Urika warm-up

[evil_C]

For those who use the Urika phono stage.

I’ve long believed that the Urika improves as it warms up, but does it warm up just by turning the Radikal on and setting the platter spinning? Or does it need to have a signal pass through it? Is the behaviour any different with the Radikal 2?

I typically set the platter spinning 15-30 minutes before playing an album, but one thing I’ve become aware of since the Radikal 2 upgrade is that there’s a very noticeable uplift in performance after say 20-30 minutes of playing music, even after an initial ‘silent’ spinning period. This is so obvious that I’ve gone back to playing side one again after the uplift!

I’d be interested to hear your thoughts.

[Coyote Jim]

Hi Clive.
I've always started my deck spinning about half an hour before a session.
I've always thought that about MC carts they take a while to loosen up or warm to come on song.
Maybe the upgrade of RAD 2 is making this more obvious.
I know a guy when LP listening would play a sacrificial side before a proper listen.
Can't wait to get mine.

[evil_C]

Hi Clive.
I've always started my deck spinning about half an hour before a session.
I've always thought that about MC carts they take a while to loosen up or warm to come on song.
Maybe the upgrade of RAD 2 is making this more obvious.
I know a guy when LP listening would play a sacrificial side before a proper listen.
Can't wait to get mine.

You’re right, it could easily be the cartridge warming up and maybe Rad 2 emphasises this. I don’t fancy playing a sacrificial side on a cartridge which now retails at £3,800! That’s £1,200 thrown away

[Coyote Jim]

Hi Clive.
I've always started my deck spinning about half an hour before a session.
I've always thought that about MC carts they take a while to loosen up or warm to come on song.
Maybe the upgrade of RAD 2 is making this more obvious.
I know a guy when LP listening would play a sacrificial side before a proper listen.
Can't wait to get mine.

You’re right, it could easily be the cartridge warming up and maybe Rad 2 emphasises this. I don’t fancy playing a sacrificial side on a cartridge which now retails at £3,800! That’s £1,200 thrown away

I just enjoy the sound getting better like my car gets smoother warmed up.
I like the difference.

[Mr Onion]

From mains switch on my Urika is not powered until I start the platter turning. From then on the Urika is powered 24/7 (as can be witnessed by cleaning of the stylus being heard through the speakers)

[Wenge1]

Hi Clive.
I've always started my deck spinning about half an hour before a session.
I've always thought that about MC carts they take a while to loosen up or warm to come on song.
Maybe the upgrade of RAD 2 is making this more obvious.
I know a guy when LP listening would play a sacrificial side before a proper listen.
Can't wait to get mine.

You’re right, it could easily be the cartridge warming up and maybe Rad 2 emphasises this. I don’t fancy playing a sacrificial side on a cartridge which now retails at £3,800! That’s £1,200 thrown away

I start my deck spinning 15-30 minutes before starting listening which I believe helps. That being said, I believe its the Cart warming up that is going on here. Like Clive. I personally found the Kandid would take several tracks to get into its full stride. The Atlas takes noticeably less time than the Kandi to to get into its full stride - usually two tracks on average. That being said, I enjoyed the Kandid's performance whilst it was was warming up as I now do the Atlas and so there is no 'sacrifice' there for me. i would most certainly not give up any running time of either.

[evil_C]

Hi Clive.
I've always started my deck spinning about half an hour before a session.
I've always thought that about MC carts they take a while to loosen up or warm to come on song.
Maybe the upgrade of RAD 2 is making this more obvious.
I know a guy when LP listening would play a sacrificial side before a proper listen.
Can't wait to get mine.

You’re right, it could easily be the cartridge warming up and maybe Rad 2 emphasises this. I don’t fancy playing a sacrificial side on a cartridge which now retails at £3,800! That’s £1,200 thrown away

I start my deck spinning 15-30 minutes before starting listening which I believe helps. That being said, I believe its the Cart warming up that is going on here. Like Clive. I personally found the Kandid would take several tracks to get into its full stride. The Atlas takes noticeably less time than the Kandi to to get into its full stride - usually two tracks on average. That being said, I enjoyed the Kandid's performance whilst it was was warming up as I now do the Atlas and so there is no 'sacrifice' there for me. i would most certainly not give up any running time of either.

I always thought it was the phono stage warm up, but you might well be right in that it’s the cartridge. It does seem weird though, given there’s so little mass in the coils to warm up.

[Mr Onion]

I always thought it was the phono stage warm up, but you might well be right in that it’s the cartridge. It does seem weird though, given there’s so little mass in the coils to warm up.

I always thought that it as the suspension relaxing that was responsible for the "Warm Up"

[evil_C]

I always thought it was the phono stage warm up, but you might well be right in that it’s the cartridge. It does seem weird though, given there’s so little mass in the coils to warm up.

I always thought that it as the suspension relaxing that was responsible for the "Warm Up"

Interesting. I assume the suspension is made of some type of rubber compound, which could well loosen up as it warms. It’s still curious as to why it seems to me to be so much more pronounced with Rad 2 than before. Maybe I’m just listening more critically (despite my ears being bunged up with COVID snot! )

[Coyote Jim]

Any cartridge I've ever had sounds better after a couple of first tracks it seemed much more noticeable with MC perhaps the lower mass cools faster but quicker to heat up.
After all it is suspension and generator coils.
Everything has an ideal operating temperature the opposite end has a similar arrangement in moving drive units.

[FangfossFlyer]

I have allows thought it is the bearing oil taking a side or two of an LP to warm up to achieve ‘optimum’ viscosity.

Richard