References
Here's some feedback from people who've bought my GyroDec/armboard upgrade kits (sorted by date):
-Jarmo Lilja, Raahe, Finland. January 2010.
Michell GyroDec SE, Orbe Platter, HR PSU, Origin Live Illustrious MK3c, Lyra Dorian, Transcendent tube RIAA, Transcendent Grounded Grid preamp, Transcendent T16, OTL power amp, Stacked Quad ESL. Full upgradekit + armboard upgrade:
"It is now about a month ago when I did the full Pedersen upgrade plus the armboard upgrade to my Gyro SE. The quality of the parts was top-notch and
instructions easy to follow. During the last four weeks I've been listening through my old vinyls - the new sound is stunning!
I loved my old Gyro, butnow it is a totally new player. As stated, the bass is like solid rock. The whole frequency range is out of colorations and distortions. Surface noise level is also improved and the sound is more dynamic and impressive. All the details are there and the soundstaging has improved as well.
To summarize,the mod was worth all the investment and I can recommend it to all Gyro owners."
-Richard Knowless, Essex, UK. April 2007.
Michell Orbe, SME V arm, Fuji ZYX Cartridge. Full upgradekit:
"Test System:
Full-Orbe, Incognito re-wired SME V, ZYX Fuji -S-SB, EAR 324 phonostage, Hardy Mu-Follower preamp, Modified Assemblage EL34 in triode PP poweramp, Martin Logan SL3 electrostatics. Nordost Valhalla interconnects and Red Dawn speaker cable.
I used to own this Orbe but the springs annoyed me. Sound was always a bit heavy/thick and closed-in, so I sold it on. Recently I bought it back to modify for a friend. We did the modifications over a couple of weekends.
The kit is all very good quality and parts well made. The instructions are very clear, tools included and the picture disc clarifies everything and shows the various steps...this is a nice touch. The only tricky operations are the various drill holes that might be easiest with an upright drilling machine for best result, although it is possible to do by hand (as we did). The filler is a bit messy but if you mix small amounts it's ok. I found the sand filling operation tiring as you need to shake the sand in to fill it solidly and it gets very heavy after a while...I had to stop after that for a rest! But the effort is extremely rewarding!
"Cat among the pigeons":
The sound was something of a revelation and set me thinking how foolish I was to sell the Orbe! I currently use both an SME 20 with V and an Amazon One with a Triplanar....Both very capable decks....but this modified Orbe has some interesting characteristics that I like very much. Frequency extremes are very extended with a clean sparkling treble that is not exaggerated. Focused and extended bass with no boom. Old orchestral recordings sound very real....with proper instrument tone and colour (string tone, woodwind and brass sound very realistic). Dynamics are excellent and pace is fast and very musical with great timing and instrumental interplay. Like other super-decks (yes this is now in that league!) it needs careful setup of the cartridge (ZYX's are very fussy!) and must be absolutely level at all times or you loose the magic owing to wrong arm-bias and bearing drag. But it's easy to get it level and it's very stable...pitch stability is spot on, bass drum and timpani are powerful and real with proper slam and no slur.
My friend is delighted and I am annoyed with myself for selling it on a second time!!!
If I get another one, how am I going to live with three decks in my house, each with it's own magic and interestingly all with rubber suspension..?!
It will be interesting to see if I end up keeping only one......at the moment I have a sneaky feeling it could be a Pedersen Orbe..!
Many thanks for a great modification and for "putting the cat among the pigeons"! "
-Paul Goutiere, Canada. February 2007.
GyroDec SE, Rega RB 600 arm, Benz L2 MC cartridge. Full upgradekit:
"I finished the table this weekend and the results are amazing! As you suggested I started by playing well known records and the differences are very noticeable, a much tighter bass and everything seems much more focused. The increased mass and tighter suspension has yielded incredible results! All in all, this is the best upgrade I've ever done to my system, I highly recommend this to anyone who wants to hear what their Gyrodec is capable of.
I should add that the whole process gave me a much
better understanding of the turntable's dynamics and a greater
appreciation to its design.
Lots of fun.
Many thanks Gert!"
-Michael Gammage, Birmingham, UK. February 2007.
