Debut Iii Shiny And New, Spinning Now...

by **Hawkeye666** » 28 Jun 2011 04:13

Well, my Debut III and Speedbox II were delivered today. I'm listening to my reference recording right now. Carnaval by Spyro Gyra. A wonderful bit of engineering that really brings out the best in a table, I feel.

My first impression is that the Denon DP-7f and the AT450 is a far better table and cart combo than anyone gives it credit for being. That being said as I listen closely to the music there is no doubt that s=this combo of the Debut, Speedbox and OM5E is far better.

I'm not well versed yet in the terminology used when talking about audio equipment sound so bare with my as I try to express how I hear so far.

The music is more live. Bass much fuller through the entire range, and maybe a little more out front than before. Yet it is not overpowering at all. But I like good bass even in my classical and jazz. Highs, cymbals and the like are far less "splashy" less harsh. Snare sounds completely different than ever before. Mids are as warm as before.

Even surface noise seems a bit reduced but this is a pretty clean LP so I'll reserve judgement on that for now.

I've bypassed the EQ because it sounds worse not better. This is a big deal as I have historically had to EQ a lot to get the sound I want. I'm going to leave it off for a while and then we'll see. It is entirely possible I won't use it any longer.

Fully manual is going to take some getting used to. Even the simple things like turning the power off the flip the recording and remembering to turn it back on after lowering the tonearm are new since the Denon is fully auto.

Here it is in service...
[album]17941[/album]

by **Hawkeye666** » 28 Jun 2011 04:46

So for the second vinyl selection I decided on a nice recording of Vivaldi's Four Seasons.

Here the difference is far more noticeable. I can hear instruments instead of instrument sections. Where before I heard the violin section, now I can hear individual violins. I hear nuances of this recording I had no idea were there. Even the quiet passages are somehow dynamic. They aren't louder but I hear more going on, more music being reproduced.

I may well have to listen to the von Karajan Beethoven Symphonies collection next. Though recorded in the early 60's this box set is a wonder example of audio engineering and I suspect will really highlight the differences between these tables quite nicely.

If I didn't already like classical, I would now based on this.

by **Hawkeye666** » 28 Jun 2011 04:51

I just now noticed for the first time the harpsichord in the background of The second movement of Winter. Have always noticed it in the third but not toward the end of the second.

See, like I said nuances I hadn't been able to hear before.

by **frenchmon** » 28 Jun 2011 05:08

Congrats my man! Nice pictures and nice to see you are enjoying the improved sound of your new TT. It only gets better...keep that in mind.

by **Hawkeye666** » 28 Jun 2011 05:47

Thanks now I have about 1600 albums to listen to all over to hear what I've been missing. Ok not all of them are really worth another go-round but...

Hyperbole. It's just the best thing ever!

by **Hawkeye666** » 28 Jun 2011 07:20

Another observation:

The Debut has zero extraneous sounds. No ground hum and thankfully none of the low level motor noise some have reported.

And when I said shiny I didn't mean as in the piano black finish. I meant as in Firelfy, "It's all shiny captain."

by **frenchmon** » 30 Jun 2011 06:33

From what I understand, the motor mounts have been improved on that table.

by **fscl** » 03 Jul 2011 22:30

frenchmon wrote:From what I understand, the motor mounts have been improved on that table.

What are they now? I was kind of shocked.... :shock:

to see the motor mounts when I took a peak at the undercarriage 8mos ago or so...... :-k

Fred

by **frenchmon** » 04 Jul 2011 21:07

fscl wrote:
frenchmon wrote:From what I understand, the motor mounts have been improved on that table.

What are they now? I was kind of shocked.... to see the motor mounts when I took a peak at the undercarriage 8mos ago or so......

Fred

Read here http://www.vinylengine.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=37656

by **gofar99** » 05 Jul 2011 09:45

Hi Glad to hear of another happy fan. I have been using a DB III for about a year now and while it did have a bad motor

at first, they replaced it and all is well. I have the acrylic platter and SB II as well. I was not completely satisfied with the OM5E so I upgraded first to a Denon DL110. Better, but still not what I wanted to hear. Now I'm using a Dynavector 10X5 and love it. It unfortunately costs as much as the TT.

by **Hawkeye666** » 05 Jul 2011 13:36

Bruce, what is your opinion of the acrylic platter? I have dampened the ringy metalic platter but am still toying with the idea of the acrylic in part to give me the option of a moving coil sometime in the future. Though I suspect that in the price range I have allotted for carts ($300 USD) I will be better served by MM.

by **hedshelmkr** » 14 Jul 2011 01:33

Well, That's a good lookin' rig there! I dig that acrylic under it! Tell me, do you think acrylic is a better insulator than 3/4" Birch plywood exactly like your setup 2 layers with cones? Should I get me some?
I have the Xpression3 running a Grado Silver 1... Sounding not bad, but it took a month of settling, and many re alignments! The best is starting with the protractor, and working from there using my ears!
I have a Denon DL-110 @ the Soundsmith now getting a ruby-line contact can't wait!!!!
But I really like your rig, and is that the Pro ject Puck in there?
............ S :shock:

by **Hawkeye666** » 14 Jul 2011 02:43

Here's a new photo of the isolation layers. Got a longer set of spikes at the PartsExpress.com summer tent sale last weekend. That allowed me to put both the SpeedBox and the Cambridge 640P pre underneath.

[album]18133[/album]

Thanks for the feedback. The dual layer was because of an error on the part of the plastics company I got the plexi from. They sent me a sheet without holes drilled. So I just drilled them myself. Then they emailed and asked if the order was good, and when I told them about the holes they sent me a second one with the holes as I had ordered. So I have two now.

I'm not sure that my equipment is sensitive enough to be able to hear any difference between one or two, or other materials. I have a feeling though that using a layer of a very hard but non-resonant material like plexi or even a stone, and a layer of something fiberous like a good wood would give maybe a theoretical improvement because of the differing properties of the different materials. But I also expect this would be a difference more in the "formula" than an audible one.

I have a Goldring 2400 on the way and the acrylic platter as well so it'll be interesting to hear how those change the sound of the Debut.

The puck is a competition spin balanced hockey puck made in the Czech Republic. With a 7.2 MM holes drilled in the center. Center found by weight not by linear measurement.

I'm betting that Denon should really sing on your table. I haven't yet touched my factory cart. I dampened the factory platter, and replaced the anti-skate weight. It was 3 grams, and too heavy for the Ortofon OM5E that came with the table. I replaced it with a 1.3 grams which seems to work much better.

by **frenchmon** » 15 Jul 2011 14:16

Nice. I hear once the Cambridge is modded...its killer.

Debut Iii Shiny And New, Spinning Now...

Debut Iii Shiny And New, Spinning Now...

Next Record, Bigger Difference