COUNTERWEIGHT FOR THE COMMON MAN (tm) Pete Riggle Engineering and Audio is now offering the CCM (Counterweight for the Common Man), a structural upgrade for Rega tone arms. We ship worldwide. Dealer inquiries are welcome. Contact us by email at peteriggle@msn.com or by telephone or fax at 1-509-582-4548. Background: The CCM (Counterweight for the Common Man) is mechanically similar and sonically equivalent to the Origin Live OL1 structural upgrade. The CCM structural upgrade differs from the OL1 structural upgrade in available finishes and in price. The beautiful finishes of the CCM match those of the Pete Riggle Engineering and Audio VTAF (pronounced vee-taff, VTA adjustment on the Fly, patent pending). At about half the price of the OL1 structural upgrade, the CCM is a real bargain, in keeping with the wonderful value present in the Rega RB250 arm and the Pete Riggle Engineering and Audio VTAF. Construction Details: The Counterweight for the Common Man uses precision machined parts. See the final image in this ad for a parts breakdown. Parts include a beautifully finished Alloy 360 brass counterweight, a non- magnetic stainless steel stub, a threaded non-magnetic stainless steel insert into the tone arm, a socket head cap screw securing the stainless steel stub to the rear of the tone arm, a flat point socket head set screw to secure the counterweight to the stub, and a conical washer under the head of the cap screw to allow the user to adjust the tension with which the stub is attached to the rear of the tone arm. An Allen wrench is included for assembly and stylus force adjustment. Machining and finish are of the highest quality. Performance: Our ears tell us the performance of the CCM is equivalent to that provided by the OL1 structural upgrade . . . and we are great admirers of the Origin Live modified Rega 250. In the day of the $3000 U.S. tone arm it is easy to forget to remember what a great arm the OL1 is, especially when equipped with the Pete Riggle Audio VTAF, which provides another tremendous improvement to this already fabulous arm. Our OL1 is still sending us to heaven on a regular basis using a Denon 103L cartridge. Our OL1 counterweight has been replaced by the CCM to match the appearance of the VTAF. Check out the Pete Riggle Engineering and Audio VTAF and the VTAF Teflon Upgrade at our other ebay ads, www.ebay.com, at www.vtaf.com, at www.audiogon.com , and at www.audioasylum.com . Finish: Finish options for the counterweight proper are Laquered Brass or Smoky Silver (laquer over nickel plate over brass). Before final finishing the surface of the counterweight is faux engine turned for a rich appearance and durability, whether in Laquered Brass or Smokey Silver. Prices: The CCM is priced at $75 U.S. in Laquered Brass and $90 in Smoky Silver. These are budget prices for decidedly non-budget construction, finish, and performance. Testimonials: Bernie Candy, Rega RB300: Just to let you know that having had your counterweight for a week or so, how impressed I am!! The humble P3 with an acrylic platter fitted, your CCM counter weight and The P6 Tonearm lead now sounds amazing! Your modification puts it into a different league altogether!! With your modification I suspect I would have to pay a small fortune to better the sound. Greg Owen, Rega RB250: I love my CCM structural modification. It has really improved my Rega RB250. Willie Chu: The CCM is quite beautiful to look at. It sounds better than my previous upgrade counterweight, which is the Expressimo Heavyweight. I think the improvement is due to the better arm stub provided with the CCM. Gerard Paquet: Pete is a superb seller - friendly, helpful. CCM is as described. Fast shipping. Completely satisfied. Highly recommended! Jerome Tomko, Rega RB300: The CCM works well. I have it on my Rega RB300 on a vintage Thorens TD-160 turntable. I am surprised by how good it sounds. Laura Pfefferkorn, Rega RB300: My listening tests show the CCM counterweight system to be superior to my stock Rega RB300 counterweight system. The sound is more forward, focused, and clear. The guiter strums are awesome. Clearly a winner. Bill Gross: I want to thank you for a very fine product. Fit and finish are excellent. The instructions were very easy to follow, however I deviated slightly from them using the tip of a dull #2 pencil to install the insert. The tapered end fit perfectly and was easy to extract. I have been listening now for a week and can say that results were immediate and pronounced. The sound floor has decreased noticeably. Most of the run-in sections are now "almost" inaudible. Any sibilance and harshness present in the vocals are now gone. Bell sounds from the centers of Cymbals are clear along with the "Live shimmer". There are other improvements but the above are so dramatic I will stop here.
Again I thank you for a Common Man approach to an UN-common product.
Photos: The first two images show the CCM in Laquered Brass finish mounted on a Rega RB250 tone arm. The third image shows the CCM in Laquered Brass finish mounted on a Rega RB250 tone arm, with the Pete Riggle Engineering and Audio VTAF for additionally improved sonics from arm board isolation, and easy adjustment of VTA on the Fly (while the record plays). The fourth image shows the CCM in Smokey Silver finish mounted on a Rega RB250 tone arm, with the VTAF for improved sonics and VTA adjustment on the fly. The fifth image shows two CCM units, side by side, one in the Laquered Brass, one in Smokey Silver. The sixth and final image shows the component parts that make up a CCM unit. In this image the counterweight is in Laquered Brass. The components are extremely attractive when viewed directly. The images can not do justice to the finish. Shipping and Insurance: Shipping and insurance for the CCM is $6.00 U.S. to U.S. destinations, $8.00 U.S. to Canada, and $10.00 U.S. to Europe, Australia, and Asia. Shipment will be by Priority Mail within the U.S. and by Air Letter Post to all other destinations. Most shipments will take place within 24 hours of receipt of order. No Questions Return Privilege: The CCM may be returned for a no-questions full refund within 90 days of purchase. Payment: Payment by PayPal is preferred, to the PayPal account of peteriggle@msn.com . Payments shall be in U.S. funds. A money order, international money order, bank check, cashier's check, are acceptable. A personal check on a U.S. bank is acceptable. Credit cards on U.S. banks are accepted by phone or fax to 1-509-582-4548. Shipment will be made when the payment clears. Mail check or money order to: Pete Riggle 2112 S. Olympia Street Kennewick, WA 99337 United States
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