GyroDec SE, Orbe platter, SME V arm, Lyra Argo cartridge. GP Armboard Upgradekit for SME:
"Fitting was very simple - excellent and clear instructions - took about 15 minutes.
Now I have had a chance to listen I have to agree with all the previous comments about value for money!
Huge improvement in image definition and depth, much better controlled bass, superb instrument definition and detail, especially in the upper bass to mid range. Voices are much more real, as is piano.
Keep up the good work!"
-Phil Morgan, Buckinghamshire, England. January 2007.
GyroDec MKIV, Michell Tecno arm, Ortofon kontrapunkt B cartridge. Full upgradekit (upgraded by Gary Whitford, UK):
"I collected the Gyro from Gary last Thursday night, he's done a lovely job of fitting the upgrades. He also fitted an Orbe spindle with the better record clamp.
I am very pleased with the improvements to bass depth, timing, detail and musicality. It makes the deck a more absorbing listen in every sense. Theres treble detail in spades that i was missing before too.
The Gyro looks stunning too - I much prefer the aesthetics with the upgrades installed than the standard deck.
An excellent value upgrade."
-Paul Eros, East Sussex, England. January 2007.
Michell ORBE, SME IV arm, Lyra Helikon cartridge. Full upgrade-kit:
"Well I did it. I am now the proud owner of a Pederson'd Orbe. The rest of my system is SME IV, Lyra Helikon, Thrichord Delphini/NC, Pathos Logos, Chord Signature cables and interconnects and ART Stilleto speakers.
The instructions are clear and legible and come with a photo cd containing pictures of the upgrade at various stages. I printed these out onto A4 paper so that I had copies to hand in my garage where I performed the work which, if you follow Gerts instructions is easy.
After checking cartridge alignment, VTA, tracking weight and bias I dropped the needle of the Lyra Helikon into the first track on the Bob Dylan album Oh Mercy. I have never been able to listen to the first track, political world, of this otherwise excellent album. Previously I found it muddled and not at all musical. With the Pedersen'd Orbe I was treated to a Dylan spectacular. His voice stands alone centre stage and is brought forward in to the room. The backing instruments now have their own space and the bass rythm drives the track along at a fantastic pace. There is air, clarity and musicality to boot. I listend to numerous other albums into the wee small hours of sunday morning and found each album I listened to to be sharper, more musical and ultimately more intelligable than previously.
The only way I can describe it is that I now have real musicians with real instruments and breath in their lungs, in my front room....
who wants to go to concerts anymore?
The Michell Orbe is a fantastic real world record playing machine. With the Pedersen upgrades it's, to my ears anyway, a real world better...can vinyl sound better than this? It hasn't in my system....come to think of it nor has CD !!!!
I cannot wait to hear from Gert about future upgrades."
-Shaun Chan, HongKong. January 2007.
Michell ORBE SE, Odyssey RP1-XG arm, Koetsu Urushi cartridge, GP Armboard upgradekit:
"Well, I must congratulate your amazing armboard kit which elevates the Orbe SE into another level. The top is more open and more air. Image is more solid hence better body tone. The piano is crispy and more real, the sax is fuller, guitar is more transparent, and vocal has more body. The bass is also tightening up but not too much so it is still very extend and ease. Overall, the sound is more lively and open then before. Well the new Koetsu still needs time to break in so I guess when the full glory of the Koetsu unveils the sound will be amazing.
Thank you very much for this kit, truly worth every penny and more!"
-Peter Fong, Middelsex, UK. January 2006
Michell GyroDec SE, ORBE platter, Rega Origin live silver arm, Lyra Lydian Beta MC cartridge, Full upgrade-kit:
"I completed the upgrade a few weeks ago. It had been a labour of love & I was in anticipitation of what musical improvements there would be. Well the degree of improvement in sonic performance knocked me back. Much more information was now retrieved from the grooves. The cartridge stylus was tracing the groove with extreme accuracy. More subtle notes of chords now sounded & extra lines of harmonies appeared. Now was a more complete picture of the structure & coherence of the music.
Bass is extended, powerful, tight & tuneful. There is an increase in dynamic range, from low to high sound intensity. I now set the volume control a little lower. Some percussive sounds eg bell, brushed symbals are balanced better -before they were almost inaudible among the music mix. To me the quality of piano reproduction is a good evaluator & now, given a good recording the infinite harmonics of the piano is very satisfying to hear.
