May I call on the collective brains please of TT setup gurus to help me out with an audible problem I have with my setup?
Background - bought the Voyd last December, had a new Origin Live Onyx and Goldring 1042 fitted and set up for me by Tony Whittle (thanks Tony!). Apart from giving it a quick check at the time to make sure it was working, I didn't use it again until about 2 weeks ago, due to problems with the floor in my lounge being so bouncy that it made it quite impossible to play anything safely. I fitted a wall-mounted shelf (Hi-Fi Racks Oak shelf) a couple of weeks ago so now the TT is in daily use.
The issue I'm experiencing is noticeable sibilance on female vocals, and also to my ears, a certain amount of what sounds like midrange distortion, I'd describe it as break-up, as though the cartridge was mis-tracking. The sibilance especially is noticeable even when I'm playing brand new LPs that haven't been out of the shrink-wrap, so I can't attribute it purely to worn LPs that have been damaged by previous playing.
I dug out my Hi-Fi News test LP and protractor and checked everything as best as I can (with my eyesight!). It looks as though Tony did a perfectly good job of the setup - the alignment seems to be correct although bear in mind I'm only using basic tools to check - the supplied alignment gauge and a ruler for the overhang (18mm according to me). The cartridge appears to be parallel to the alignment gauge lines. The downforce was 1.9g according my electronic scales. No idea about azimuth - I can't adjust it anyway with the OL arm, it's a factory-set / adjust job.
Playing the test LP the cartridge passed every test with the exception of the +18dB bias "torture" track (I did notice that on the channel balance tracks there's slight "bleed-through" (?) between the channels so I'm assuming this is showing up the limited channel separation of the cartridge. I don't have a mono switch on my amp so couldn't check the channel balance on the track where the channels are meant to cancel each other out. Using the resonant frequency tracks I noticed the arm / cart combination experienced the "wobble" between about 9Hz and 12Hz. The one thing I've not checked is the actual bias force being applied as I don't know how I can measure that. It's hanging weight & thread, but there are no markings on the arm to indicate how much force is being applied. Using a blank bit of vinyl I notice a fairly substantial outward movement of the arm when the stylus is placed down on the revolving surface. The arm is set parallel to the playing surface based on an "average" thickness LP, so on the 180g stuff there is a very slight upward inclination from pivot to headshell.
I keep the stylus clean using the VP sticky stuff (I gave up on the idea of getting a soft brush after my recent posting on suggestions for one). I use a jeweller's loupe to check after one or two sides and clean if necessary. I also use a carbon bristle brush on the LPs and a Zerostat for the static build-up.
So... where do I begin to look for the source of this sibilance and how to correct it? The only adjustment I've made so far is to increase downforce from 1.9g to 2.0g which is now at the upper limit recommended by Goldring - hasn't made any difference to the sibilance (although the bass has taken on a little more solidity and weight, which works for me). Questions:
Sorry to bombard with info and questions. There are so many parameters to think about with setup, and every time I think I'm beginning to understand it, it slips away again!
Edit: sorry, should have mentioned - I checked the TT plinth to confirm it's level (it is as far as I can tell with the level I currently have) but I don't have anything lightweight enough just yet to use on the platter to check for level, the suspension is very sensitive to weight so I'm looking for a super-light level to do this. By eye, the platter seems level relative to the plinth. Also should have mentioned I'm still running-in my speakers, and currently have the HF adjuster set to the +1 dB level although I don't know if it will stay like that long-term. I don't hear the sibilance with CD or internet radio though so I'm not convinced it's the speakers at fault, unless my vinyl kit is exciting them in ways the digital can't!
Background - bought the Voyd last December, had a new Origin Live Onyx and Goldring 1042 fitted and set up for me by Tony Whittle (thanks Tony!). Apart from giving it a quick check at the time to make sure it was working, I didn't use it again until about 2 weeks ago, due to problems with the floor in my lounge being so bouncy that it made it quite impossible to play anything safely. I fitted a wall-mounted shelf (Hi-Fi Racks Oak shelf) a couple of weeks ago so now the TT is in daily use.
