Stylus Help on MP-110

Hello all, hope this finds you safe and healthy.

I think I have an issue with the stylus of my MP-110 and I was hoping to get some feedback. I was hearing some sibilant highs, so I was checking my alignment and VTA, and I noticed my cart is riding pretty low. I'd say 1 to 2 mm above the record, depending on weight. Alignment is good, VTA is level, and VTF is at 1.7g. The cart is new, and the stylus has about 60 hours on it.

Do these pics look like the suspension is giving too much? Is that something I would definitely hear? For the most part, things are sounding good, although I might be hearing some light distortion and sibilance on some sides. I may be hearing things though, I've been so focused on getting it right.

Thanks so much,

Dan

 

The bottom of your cartridge is at a very peculiar angle to the record, which makes think that your arm is not level (tail down).
The top of the headshell in the top-left picture seems to confirm this but is far from definitive.
I know you said VTA is good but it doesn't look that way so maybe another check and/or post some more pictures of the arm.
Otherwise, my opinion, not knowing the cartridge, would be that it is goosed.

 

Thanks for the reply. Some additional pics below. I am using the line on the arm to set VTA, and it's level across. You are correct, however, the front of the cart looks to be 1mm higher than the back. Do I forgo the arm level and try leveling the cart instead?

 

Here's a picture of an MP-110 from Vinyl Engine. It definitely looks like your cart is "tail down" in comparison. And the rake angle of the stylus looks way off as well. It could be the arm height or possibly the way it is mounted. Or possible the stylus is not properly inserted in the body? Perhaps with the Nag carts, it is best to have the stylus housing level with the LP surface rather than the top of the cartridge.

 

Thanks for that, mine definitely looks off. The cartridge was new, with the stylus attached. It all looks tight and as it should be, I think.

 

Blowing up your middle picture and measuring from the bottom of the white line on your arm to the record surface it does appear to me that your arm is a bit tail down.
I would check and recheck that first.
Then, if the stylus is replaceable, is there any chance that the stylus housing is not seated properly in the cartridge, maybe carefully remove and reseat. Compared to the picture that @Boltman92124 posted does look as if the stylus housing is slightly forward and twisted up from the bottom (clockwise in the right hand picture above).
Failing that I am afraid that it does look as if the cartridges goose is cooked.

 

If your arm has adjustable height/vta, then I would raise it until the stylus housing(yellow) is parallel to the LP surface. You probably didn't damage the stylus. But check to make sure it is seated properly by removing it and re-inserting.

 

Will do, thank you. My arm has VTA adjustments. Just to be clear, do you mean the top or the bottom of the stylus housing? The bottom seems to have an angle of its own.

 

Sibilance will occurr on the MP-110 even with proper setup.

That said your cart looks low indeed, as has been explained. The SRA also looks significantly off although its hard to really tell from the pictures. You should try to get the stylus 90 degrees from the record, disregard VTA almost entirely for now.

 

I would try to get it similar to that pic from vinyl engine.

 

Try using one of those acrylic blocks with VTA markings or at least an index card for setting VTA. Check the manufacturer's specs on what the cart VTA should be. Right now I would agree it looks tail down.

 

Looks like rear of arm is too low.
Soundwise, soundstage narrows
When too low. When too high,
Hole in the middle effect occurs.
In days gone by, a quick method was set
Rear of arm too low.
Result sound quality becomes dull,
Uninteresting. As we raise rear of arm
The sound comes alive when correct
Height is reached.
In anycase its TOP OF CARTRIDGE
That should be parallel to record surface.
Good luck!