Initiation to the world of Vinyl

[jrhymeammo]

Oops...

There you go.
Free Stuff. No Ipod/promotion related please.

Just check to see whether the cantilever is pointng straight.
This will be easier to see if you cartridge body is a simple square type.
The easiest way to inspect is to take your cartridge off of the headshell, then look at it from the bottom.

Kinda like this view...ouch.


It might be best to go ahead and replace the cartridge to be on the safe side, but it still may be good. The only way to determine that is to take it to your local hifi shop, and have them examine it under a microscope.

JRA

[audio amateur]

Just check to see whether the cantilever is pointng straight.
This will be easier to see if you cartridge body is a simple square type.
The easiest way to inspect is to take your cartridge off of the headshell, then look at it from the bottom.

Kinda like this view...ouch.

It might be best to go ahead and replace the cartridge to be on the safe side, but it still may be good. The only way to determine that is to take it to your local hifi shop, and have them examine it under a microscope.

Lol, that 'underside' view doesn't look right
I think i may be at a loss concenring what the cantilever actually is. Could you expand? Also, I'm not sure what you mean by straight. With respect to what exactly?

To be safe I might just pick up a new entry level cartridge.

http://www.needledoctor.com/Needle-D...&category=-112

Given that I'm living in Europe, this link is a little moot for me no? I'm sure i can find a second hand one on Ebay here.

[poppachubby]

Lol, that 'underside' view doesn't look right
I think i may be at a loss concenring what the cantilever actually is. Could you expand? Also, I'm not sure what you mean by straight. With respect to what exactly?

To be safe I might just pick up a new entry level cartridge.


Given that I'm living in Europe, this link is a little moot for me no? I'm sure i can find a second hand one on Ebay here.

Why? How much could shipping possibly be for such a small item? You saw that the savings are over 50%?

[JohnMichael]

This is a nice link from Audio Technica which shows the components of a phono cartridge.

http://www.audio-technica.com/cms/re...cartridges.pdf


The drawings will help show the different parts of a phono cartridge. Once you have decided on a cartridge there are some good links for cartridge alignment.

http://www.tnt-audio.com/accessories/schon_e.html

Mounting and setting up a phono cartridge can be a little daunting at first but once done all you have to do is enjoy the music.

[audio amateur]

Great info JM, thanks for the links. I'll keep on the lookout for the Cambridge unit, they should be readily available here me thinks.

[audio amateur]

Why? How much could shipping possibly be for such a small item? You saw that the savings are over 50%?

Well, true but it seems to me like most of them don't ship outside the US. Another problem might be voltage, although phono stages usually have an external power supply which means I could always have it changed.

[jrhymeammo]

Here you go.
http://www.soundfountain.com/amb/ttadjust.html

This link offers tons of setup information. I hate to say it, but it's a good read. If you read up on it too much, you will find yourself fiddling around constantly and not enjoy the music. Be careful

Also, I'm not sure what you mean by straight. With respect to what exactly?

T

I think that is a loaded question, so I'll be lazy and let the below link answer your question.
http://www.tnt-audio.com/accessories/schon_e.html

Here is what I did. I now use a 0.5mm pencil lead. I utilize this setup routine every time I swap a cartridge.
Cheapest Analog Tweak

JRA

[JohnMichael]

Here is what I did. I now use a 0.5mm pencil lead. I utilize this setup routine every time I swap a cartridge.
Cheapest Analog Tweak

JRA

AA I must say the pencil lead tweak that JRA found has made accurate cartridge set up so much easier. I think of him fondly every time I install a cartridge.