The BEST Way to Fix Small Record Holes - Plus a Rant 

perfect!

Great idea!

I usually just tell them they have a peculiar manner of communicating. One time somebody even responded to that and said I had a point and that he’d change his manners in the future

Same. The company should strike up a deal with turntable manufacturers to include it with new turntables.

I was thinking the same thing. I know their scale of production is probably quite small, but when I can currently buy a Wera multi-bit torque screwdriver on Amazon for $67, this seems way too steep.

It really is a cool little tool. I always get frustrated when encountering a small hole and although the screwdriver works it was never the safest solution.

Thanks, Caroline! I'm a fan of Pr-o-Jects gear too. I haven;t yet had a chance to hear the X2 B - I should see if I can 🍺

The groups and forum are toxic at times. The Fluance is a great TT too 🍺

Thank you, Phil!

Thank you!

You're onto something there. My main turntable is a Thorens.

@@TheJoyofVinylRecords thanks! I checked the fora and it goes around that Thorens players were designed with a ‘better grip, better sound’ idea where the spindle is a few microns thicker than usual. Wouldn’t have looked this up without your video so thank you for that :)

@@bestuurdvsgroningen3603 Good to know!

My “solution” could make the hole way bigger than needed if you go to crazy with it, so while it is cheaper, that’s the drawback. It’s usually not off by THAT much, I just go slow and make a few twists.

That's what I was always a little concerned with when using the screwdriver - the chance of making the hole bigger was always there

That, or a hand reamer which is even easier to reach hole size due to its gradual taper.

Thanks Neil. Your drill bit use is somewhat similar to what I did with my old screwdriver.

Cheers! 🍺

I'm sure I was tempted to grab a knife too at some point 😂

I'll never understand that.

I have the same cartridge. To me its output isn’t as strong as an Ortofon 2m red or blue. I have it on a spare headshell if I ever want to play it. Still has the original stylus. I would love to find an original stylus for a V15 type 5 with microridge stylus.

I’m glad I have it. Nice to know it’s quick, easy and effective.

😂😂😂

Exactly - an overly enlarged hole is a problem as well

Thanks Peter!

@@TheJoyofVinylRecords YW.

I saw the same video that Steve put out. I looked up that old SUT he showcased at the beginning. Cool little device.

It might - but I would be nervous about that too.

😂😂😂😂

Will do!

I'm still looking at which MC to start with - and also an SUT with a low form factor.

If I was just getting into moving coil cartridges, I would at least consider a NOS medium output MC cartridge from the past. It would be cheaper than a $1,200 Hana ML and an SUT. The first moving coil cartridge that really astonished me was a circa 1983 Audioquest 404 cartridge. It had high enough output to just use the normal moving magnet section of a preamp or integrated. The editor of The Absolute Sound (HP) was impressed enough to rank it above the Koetsu Black, which was the darling of the high end audio world around 1980. I heard the Audioquest 404 on a turntable which was demonstrated in my own home. It had everything I liked; beautiful tone colors, transient speed, detail, openness and more warmth than usual for an MC cartridge. I have seen some NOS ones on ebay for around $400. I could be wrong, but a great cartridge 40 years ago is still a great cartridge today. I did not like the Sumiko Blue Point MC cartridge later in the 1980s. But was really impressed with their $1,200 top of the line Sumiko Virtuoso Dti. Later in the same late 1980s/ early 1990s, the Audioquest 7000 was considered the best MC cartridge ever. The Monster Cable Alpha 2 high output cartridge was supposed to be great too. Of course both Audioquest & Monster Cable stopped making phono cartridges. Although I think they were made in Japan and rebadged with their name. I think medium and high output MC cartridges, while not the ultimate, are still likely to be better than moving magnets. I bought 8 used cartridges around 10 years ago on ebay. Honesty in seller description really is a factor. I also bought 2 NOS ones. The 2 NOS ones were fine, and 7 of the 8 used cartridges were also fine. The Audio Technica OC9 series was well respected. Probably not a Hana ML, but you might be able to get one for 1/3 the price. I know someone who had an Ortofon Black MM circa 8 years ago, and he also had the second from the totl Audio Technica cartridge, from the series that preceeded the OC9 series, and he said it was definitely a better sounding cartridge than the Ortofon Black. Forgot the exact prefix, but it was something like the Audio Technica ATF 5. The top of the line from that series was the ATF 7. I see NOS ATF 5 on ebay sometimes for around $300. Audio Technicas have really nicely polished diamond styluses of of good quality. The only things you might not like with MC cartridges is sometimes the tracking is not quite as good and often less warmth than MM cartridges. The Denon 103R might be an MC cartridge that can run with $1,000 models at over 1/3 its price.

I had someone recommend the OC9XML recently. They love it.

@@TheJoyofVinylRecords Yeah, that might have been me as it's a good one. I'd like to try others like Hana or the Soundsmith moving iron cartridges, but I don't know if it would be worth the expense with my aging ears.

I know exactly who you mean, Ian. 🍺

Agreed. I do not see the big thing about the record being tight. Play it a couple of times and no more issue. Why would I spend money on a rip off product

Cheers, William! 🍺

I don't recall if you mentioned the SUT you use?

Awesome! 🍺

I completely understand that 🍺

Great advice, Allan!

From what I've read, the Stanton 681EEE is supposed to have a very warm vintage sound

With the new phono stage I've been using I will need a SUT. It never ends...

I agree Alan - I'll never understand the need to put someone down

Hey! Good to see you! How’s the ankle?

@@TheJoyofVinylRecordsI’m at eight weeks in. Wearing a boot now. Some days are better than others. I think I turned the corner last week, but I’ve got another month ~. It is an ankle, three bones. It’s been insanely slow.

@@aa5az423 I can't imagine. It seems like ages ago that it happened.

@@TheJoyofVinylRecords it does in some ways. My mother broke her ankle when she was about 40, 40 years ago. She had a series of casts for a whole year. I can't fathom it. Thanks for asking, tho!

😂😂

I wish it wasn't a problem. I'm glad you're not experiencing it. Sometimes it makes me wonder if it's a thing with certain TT models. That extra static with 180g drives me nuts - I know exactly what you mean - I actually did a video about that too.

😂😂

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Cheers! 🍺

You're most certainly not wrong about it not being only a recent phenomenon. The example I used in the video was actually a 1970s pressing of Fleetwood Rumours.

I do have a a couple phono stages which can support either MM or MC, but the one I am using now doesn't. Can't wait to talk about the new one however.

😂

I haven't run into off-center holes yet but I know others have. No fixing that!

Now that's a marvelous idea!

Yep! It sure is, Alex.

I'm sorry you've had such bad experiences. But most audiophiles I know or met are usually well educated kind people. Generous too. Always ready to help you, share a meal or give extras away. That's when buying 2nd hand stuff. I think you mean snobs who claim to be audiophiles. Why does the word 'audiophile' always have to be dragged through the mud?

Erin seems like a real good guy

@@Jeep_on_audio I may have been unclear. I met a lot of great people too, generous friendly and smart. But some - maybe "many" is misleading - are what I described.

You’ve nailed it right there. Exactly!

I often wonder if they wait for a response or just move on and forget that they did it. I'd like to think the silence bothers them.

Bics are good for everything it seems. Especially reeling in an unspooled cassette tape

Completely agree with you there! 🍺

We won't talk about the Flux Hifi Turbo 2.0 handheld vacuum I have getting rid of stray cat hair.

@@jaycoleman8062 😂😂

😂😂😂

Forums can be the worse too