SH Spotlight Newbies getting started playing vinyl, please avoid mistracking & resulting groove damage!!!

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Steve Hoffman, Dec 12, 2009.

  1. MLutthans

    MLutthans That's my spaghetti, Chewbacca! Staff

    Referring to the Beogram 4002:
    Not true with this particular table. If the LP is cut off-center, even by a smidge, the forward-facing tonearm will be visibly moving left and right. Nothing to worry about.

    Matt
     
    McLover likes this.
  2. Greg1954

    Greg1954 New Member

    Location:
    .
  3. Alternative4

    Alternative4 One of These Days I'll Get an Early Night

    Location:
    New Zealand
    I have a denon dv297, are there options for different stylus for it? I brought it when i started getting into vinyl and am considering upgrading

    Anyone have an opinion.
     
  4. stephen@hennefer

    stephen@hennefer New Member

    Location:
    UK Horwich
    Steve, you should know better!

    Can we move this thread to hardware now Gort:confused:
     
    303 Squadron likes this.
  5. maxheadroom

    maxheadroom Senior Member

    Location:
    Sao Paulo, Brasil
    So I can relax and enjoy my Technics SL-2900? I always thought there was something wrong with it (because of this left-right movement), but was afraid to ask.
     
  6. dobyblue

    dobyblue Forum Resident

    A properly installed Goldring 1012GX would not come under the heading of "cheap diamond elliptical" right?

    (I'm 100% positive I don't have any mistracking, but better to be safe than sorry)
     
  7. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host Thread Starter

    No.
     
  8. fruer

    fruer Forum Resident

    Location:
    LA, CA, USA
    I think this has been covered comprehensively in the hardware forum. But as I'm finding more and more records with IGD in the bins. I agree that it's important to get the word out. The increase in vinyl's popularity relative to increase in damaged records are likely not unrelated.
     
    McLover likes this.
  9. MLutthans

    MLutthans That's my spaghetti, Chewbacca! Staff

    Sure!

    Any tonearm will move back and forth (left and right) on an off-center pressing, but it's more *obvious, visually* on a linear tracker because the tonearm is straight and faces straight ahead. If someone were to take their SL-1200 or TD160 and turn the entire table counterclockwise until the tonearm faces straight ahead as they viewed it, its motions would also become quite obvious. It's a perception thing, and is a defect in the pressing, not in the hardware.

    Matt
     
    McLover likes this.
  10. Hazuki

    Hazuki Active Member

    Location:
    Japan
    I'm glad this post was started for the benefit of newcomers to vinyl, both in regards to the concern for stylus/cartridge quality, as well as the importance of proper alignment and setup.

    I recommend the Audio Technica AT95SA (Shibata) available from LPGear:

    http://www.lpgear.com/Merchant2/mer...&Product_Code=LPGAT95SA&Category_Code=LPGCART

    After suffering disappointing tracking with a 2M Blue on my Goldring/Rega table -- and, subsequently, Music Hall MMF-2.2 -- I returned to the 440 MLa on the latter (after a year's hiatus) and have been delighted with the cleaner tracking.

    Nevertheless, I've since installed the little-advertised AT95SA on the Goldring and am amazed that it tracks even better and is rather warmer toned. (I like the fact that it doesn't have a hinged stylus guard to resonate.) It's a great budget buy at $149.
     
  11. izgoblin

    izgoblin Forum Resident

    I have a Shure M97xE on a Pioneer PL12D and it definitely mistracks on most LPs. I was thinking of picking up the Audio-Technica At-440MLa soon since I've heard so many good things about it. Only I must admit to feeling like a real idiot -- the PL12D does have some adjustments that can be made to it for best tracking, but when I first set it up, I couldn't totally eliminate distortion on the test record I used no matter what I did. I'm still not sure if this is just a limitation of the design itself or that the M97xE is just a bad fit for that particular table.

    How else can I explain? I've seen some crazy things online about how to make sure one's adjustments are perfect to insure proper tracking, but I have no idea how to do any of that - or even if I could - on the PL12D. Luckily the AT-440MLa is inexpensive, so if that doesn't improve things, at least I won't be out a lot of dough.

    I have to say that it does drive me nuts to think that I could be causing damage to my records - some of which are certainly not inexpensive. Not to mention that the inner groove distortion can really ruin the listening experience when it's at its worst. On such a tight budget though and (somewhat deliberately) working with a vintage turntable, I kinda feel a bit lost regarding what I can/should do. With how things work for me when I'm not educated enough on them, I can easily see me being disappointed with the AT-440MLa perhaps only because I don't know the right thing to do once I apply it.
     
