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RE: Success! Lightweight acrylic plate for Gyro SE...

Posted by tketcham (A) on December 5, 2014 at 12:19:49

In Reply to: RE: Success! Lightweight acrylic plate for Gyro SE... posted by Roastaman on December 4, 2014 at 21:11:44:

Hi, Roastaman,
I measured just about everything other than the chassis itself. The weight of the tonearm (718g) + mounting plate (234g) + cartridge/hardware (33g) + DIN connector/cable (34g) was about 1019g, well within the 1kg suggested by Michell Engineering and Artech Electronics (Michell's USA distributor). That's what made this whole thing so confounding. Despite having the right weight, the chassis definitely leaned toward the tonearm mount. I set up a digital scale under the mounted tonearm and measured a downward force of about 134g (+/-6g; average of 6 different measurements.) If everything was matching up with the provided specifications, why was there so much lean? (The springs were checked and even replaced with new springs; same problem.)

That's why I came to the conclusion that either the chassis wasn't weighted correctly or else the tonearm mounting plate was heavier than it needed to be. When I contacted Artech and Michell about it they said they could provide a mounting plate that weighed 105g, reducing the overall weight by 130g, which is darn close to the 134g of lean I measured.

After installing the lightweight mounting plate everything just fell into place like it should have in the first place. I would like to know what other Gyro SE/SME 309 owners have to say for comparison. I've already gotten replies from Gyro SE owners about inconsistencies in chassis balance with other tonearms. Based on what everyone has to say, I may suggest to Michell Engineering that they provide a way for owners to adjust the weight distribution to obtain a balanced turntable chassis. Maybe similar to how small weights are used to balance a tire on a rim. I think it'll make the final suspension adjustments much easier, minimizing the frustration some owners have experienced.

In spite of the time and trouble, I still think the Gyro SE is a wonderful turntable and am looking forward to many more years of listening.

Regards,
Tom

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