Set-Up Notes For AAS Gabriel/Da Vinci Turntable and Da Vinci Grandeeza Tonearm
Jonathan Valin -- Wed, 12/24/2008 - 03:33
(This post is meant to accompany my review of the AAS Gabriel/Da Vinci turntable and Da Vinci Grandeeza tonearm, to be published in Issue 191 of TAS.)
The first things you’re going to need—trust me—is at least one and preferably two able-bodied assistants. This turntable and the mounting pillars are heavvv-y! Just getting them out of their shipping crates and onto a stand is a chore. Once they’re out, the rest is relatively straightforward, which is a good thing because Da Vinci’s “instruction manual” currently consists of two Xeroxed pages, one of which has a diagram of the arm and the other a diagram of the turntable. This is great if you want to start your child on the road to ruin early by giving him a hi-fi coloring book, but next to useless if you’re looking for some guidance on how to assemble the ’table and arm.
Happily, assembling the ’table is a snap. You screw those three massive feet onto the bottom of the plinth first, then (with the help of two other guys) situate the plinth on a suitable stand, allowing for a substantial distance between it and the motor and arm pillars. Next, you apply a few drops of oil (supplied) to the top of the vertical bearing inset into the floor of the plinth, then (with some help again) pick up the massive platter (which has a tight-fitting bearing-sleeve at its center) and lower it directly down onto the vertical bearing. (Watch your fingers as this is a very tight fit!) The platter won’t go all the way down (to sit on the tip of the bearing)—it isn’t supposed to. The force of magnetic repulsion will create an air gap between the top of the bearing sleeve and the top of the vertical bearing (which doesn’t so much act as a bearing but as an axle or spindle around which the table turns). When you press on the top of the platter you should feel some spring because of this air gap. Da Vinci is now providing a leather turntable mat to go atop the platter. (I haven’t tried it yet; I’ve been using a felt one.) There is also some talk about a record clamp, although using clamps like my stand-by the Walker or Audio Tekne’s utlra-expensive carbon-fiber one have not improved the sound in my opinion—only changed it.
After attaching three more Da Vinci feet to the motor pillar, you will set it about nine to nine-and-a-half inches from the plinth (measured from the motor’s pulley to the edge of the platter), then run the belt around the pulley and around the circumference of the platter. (The distance between motor and plinth depends on the length of the belt you’re using. Da Vinci has a longer one and a shorter one; my instructions apply to the longer one.) The belt should—and is intended to—fit very loosely, with plenty of play in it if you give it a bit of a tug with a fingertip. The motor controller has dials on it to set rotational speed for both 33.3 and 45 rpm. Once set, the speed stays stable.
The tonearm mount (supplied) is easily bolted to the pre-drilled top of the tonearm pillar, and the pillar of the tonearm itself slips easily into the mount. There is a high-quality cinch-bolt that runs through the bass of the mount which must be tightened (using supplied Allen wrenches) to fix the arm in place. As I mentioned in the review, the arm-pillar is intended to be set somewhere in the first third of its travel; above that the arm may not be fully stable. This means that you have a relatively narrow amount of play for setting VTA. Happily, you can adjust the height of the adjustable feet on the bottom of the arm pillar to get a little more VTA (if that’s what you want). In practice, I haven’t had to do this, provided that the stand that the table/arm/motor is sitting on is itself level. Next attach the cartridge to the arm’s cartridge holder. (The Da Vinci Grandeeza comes hardwired from the tonearm leads to its own Da Vinci interconnects, which can be ordered in appropriate lengths.) Once the arm is attached to the pillar and the cartridge to the arm, you’re going to set overhang using the supplied Feichert protractor and dedicated plastic template (made specifically for the Da Vinci Grandeeza). Because little on the arm or its mount is adjustable, you’re going to have to move the entire arm pillar forward and back to get things just so. (It’s not as tough as it may sound, although it can be a bit tedious.)
