tom collins wrote:I recently had an in-depth discussion with a person whom I won't name, but is quite involved in the VPI world. I trust his insight. His suggestion was to not purchase the 2nd pivot. As you can see in my system description, I use the 12.7 arm. I told this person that what I hoped to get from the 2nd pivot was tighter bass. He said you might get that at the expense of treble clarity and that the drag of the pivot would damage the faceplate.
I would totally agree with the advice you received on the second pivot device.
In particular, after a debate I had with some other members of the forum in an older thread, where I expressed then my-theoretical is true-own reservations about second pivot’s issues in sound (and not only) effectiveness, and after the persistence of the above members to try it out because I would definitely see improvement, and because from my work I have learned to always confirm (or reject) with trial and error any of my theoretical concerns, I finally bought it and tried it.
![20191130_193946[80761].jpg](./download/file.php?id=5058&sid=8d2cb1885418175190909354b0e280c7)
- 20191130_193946[80761].jpg (21.44 KiB) Viewed 3658 times
After some days of use and careful evaluation, and after I had diligently loaded second pivot device with 65% of the VTF, readjusted A/s due second pivot’s additional drag and succeeding azimuth equilibrium with the Ortofon test disk balancing the crosstalk right, left channel, in combination with "Votan tweak", my verdict for second pivot’s sonics is:
Indeed slightly tighter bass (however then I haven’t even buy the VPI periphery ring) but at the expense of a noticeable loss of freshness and crispness of high frequencies and the unipivot’s traditional immediacy and freedom.
In comparison, the use of periphery ring, without the simultaneous use of dual pivot, but in combination with "Votan tweak", has brought a better bass than the second pivot device, but also, it has not only re-brought the freshness and crispness of high frequencies, but it Improved them even more.
Some side, but no negligible effects were that:
1. The sliding plate of second pivot device, as it was glued on the dogleg, was not completely horizontal (and despite my efforts I never managed to level it), resulting in the azimuth constantly changing slightly, but decisively sonically, during the spindle wise movement of the arm,
2. The sliding plate was finally groove carved on, creating much more and the worst, unpredictably fluctuating drag.
3. After loading the second pivot device it was the VTF that needed once more readjustment.
4. Given that the factory central pivot is too much higher than the second pivot’s contact point to its plate, this is forming an acclivitous axis, which, according to the micro ups and downs of tonearm in corrugated records, causes continuous micro changes of azimuth.
BTW, the above 2, 3 and 4 problems are very successfully solved by the brilliant ideas and execution of the tonearm in following image

- Second pivot assemply done right.jpg (14.78 KiB) Viewed 3658 times
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