The French analog era: ERA 5055

Pretty difficult to set up, with a floating subchassis and a strange tonearm (Frictionless Pivot — a unique development based on a virtual design pivot), the French ERA 5055 embodies the principal technical advances which have given ERA its international reputation: the world's slowest-running synchronous turntable motor giving absolutely constant speed, ERA-patented Flexiprene belt drive, anti-skating bias compensation and smoke-tinted Plexiglass cover.
 

Somewhere I read that Jean Costant Verdier contributed to the design of these music machines...anyway, once restored, it's excellent performance-to-price ratio ensures that the ERA TT is not only unrivalled in its class, but it also compares with units of far higher price!

 

Robin McLaurin Williams (Chicago, 21.7.1951 – Tiburon, 11.8.2014)

Well, my day is ruined...

Rest in peace Robin. Will always remember you for your awesome movies... 
Thanks for the laughs.

PANASONIC EPC 465 C Strain Gauge

Here is an extremely RARE strain gauge phono cartridge...It's the last model produced by Panasonic, and the best in terms of quality sound....here with her older sister the 450 c model...

Just saved from death...

...a "NOS" Lenco L 75...

Let's keep working!!!

NEAT G 30

I finally got my hands on this rare (ultrarare!) BEAUTY!!! 

Listened years ago (it was 2005!!!) in a minimalist system based on a RX 1500 (NEAT was the predecessor of Mirco Seiki) it had impressed me, but, till today, I didn't see it on the bay.
Thanks to my friend Fred who found it for me on hifi.do, finally I can use it on my system.

Here you can see it on my TD 124, BUT the next step is on my EMT930...infact it is perfect for it (it should be mounted at 230 from the spindle), like EMT 929 and Fidelity Research FR64.
From the net the instructions/mounting template ;)

Everything perfect?!?
No indeed...like every audiophile story something is missing...the perfect match for this beauty...my ortofon SPU recently sold ;))))

Rodents on Turntable...

My favorites?....Harry & Llloyd  ;)

PANASONIC EPC 450 C II Strain Gauge Cartridge

Neither moving magnet, nor moving coil, nor moving iron...what is it? 
Why doesn't function with my phono preamp ?!?

During a meeting / listening at the ESELAB (which has developed a preamplifier designed to use with this cartridge) I have been captured by an unusual system called strain gauge, based on old vintage CD4 Panasonic/Matsushita cartridges.

After some difficulties in finding in the bay, I was able to test the features of this particular technology (used in the past for CD4 quadriphonic records) directly into my system.

My early impressions were that, out-of-the-box the upper frequencies were well extended and the sound stage was nice and wide. Instead low frequency extension and depth were lacking (not missing,
but lacking). It seems that this cartridge takes some time not only to break in, but to warm up.
 
Although the system has not previously been "refreshed", even though these are VINTAGE components, I observe in my system that the overall result seems to prefer the high register.

I do not know how much is influenced by the preamplifier (Panasonic SE 405 Demodulator) or by the cartridge...
Anyway stay tuned for the new demodulator coming ;)

PS: HERE another RARE Panasonic Strain Gauge Cartridge