Aside from setting VTF and any tweaks to VTA (which require loosening the cinch-bolts at the base and physically lifting or lowering the arm. (Although Da Vinci does include a built-in adjustable stanchion that will hold the arm at the height you started from and can be screwed up or down for lifting and lowering the arm when adjusting VTA, I preferred to do this by hand. If you do use the adjustable stanchion, be sure to retighten the arm-pillar cinch bolts and retract the stanchion before playing records.)
As for appropriate cartridges, I haven’t had a problem with any moving-coil provided it is sufficiently massive. The Goldfinger v2, the Air Tight PC-1 Supreme, and Da Vinci’s own superb “Grandeeza” mc have all functioned beautifully. For the utmost in transparency, I would go with the Grandeeza or PC-1 Supreme; for slightly richer tone colors, the Goldfinger v2.
Finally a word on the sheer beauty of these objects (in their Ferrari red finish), which is considerable. There are a lot of pretty ’tables and arms in this world, the Da Vincis may be the prettiest.
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Thanks for this tutorial Jon.
On the issue of the Grandezza Ref arm, I have 2 questions:-
1) Are you sure the adjustable supporting height stanchion is supposed to be retracted before tightening the arm-pillar cinch bolts? I've found the arm more rigid and stable keeping the stanchion in contact with the rubber 'O' ring in the arm base whilst tightening the cinch bolts?
2) Do you know how to adjust the arm lifter for height? When you adjust VTA, you sometimes need the arm lifter raised or lowered to properly clear the record. You can actually push the body of the lifter up from underneath and there is an Allen key fixing hole in the top of the swivelling lifter (Allen key not supplied by DaVinci) which you can tighten but the lifter then stays in the tightened position? Loosen the Allen key even minutely and the lifter slides down to its lowest level?
I've asked DaVinci the question but they refuse to commincate with me since I wrote that the Continuum Copperhead arm was slightly better than theirs?
Halcro,
I was under the impression that you kind of "retracted" or greatly modified your statement about the Continuum arm vis-a-vis the Da Vinci. In any event, you're entitled to your opinion and, IMO, there is no reason whatsoever for Da Vinci not to stay in touch with you.
On the question of the support stanchion...I was told not to leave it "down" but to completely retract it once arm height is set and the arm pillar is firmly secured in the arm base. I think this is because the surface on which the height-adjustment screw rests when it makes contact--that O-ring and the inner and outer discs of the arm base-- are slightly uneven (due to the raised O-ring), which could cant the arm very, very slightly. Unquestionably the pillar is also a path through which vibration could be transmitted.
On the question of raising the arm lifter...it can be raised and lowered and rotated (after you loosen the bolt that holds it in place) by pushing it up or lowering it down from its bottom (by pressing on the bottom plate of the little pneumatic cylinder to which the lever is attached).
Jon
Thanks Jon,
I've retracted the stanchion and tightened the bolt securing the arm-pillar. It would be nice if the instructions had made that clear? For such a costly arm to have such a rudimentary 1 page set of instructions seems strange? The Copperhead arm comes with a 48 page spiral-bound volume containing dozens of coloured photos and diagrams.
I DID modify my impressions of the Grandezza arm after I achieved proper clamping of the arm-pillar. It is a sensational arm no question..........but the Copperhead is just that much better.
To hear a Concert Grand Piano reproduced with the Copperhead (Keith Jarrett-Koln Concert ECM, Daniel Barenboim-Liszt Sonate h-Moll B Minor Deutsche Grammophon) is a revelation. The dynamics, the sustain and overtones, the fingers on keys and felt hammers on strings, the final decay of each note....is just something that the Copperhead does better.
To hear bow across strings and feel the vibrations of the double bass and organ (Adagio d'Albinoni-Garry Karr, En Aranjuez con tu amor-Garry Karr) is again an experience where the Copperhead just shaves the Grandezza.
It IS close (don't get me wrong), but it also is clearly audible.
I can't stress enough how beneficial it is to have 2 arms/cartridges attached to the turntable at the same time. When one arm/cartridge combination sounds better, I am able to adjust the geometry, VTA and VTF of the other arm/cartridge to match.
This often leads to a swap in the positions where the newly adjusted arm/cartridge now sounds better which leads to a re-adjustment of the other one.
