JE Labs: VAS Audio: SPU GME II and Supex SD900 IV retip + Stax UA-3NL and Tokyo Sound ST900 repair

Friday, October 21, 2022

VAS Audio: SPU GME II and Supex SD900 IV retip + Stax UA-3NL and Tokyo Sound ST900 repair

VAS Audio Workshop

Before lockdown, Ding promised that he'd introduce me to his friend, Steve Leung, of VAS Audio. He's had his Denon DL103S, Ortofon SL15, Supex SD900, and other classic cartridges re-tipped and repaired by Steve. As the pandemic wound down, I finally got to meet Steve and brought the following MC cartridges for new tips, as well as tonearms for repair at his shop.

Ortofon SPU GME MKII

SPU GME MKII - BEFORE

My Ortofon SPU GME MKII has had a hard life ever since it was gifted to me by my SETUP buddies in the 90s. It's been on semi-retirement since I acquired an SPU#1s + a late 60s or 70s(?) SPU-G (below) with a low mileage nude mounted conical stylus.

SPU-G

This SPU-G portrays a wider and airier sonic landscape with perhaps a bit more detail compared to my more recent SPU#1s. It also sounds more organic than the GME MKII.

SPU GM~~(E) MKII~~ - AFTER

I attribute the SPU-G's sonic superiority to the better polished nude mounted conical stylus vs. the bonded conical stylus of the SPU#1s. So I asked Steve to fit his finest nude mounted conical stylus on my GME MKII.

Ortofon SPU GM~~(E) MKII~~

Agreeing to my downgrade idea,😉 Steve may have turned the GME MKII into an SPU-G equivalent of the SPU-A wood. All I know is, it can stand up to my cousin's SPU Synergy!😊

Supex SD900 MKIV

BEFORE

The Koetsu Black and Supex SD900 were my dream cartridges back in the 80s. When I finally found an SD900 I could afford, it sported a ruby cantilever + complex stylus profile upgrade.😏 Although traces of the classic Supex tonality were still there, it sounded compressed and swamped by dry analytical detail.😞

AFTER

I asked Steve to work the same magic on my Supex as he did on Ding's, albeit with a twist. We agreed upon an aluminum cantilever just like the original and I requested for another nude mounted spherical stylus.

SD900 MK IVs (s = spherical)

Steve remarkably transformed the Supex! The harmonic richness and dynamics this classic MC cartridge is known for was restored. To my ears, the SD900's edge over my SPUs and DL103s is its ability to focus and retrieve detail without inducing tinnitus. Because of Steve's phenomenal restomod job, I'm no longer yearning for a Koetsu! 😊

Stax UA-3NL

Being an ardent fan and committed user of the Gray 108 viscous damped tonearm and its Japanese clones for monaural hifi applications, I needed to experience a modern iteration of a uni-pivot. This design actually dates back to the late 60s. Scroll down to page 1413 for the review in the Hi-Fi News November 1969 issue. The UA-70 seems to be essentially the same tonearm updated in the 70s with an anti-skate mechanism.

More Stax info at vinylengine.com

I added the UA-3NL to my collection in early 2018 and paired it with my Thorens TD124 and Sony TTS 2500, respectively. I was going to include this tonearm in my Alfred Bokrand AB309 write-up but one channel dropped out.

When I finally accessed the internal hair-like strands of enameled wire, I realized that repairing it was beyond my DIY abilities.

Similar to the knife-edge bearing'd SME 3012, the Stax presents a mid to back row concert hall perspective, which is an atmospheric experience without any loss of detail. Although I've used it satisfactorily with the SPU#1S, it brings out the best from cartridges that track in the 1.5 > 2.5 gram range. Just like the SME 3012, the UA-3NL may not appeal to listeners who favor a front row seat/kick drum on your chest presentation.

Thanks to Steve's skill and nimble hands, I'm enjoying my UA-3NL again!

Tokyo Sound ST900

This 9" tonearm from the early 60s has an NHK broadcasting heritage. Comprehensive information about the ST900 is available at audio-heritage.jp. Surprisingly, the spindle to pivot mounting distance wasn't specified.

So I took out my ancient Cart-Align protractor, did some measurements with my Ortofon SPU#1s cartridge attached and got a pivot to spindle distance of 223mm. I haven't had any problems with cartridges I installed conforming to the SPU's overhang.

Claus Volke and this Japanese audio blog have more to say about this tonearm.

It's equipped with a non-standard 4-pin connector in which the negative phase of the right channel is internally grounded. This limits its use to the stock plastic head shell. In an effort to make it compatible with modern metal head shells, I successfully detached the 4 pin connector at the base of the tonearm pillar. It turns out the ground connection was near the head shell collet, which I couldn't remove. Instead of risking damage, I relied on Steve's expertise.

The design may have been inspired by the Ortofon SMG212 and SKG212 with added Japanese innovations. It is quite massive and can easily balance a 30+ gram SPU. So far the lightest cartridge/head shell combo I used successfully was 19.5 grams. Given its high tolerance bearings, it's an ideal partner to the Denon DL103, Ortofon SPU, and similar low compliance cartridges. Consider this as an excellent alternative to the classic Ortofon AS/RM/SK/SMG 212 series tonearms especially if you prefer the svelte proportions of a compact plinth!