ark (02/17/83)
I have learned a little since my last query. First, several people told me about weights to put in the middle of the record. These people, helpful though they were, missed the mark. The edges of these records warp UP, not DOWN. I called Harvey Sound in New York. They said that such a device was made by Monster Cable Co. but that they did not carry it. I tried Lyric Hi-Fi, also in New York. They said they hadn't heard of such a thing from Moster Cable, but that Kenwood made one and they would sell it to me for a cool $160. Yipes! I next tried Audio Lab in New Brunswick NJ. They confirmed Lyric's story, except that they said they didn't have it in stock and that it would only be $150. They hadn't heard of such a thing from Monster Cable either. Next, I called Monster Cable. They said they sell weights for the center of a record, but not for the edges. I then called Kenwood. They said that they had a model DS-20 weight for record edges, priced at $150, and a model DS-21 for the center, costing $40. None of the four other local dealers I tried had heard of such a thing. I finally called Eardrum Stereo in Nanuet NY. They had been advertising on the radio recently and some people I know had bought stuff there recently. They said I wanted a "Warp-out" ring, made by Equilibrium Systems. They described it to me, and it was just the thing. I asked them how much it cost. The woman who had answered the phone said she didn't know, and handed me off to a man who I think was the owner (same accent as the radio ads). He said he actually didn't know how much they cost because the manufacturer had never sent him a price sheet, but he supposed they were between $20 and $25. I gave him my credit card number and he said they would ship me one unless it turned out to be more than $25, in which case they would call me first. With a little luck, it will arrive Tuesday. I'll let you all know how it works.