Turntable question

I am kind of a newbie to Vinyl collecting and I have a decent turntable a Denon DP-23F which is the best that I can afford at this time.

I have a question about why some vinyl albums I listen to some of the words the singer sings may sound distorted or maybe an instrument may sound distorted, but the counterpart on CD will not have this distortion.

This is the best way I can describe it. It doesn't occur on all albums, just some. One of the worst I have for this problem is a Buck Owens album titled "Your Mother's Prayer" . The vinyl is in VG+ condition.

 

more info please. what does the distortion sound like?

 

It sounds more like a crackling sound it's definitely not a scratches or anything like that.

It's very hard to describe, maybe like the volume was set too high and it's peaking.

 

Keith,

If you had described the sound as a slurring of the "S" sounds (prominent on a lot of LPs), then I would have said you might have a mis-tracking cartridge due to alignment/installation problems.

Records don't often sound like CeeDes, and that's a good thing!

 

It still sounds to me like a mistracking problem. If so those records are damaged. If they are second hand records you may just be hearing damage caused by somebody else's mistracking cartridge.

 

I'm beginning to think it's either mistracking or probably prior owner's playing, because new vinyl sounds wonderful when played.

What's a good way to check the tracking?

Thanks

 

There are a couple of important points you need to know about proper tonearm setup.

1. The cartridge has to be positioned properly on the tonearm.

2. The correct weight (tracking force) needs to be applied.

If you are going about it scientifically, #1 is best accomplished with the use of an alignment protractor. There are a number of these on the market ranging in price from a few dollars to several hundred, and, at the very least, your turntable manufacturer should have provided one to you with the component. These are usually a simple piece of cardboard with a hole in it that fits on the spindle; there's then usually a spot where you place the cartridge, an a pair of lines which should run parallel to the headshell. These usually work fairly well.

There is also something known as vertical tracking angle, which is probably unavailable to you. More sophisticated tonearms allow you to elevate or lower the arm at the pivot point in order for you to achieve the perfect angle (which is usually specified by the cartridge manufacturer on more expensive cartridges) for a given record thickness. Some tonearms even allow you to adjust this measurement while the record is playing by means of a dial/control that will move the arm up or down by as little as a few microns. Since records come in different thicknesses, it is obvious that the tracking angle could differ from record to record. For the most part, audiophiles overemphasize tracking angle, but I have heard differences in the sound of a record played with less than 1/2 degree difference in the angles it was played at.

Tracking force can be applied in several ways too. If your tonearm has the dial-in tracking force control at the pivot, all you need to do is adjust the counterweight (with the dial set at zero) so that the arm is in perfect balance, i.e. it will sit there motionless as if two people of equal weight were on a see-saw. You want to get the arm as near as you can to being parallel to the platter. When you have, simply dial in the tracking force recommended by your cartridge manufacturer.

You can also use something like the Shure Stylus Pressure Gauge. This is a bit more accurate than the above method, but can be tedious.

 

Excellent post. Good points, all.

A Shure Stylus Pressure Gauge is really important because you just can't completely trust the counter-weight guage on most tonearms...not completely.

And, it's only about twenty bucks.

Just about every TT I've ever owned was off by a few grams one way or the other, the stylus gauge helps correct it.....good luck!


Ben

 

If the new stuff sounds wonderful you are almost certainly hearing the damage of somebody elses mistracking cartridge. This is one of the biggest problems in used vinyl. You can't see mistracking damage so a record can look mint and sound terrible.

 

Another thing to consider is inner groove distortion - if the mistracking is more pronounced on passages at the end of each side. All the cartridge aligning in the world won't completely rid this, as it relates to the physics of turntables and the groove walls at that inner diameter.


What WILL help the above, is using a cartridge/stylus with a "finer" profile - one that is closer in resembling the cutting stylus - often referred to as microline, microridge, shibata, van den hul, etc...profiles. Cheaper, "blunter" conical and spherical styluses just can't negotiate the inner grooves. You'll hear the mistracking as a "shattering" noise on louder peaks and, even more so, as sharp sibilants on inner groove "s" sounds.

The downside of using one of the finer profile syluses is that they're VERY sensitive to VTA/SRA settings. Unless you're Incredibly lucky, you may need a way to adjust your tonearm height, or tonal balance can vary from pressing to pressing.

One of the reasons the Shure Type V (MR) is so highly regarded is that it's tracking/tracing prowess is second to none....it uses a microridge (MR) stylus. Also, these finer profile styuses are usually highly compliant and tend to work best in light to medium mass tonearms.

 

Could it be the "underfilled groove" problem or whatever it is called? When a record is pressed, if the molten vinyl biscuit is not spread evenly that there are some unfilled/underfilled spots on the playing surface, it will sound broken or in Keith's words, crackling sporadically. If the record looks clean and shiny, and plays the same on different turntable, I would suspect it is the case. My first brand new copy of John Coltrane & Johnny Hartman (Impulse reissue) has this problem. I bought second one (a cut-out) and it has none of the crackling sounds.

 

All of this is good information and advice. One simple thing is to make sure you don't undertrack.