This method I find, results in a more definable and repeatable set-up procedure than the reliance on memory alone which is necessitated when only one arm/cartridge is involved?
I heard the Continuum Calibur/Cobra/Castellon sound far, far, far better in Breda (at the Kharma showroom) than I've ever heard it sound at shows. However, on records I know very well (I brought my own LPs with me) it did not retrieve all of the information that the Da Vinci Grandeeza does on the Gabriel/Da Vinci 'table. This may not have been a flaw of the turntable/tonearm (I wasn't wild about the amplification being used).
BTW, if you've been using the Grandeeza with the screw in the VTA arm pillar alone supporting it (i.e., without the arm-base screws securely tightened), then in all likelihood you haven't heard the arm at its best. The way you've been using it is almost a sure-fire recipe for some mechanical instability and a greater susceptibility to feedback. I would strongly recommend that you listen to it the way I have and be sure that you haven't elevated the arm pillar beyond a third of its length, then get back to me.
You are entirely right about the Da Vinci "instruction manual," which is inexcusably and absurdly...well, brief isn't a strong or descriptive enough word. It is unbelievable that a company would market a $10-$12k tonearm without a substantial instruction manual. This HAS to change.
Inspired by your advice Jon, I immediately re-set the geometry of my Grandezza, retracted the stanchion, tightened the arm-pillar screw, tightened the arm-base screws (thanks for that tip as the supplied screwdrivers just don't do it like an Allen key), re-set the VTA and VTF and listened!
You are right again!!!! The Grandezza is now equal to.....or even better than.....the Continuum Copperhead.
On all musical genres (including solo Grand Piano), I must agree with you......the Grandezza is the finest pivoted arm I have ever heard.
I now have 2 entirely different arms and cartridges which sound virtually identical to each other! No-one (including me), can pick which arm/cartridge combination is playing through my system? I make that a win for objective audio. The current subjective maxim has it.... that all arms and cartridges sound differently? That there is no 'correct sound' in audio reproduction........only differing colourations, emphases and tonality?
To have the ZYX Universe (which has been the most startling cartridge experience in my 30 years of audio listening) sound identical to the Dynavector DV1s indicates to me, not only that both cartridges are 'right' in the way they extract the information buried in the vinyl grooves, but that the 2 arms (Continuum Copperhead and DaVinci 12" Grandezza) are also 'right' in the execution of their design aims for supporting a cartridge with the minimum possible acoustical and physical interference.
I'm glad that you finally heard the Caliburn/Cobra/Castellon sounding well. In terms of assessing its ultimate abilities?..........I have NEVER been able to attribute turntable/arm/cartridge contributions in an 'unknown' system in a foreign listening room. The room, speakers, amplifiers and connecting cables invariably affect the sound to such an extent that I often find my favourite recordings sounding like 'strangers' rather than 'friends'?
In my system in my listening room, a Rega Planar 3 with Hadcock GH228 arm will sound much more like my Raven AC-3 with Copperhead/DaVinci than the SAME turntable/arm combination in DIFFERENT systems in DIFFERENT rooms. But you are far more experienced that I, and you indeed MAY be able to assess the contribution of the source?
It would be more interesting for me (and I know for you as well), to actually hear the Continuum Caliburn/Cobra (AND the Clearaudio Statement for that matter), in your room and your system so that we could have your definitive verdict on the GREATEST turntable question?
You know and I know that I won't be reviewing a Continuum 'table of any kind. (HP has had the less expensive Continuum 'table and arm in one of his systems for awhile, so expect a review from him one of these days.) And it simply isn't in the cards for me to review the big Clearaudio 'table (which has already been rave-reviewed twice in our pages by HP and Don Saltzman and is simply too big and heavy and complicated to ship around). This is OK. I heard (at last) the Clearaudio Statement in Denver and I heard the Continuum in Breda on my own LPs, and (although your point about unknown systems is extremely well made) I am confident that both are superb. There is room for more than one great 'table/arm in the ultra-high-end. I now have two which I am sure are among the best: the Walker Black Diamond and the Da Vinci. The Continuum and Clearaudio are undoubtedly two more. I've also heard very good things about the top-of-the-line Basis, Audio Tekne, and Platine Verdier.