The issue I'm experiencing is noticeable sibilance on female vocals, and also to my ears, a certain amount of what sounds like midrange distortion, I'd describe it as break-up, as though the cartridge was mis-tracking. The sibilance especially is noticeable even when I'm playing brand new LPs that haven't been out of the shrink-wrap, so I can't attribute it purely to worn LPs that have been damaged by previous playing.
I dug out my Hi-Fi News test LP and protractor and checked everything as best as I can (with my eyesight!). It looks as though Tony did a perfectly good job of the setup - the alignment seems to be correct although bear in mind I'm only using basic tools to check - the supplied alignment gauge and a ruler for the overhang (18mm according to me). The cartridge appears to be parallel to the alignment gauge lines. The downforce was 1.9g according my electronic scales. No idea about azimuth - I can't adjust it anyway with the OL arm, it's a factory-set / adjust job.
Playing the test LP the cartridge passed every test with the exception of the +18dB bias "torture" track (I did notice that on the channel balance tracks there's slight "bleed-through" (?) between the channels so I'm assuming this is showing up the limited channel separation of the cartridge. I don't have a mono switch on my amp so couldn't check the channel balance on the track where the channels are meant to cancel each other out. Using the resonant frequency tracks I noticed the arm / cart combination experienced the "wobble" between about 9Hz and 12Hz. The one thing I've not checked is the actual bias force being applied as I don't know how I can measure that. It's hanging weight & thread, but there are no markings on the arm to indicate how much force is being applied. Using a blank bit of vinyl I notice a fairly substantial outward movement of the arm when the stylus is placed down on the revolving surface. The arm is set parallel to the playing surface based on an "average" thickness LP, so on the 180g stuff there is a very slight upward inclination from pivot to headshell.
I keep the stylus clean using the VP sticky stuff (I gave up on the idea of getting a soft brush after my recent posting on suggestions for one). I use a jeweller's loupe to check after one or two sides and clean if necessary. I also use a carbon bristle brush on the LPs and a Zerostat for the static build-up.
So... where do I begin to look for the source of this sibilance and how to correct it? The only adjustment I've made so far is to increase downforce from 1.9g to 2.0g which is now at the upper limit recommended by Goldring - hasn't made any difference to the sibilance (although the bass has taken on a little more solidity and weight, which works for me). Questions:
- I have read that the Gyger-S stylus profile makes the cartridge very sensitive to alignment - could it really be that a fractional error somewhere could be the cause?
- Is it possible that this issue could be caused not by a mechanical alignment issue, but by electronics? My phono stage was refurbished last year with new caps and valve bases, plus new diodes and transistors in the PSU as one had failed, so they were all done. Can a phono stage cause sibilance? The Tube Tech M.A.C. doesn't have adjustable capacitance for MM carts so I can't play with that.
- Is it possible that there's some actual damage to the stylus? It was a brand new cartridge when fitted and not damaged during that process (I was watching Tony) so it would have had to come from the factory like it. How's Goldring's reputation for quality?
- Is there a problem with compatibility between the arm and cartridge? Compliance is quoted at 20mm / N static and 10 mm /N dynamic and mass with bolts is 7.3g. OL arms are generally pretty compatible - effective mass of the Onyx is quoted at 12g. I don't know how to work out if this is OK - is it the resonant frequency that's affected by this?
Sorry to bombard with info and questions. There are so many parameters to think about with setup, and every time I think I'm beginning to understand it, it slips away again!
Edit: sorry, should have mentioned - I checked the TT plinth to confirm it's level (it is as far as I can tell with the level I currently have) but I don't have anything lightweight enough just yet to use on the platter to check for level, the suspension is very sensitive to weight so I'm looking for a super-light level to do this. By eye, the platter seems level relative to the plinth. Also should have mentioned I'm still running-in my speakers, and currently have the HF adjuster set to the +1 dB level although I don't know if it will stay like that long-term. I don't hear the sibilance with CD or internet radio though so I'm not convinced it's the speakers at fault, unless my vinyl kit is exciting them in ways the digital can't!
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