New Dynavector 20X2H and distortion!!!

so, I just received a new Dynavector 20X2H, and I can’t get rid tracking errors! I have set up many carts, and have never had such trouble. I used the included VPI alignment jig that came with my Aries Scout, and a plastic mirrored protractor. On both, the cart appears perfectly aligned. At the maxim VTF of 2.2 I am still getting distortion! I have tried twisting the connecting cable, which VPI recommends to set anti skate. It doesn’t help at all no matter. Maybe a bad 20x2H?

 

In one place you say tracking errors, and in another distortion, same issue? Are you hearing constant distortion in both channels with multiple records? What do you use to measure the tracking force? Are you sure the cueing mechanism is going down all the way so you have gap between arm and rest when playing the record? You have the H version, so presumably you are using it with a MM phono stage?

 

Thank you Davey! Yes. MM stage of a McIntosh C32. The cueing rest is working correctly. I use a digital scale to set VTF. Tracking error and distortion are the same thing in this example. It’s not constant, but audible in louder passages. It’s present on multiple records thus far.

 

A bad cart is a reasonable possibility. It happens.

 

Alright Dennis! Listening to Jerry and the boys right now! A nice vinyl release of Reckoning. Trying to hear any distortion, but folks are sleeping in the house so I can’t turn it up enough. I will email Audiophile Music Direct, and inform them of the issue at hand.

 

Have you inspected the stylus under high magnification? In rare cases even expensive cartridges can have styli mounted on the cantilever in a manner that's way off, but not visible to the naked eye.

 

From my experience, if you have a defective cart, it’s not going to be a sporadic issue. It will be a constant distortion or static on every record.

 

Yeah. At times the sound is exquisite! I twisted the wires per VPI even more than recommended, and it helped a touch. I just ordered the VPI anti-skate device, so we shall see.

 

How are you setting azimuth? If it is off a lot you are causing tracking issues on the groove wall not contacting the stylus well. You should hear AS issues more towards spindle, azimuth issues will happen all over the record.

 

On the JMW-9 tonearm, one uses the counterweight to set azimuth. I have it set as close to perfect as I believe possible.

 

It’s most likely a bad cartridge. It happens.

 

I'm sure you've checked this but how about the tonearm wires to the cart. Are they snug?

 

I have the Low version and it doesn't get any more easier and forgiving from a setup perspective than that. Something is amiss, here.

 

Just a few more questions, answer what you want, partly just my curiosity so don't feel obligated to reply in detail. What cartridge were you using on it before? Do you know for sure it is the cartridge mistracking and not the preamp overloading (they can sound similar)? I presume you've been using this preamp for playing records in the past so know it's working good? Do you have any test records? Good cartridges generally don't mistrack on loud passages unless the tracking force is too low, I doubt it's due to anti-skate setting (or lack of it), but it could make it worse. Can you see with the arm floating that there is currently very little anti-skate force pulling it back to the armrest position due to the wire twist? Do you measure the VTF close to the same level as the record surface (important on low slung counterweight arms like the VPI, though won't cause any gross error)? Assuming you see no tonearm wobble while record is playing?

 

How many hours on the new cartridge?

 

If it were me then.......I'd send the cart back for inspection.

 

I had two 20x2H go bad in a row. On the first one of the channels just failed after using it for awhile. On the immediate replacement the suspension bottmed out right away.

 

The 20x2 has about 10 hrs on it now. The C32 is in excellent condition. I was using the Denon DL-110 previously. I use the HIFI test record. I have it now set so that the twist in the wire causes the tone arm to move back towards the rest when floating. It hasn’t even like this all along though. At first I had it with no twist, and then with just one twist. It’s at two now. This was the only way to get it to track the first HI FI test track without distortion. No tone arm wobble. The digital scale I use does raise the cart up about a half an inch from the normal night as to when it is on a record. But, VTF is higher the lower the arm goes.

 

Are you getting distortion playing non test records? Is it all over the record or only the same spot or are you just not able to track test bands on the HI Fi test record?

 

I have a 20x2, don't use the lemo connector and it tracks the hifi news test record on all but that last torture track. And I would say if you aren't getting distortion while playing a record don't worry about it.

 

Double check and start setup over from scratch making sure first of all you verify a level platter in both directions. Try without any anti skate and then with no more than one twist and stop. Play with VTA and make sure zenith isn’t skewed one way or the other. Double check VTF with another scale if u have one. Setups are fun ain’t they?

 

No, VTF would be lower at record surface because of the change in center of mass with low slung counterweight when the arm is raised... In Balance - [English]

Not saying it's your problem, but to get more accurate reading, you can lower the tonearm position to the record surface with simple homemade add-on for many scales ...

 

Ok. So I whipped up a little device like the one Davey picture above, and lo and behold my VTF was lighter than I expected. I was thinking that the lower my tonearm went, the higher the VTF would be. I was wrong. So I increased VTF, and it tracked the HiFi news first track perfectly. Now, to get it to track the second track I would need to add more twists to the wire. I don’t want to do that, and will wait until tomorrow when my VPI anti skate device comes in the mail. Thanks folks. I will report back further.

 

When you use high modulated tracks like the Hifi News for antiskate setting, you will get antiskate set for the highest friction/skating force and not not the average friction over a whole normal LP.

 

This, and the terrible recording that is Nora Jones’s Come Away with me! Which is new to me, and was one of the first LPs I played with the 20x2. So much clipping in the recording. I googled this, and it is an issue for many. I wonder if any one has tried to correct?