[denjo]

Hi Fellow Vinyl Enthusiasts

I have just taken my 1st baby steps with a SOTA Sapphire TT (Rega 300/Dynavector DV-20XH). The TT is at least 20 years old, the Rega tonearm is secondhand (with original wires but SME connectors) but the cart is brand new. My friend adjusted the tracking etc and we started spinning the first LP (Brazilian guitar duo). The volume had to be cranked higher than with digital source. The sound was light and airy but my friend commented that it sounded a little bass shy! He wondered if it could be the cart which he said requires some hundred hours of play before the mechanical parts groove in. Should I expect the music to sound fuller with more use or is it something else that perhaps I am not doing right?

I will also need a record cleaner and was recommended to get the most basic VPI model. Is this a good recommendation? Would a record cleaner be a necessary accessory?

Best Regards
Dennis

[consttraveler]

Hello denjo:

My experience has been as follows:

My Dynavector 17-D Karat took +/- 50 hrs. to settle in and I would suggest not doing any adjustments until then.  At that point (or earlier if you are like me and just can't stand to not fiddle) adjust the VTA slightly until you like what you hear.  Remember though, each album will be slightly different so that if you do not have an easy, repeatable, VTA adjustment method (I am not familiar with your TT), you may want to try to find a "middle ground" where you are happy with the balance.

The Clearaudio cartridge I am running now took about the same number of hours to burn in as the Dynavector.

Question:  Is the volume an issue?

Record cleaners are a wonderful accessory, but a careful cleaning at the kitchen sink is just about as good.  The vacuum on the cleaner has the advantage of removing "all" of the water so that you are not left with mineral deposits in the groove, but a careful rinse with purified water works very well.

Dave

[TheChairGuy]

Hey Dennis - what good start on vinyl you have 

Yeah, cartridges need some time to wear in....both the internals (damping bits, coils, etc) and often the stylus point, too. Bass tends to be soft until it wears/burns in - much as you are experiencing.

A vacuum cleaning machine is a very nice accessory...once the grooves are cleaned, you will find treble sounding much more refined.  The low end VPI and Nitty Gritty's are good....KABUSA makes a model EV-1 that is cheap, small and less costly - and does the same as the more costly models - you simply add your own home vacuum suction to make it work for you.

It should be a lot less to ship to Singapore than anything else - assuming you have a canister or good upright (with tools) there to use.

John

For me, treble is the overriding difference between CD and vinyl....treble is where the excitement in music is, without it you have a dead format.  Which, as good as you gussy up CD/redbook, it ends up sounding less appealling.

I hope you find, in time, the same.

[denjo]

Thanks consttraveler and John (The ChairGuy) for your invaluable advice.

The volume isn't really an issue, it actually means I get more "play" of the volume control. I just have to remember to lower the volume before switching from phono source to CD! Otherwise, my ear drums will go after my speakers do!

Washing records manually seems like a cheap but effective way to clean the records but knowing me, I just can't be bothered with the extra effort and would simply prefer a machine to do it all for me! Thanks for the suggestion though!

I will certainly check out the KABUSA cleaner and find out how much it cost to ship to Singapore. If it is quite a bit cheaper than the VPI, it would be a great option, especially if it is small and will not look imposing. The VPI does look like some kind of DIY product but I know it has a sterling reputation and shows that one should never judge a record cleaner by its looks!

I will be more patient with the burn in and give the cart at least 50 hours use!

Many thanks gentleman!

Best Regards
Dennis

[TheChairGuy]

Dennis,

The KAB should be far less costly to purchase and a lot less to ship to Singapore....I don't own the VPI, but I used one for many years at my old dealers place 20 + years ago (the design has not changed) and it probably weighs 20+ lbs. 

The KAB is probably 1/2 the size and might weigh 5 lbs. It has no motor - you supply it with your vacuum at home.

There probably are some nuanced differences between all the various makes and how well they clean....but they all clean pretty well.  You scrub any record with some cleaning solution (all have a different opinion on what is good) and then a vacuum thoroughly sips the filthy solution off your record surface (and out of the grooves).

The difference between clean and uncleaned records is the 'goosebump' factor...it's often that moment when you sit totally engrossed in front of your system and wonder how good music really is 

John

[royphil345]

Yes... Cartridge suspensions break in and the diamonds smooth...

You'll also find that the tracking force, anti-skate and VTA need to be fine-tuned by ear for the best focus. Even after years of tweaking experience, it can take me a week or two to get the best possible sound out of a new cartridge.

[denjo]

Dennis,

The difference between clean and uncleaned records is the 'goosebump' factor...it's often that moment when you sit totally engrossed in front of your system and wonder how good music really is 

John

Well said John! I will be ordering the KAB EV-1 soon! I am a strong believer of the adage, good things come in small packages! 

royphil345
Thanks for sharing your experiences. Looks like I will have to invest some time "getting to know" my cart and TT! I hope the tweaking will be short and painless for me!