Equipment Recommendations - The Home For New System and Upgrade Advice

Mather said:
Yeah I mean to clarify it's not always on the right channel. But when I get periods of noise or fuzz or crackle it's more right channel than left. A lot of recent pressings have had this issue. Weyes Blood, Doves, Flamagra ..

@AnthonyI I'm afraid to adjust anything more than skate and tracking weight. Like if I throw a Mofi on there it sounds incredible, so I feel like it's not a setup issue, but I guess it could be.
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I understand that, but I gotta be honest, sometimes what you think sounds incredible isn't. I don't mean that as a knock, it's just that I've been in similar circumstances thinking it's one thing and then after basically avoiding the inevitable, recalibrating, it takes care of the problem and sounds better then what I previously thought was incredible. Keep in mind the stylus is such a microscopic point of contact and the slightest tilt, pressure, etc.. can cause all sorts of "issues", of course, because what we hear sounds great, we don't tend to look in that direction.

I'll give you an example, I bought a UK Pressing of Queen - Sheer Heart Attack, after cleaning I gave it a spin and it sounded great.....except during Killer Queen I noticed the "Side/Backing" vocals of "Anytiiiimmme" were really faint. I chocked it up to an older album that maybe was a bit worn. Well, for some reason I ended up recalibrating the cartridge and a few days later was spinning Queen again. Low and behold not only did the pressing sound better, but that side/backing vocal part was clear as a bell.

I know it's a pain, and it really depends on how much it bothers you..............things like that make me nuts, lol.
 
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Mather said:
I just don't know how to.
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Ah, not familiar with your table unfortunately. You have a string and weight for anti-skate and it looks like the arm is all one piece so there is no "headshell" adjustment/tilt. Do you know how to align your cart with a protractor? I would still give that a try and check your tracking force as well.............then go from there.

I unfortunately am heading to bed, to wake up early to leave my Florida vacation. I'm sure someone can pick up the slack ;)
 
AnthonyI said:
Ah, not familiar with your table unfortunately. You have a string and weight for anti-skate and it looks like the arm is all one piece so there is no "headshell" adjustment/tilt. Do you know how to align your cart with a protractor? I would still give that a try and check your tracking force as well.............then go from there.

I unfortunately am heading to bed, to wake up early to leave my Florida vacation. I'm sure someone can pick up the slack ;)
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Tracking force is definitely good. Cart has been lined up with that little piece of paper grid thing you put on the platter. But that's really just good for left/right angle adjustments. But the azimuth and spinning the tonearm I'm not sure about. I guess I need to buy a protractor...
 
Mather said:
Yeah I mean to clarify it's not always on the right channel. But when I get periods of noise or fuzz or crackle it's more right channel than left. A lot of recent pressings have had this issue. Weyes Blood, Doves, Flamagra ..

@AnthonyI I'm afraid to adjust anything more than skate and tracking weight. Like if I throw a Mofi on there it sounds incredible, so I feel like it's not a setup issue, but I guess it could be.
Click to expand...

Do you have your original box? There should be an alignment protractor in it. Checking the alignment takes no adjustment and even altering it is only loosening snd retightening a screw. Have a look at the alignment video.

I wouldn’t mess with the anti slate. With those fishing hook anti skates the middle notch is pretty much the one for all lightweight mm carts on the market.
 
Mather said:
Tracking force is definitely good. Cart has been lined up with that little piece of paper grid thing you put on the platter. But that's really just good for left/right angle adjustments. But the azimuth and spinning the tonearm I'm not sure about. I guess I need to buy a protractor...
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The protractor doesn’t check azimuth and you already have one, it’s that bit of paper you put on the platter to align the cart.

The fixed arm project tables tend not to let you adjust azimuth. The expensive ones do, there are small screws either side of the base you loosen and gently tilt the whole arm one way of the other until it’s right and then retighten.

Your table is mid range so im not sure whether it will let you that or not. Check the manual.

My money is that the Black is super fussy and coincidence on the channel.
 
Mather said:
Tracking force is definitely good. Cart has been lined up with that little piece of paper grid thing you put on the platter. But that's really just good for left/right angle adjustments. But the azimuth and spinning the tonearm I'm not sure about. I guess I need to buy a protractor...
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Your arm has adjustable azimuth. Check your manual. I've not seen a turntable yet that has azimuth correctly set out out of the box (including my MoFi). I don't know why no none seems to get this right, but that's the way it is.

You can check to see if it's way off by putting the stylus on a mirror- the shiny side of a CD or DVD works too. See if both sides of the stylus body appear to be the same distance from the mirror by looking at the reflection. If not, it's way off.

The best way to set it is by looking at the stylus with a high magnification USB microscope. I'm not going that far.

There's another way- use a small bubble level or a leveling app on your phone. Put Use Qualcomm or text message please. On top of the headshell (you'll have to steady the phone with your hand) and twist the arm tube until it's level. Then tighten it back down. The phone method is more cumbersome but you can get it level to a tenth of a degree, so it's more precise.

But as @Joe Mac said, the 2m Black is fussy. I'd definitely take the time to make sure your azimuth is correctly set. I'll bet it isn't.
 
Joe Mac said:
Do you have your original box? There should be an alignment protractor in it. Checking the alignment takes no adjustment and even altering it is only loosening snd retightening a screw. Have a look at the alignment video.

