@0:49 "...and set-up's a big deal." -- Long read. Lots to cover. I am pleased that our host emphasized the importance of properly setting up your turntable / tone-arm / cartridge. Here are the settings that you should dial in with precision (and as Paul said, it is an art -- where you have to trust the skills and the ears of whoever sets it up). -- the effective length of the tone-arm -- the cartridge's weight -- the vertical tracking alignment / rake angle -- the anti-skating -- the overhang -- the offset -- the zenith angle -- the cartridge's azimuth. Each of the above is critical, to get the magic out of your record's groove. Each of the above requires specialized tools, and very few people have the special pressing and oscilloscope for accurately setting the azimuth. Miss one setting, and it is akin to driving your car with your front-end out of alignment, or a wheel unbalanced. You want your stylus to rub exactly where it should rub, and at exactly the proper angle. Anything less is like your car's tire rubbing against the curb. @2:53 "Night and day better." Exactly. A $1,000 cartridge will probably sound better than a $5,000 cartridge, if the former was professionally dialed in, and the latter was not. When you have it all professionally dialed in, your clean records will play more quietly, because you will not hear the stylus rubbing where it should not be rubbing. Michael Fremer has videos on turntable set-up. He also has a DVD that he sells (or you can find for sale). Also note that the worst case scenario includes when a cartridge manufacturer installs the stylus into the cantilever at an improper angle. This happens occasionally on multi-thousand dollar cartridges, and probably happens regularly on sub-thousand dollar cartridges. So be sure to find someone that knows how to identify the above, and return any cartridge with an improperly installed stylus. Lastly, the pressings you play -- play a huge role in the sound quality of your stereo. Most pressings have sub par sound quality. For some titles, 100% of the pressings have sub par sound quality. Perhaps 1 in 10 pressings have very good sound quality, and far fewer have outstanding sound quality. And when you find a pressing with outstanding sound quality (white hot stamper), it will likely be for only one of its two sides. There do exist pressings with white hot sound quality on both sides. They are somewhat rare. To get white hot sound quality on both sides, you will probably have to keep re-purchasing the same album, until you land two copies (one for playing side 1, and one for playing side 2). I had to do that for Abbey Road. That album has amazing songs on both sides. It is an example of a title worth the effort. Lastly, try to discover which stamper codes are supposedly the ones that have the best shot at great sound quality. Also, try to discover which stamper codes to avoid, due to their entire run having crummy sound quality. That is a daunting task, as every album has their own, unique stamper codes, and there could be dozens of stamper codes for an album (Fleetwood Mac's Rumours is one such example). When you have everything professionally dialed in, and you play a white hot stamper, you will be treated to a really good sonic experience. Your stereo will sound like it just tripled in price.
I’d like to echo Paul’s advice here. Even with my modest (and now old) Rega Planar 2, with the stock arm and budget cartridge, some time making sure the cartridge was correctly aligned and arm adjusted is worth it. It transformed the sound and, al though most of my music collection is on CD, really gave me an appreciation and respect for the quality and musicality of vinyl. The Musical Fidelity phono stage no doubt dit its share of the heavy lifting, but setup really made that turntable sing
I bought a new Planar 2 about 6 months ago, and had my dealer upgrade the stock Carbon to a AT-VM540ML...my first "real" turntable (or at least decent cart) replacing a Technics SL-5 that wouldn't even turn on anymore. After several months of having to crank up the volume on my AVR to get much more than a whisper out of the phone input, I bought a Rega Fono MM Mk5 phono preamp, plugged into the CD input....made a universe of difference! I know some people wouldn't bat an eyelash buying a single cartridge equaling the value of my entire setup, but it cost me about a month and a half pay. I'm still glad I did it, though :)
My two cents - unless you're technically amazing, get a turntable specialist to set up your cartridge if there's one in your area. Like Paul, I brought my table to an amazing local shop / specialist and had it done there- and am glad I did! Re. the phono stage, all things being equal, I'd say spend more on that than on the cartridge, because even well-maintained cartridges wear out and require replacement, while a phono stage can last many years without extra expense (unless you choose one with many NOS tubes).
Don't forget about the recording itself, unfortunately most recordings, whether on vinyl or cd, don't have that perfect holographic soundstage, and if it's not in the recording...
Absolutely, Tiefenbrun of Linn (who helped popularize modern high-end turntables) emphasized a 'source' paradigm' stating that one can't recover downstream what's lost upstream in the audio system. But the most upstream part of the music system are the lps, discs, files (or for some users, tape) feeding it. I'd much rather have a good system with good LP pressings (or other source media- best remasters, etc) than a great system with so-so media feeding it.
Yep I would agree. It’s set up and the cartridge and the phono preamp. I think having one of the better phono preamps out there so that you can measure any changes or adjustments you might make so that you can audibly determine those distinctions is paramount.