I'm glad your Da Vinci is sounding better, BTW. Since I'd tried the arm with the stanchion down and the base unsecured, I knew from personal experience that it really didn't sound as good as it does when the stanchion is up and the base firmly secured.
Speaking of the Walker Black Diamond?..........did you follow the thread on Audiogon where Albert Porter sold his Walker after hearing the Technics SP10 Mk2 and Mk3?
Apparently all his audiophile friends agreed that the Technics SP10 sounded better than the Walker, Raven, Basis, VPI TNT and Kuzma Stabi and have exchanged all the above turntables for the old Technics?
Have you ever heard an SP10 Mk2 or Mk3 to be able to comment? Or do you have an opinion on this seemingly radical new 'trend' backwards?
I used to own a Technic SP10Mk II and, going on memory (mind you), I think Albert Porter and his chums have taken leave of their senses.
This is not to say that the Technics SP10MkII was a "bad" 'table. It was not. It was exceptionally clear sounding--something of a standard of low-level resolution in its day--was very adept at micro- and macro-dynamics, and had excellent speed/pitch stability (as direct-drives do). Perhaps that is what Porter and his friends are responding to. Do you know which arm he is using with the Technics?
He's using and SME 312S. Here's a link to his system:
http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?vaslt&1022712214&read&keyw&zzalb...
and here's a link to his SP10MkIII Project:
http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?vaslt&1227334719&read&3&zzlAlber...
Well, at least he's using a 12" arm.
Jonathan - many thanks for all the years of fine and insightful audio reviews, both in TAS and Fi. I thought that you would be interested to know that a friend of mine has auditioned both the Continuum Caliburn and Clearaudio Statement tables in one of his own systems (top end Goldmund). He ended up buying the Clearaudio. I asked him what the differences were (I did not hear this comparison). He thought that whilst the Continuum was very good indeed, the Clearaudio was the more natural and easy to listen to (he actually thought the Continuum slightly coloured). Remember: this is my recollection of his comments; this comparison was about a year ago. I have since had the pleasure if listening to the Statement and it is indeed awe-inspiring as an analogue front-end. Not to mention incredible build quality. The owner thinks this piece is the most amazing audio component he has ever owned (believe me: he has owned or owns a LOT of cutting edge gear.
D-U-A-D,
Thank you very much for the kind words about my reviews.
Your friend with the Clearaudio Statement is not alone in judging it one of the all-time cat's pajamas. HP has said virtually the said thing in print and to me in private. And Don Saltzman actually put his money where his mouth was and bought it! Of course, when a turntable costs $150k and weighs nearly half a ton it ought to be pretty damn special! Since I've only heard it at RMAF in less-than-ideal show conditions, I don't have an opinion. I hope to hear it again in better circumstances, as you have.
Jon
Hi Jon,
Have you checked out the Feickert Adjust+ software? I have the Pro version here and it's really something. Worth looking into at CES.
Brian Walsh
Essential Audio ~ Chicago area ~ 773-809-HIFI (4434)
Brian,
I have the Feickert Adjust+ Pro software, too, and I wholeheartedly agree with you: It truly is something special (and amazingly versatilte). I'll be reviewing it in the not-too-distant future.
Jon
Have had a look at the Feickert web site, and this software package does look totally amazing. I am however unsure how one uses the software (amybe sopmething to do with the translation of the original text from German?). How do you connect your turntable to the computer? Any comments from Jon or Brian would be appreciated.
Down-Under,
The output of the phono preamplifier (or tape output, if phono out isn't available) is connected to the line input (not microphone input) on the computer. The documentation is clear (apparently the revised translation from German is a lot better) and mentions a Creative Labs USB Sound Blaster accessory if your computer doesn't have line input.
Brian
Brian Walsh
Essential Audio ~ Chicago area ~ 773-809-HIFI (4434)
Brian is correct. Since my laptop does not have line-level inputs I am using a USB DAC between phonostage (or tonearm) and computer.