Considering the Gyro was so very good with your armboard upgrade & Orbe platter, my expectation was that any further improvements would be small. When you get to these high levels of performance it gets more & more difficult to better this; that is the law of diminishing returns. The GP upgrade is a rare exception to this rule because it happens to provide brilliant improvements for a modest cost.
Also the tt is easier to setup as the previous spring suspension was awkward to balance & also to get the subchassis to bounce properly. The wobbly arm cueing has been cured. Another major boon is when using the mandatory screw down clamp with the platter rotating. It is much more stable. And to me it looks better,yes more professional finish with the new suspension mount, kevlar stabilisers & large acrylic base!
Thank you Gert for the most rewarding upgrade ever for these great value turntables."
-Gary Whitford, Bedfordshire, UK. January 2006
Michell ORBE SE, SME IV arm, Jan Allearts MC 1B cartridge, GP Armboard upgradekit:
"It was the cheapest tweak I have come across with such great results. I now have cleaner treble and better bass control. Its like a veil being lifted, but most impressive is the amount of extra detail that can now be heard.
I would urge any one with a Gyro-Dec or Orbe to try this mod out !!"
-Peter Fong, Middelsex, UK. December 2005
Michell GyroDec SE, Rega Origin live silver arm, Lyra Lydian Beta MC cartridge, GP Armboard upgradekit:
"Many thanks for your prompt service. Many more thanks for bringing great music
into my life!
I take my hat off to you! Your armboard upgrade has truly surpassed my
expectations. Its cost is very small, so it is also a great audiophile
bargain. The most notable improvements to me are -stereo imaging is now
stable, separate voices well defined and musically together, extended bass, notes of
chords heard, reproduction of metallic timbre of bass strings of piano &
guitar.
Before this I was thinking hard of what to change next - speakers,
amp, cables etc. This would have cost plenty. Now because the front end ie the source has
improved as never before, each component really does sound so very good!
Changing to a new megabucks amp would not have brought this level of improvement,
which is logical but because the Gyro was so highly rated I had overlooked its
weaknesses.
Together with your upgrades these Mitchell decks are without competition.
Now I want to concentrate on getting the main GP upgrade. (see new reference above)
It was difficult for me to choose the numerous fine decks on the market but
now without doubt the Gyro fitted with GP Armboard upgrade offers the best
value by a wide margin."
-Mark Townley, West midlands, UK. August 2005
Michell Gyrodec SE, grey, Origin Live 250 arm, Lyra Beta cartridge, GP Armboard upgradekit:
"I installed the armboard upgrade kit and was most impressed: Whilst individual instruments within the soundstage were better focussed, the soundstage itself gained in its proportion - particulary in its depth plane.... I then started to adjust the VTA height using the spacing washers - in the past I have not really been able to detect the change in sound by altering the VTA - with the armboard kit in place the changes in VTA were easily heard! This then resulted in several days of me playing around with the different spacer washers before finally settling on the combination I prefered.
In short I am really happy with the results and would recommend the upgrade kit to anyone who has not yet got one!!
Thanks for making my turntable sound even better than it did."
-Gianvittorio Solari, Genova, Italy. May 2005
Michell Gyrodec SE, grey, SME IV arm, Benz MC Wood 0,8 cartridge, GP Armboard upgradekit:
"I got a new Pre phono few months ago (AR PH5) and a new Cartridge (BENZ MC wood 0,8).
Since I installed everything joined with my Michell Gyrodec SE and the SME IV, big problems came out.
The bass was strongly blooming , especially on the high side of the bass frequencies.
The mid/high was behind a fog. No clarity and scene. The situation was really depressive.
Given that the sound with the CD was absolutely perfect, I started to exclude problems from the amplification or ambient.
I spoke about it to a friend of mine who suggested me to try the GP Armboard upgradekit. I did it. I must be honest: I was not expecting nothing radical from the kit, an improvment yes, but nothing more.
After I mounted a new world appeared in front of me, all the odds dissapeared.
Perfect bass control, Lucent high. The mid totally musical.
Even the scene opened wide giving details never heard with my equipment.
I am going to put a small monument of Gert in my living room."