The problem with most vinyl rigs is the fact that the setup is often limited by the tonearm. People put expensive cartridges with exotic stylus profiles on tonearms that don't have the ability to adjust all of the parameters such as VTA and azimuth. Rega and Linn solved this to some extent by building their cartridges for their turntables, making setup a breeze. But yeah, setup is very important and if your table doesn't allow for all the adjustments possible then don't bother with getting a cartridge with anything more exotic than an elliptical stylus profile because you won't get the benefits and you might actually damage your vinyl.
If you're going to invest in a new piece of gear, I (and many other people, too) recommend getting a really solid phono preamp first. It's simply the nature of the device - a cartridge is, unfortunately, a consumable at the end of the day. It will wear out, and you'll have to replace it eventually. But a good phono preamp will provide many, many years of service. I've personally heard how big of a difference a good preamp can make, especially in terms of imaging and soundstage. Spring for a really good one!
Agree. I learned a lot setting up a Lyra cart on my Nottingham TT. The manual is thin but if relays heavily on listening. Gauges will get you in the ballpark - but finally you have to listen. and there is a hierarchy to setting it up IMO - with VTA and Antiskate being last. Yes a lot of listening.
I gather “It depends” is the truest, most factual, most frequent answer in all of audiophilia. It certainly has been for me. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, Paul.
I hate to say it, but buy an older preamp with a decent phono stage AND at good tape loop that will rout phono through the tape loop and give you that output as sound. Then put a DBX 3bx-ds on that tape loop. Enjoy. Also, if you could find a Carver C-4000 preamp, you may just be able to call it a day.
Hmm - for me, getting the best out of vinyl sound carriers is like listening to a soap bubble to hear the pulse and heartbeat unadulterated. This is a variant of voodoo - but not really something for everyday use.
I set my cartridge with a laser I got from NASA during a government auction. This thing is so precision the base had to be hand scrapped for almost a year to turn it to the millionth of an inch by a guy that worked for Don Bailey from Suburban Tool, Inc. Don is a legend in the machining world and is on youtube. I project the laser at least 20 feet and I tune it right in and it sounds as good as what Brooks used to do. Sometimes I use a feeler gauge and solder or epoxy to fine turn the arm. Ol' Brooks didn't know that trick. When I'm done a $10000 turn table might look like crap but it will sound like a million dollars and that is all that matters. Brooks was good but I'm the best. You are right though, If you don't tune your table nothing can fix that.
We may determine if alignment has sense by comprisoon LP to the same music in digital version Unfortunately it may come out opposite - that digiital need alignment 🤨
@0:49 "...and set-up's a big deal." -- Long read. Lots to cover.
I am pleased that our host emphasized the importance of properly setting up your turntable / tone-arm / cartridge.
Here are the settings that you should dial in with precision (and as Paul said, it is an art -- where you have to trust the skills and the ears of whoever sets it up).
-- the effective length of the tone-arm
-- the cartridge's weight
-- the vertical tracking alignment / rake angle
-- the anti-skating
-- the overhang
-- the offset
-- the zenith angle
-- the cartridge's azimuth.
Each of the above is critical, to get the magic out of your record's groove. Each of the above requires specialized tools, and very few people have the special pressing and oscilloscope for accurately setting the azimuth.
Miss one setting, and it is akin to driving your car with your front-end out of alignment, or a wheel unbalanced.
You want your stylus to rub exactly where it should rub, and at exactly the proper angle. Anything less is like your car's tire rubbing against the curb.
@2:53 "Night and day better."
Exactly.
A $1,000 cartridge will probably sound better than a $5,000 cartridge, if the former was professionally dialed in, and the latter was not.
When you have it all professionally dialed in, your clean records will play more quietly, because you will not hear the stylus rubbing where it should not be rubbing.
Michael Fremer has videos on turntable set-up.
He also has a DVD that he sells (or you can find for sale).
Also note that the worst case scenario includes when a cartridge manufacturer installs the stylus into the cantilever at an improper angle. This happens occasionally on multi-thousand dollar cartridges, and probably happens regularly on sub-thousand dollar cartridges. So be sure to find someone that knows how to identify the above, and return any cartridge with an improperly installed stylus.
Lastly, the pressings you play -- play a huge role in the sound quality of your stereo.
Most pressings have sub par sound quality. For some titles, 100% of the pressings have sub par sound quality. Perhaps 1 in 10 pressings have very good sound quality, and far fewer have outstanding sound quality.
And when you find a pressing with outstanding sound quality (white hot stamper), it will likely be for only one of its two sides. There do exist pressings with white hot sound quality on both sides. They are somewhat rare. To get white hot sound quality on both sides, you will probably have to keep re-purchasing the same album, until you land two copies (one for playing side 1, and one for playing side 2). I had to do that for Abbey Road. That album has amazing songs on both sides. It is an example of a title worth the effort.
Lastly, try to discover which stamper codes are supposedly the ones that have the best shot at great sound quality. Also, try to discover which stamper codes to avoid, due to their entire run having crummy sound quality. That is a daunting task, as every album has their own, unique stamper codes, and there could be dozens of stamper codes for an album (Fleetwood Mac's Rumours is one such example).
