Suggestions needed for a vinyl newbie

Rob- I watched your video twice! I guess I just didn't spend enough time adjusting. I think leveling the table and adjusting VTF made the most improvements; the cartridge was barely out of alignment but it did also make a difference.

Mike- I'm not sure why it changed the way it did then. I honestly didn't do any research into the ramifications of having the VTA either way; it's just what I experienced. When I added the second mat, the arm was level; I didn't experiment with adding more height to make it tail down.

With that being said, does anyone think a different mat would make a difference or should I just stick with what I have?
 
Matt

You can stick with the stock mat and buy different thickness cork sheets from Home Depot, Lowes, Michaels and put them under the mat to adjust the VTA.
 
Matt

Also in determining correct VTA, don't use the arm tube or the headshell as a guide. Use either the top or bottom of the cartridge body. Easy way to check is with a lined index card.
 
Thanks Jack. I was just reading about cork or shelf liner to increase height and the index card is a great idea; I never would have thought of it.
 
Matt

Also in determining correct VTA, don't use the arm tube or the headshell as a guide. Use either the top or bottom of the cartridge body. Easy way to check is with a lined index card.

Depends.....what cart are you using right now Matt?
 
I'm currently using a Audio Technica AT440MLa but I do also have a Stanton 680ee


When you mounted the AT440MLa cart to the headshell, did you follow the AT instructions to remove for safe keeping (and then replace) the stylus assembly? Maybe remove and replace the stylus assembly again and make sure you hear the recommended, "click" from the instruction manual. If the stylus isn't correctly seated in the cart body, no matter the arm adjustment, the sound isn't going to be right for this kind of MM cart/stylus.

Maybe just back up this one step and redo to make sure you've started off correctly....?

Mike
 
I was out of town over the weekend and was able to pick up a few new LPs to give my system it's first real chance to show what it could do. The verdict? It's nice! I have two out of three albums on CD and it's interesting to hear how different they sound on vinyl. The only downside is that one of the LPs had a small piece of vinyl stuck on it, which when removed, left a spot on the record. It produces a slightly audible tick when the needle comes across it so I'm not sure if I'm going to bother trying to ship it back and swap it for another copy.
 
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