The First Inspire/Audiomods Frankenarm!!

[zharca]

By coincidence, I've just been asked about turning one of these:


into a series 4 micrometer arm.

As it uses the same saw-off-the-Rega-arm-and-graft-a-tube-on construction as the Inspire and Funk arms, it's a natural for conversion. Watch this space

A couple of weeks ago I rebuilt an original Excaibur and the build quality was, er, "interesting"!

Ross: have you got the S4 bearing in that beastie?

[rolleye]

Hi Jeff, no i think its probably S1 !!

I was hoping to do some serious listening tonight but the mother in law turned up

It'll have to wait till tomorrow

[rolleye]

Ok, i've spent a couple of hours this morning listening to this 'new' arm, it's fitted, at the moment, to an LPT with a Grado Prestige Gold cartridge.

Now i'm not one to use the language of the hifi journalists when describing what they hear but this 'combination of parts' is really excellent, it has depth, huge soundstage, individual instruments are clear and well defined, vocals are just sublime, as lifelike as they can be within the confines of my overcrowded and oddly shaped listening room.....I think synergy is the word i'm looking for.
Bass is tight and hits your chest like canon fire, mid range is very good especially vocals and it has a very smooth but detailed top end, percussion instruments are really life like.

Compared to other tonearms i have it stands up for itself and isn't overshadowed by any of them, admittedly they all sound a little different and all have their own individual characteristics but this 'new' arm is certainly capable of keeping up with arms that cost three times as much so overall it's come as a welcome suprise.

I listen to a lot of live music of all genres and comparitively this is probably one of the better experiences i've had with recorded music..... i really need to spend a week or two getting use to it and importantly i need to use the arm/cart combination on another PT as i'm sure the LPT can be improved on.
I like this arm, it may well be bettered by some top end stuff but i reckon i'd have to spend loads to beat it

[audiodazed]

Rolleye, thanks for the review.
Since you seem to have a ton of variations on the Rega arms, can you give an individual comparison between them? ie FXR vs audiomods vs Franken Inspirmod etc etc?

[rolleye]

I spose it had to happen at some point........ I've had a good long listen to the FXR/Audiomods/Frankenarm 'arms', all have been used on an LPT using the same cartidge (modded Grado Prestige Gold) and same amp/speakers/ cables etc.

Again i'll repeat that i don't like the airy fairy language used by many hi-fi journo's to describe what they hear as it means different things to different people.
One thing's for sure all the tested arms DO sound different, at least to me.

Each one has its virtues, for example the FXR has good top end and midrange detail but gets a bit muddled further down, the AudioMods arm has better lower register and excellent mid range, vocals are especially good...the FrankenArm does most things well but after extended listening to a wide range of music it lacks something, it's very smooth and laid back compared to the other two, lacking a little in top end detail, nevertheless in the absence of the other two I'd be more than happy to live with it as i prefer a more laid back approach to music anyway (I hate over bright cartridges that make yer ears bleed )

In terms of cost the FXR is now £1200, the top end AudioMods arm is pushing £700 and the FrankenArm cost me under £500 all in so on that basis alone the FrankenArm is good value. A couple of mates had a listen last weekend and 'the best arm' was difficult to agree but overall the AudioMods was considered a good all rounder, the FXR started high up the list but fell at the last fence due to cost/vfm and the FrankenArm was thought to be another good all rounder but due to its 'laid back' approach the final choice would come down to personal preference particularly choice of cartridge.

Using alternative t/tables/cartridges etc would produce a different set of results and as the FrankenArm is not available commercially perhaps no-one else will ever know it's virtues but there you go. I'm happy with all the above tonearms so all will be kept and used regularly and hopefully i can use different cartidges on each to find the best combination.

[Big Al]

As an LPT user I feel inspired by these gorgeous photographs. My LPT never came with any pink beading. Sensing that my route to audio nirvana might actualy depend on this missing component I have ordered some 2mm elastic pink beading from E-bay!

More seriously, I wonder whether others have resprayed their plinth with Nextel blue paint. My plinth is beginning to look a bit grubby and could do with sprucing up. A quick search for Nextel paint suggests that it is difficult to get hold of and the grey acrylic looks great so I might have a go at this. Has anyone found a way of restoring the original finish without respraying?

Based on reviews and looks I quite fancy the Inspire arm. Has anyone made the switch from a Rega RB300 (OL structural mod) to the Inspire on a Pink?

[rolleye]

Someone I know recently suggested cleaning old Nextel with warm soapy water, dab it with paper towels and then let it dry naturally, apparently it will clean it up and get rid of that 'sticky' feeling...... never tried it myself so can't vouch for this method but if yours is dirty what have you got to loose?

[audiodazed]

Thanks for the review rolleye.
Did the audiomods loose the top end sparkle, or its just that the fxr was that much better up top? The frankenarm looks neat... I wonder if you can use the fxr arm on the audiomods base.

[satanfriendly]

Interesting reading about your thoughts on the Audiomods arm being as a very kind VE member has nearly completed one for me from a kit. I think Jeff knows the guy (Angus) quite well. The photo's I have reflect an excellent standard and to be honest I can't wait to have the end product in my grubby mits.

It was you who put me on to the idea of the Mods and I hope it pays off being as it will be PT bound with the Blue Note cartridge.

I still have a second arm to think about.

[rolleye]

you won't go wrong with the AudioMods arm and it can be upgraded to the latest spec whenever it takes your fancy....maybe a second one with the micrometer would do as your second arm????....or possibly an early Helius Aureus (nice arm that works well on the PT)

[satanfriendly]

Look forward to the experience Ross, thanks.

I don't suppose you know the weight of the AM arm by any chance. Trying to calculate something out for this sub for the rebuild.

[rolleye]

No sorry I don't Chris, mine has the micrometer on it anyway but i'm sure Jeff will tell you if you contact him on jeff@audiomods.co.uk

[natty_dredd]

Just as a small bit of info, you can still buy Nextel paint - from memory when I enquired (was thinking of doing up a Revox tuner) it was about £30 for a litre and has to be sprayed on. I got the impression a special undercoat was also needed but I don't think that's necessarily the case, perhaps only for metal.

If anyone's interested, I could dig out the 2/3 year old email and so get the company name..

[satanfriendly]

I am sure it used to be available in B&Q in the spray paint section. If it was the 'real thing' or as good as is another question.