[S Clark]

I just mounted an Ortofon Quintet red, and after a couple of hours of listening, I'm liking what I hear...
but here's the problem.  When mounted and set at 2.2 g, just under the recommended 2.3, the body barely clears the vinyl.  It looks like the gap is the thickness of maybe 2 sheets of paper.  Lacking enough experience, I need to ask if this is typical, or is the suspension of the cartridge weak?

[Wayner]

What did you use to measure the weight?

Wayner

[S Clark]

What did you use to measure the weight?

Wayner

a set of digital scales checked and calibrated, don't think the problem is there.  Any other ideas?  By the way, thanks for any and all suggestions.

[Wayner]

Had to ask. Some just rely on their counterweight dial.

Wayner

[S Clark]

No, you're right to cross off the most obvious source of error.

[neobop]

2 pieces of paper?

It's defective.  Suggest you return it ASAP.  It happens.
neo

[S Clark]

2 pieces of paper?

It's defective.  Suggest you return it ASAP.  It happens.
neo

Thanks, Neo.  That's what I suspected.

[S Clark]

It turns out that I was able find the problem and fix it.  The cartridge body/shell? and been misaligned with the actual guts of the cartridge, so that a gap of about 1/16" opened at the top, moving the body down further and putting the guts further up into the shell. Some kind of a foam collar around the barrel that holds the stylus had slipped and interfered with the fit.  Less stylus was sticking out.  I managed to pop the shell off the guts, scrap out the old glue, realign it, and superglue it back together.  Playing fine now with adequate space between cartridge and lp. 
Thought I'd post the outcome in case anyone else runs across this.

Scott

[poseidonsvoice]

It turns out that I was able find the problem and fix it.  The cartridge body/shell? and been misaligned with the actual guts of the cartridge, so that a gap of about 1/16" opened at the top, moving the body down further and putting the guts further up into the shell. Some kind of a foam collar around the barrel that holds the stylus had slipped and interfered with the fit.  Less stylus was sticking out.  I managed to pop the shell off the guts, scrap out the old glue, realign it, and superglue it back together.  Playing fine now with adequate space between cartridge and lp. 
Thought I'd post the outcome in case anyone else runs across this.

Scott

 

That's unfortunate. I would inform Ortofon of this, as they are known for strict quality control. My Cadenza Bronze is very well made and the azimuth is nearly spot on.

Best,
Anand.

[neobop]

Scott,
Good thing you were successful, congratulations.  By opening the body I'm sure you voided the warranty.  Had you not been successful it might have been a problem. 
neo

[S Clark]

Well, it probably wasn't smart.  But when I saw what was wrong, I have a dissecting scope and lots of experience with gluing tiny bits of fossils, so I figured I'd give it a try.  Some of the glue did run, so I should have used a more viscous variety of superglue.  Fortunately, it never ran into a critical area.