet ASC designed big sound room with our reference front-panel configurable phono stages. There is simply no substitute for post-suspension settled final adjustments than to actually listen to the table. 

Both John and Russ work on the tables, often working together on the more complex and long procedure setups such an LP12 or TechDAS. These tables often take multiple hours, so it's actually nice to trade-off worker vs navigator as we work.  John and Russ have both attended Linn's by-invite LP12 Masters class.  We are a full service LP12 specialist and have performed many LP12 upgrades.

We have the following turntables on display:

• Rega Planar 1, Planar 2, Planar 3, Planar 6 and Planar 10
• McIntosh MT-2, MT-10
• Luxman PD-171+Hana ML
• Linn Majik LP12+Adikt, Akurate LP12+Krystal, and Klimax LP12+Kandid
• TechDAS V with Graham Phantom III + Koetsu Rosewood Signature

We have the following phono stages on display:

• Audio Research Reference Phono 3
• Luxman EQ-500
• Boulder 508
• McIntosh MP-100
• Linn Urika II
• Rega Fono Mini, Fono MM, and Fono MC