[Guy 13]

Wow! Look at that...a cart with headlights...

Nice photos...

Hi all Audio Circle members.
Does it have lo and hi beans and a horn ? 
Guy 13

[neobop]

Cannot get her to track right towards the last 2 tracks. Thinking of using a linear tone arm

I asked the chauffeur to back up.  If you don't mind, I'd like to take another look. Please excuse this diversion, it's not really about VPI eye candy, although it is eye catching isn't it?  The strain gauge cartridge deserves a thread of its own.

Won't track the inner grooves?  What a shame.  Have you spoken to Peter Soundsmith about this?  Why do you have what looks like heavy weight cartridge screws?  I suspect you're going in the wrong direction mass-wise.  Although actual specs are few and far between on Soundsmith site, it does say the compliance is high.  I don't know what the cart itself weighs, but it looks heavy.  Does it balance like a "normal" cart?
Have you tried aluminum or nylon screws?  That would normally be recommended for a heavyweight/high cu cart on a rather light arm.

I think Peter would bend over backwards to help you with this dilemma.  It doesn't make sense. 
neo



 

[joeling39]

It's the last 2 tracks at the inner groove. At higher amplitude, there is distortion. Tried my best to align the cart using the supplied protractor, tracking force & azimuth balancing stick etc. Finally concluded that it could be the anti skate force thingy. Tried to email to VPI but did not get a meaningful response. Soundsmith was quite helpful & sold me a special antiskating device for the arm. All I can say is that I am not good at setting up the table. In fact. no one in my whole city knows how to do it properly. 

I had to purchase another table in my neighbouring country & had the dealers to fly to my place to help set it up. How is that for effort ? They can do a linear tracking tone arm for the VPI. That is at the back of my mind just waiting for the right timing to pull the trigger.

 

What tracks are you talking about that it can't track?  Don't be so fast to blame the JMW arm....

Regards,
Joe Ling

[joeling39]

You are right. Peter was helpful. It's just that I am lousy at setting it up. As mentioned, I know of only 3 other persons with a vinyl setup in my whole city & while 1 of them is using VPI, he is somewhere in Africa for the long term.

The screws are aluminium aftermarket ones from Peter.

The strain gauge is kind of special. Compared to the other cart, an Ortofon Winfeld, I have some subjective preference for the strain gauge. Maybe I am attracted by the blue LED 

I asked the chauffeur to back up.  If you don't mind, I'd like to take another look. Please excuse this diversion, it's not really about VPI eye candy, although it is eye catching isn't it?  The strain gauge cartridge deserves a thread of its own.

Won't track the inner grooves?  What a shame.  Have you spoken to Peter Soundsmith about this?  Why do you have what looks like heavy weight cartridge screws?  I suspect you're going in the wrong direction mass-wise.  Although actual specs are few and far between on Soundsmith site, it does say the compliance is high.  I don't know what the cart itself weighs, but it looks heavy.  Does it balance like a "normal" cart?
Have you tried aluminum or nylon screws?  That would normally be recommended for a heavyweight/high cu cart on a rather light arm.

I think Peter would bend over backwards to help you with this dilemma.  It doesn't make sense. 
neo

Regards,
Joe Ling

[bside123]

Souped Up VPI HW-19 Mark IV: Super Armboard, 25 lb TNT Super Platter (the old one, lead impregnated), JMW 10.5i Tonearm, Stand Alone Motor Assembly (SAMA), SDS Motor Controller, HRX Mini Feet, Perimeter Ring, Black Diamond Record Clamp, Customized Acrylic Dust Cover, Customized Rigid Suspension Under the Plinth, Approximately 10 Additional Pounds of Plastic Clay Under the Frame and Plinth, 2 1/2" Maple Block, "Z-Slab" Shelving Mounted on a Zoethecus Stand, 5" Concrete Slab Floor

This is a very heavy turntable. I typically run a Transfiguration Phoenix MC Cartridge, but recently just for grins, swapped it out for a Clearaudio Maestro Wood MM Cartridge, as pictured here. Sounds great!

[neobop]

It's the last 2 tracks at the inner groove. At higher amplitude, there is distortion. Tried my best to align the cart using the supplied protractor, tracking force & azimuth balancing stick etc. Finally concluded that it could be the anti skate force thingy. Tried to email to VPI but did not get a meaningful response. Soundsmith was quite helpful & sold me a special antiskating device for the arm. All I can say is that I am not good at setting up the table. In fact. no one in my whole city knows how to do it properly. 