-Jonathan Palin, Kent, UK. April 2005
Michell GyroDec V, SME IV arm, Ortofon Rohmann cartridge, GP Armboard upgradekit:
"Dear Gert - Finally found time to install SME armboard upgrade to my Gyro...
I must say it's a VERY impressive mod - Low level detail is much clearer - I actually thought it sounded like there was less Bass - I then realised it's all there - I just wasn't hearing the Woolyness and Bloat of resonances which weren't meant to be there - Imaging seems much improved and a level of "Grain" seems to have gone throughout the frequency spectrum - I think the control of resonances to and from the cartridge are responsible for this - exactly as your upgrade intended - Its a very cost-effective and noticeable upgrade - thanks!"
-Mark Brown, London, UK. January 2005
Michell GyroDec, Rega Origen live RB 250 arm, Dynavector DV-10X4 cartridge, GP Armboard upgradekit:
"Well, after all this time I have got around to having the armboard upgrade installed. My question to you is, are you sure it shouldn't cost some more? :-)
I think this has proven to be more significant than a cartridge upgrade. It had an effect on three areas in my set up: Bass, Vocals and Treble. Bass was clearly more defined, it same the same power but was now more integrated in the mix. Vocals are even more clearer, I had a problem with slight sibilance - this is eliminated now. The treble, no more splash. I can hear the decay of the cymbals more naturally. Really glorious stuff!
I got to thank you for sharing this with the hifi community. I remember reading somewhere that this mod should be included on the Gyro and Orbe as standard. It's very true, this mod is THAT good. I think I'll put off buying a new cartridge until mid New Year.
Gert thank you, thank you, thank you :-)
All the best, have a fantastic 2005"
-Joao Branco, Oeiras, Portugal. January 2005
Michell ORBE SE, SME V arm, Benz LP cartridge, GP Armboard upgradekit:
"Three days after placing my order, I received the armboard kit for my Michell Orbe SE / SME V tonearm (a very fast shipment). Only fifteen minutes of work and the kit was installed, replacing the original fixing screws and washers. Only 10 minutes more, for the final adjustments on my tonearm, and everything was ready to the final test. I was anxious to check the results of the GP Armboard Kit.
The DallasWind Symphony Fiesta, from Reference Recordings label, was the selected record to the final judgement of the Gert Pedersen armboard Kit.
The lights switched off and the show began.
Unbelievable!
What a big sound improvement! Much better than with the blue-tack technique, which I have experienced before, with good results!
Just four comments to describe the improvements I have immediatelly noticed:
- More air all around the instruments;
- More realistic 3D soundstage;
- Cleaner high frequencies;
- Deeper and more controlled bass.
Conclusion:
I strongly recommend this fantastic hi-end product, without hesitation: - It produces a remarkable upgrade for a reasonable price!"
-David Elm, Alberta, Canada. November 2004
Michell ORBE SE, Morsiani CM-1 low mass arm, Music Maker II cartridge, upgrade-kit, plus GP Armboard upgradekit:
"The modifications have been installed now for about a month. The difference in sound was immediately noticeable: improved clarity through the frequency range. I gather this comes from improved vibration control. Selections that were previously busy were now clearer and as a result enjoyable. The sound stage was changed: better seperation and development in the centre. Good recordings improved and poor recordings remained poor (there is no magic)."
-Kostas Agath, London, United Kingdom. September 2004
Michell GyroDec MK V, HR psu, grey, SME V arm, Koetsu Urushi cartridge, upgrade-kit 24 carat gilt, plus GP Armboard upgradekit:
"Punchier bass, better definition in midrange and treble, better
soundstaging. I have no hesitation to recommend the Pedersen
modification...
The following comments refer to both turntable and arm modification that were done at the same time:
There is an abundance of presence in the lower registers. Bass is much punchier presenting itself every now and then, when the depth and the better definition of a note, previously only alluded to, pleasantly startle you. (Examples: the accentuation of rhythm in Pink Floyd’s ‘Speak to me’ in the ‘Dark Side of the Moon’; the cohesion brought to the magic of Sam Gopal’s ‘Yesterlove’ in the Escalator LP; the subwoofer I thought I had in my room in Eric Clapton’s ‘Unplugged’)
Higher up the frequency range you get better discrimination and soundstaging. For the first time I could position in space 5 of the 6 Valkyries at the start of Act III, in Die Walkure with von Karajan. And although Siegrune remains elusive, each of her five sisters could now claim her own space in my listening room when singing alone. In Allegri’s ‘Miserere’ by the Tallis Scholars the better discrimination of the voices also defined the blackness of the surrounding cathedral I thought I was sharing with the singers. In ‘Grace’ by Country Joe and the Fish all those high pitch sounds were neither bleeding into, nor competing with each other anymore; instead they were creating music together!"
