After a slight change of torques related to the armboard on my Sondek the sound of my system has changed in an unexpected way.
Musical timing and tune only slightly better but now with a clear trace of a different holographic presentation. Sounds are reaching out to me in front of the speakers. Sounds are not like cardboards placed in a 3d landscape but full bodied hanging around in front of me in a big bubble of sound.
Records from the seventies (10cc and others) has transformed white noise into curved space like the way water runs along the sphere of a ball when dripped upon.
Am I getting a glimpse of what is possible?

This change does not really ad to the excitement of listening to the music. It is something completely different.

Even though it is difficult you can hear the change via these clips:

Links removed

Hi beck!

My spontaneous reaction to your first post was to consider posting a big warning sign. Because I think I've had the experience you describe many times and it's never ended well. Every time I've thought "I dunno about the music, but the SOUND just got sooo much better" it's always been a trap. I soon discover that the sound didn't really get any better and the music definitely lost something. The word 'holographic' in particular triggered me.

Listening to your clips now, I prefer 'Before'. In 'After', they seem to have replaced the bass player with someone like me (I used to play bass, but I'm no good).

What happens if you compare these two and listen from another room? That is a neat trick to focus entirely on the music.

Thank you for listening. I get your point and as I stated above the enjoyment of listening to the music as such does not get better but being able to listen to notoriusly bad recorded records in this new soundscape does have it's attractions.
My first reaction when listening to my system after the change was disbelief. This was not at all what I expected.
In the back of my mind I do think that you hit the nail right on the head. The new sound is too fruity.

Very interesting.

Added: This is the latest before clip I can find and I think it confirms your point:

Link removed

Definitely much better before.

Beck - I feel the mistress of sound has led you astray even if for a brief liaison.

Furthering Fredriks suggestion I occasionally choose to listen in the adjoining room where I have a comfortable chair, which is opposite the open door to the music room.

It really allows one to enjoy and importantly appreciate the musicality - only thing is that often I I am soon drawn into the music room and have to leave the chair.

u252agz wrote: Beck - I feel the mistress of sound has led you astray even if for a brief liaison.

That is precisely what happened! :-) She lured me into her web of lies with her song.

u252agz wrote:Definitely much better before.

Yes, I think so too. It made me want to listen all the way through that clip, for the first time. I'm sure it's even better in front of your system!

Have you tried torquing the arm Height bolt? That's a nice one to do, that doesn't require a jig.

beck wrote:

u252agz wrote: Beck - I feel the mistress of sound has led you astray even if for a brief liaison.

That is precisely what happened! :-) She lured me into her web of lies with her song.

Beck - In Greek Mythology, Sirens were women whose captivating singing drew unwary sailors and their ships to treacherous rocks and their subsequent demise.

Fortunately, whilst you have been drawn to those rocks you have successfully evaded them and live to sail another day.

Well done.

And in the naked light I saw
Ten thousand people, maybe more
People speaking without singing
People listening without hearing
People writing songs that voices never share
And no one dared
Disturb the sound of Sirens

With apologies to Simon and Garfunkel ;-)

Thank you all for your answers!

This has been some trip for me. I now feel I know what my system is capable of and I survived (I know the story u252agz :-)) but my ship wrecked.
We all know too much messing about with connections into wood is bad. So I went back into my old lp12 box and found my 1990 three layer armboard and in very nice shape it was.
It has now been brought back to life on my Sondek and though it shows a slightly different sound signature it is very enjoyable.
I will search for another five layer armboard to replace it some day.

Yes, torquing the arm collar bolt is less nerve wrecking and worth doing Charlie1.

The one step too far did not kill me and "What doesn't kill you.............".

P.S. My system sounds very musical now listening from the kitchen. :-)

I am concerned about the concept of holographic presentation. A solitary instrument in an anechoic environment might apparently produce sound from a small point of space, but are real world performances in any way holographic? Sound waves mix, inter-modulate and bounce. Is facing a stage or sitting among instruments holographic? Not in my experience.

Whether one's stereo should be configured to behave like this must be a matter of taste.
But not, for me at least, a performance indicator of a realistic system.

Donuk sunny downtown York