I had to purchase another table in my neighbouring country & had the dealers to fly to my place to help set it up. How is that for effort ? They can do a linear tracking tone arm for the VPI. That is at the back of my mind just waiting for the right timing to pull the trigger.
 
Regards,
Joe Ling

Hey Joe,
Gadzooks, what a revoltin development.  Was that Jackie Gleason who used to say that?  Art Carney?

Peter Ledermann would be well advised to put actual technical specs on the link for that.  I don't know what the cart weighs or recommended VTF range.  Assuming you have this esoteric information, I have a suggestion. First, do you have an early version of a JMW arm without antiskate device?  Does your cart have some kind of height/angle adjuster - maybe an allen fitting on the side?

My suggestion is to first, if there is that angle adjuster (SRA), put it in the neutral position or slightly tail up, then make sure the fitting is snug - no possibility of movement.  If any of the screws or fittings are loose it could cause it to do exactly as you described.  If your cart was adjusted with tail down (it looks level to the record but the arm looks high), then lower the arm so everything looks level.  That is the basis to start adjustments.  If you prefer a tail down position, it would probably be better to do that with the arm height adjuster.  The idea is to lower the unipivot closer to the plane of the record, rather than above it.

Second, defeat all antiskate compensation.  If you have an early version of the arm that uses twisted wires for antiskate, maybe you could untwist the wires.  Then re-set your tracking force for the maximum recommended VTF. With the cart adjusted thusly, give it a try without any antiskate.  If you still get the distortion at high amplitude, gradually add antiskate till it hopefully, goes away.
Hope this helps,
neo 

[Sonny]

Paul, is that the arm you got from me?   

[SteveRB]

Souped Up VPI HW-19 Mark IV: Super Armboard, 25 lb TNT Super Platter (the old one, lead impregnated), JMW 10.5i Tonearm, Stand Alone Motor Assembly (SAMA), SDS Motor Controller, HRX Mini Feet, Perimeter Ring, Black Diamond Record Clamp, Customized Acrylic Dust Cover, Customized Rigid Suspension Under the Plinth, Approximately 10 Additional Pounds of Plastic Clay Under the Frame and Plinth, 2 1/2" Maple Block, "Z-Slab" Shelving Mounted on a Zoethecus Stand, 5" Concrete Slab Floor

This is a very heavy turntable. I typically run a Transfiguration Phoenix MC Cartridge, but recently just for grins, swapped it out for a Clearaudio Maestro Wood MM Cartridge, as pictured here. Sounds great!

HW-19 upgraded to Aries/Classic 5.5

[bside123]

HW-19 upgraded to Aries/Classic 5.5

Yea... kinda like that! 

[jimdgoulding]

Man-o-man, what fabulous tables there are here.  Lucky sots.

[SteveRB]

Yea... kinda like that! 

how does the Maestro Wood compare to the high-end MC?

I have a friend who swears by it on any level ($$$) of turntable.

[bside123]

How does the Maestro Wood compare to the high-end MC?  I have a friend who swears by it on any level ($$$) of turntable.

I find the Clearaudio Maestro Wood very satisfying. It doesn't match the level of detail, nuance, balance and soundstage as a MC Cartridge in the league of the Transfiguration Phoenix, but that being said, it's not nearly as "fussy" and it delivers fantastic results.

The MC seems to require ongoing tweaking, e.g., double checking tracking, azimuth, impedance loading, VTF, VRA, etc. The high-end MC is sensitive and it responds, immediately, to any change. When using it, I am constantly wondering, "Am I getting the best out of it?" So, therefore over weeks and months, I find myself always making adjustments...  "Hmmm. Is that a little better? A little worse!? Today it sounds GREAT. Oh no... tonight something's WRONG."

On the other hand, the Maestro Wood has been pretty much plug and play. Certainly with any analog rig, it requires a very good set-up, with several fine tune adjustments during the front-end of its installation. After getting it "right," I've just been playing records and enjoying them. It's been a relief away from constant and ongoing fine tuning. The Maestro Wood seems to work well in my system. Easy to listen to, emotional, good boogie factor, big impact, enough detail to be satisfying as well as enough "hi-fi" to be very, very good.

I'm sure at some point, I'll go back to the MC and even get another high-end cartridge, but for now... this is fun and doesn't require thinking! 

[orthobiz]

Paul, is that the arm you got from me?   

Oh yeah! Thanks!!!

Paul

[putz]

Aries 1 with original platter and Terrastone feet. Cart is now the Dynavector 20XL. John Boos butcher block sitting on a Target wall mount.