DEFT 2: Bicycle: Mission accomplished!

[bauzace50]

@ ripblade,
please note that several advance postings have been placed about this cartridge in the thread titled "Further on ridiculously low-cost cartridges"...toward the last two pages of that thread. I have written my own testimonial, and has written his own testimonial, all through several postings.
All evaluations will be posted in that thread. Thankyou!

bauzace50

[ripblade]

That's a big tidbit, thanks!

Glenn

[Alabama978]

While resting form his first lap of the race Deft2 has had a new type of damper fitted that has significantly increased the dynamics.

Do you remember when you were a kid with Plasticine or Play Doh or whatever you called the stuff you could mould into almost anything?. One used to roll it out into long sausage shapes under the fingers.

I took a tiny blob of Blutack did the same thing getting it to the diameter of a sewing needle approximately, and taking two tiny lengths I applied it to the sides of the stylus body, then slipped the stylus back on to the cart. The Blutack appears to have secured the stylus well and the difference in sound stage was very evident, mostly I noticed an increased depth and I think a somewhat better separation. It is definitely worth doing, it's just a pity the manufacturer hadn't made the stylus a better fit, as it is very loose in the cart.

I'll post a few pics when I get some good daylight but here is the Deft2 making a nice match to my SME 309. If you look closely you can just about see a tiny bit of the Blutack protruding at the top of the stylus body.





Full report to follow but as a primer let me just say I would never have imagined how good this budget cart would sound

Thanks to B50 for kindly letting me audition it.

[bauzace50]

@ Alan,
the photograph is gorgeous! May I point out the two perpendicular surfaces (front and side) of the fingergrip.These two surfaces form a guide for stylus alignment! Also, VTA has a great reference in the vertical frontal edges of the fingergrip. They form a vertical line for visual gauging.
This cartridge is SOOO easy to align! The surfaces are happily placed to help with this, and the cantilever is easily visible. It is an Aligner's Holiday!
Regards,
b50

[Alabama978]

B50,
I agree with the ease of alignment, I found it simple to set it up both on the SME protractor and the HFN protractor supplied with the test record. So far my short time experimenting with the cart has seen it track my most torturous track "The Real Situation" from the Bob Marley Uprising LP. TNT audio recommend it for this purpose, you can read about it here...

http://www.tnt-audio.com/topics/geoffrecords.html

I shall be feeding it more of their recommended tracks pretty soon.

Alan

[bauzace50]

HI Alan,
each lapper has brought something new and intersting to this bicycle. Nice going! What other Sor-Prices a-weight? Keep on trucking...er, cycling. We might be on to something.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z19zFlPah-o

Watch the above. Very special performer.
bauzace50

[bauzace50]

Hello,
Lap Number 3 is to begin shortly when Alabama978 relays to next participant: Germany to England.

The underlying motive is identifying a worthy low-cost cartridge for enthusiasts who wish to spend little on a good cartridge.
My very first reaction upon hearing this cartridge: it merits further exploration.

The Process: different participants with different equipment and backgrounds make the final verdict much more valuable than one opinion from a solitary participant. Painfully slow, it is about 1/3 of the way.
BUT think of yourself having three weeks to responsibly evaluate one cartridge for a community of enthusiasts! The three weeks per lap become understandable and even short.

Regards,
bauzace50

[java]

Hope someone summaries the "findings" of the "bicycle riders" for us all ...

[ripblade]

So what the heck is "Zualum"

Glenn

[Alabama978]

Hey B50,

I had a thought (dangerous I know) that maybe we should add the reports in this thread rather than the rediculously low cart thread. The reasoning I have is that if someone finds the DEFT2 interesting in the huge rediculously low topic they could click a link and come here and read all of the reports in a relatively easy thread to browse rather than maybe searching many pages of the big thread. This might be even more relative as time goes on because assuming it will be the autumn before the last lap then the reports will be well spaced out in the big thread.

Just a thought.

Alan

[bauzace50]

Hi Alan,
posting the findings on the DEFT 2 here is probably wise. Information about the DEFT 2 would be difficult to find readily, as the other thread cannot be searched internally.
I believe that all the other Bicycle Participants would agree.

So, please go ahead with this. Please post your findings in this thread. I will try to post here the other references to the DEFT 2, so they will be easy to find.

Thanks for the suggestion!
bauzace50

-All further postings about the DEFT 2 cartridge will be in this thread, instead of the other thread on "ridiculously low-price cartridges..." Thankyou!
But the spirit of low-price cartridges with excellent performance is carried over from that other thread!

[bauzace50]

@ java & @ ripblade:
here goes! If java takes care of summarizing the findings at the end of the Bicycle, and, if ripblade takes care of finding what "Zualum" is (just ask from the seller), then each one of you would be included at the end of the queue, to evaluate this cartridge in your own home. You would also comment on your findings.
What say?
bauzace50

[Alabama978]

Deft went for another spin tonight. So far he has been cycling for three hours here and in good tune. I think he can get another few laps in before packing his bags for the next leg.

I hope to have the report out over the weekend and bid him farewell as he sets off on the next leg

[ripblade]

@ java & @ ripblade:
here goes! If java takes care of summarizing the findings at the end of the Bicycle, and, if ripblade takes care of finding what "Zualum" is (just ask from the seller), then each one of you would be included at the end of the queue, to evaluate this cartridge in your own home. You would also comment on your findings.
What say?
bauzace50

Already on it! I don't expect much of an answer though. A cursory internet search reveals nothing. Sounds like marketing gobledygook to me...

It would be interesting to see if the bicycle can wheel an ultra-low mass arm (5.5gms) like the Mission 774.

Cheers,
Glenn

Edit: Whoa - that reply was quick. From LP Gear:

"Hi Glenn,

It is an aluminum alloy. Yes it is compatible with low mass arm.

LP Gear"

Cheers,
Glenn