A bit concerned about possible distortion on cartridge

I got a new LP in, and I noticed some harshness to the high frequency vocals and guitar. I thought the cartridge and tracking was set-up correctly but I may have been wrong. Sorry to bother about this.

This could also be the fact that it's a different pressing that what I'm used to, but this happens on another album of mine too.

Turntable : JVC QL-A200
Cartridge : Shure M92E

https://www.dropbox.com/s/lm1a94229bcvv64/sgtpepper.flac?dl=0

 

If your problem is not evident on all the records you play, then you know it's probably not the cartridge or turntable. I would suggest upgrading to at least a better cartridge and maybe a new higher end turntable.

 

I'm confused by your response to the OP. If you think the issue is not in the cartridge or turntable why are you suggesting that he buy new ones?

To the OP......I'm at work on crappy PC speakers and can't tell anything from your sound file. But good luck!

 

I don't have that on vinyl, so hard to compare, but I don't really hear tracking problems, just rudimentary recording quality & harshness mostly. That being said, that's a pretty basic cartridge, it wouldn't surprise me that you'd have some tracking sibilance and harshness on HF content like that.

 

As the OP stated, his sound problem was on a new album he has and mentions the same problem also on another album he has. Does he only have 2 albums? If he has more than 2 albums, and no other ones have this sound problem, then the problem is with those 2 albums. If the OP has the sound problem with ALL albums, counting more than just 2, then the problem could be with his equipment.

How confusing could that be? It's important to read the OP before responding.

 

It's just as confusing this time as it was the first time you laid it out. He obviously has more than 2 albums. He said he's having the issue with the first album (the one that's a different pressing than he is used to). That alone could indicate that he has TWO of that same title in different pressings, but we don't know that for sure. Then he says "but this happens on another album of mine too". He didn't say "my ONLY other album", he said "another", which would indicate even more albums. He also didn't say that he was having this issue on ALL of his albums. I think if he was he would have said so. So now we're back to the fact that all indications are that he has an issue with two albums out of how ever many he has, but it's certainly not with ALL of the albums he has. The confusing part was and still is, why you suggest he buy a new cartridge and turntable for a problem with two albums. Maybe YOU should read the OP before responding.

 

It's hard for me to know what you're used to and therefore expect (and sorry, I can't listen to your sound file right now either) but I know that it was only once I upgraded to a slightly better deck than the one you currently use that I was really able to get distortion down to levels I consider suitable for critical listening with most well-cut LPs in decent condition.

It's not that your deck necessarily sounds terrible, and I'm not trying to imply that you need something esoteric or trendy, just recalling that in my experience, it was when I stepped up a level from my early 80's Pioneer deck and bought something which had a much more precisely-made arm on it (in my case it was an SME 3009, which was at that time very unfashionable indeed) that I was able to achieve more manageable distortion levels.

 

Lesson in English grammar, "another" and "album" are singular, "others" and "albums" would mean that there would be more than one.

Did he say that he had more than one version of that album? No.

Did he say that his LP is pressed differently than another copy of that same album that he might have? No.

There have always been different styles of pressing and well as the vinyl used for the pressing, even with different factories of the same company. Different styles of pressings can come from the same factory.

Have you seen Jack White's "Blunderbus" LP? There were 2 versions atleast, the lightening bolt version(no 2 are the same) and a regular black vinyl version. Does it look anything like the pressing of "Lazaretto"? All were pressed by URP.

Do you have the Led Zeppelin latest re-issues? All were pressed by Pallas, yet one of my albums is pressed with a flat profile and another with a conventional vinyl dam. Two different styles.

I only told him to maybe replace his cartridge and/or turntable if he had the same problem with ALL of his albums and not just the 2. I'll get technical, but that may confuse you even more. It could be simply the need to replace the stylus(needle to the uninformed). It could even be the brand of stylus. You do realize that more than one manufacturer may make replacement stylii(needles plural), other the the original cartridge manufacturer. Different brands of stylii, fitting the same application(cartridge), often times sound differently. If he has an aftermarket(not original manufacture) stylus, changing to an original(he has a Shure cartridge) or simply replacing the stylus may solve his problem, no matter how many albums he has. I use different cartridges myself to play different kinds of records and only use the original brand of replacement stylii.

I wish you could read and comprehend English. It would lead to be less confusing for you.
-another lesson in futility.

 

No, that's not what you said.