-Willem Schipper, Schiedam, The Netherlands. May 2004
GyroDec SE, SME IV arm, Denon 304 cartridge, GP Armboard Upgradekit:
"Saturday i mounted the armupgrade on my gyro SE.
It's an improvement !
More " air " around the voices.
Also the lower frequenties are cleaner.
The sound becomes more precieze.
I can say : it's an improvement !"
-Jamie Holland, Norwich, UK. February 2004
GP Armboard Upgradekit:
"Thanks Gert.
My thoughts:
The Pedersen Gyro SE Armboard upgrade is one of the best value tweaks I've ever made. In fact, not only does it improve a major weakness of the Gyro SE it also manages to look pretty as well. 100% satisfied."
-Michael Gartz, Düsseldorf, Germany. July 2003
Michell GyroDec SE, grey, upgrade-kit:
"For me, the ingeneous thing is, that the Pedersen-Gyro combines the virtues of a heavy 'mass'-Player with the advantages of a suspended player.
It's very hard to describe what i hear now, i would say you are more 'in' the music, you get a better feel of 'to be there'. It's more spacious, bass is tighter and more defined, and i hear an overall better separation of the instruments.
And, as a side effect, the player looks sooo great with the new acrylic groundplate and the new suspension towers! Even the wife said WOW... :-)
I checked with a great recording which i have, 'Kip Dobler, Reaching out from the inside'.
It's a Direct-To-Disc recording from Cardas Records, which lots of acoustic drums, flute and acoustic guitar etc.. It has an ultra-deep bass from the acoustic drums and a sensational sound quality.
The bass quality now is much tighter than before, and the overall 'picture' of the music is much more holographic! I am very happy!!!!
Youre a genius... :-)
And i liked how lovingly the whole package is put together, with the little wooden blocks, the wood for to check the height of the chassis, and you even thought to put the 4 little pots for to stir the PP into the package!
Very helpful.
A big Thank You Michael Gartz Düsseldorf"
-Colin Johnson, San Fransisco, USA. April 2003
GP Armboard Upgradekit:
"I finally got around to installing Gert's upgrade to my ORBE SE today.
I use an SME IV.vi with this turntable and otehrs have commented upon the amount of energy this arm reflects back into the chassis and ultimately finds it's way into the bearing etc and colors the sound.
Gert Pederson from Denamrk addresses this issue with a few simple additions to the stock armboard.
I have to say it's made a dramatic difference to the sound of my turntable.
Imaging is more holographic.
The sound seems to have more detail and yet be more relaxed at the same time - simillar to what the EAR phono stage did in my system.
(Now I'll have to try it again, because it may be too much now)
Voices are incredible - Nora Jones sounds like she is in my living room :)
I'd recommend this upgrade to any Gyrodeck/ORBE owner and a cheap ($86 including shipping) way to better sound.
Gert even takes Paypal now after I persuaded him to get it :)
Well done Gert !!!"
-Jan Andersson, Uppsala, Sweden. January 2003
Michell GyroDec SE, grey, acrylic groundplate, upgrade-kit:
"Review of Gyro SE Upgrade kit
I had no problem following the very clear assembly instructions, and it took me about four evenings to install the mod-kit since the silicone needs to dry properly between the different "stages" of the assembly.
The finished player looks very cool; maybe not as "polished" as the original mainly because of the visible silicone strings on top of the subchassis, but the replaced parts such as the suspension mounting pieces and the large acrylic bottom plate have a very high finish indeed.
Using the modified player one notices a totally transformed "feel" to it; gone is the rather "wobbly" experience of cueing the arm onto the record - the new and much stiffer rubber suspension makes the whole record playing excercise seem more "safe" and similar to using an unsuspended record deck.