  12. motorcitydave

    motorcitydave Enlightened Rogue In Memoriam

    Location:
    Las Vegas, NV, USA

    I personally would go through Garage-a-Records than LP Gear. Much less on shipping and faster arrival time. I also prefer the service as well. I'm about 10-15 miles from LP Gear and the damn stylus didn't come for 4 days!

    http://www.garage-a-records.com/products.php?cat=90
     
  13. Walt

    Walt Forum Resident

    Location:
    Baltimore, MD
    I like Garage-A-Records - I've ordered from them several times with no problems whatsoever. Their service is great. :thumbsup:
     
  14. motorcitydave

    motorcitydave Enlightened Rogue In Memoriam

    Location:
    Las Vegas, NV, USA
  15. Spirit Crusher

    Spirit Crusher Forum Resident

    Location:
    Mad Town, WI
    I've also had a good experience with Garage. I ordered along with my AT-120E a cheap Thorens stylus force gauge that is a total POS; they refunded me and told me to just keep it.
     
  16. Robin L

    Robin L Musical Omnivore

    Location:
    Fresno, California
    Making the overhang adjustment with the M97xE is harder than a lot of other cartridges 'thanks' to the physical design of the cartridge's body, its lack of parallel side or front. It's very hard to eyeball the positioning of the cartridge body relative to an overhang protractor. My set-up doesn't suffer from IGD on records that didn't already suffer permanent groove damage. Then again, overall it's easier to set-up a cartridge with an arm that has more adjustment possibilities like the SME III.
     
    McLover likes this.
  17. motorcitydave

    motorcitydave Enlightened Rogue In Memoriam

    Location:
    Las Vegas, NV, USA
    Cool. They're one of the good guys in audio, imo.

    However, I don't feel that LP Gear sucks. I think they're good. But Garage-a is much better, imo.
     
  18. rushed again

    rushed again Forum Resident

    Location:
    New Jersey
    Interesting thread. After reading a few pages it prompts a question to which someone here probably knows the answer.

    I have a Shure V15 III Cart. and I've been buying the Shure replacment stylus sold on line. It's described as .3 X .7 or .2 x .7 Diamond Elliptical tip needle depending on the seller. Tracking has been fine.

    Should I be looking for a conical or spherical tip replacement stylus for this cartridge or are these replacements not considered a cheap diamond elliptical, and thus, considered perfectly fine.

    Are conical or spherical tips even available for this cartridge?



    I'm not that knowledgable about all the options so any input will be appreciated. :)
     
  19. william shears

    william shears Senior Member

    Location:
    new zealand
    No, your elliptical tip is absolutely fine.
    As I've already posted, the information about elliptical tipped styli (the most common hi-fi shape) on this thread is confusing and causing people to get alarmed about their styli.
    Frustrating.
     
    rogertheshrubber likes this.
  20. rushed again

    rushed again Forum Resident

    Location:
    New Jersey
    Thx
     
  21. bob2935

    bob2935 Active Member

    Location:
    Oakville, Canada
    This thread reminds me of my Grandmother's stereo with a big wooden lid and room to store some records inside. It was one of those record changer models where you could stack 4 or 5 records or listen to the same side over and over again if you didn't move the lever over. Anyway, I inherited her record collection and that stereo ruined every record ever played on it, even those played infrequently. Does anybody here know what the stock cart and stylus was in those things? For those who don't know what I'm talking about, they looked more like dressers than stereos. The built-in speakers were on the front and everything else was under the lid.
    Bob.
     
  22. Greg1954

    Greg1954 New Member

    Location:
    .
    I ordered a single Stanton replacement stylus from them and mistakenly recieved two in the box, they had billed me for just the one, and when I contacted them they told me to just keep the other stylus free of charge.:thumbsup:
     
  23. Pinknik

    Pinknik Senior Member

    Is there a cart that is "SO" easy on records, that it could track well in a less than good tone arm, with less than ideal set up? Just curious.
     
  24. motorcitydave

    motorcitydave Enlightened Rogue In Memoriam

    Location:
    Las Vegas, NV, USA
    Cool! :cool:
     
  25. Mogul

    Mogul Forum Resident

    Which is all well and good, but Garage-a-Records doesn't sell the cartridge Hazuki was talking about.

    FWIW, I've ordered from LP Gear and they've been good, I got my 440MLa shipped to Canada very quickly.
     

Share This Page

molar-endocrine