[Dardemm]

Hi Folks,

I need help tracking down the source of distortion when playing vinyl. 

I have a Rega P5 with an RB700 arm and an Exact cartridge.  I normally use a Rega Fono MM phono stage>>Modwright Pre-amp>>>Bryston Amp>>>Stirling Ls35a v2 speakers.   

The distortion I'm hearing sounds like dynamic compression and is audible on multiple records.  It's not always obvious but when it's there it is quite clear.

A few points:
-The cartridge is relatively new and sounded fine at the store when i had it installed into my system.
-I have tested the tracking force and have experimented with both 1.5 and 1/75 grams (Rega Spec). 
-I have tested the distortion problem by bypassing the Rega Fono and connecting the turntable to a Pioneer receiver.
-There is no distortion in the system with digital audio such as CD's or DVDs.
-The distortion is just as obvious on the 1st cut of the record as it is on the last.

I don't know much about vinyl, but if someone could offer some guidance about this problem it would be appreciated.

david mcc

[Wayner]

Do you have a cartridge alignment tool so you know it is in the right position. This is the most common cause of distortion for vinyl. The Rega tone arm has three screw holes used to align a Rega cartridge, but using a different cartridge requires an alignment jig. Rega uses an odd ball tone arm length, so using a standard alignment jig (other then a Rega) may result in an erronous stylus location.

Wayner