After reading all the positive reviews the sound of the modified player surely didn't disappoint; an extended frequency range with more details, quiter backgrounds, and a punchier bass was among the changes which was noted immediately. After listening a bit more one becomes aware of more "solid" feeling to the sound images portrayed, voices and instruments doesn't "move around" in the sound picture as they used to, and the "layering" of different sounds in the depth of a recording have become much more obvious.
I would therefore rate Gert Pedersens upgrade kit as giving excellent value for money considering the great performance increase it brings to the already very good original Michell Gyro SE."
-Marcel, The Netherlands, January 2003
GP Armboard Upgradekit:
"Hi Gert,
Firts let me congratulate myself with the purchasing of your armboard upgrade, via Janis Lykakis (who indeed recently ordered two pieces). Second, let me congratulate you, by succeeding in putting an upgrade in the market, which is of the biggest importance for Michell owners worldwide... Please call John Michell, and tell him to include your armboard upgrade as a STANDARD with the Gyro or Orb decks!!! It impressed me by 1) Mega easy installment, and 2) The very first second of it sounding, it never sounded before! What an improvement... Super; the Transparancy, the controlled bass response, the imaging, the sound scape... I can go on and on and on... Perhaps a little hint: Let future owners tweak and play with tighting the 3 hex-screws with the little rubber ring: you can exactly "find" the best tension, by playing a piano record, with well recorded lefthand keyboard (like Bösendorfer Grand played by Tori Amos on Under the pink), and make sure the lower notes sound: 1) tuneful, 2) sparkling (also "bright") and 3) well defined and "weighty" enough! This is a piece of cake! Bravo! Thank you very much for this important upgrade! I will rethink my planned arm upgrade: Now I am able to get more of it, and I am more than happy with it, co working with your armboard adapter upgrade!"
-Dave Cattermoul, Leicester, UK. November 2002
GP Armboard Upgradekit:
"First impressions
I installed the armboard modification a couple of weeks ago on my VC'd SE , with OL Silver arm and Clearaudio Virtuoso Wood. During the first few days I experimented with the number of PVC washers between the armplate and the frame, settling on the thickest of the three supplied on each of the bolts. I also experimented with the tightness of the bolts.
The beauty of the mod is that it is totally reversible if you do not like it (I do!) and does not break any warranties that may still apply.
Results
The whole sound picture has opened with more detail, silkier strings and an air of relaxed authority. Climaxes build and build with no sense of strain and the image keeps the air around it (Stokowski Sheherezade, Berglund Sibelius) with no hardening of the treble. Bass is tight and deeper than before.
Gert has come up with a gem here, that improves the sound and looks good as well!
Any Gyro (or Orbe) user should try this."
-Hans Henrik Brok-Kristensen, Måløv, Denmark. May 2002
Michell GyroDec, black, upgraded by Gert Pedersen:
"Like most HiFi-freaks I was always on the look-out for further improvement on my stereo equipment. In my search I came in contact with Gert Pedersen and got him to work on my Michell Gyrodec.
Before I had always appreciated the functional design and sumptuous sound of this record player, but after - the change is amazing!
The bass is rock-solid and seems much deeper now, precision and clarity have audibly improved, and the dynamic range has extended considerably. It's a new record player at bargain price!
On top of that the modifications blend in very well with the design - they almost look original.
I recommend Gert Pedersen's work without reservation.
A final word warning: If you go ahead and do it you may find yourself hooked on listening and re-listening to your old grammophone records for hours and hours and hours........."
-Gene Fachin, Carlifornia, USA. March 2002
Michell GyroDec, grey, upgrade-kit:
"-Easy to install
-Good installation instructions
The one thing I did not like about the Gyrodec was the spring suspension, I never knew if it was right.
The mod eliminates the springs and makes a solid turntable and stays in adjustment.
Everything improved
-soundstage, detail, tone, imaging, musicality.
It is the best single improvement to my stereo for the money...
I have not played CD's (Sony XA77ES SACD player) since installing the mod.
I was going to get a new Turntable/arm/cartridge. I don"t know if I could improve on the Gyrodec
with your mod without spending a great deal of money...
Thank you, you saved me a ton of money. I believe this will be my last Turntable...
I will upgrade the arm from a Lourne to a SME-V. I am using a Van Den Hul FROG."