"If your problem is NOT evident on all the records you play, then you know it's probably NOT the cartridge or turntable". Then you proceeded to "suggest upgrading to at least a better cartridge and maybe a new higher end turntable".

 

To the OP: I don't hear any problems with the sample you posted, other than what's in the recording itself. As has already been said, if it's only one or two LPs that are troubling you, and the rest are fine, that would suggests it's the records rather than the cartridge.

 

I had meant it sounds more harsh compared to the newer digital remasters for the album (for both), probably just because a different master is used.
I should probably try to upgrade my stylus or cartridge to something better to increase the quality though.

 

Sure wish you could read or comprehend what you read. What is the matter with upgrading a turntable or cartridge? And yes, that is what I said or at least meant.

 

Great! You got the idea! Not only do different masters sound different, how it's mastered makes a difference. Many great remasters are done on good old analog tube equipment. If Bernie Grundman is involved, it's analog. The higher grade the cartridge, the more sound you're going to get out of the grooves, including somethings that you don't want to hear. When choosing a cartridge, there is all kinds of frequency ranges to choose from with various cartridges. Pick the frequency range that best suits the type of music you are listening to. If you mainly listen to classical music, a wide frequency range is what you want. If you mainly listen to compressed mono recordings, then a narrower frequency range is what you want.
Back in the 70's, I tried using a CD-4 compatible cartridge for my main cartridge. Boy was that a mistake. I didn't need a cartridge with a 50khz upper end to play 45's or regular LP's.

 

Oh snap, I forgot to read your mind! Silly me.

 

I found it to be rather loud and harsh compared to the digital file I have, but I don't hear any horrible turntable issues like a worn stylus, etc.

The channels are backward compared to the digital file, though.

 

That's odd, the channels are right compared to the digital file I have. (vocals & electric guitar on the right, basic rhythm track and refrain on the left)

 

The channels seem the right way round to me, too. But there's a huge difference in EQ between your sample and the remastered CD. The CD has massive bass while your sample has very little. And your sample has a brighter top end, too. I think it's quite likely that these differences are making your sample sound relatively harsher. The CD is bass heavy anyway but it could be that your cartridge has a bright frequency response as well - it's hard to say without more information.

 

Ca you elaborate please? I'm curious what others do re: different kinds of stylus for different records.

Edit: I didn't mean to leave that last paragraph in your quote...

 

I have sgt peppers, is this mono or stereo? I cant really listen to it at work. If it is mono I could test it out this evening and let you know. sadly, I will be unable to tell you if it is stereo

 

Update : Well my assumptions about this being a relatively new cartridge is thrown out the window, I removed the stylus and the brass on the upgradeable part looks like it's worn out (if i had to make an assumption I'd say it's 15-20 years old). So are there any particularly good styluses for this cart around the 20-40$ range?

EDIT : Yep, it's hard to see but the stylus looks sort of dull under a magnifying glass. (it's not as chiseled as a needle, I don't really know what a completely worn out stylus looks like but it's safe to say I definitely need to replace at least the stylus.)

 

It's stereo.

 

2nd UPDATE : I just ordered a EVG (Made in Japan, Jico I assume) stylus for the cartridge for 15$, should be better than the one I got.

 

OK. For me, I use a Shure M97Xe as my basic cartridge. For most 45's and RCA "Dynagroove" LP records I use a Pickering NP/AC with it's conical stylus and narrower frequency. For CD-4 quadraphonic records, I use a Shure M24H for it's extended high-frequency range and hyperbolic stylus. For wide-groove 78rpm records, I use the Shure M78S for it's 2.7 mil diamond conical stylus. I have used other brands of cartriges also, including Grado and AudioTechnica. Outside of my original AT12S, which I tried to use as an everything microgroove cartridge(which was a mistake using it on anything but CD-4 records), I have had records destroyed by AT carts and was never happy with their reproduction.

Most professional record-playing DJ's use multiple cartridges.

 

Well since I can't afford any new speakers at the moment, I heard that removing the grills from speakers can improve the sound so I did that, and I'm surprised my Logitech X-140 speakers sound better once I did that, better sound stage, better bass etc.

And now I'm stoked for my new stylus.

 

Thanks! Sounds like we use a lot of the same stuff (big fan of Shure) and I'm mostly happy with my results.

Question - does pairing carts with their stylus make much difference?

What I mean is, most Shure stylus will fit my M97Xe - should I use that or should I use the cart that is made for my stylus (I don't think the 78 stylus actually has a corresponding cart...)?