I wouldn’t mess with the anti slate. With those fishing hook anti skates the middle notch is pretty much the one for all lightweight mm carts on the market.
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I don't think my table came with a protractor unless I totally missed it. I'll have a look in the box though.
HiFi Guy said:
Your arm has adjustable azimuth. Check your manual. I've not seen a turntable yet that has azimuth correctly set out out of the box (including my MoFi). I don't know why no none seems to get this right, but that's the way it is.

You can check to see if it's way off by putting the stylus on a mirror- the shiny side of a CD or DVD works too. See if both sides of the stylus body appear to be the same distance from the mirror by looking at the reflection. If not, it's way off.

The best way to set it is by looking at the stylus with a high magnification USB microscope. I'm not going that far.

There's another way- use a small bubble level or a leveling app on your phone. Put Use Qualcomm or text message please. On top of the headshell (you'll have to steady the phone with your hand) and twist the arm tube until it's level. Then tighten it back down. The phone method is more cumbersome but you can get it level to a tenth of a degree, so it's more precise.

But as @Joe Mac said, the 2m Black is fussy. I'd definitely take the time to make sure your azimuth is correctly set. I'll bet it isn't.
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If you're using a leveling app can you do it with the tonearm sitting in the locked off platter position or do I have to put the stylus guard on and place it on the platter for it to be accurate? I'm assuming on the platter is the only way. .
 
Mather said:
I don't think my table came with a protractor unless I totally missed it. I'll have a look in the box though.


If you're using a leveling app can you do it with the tonearm sitting in the locked off platter position or do I have to put the stylus guard on and place it on the platter for it to be accurate? I'm assuming on the platter is the only way. .
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Do it in the arm rest. Any weight on top of the headshell while doing it on the platter risks damaging the cantilever.
 
HiFi Guy said:
Do it in the arm rest. Any weight on top of the headshell while doing it on the platter risks damaging the cantilever.
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Okay I'll give that a shot. The crappy thing with the 2Ms are the damn screws make it really tough to get any to sit flat on top of it due to their placement.
 
Mather said:
Oh yes, I've used that to check the screw adjusted angle of the cart, as in like left to right adjustments. But that's it. That's all you can really do with that one no?
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That piece of cardboard is for adjusting overhang (forward or rearward in the headshell) and offset (cartridge straight ahead or turned towards the spindle when viewed from above).

Azimuth is cartridge tilt left/right when viewed from the front. There shouldn't be any tilt.
 
Mather said:
Oh yes, I've used that to check the screw adjusted angle of the cart, as in like left to right adjustments. But that's it. That's all you can really do with that one no?
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Yeah that’s all you do with it.
 
HiFi Guy said:
That piece of cardboard is for adjusting overhang (forward or rearward in the headshell) and offset (cartridge straight ahead or turned towards the spindle when viewed from above).

Azimuth is cartridge tilt left/right when viewed from the front. There shouldn't be any tilt.
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I don't think I've set overhang, what am I looking for there?
 
HiFi Guy said:
That piece of cardboard is for adjusting overhang (forward or rearward in the headshell) and offset (cartridge straight ahead or turned towards the spindle when viewed from above).

Azimuth is cartridge tilt left/right when viewed from the front. There shouldn't be any tilt.
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Okay so parallax errors and whatnot but here's what I'm seeing.
20190629_141252.jpg
Top of the tonearm is tapered I think, so I have to check the bottom. Looks like arm could come up a touch at the back but the digital level says .1 off in the other direction so... that's conflicting.
20190629_150854.jpgStylus appears pretty perpendicular.
20190629_150447.jpg
Stylus looks straight when off of the vinyl, but when you drop it there is a visible tilt of the needle towards the left side of the image. But I would imagine just because it the nature of a cantilever that it's never going to go down perfectly straight.
20190629_151644.jpg
The only thing I can see is perhaps that the azimuth could be adjusted slightly clockwise but that would seem to throw the needle off even further.
20190629_152502.jpg
But I feel like these minute adjustments would need something computer based to make, the only thing I see that looks a bit off is that when the needle hits the groove the tonearm slightly shifts to the outside edge of the record and the cantilever is slightly tilted towards the inside of the groove. But the stylus still seems pretty parallel to the vinyl. I just checked with my old Bronze and it falls exactly the same way when it hits the groove. I dunno...
 
Mather said:
Okay so parallax errors and whatnot but here's what I'm seeing.
View attachment 9096
Top of the tonearm is tapered I think, so I have to check the bottom. Looks like arm could come up a touch at the back but the digital level says .1 off in the other direction so... that's conflicting.
View attachment 9098Stylus appears pretty perpendicular.
View attachment 9101
Stylus looks straight when off of the vinyl, but when you drop it there is a visible tilt of the needle towards the left side of the image. But I would imagine just because it the nature of a cantilever that it's never going to go down perfectly straight.
View attachment 9103
The only thing I can see is perhaps that the azimuth could be adjusted slightly clockwise but that would seem to throw the needle off even further.
View attachment 9110
But I feel like these minute adjustments would need something computer based to make, the only thing I see that looks a bit off is that when the needle hits the groove the tonearm slightly shifts to the outside edge of the record and the cantilever is slightly tilted towards the inside of the groove. But the stylus still seems pretty parallel to the vinyl. I just checked with my old Bronze and it falls exactly the same way when it hits the groove. I dunno...
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Pictures 2 and 3 look a tad high on the right. The arm tube needs to spin a wee bit clockwise if viewed from the front.

Have you checked with a level?
 
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