When you have everything professionally dialed in, and you play a white hot stamper, you will be treated to a really good sonic experience. Your stereo will sound like it just tripled in price.
Or play a CD and enjoy the music
@@geoff37s38 Do you mean that CD players do not have sound quality issues?
We lost Brooks but his son is still around and has a great little shop in Pasadena and one down south in San Diego.
Hey Paul, Merry Christmas to you and the entire family at PS Audio 😊
I’d like to echo Paul’s advice here. Even with my modest (and now old) Rega Planar 2, with the stock arm and budget cartridge, some time making sure the cartridge was correctly aligned and arm adjusted is worth it. It transformed the sound and, al though most of my music collection is on CD, really gave me an appreciation and respect for the quality and musicality of vinyl. The Musical Fidelity phono stage no doubt dit its share of the heavy lifting, but setup really made that turntable sing
I bought a new Planar 2 about 6 months ago, and had my dealer upgrade the stock Carbon to a AT-VM540ML...my first "real" turntable (or at least decent cart) replacing a Technics SL-5 that wouldn't even turn on anymore. After several months of having to crank up the volume on my AVR to get much more than a whisper out of the phone input, I bought a Rega Fono MM Mk5 phono preamp, plugged into the CD input....made a universe of difference! I know some people wouldn't bat an eyelash buying a single cartridge equaling the value of my entire setup, but it cost me about a month and a half pay. I'm still glad I did it, though :)
Thank you Paul for the inside and have very Merry Christmas and a happy and healthy new year! ❤
My two cents - unless you're technically amazing, get a turntable specialist to set up your cartridge if there's one in your area. Like Paul, I brought my table to an amazing local shop / specialist and had it done there- and am glad I did! Re. the phono stage, all things being equal, I'd say spend more on that than on the cartridge, because even well-maintained cartridges wear out and require replacement, while a phono stage can last many years without extra expense (unless you choose one with many NOS tubes).
Don't forget about the recording itself, unfortunately most recordings, whether on vinyl or cd, don't have that perfect holographic soundstage, and if it's not in the recording...
I don’t think he’s forgotten. He founded Octave Records
I found that it pretty much comes down to the recording itself.
@@bikdavExactly!
@@bikdavyes definitely. room acoustics, along with speakers and their placement are also typically a bottleneck in peoples systems
Absolutely, Tiefenbrun of Linn (who helped popularize modern high-end turntables) emphasized a 'source' paradigm' stating that one can't recover downstream what's lost upstream in the audio system. But the most upstream part of the music system are the lps, discs, files (or for some users, tape) feeding it. I'd much rather have a good system with good LP pressings (or other source media- best remasters, etc) than a great system with so-so media feeding it.
Yep I would agree. It’s set up and the cartridge and the phono preamp. I think having one of the better phono preamps out there so that you can measure any changes or adjustments you might make so that you can audibly determine those distinctions is paramount.
The problem with most vinyl rigs is the fact that the setup is often limited by the tonearm. People put expensive cartridges with exotic stylus profiles on tonearms that don't have the ability to adjust all of the parameters such as VTA and azimuth. Rega and Linn solved this to some extent by building their cartridges for their turntables, making setup a breeze. But yeah, setup is very important and if your table doesn't allow for all the adjustments possible then don't bother with getting a cartridge with anything more exotic than an elliptical stylus profile because you won't get the benefits and you might actually damage your vinyl.
If you're going to invest in a new piece of gear, I (and many other people, too) recommend getting a really solid phono preamp first. It's simply the nature of the device - a cartridge is, unfortunately, a consumable at the end of the day. It will wear out, and you'll have to replace it eventually. But a good phono preamp will provide many, many years of service. I've personally heard how big of a difference a good preamp can make, especially in terms of imaging and soundstage. Spring for a really good one!
Totally agree!
Absolutely.
If the cart isn't aligned properly it can't deliver its best performance, and there is no way to correct for that electronically.
Agree. I learned a lot setting up a Lyra cart on my Nottingham TT. The manual is thin but if relays heavily on listening. Gauges will get you in the ballpark - but finally you have to listen. and there is a hierarchy to setting it up IMO - with VTA and Antiskate being last. Yes a lot of listening.
I gather “It depends” is the truest, most factual, most frequent answer in all of audiophilia. It certainly has been for me. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, Paul.
I would say synergy, which in this case has a good amount of unpredictability.
Very wise words Paul, cheers.
Smoke a joint and get over yourself, the musicians already beat you to it.
Sadly, Brooks Berdan died in 2011. RIP
Brooks has passed on. His family moved the store to Washington state
I agree , Nd counter weight as well. Even .1 grams can make a huge difference
I hate to say it, but buy an older preamp with a decent phono stage AND at good tape loop that will rout phono through the tape loop and give you that output as sound. Then put a DBX 3bx-ds on that tape loop. Enjoy. Also, if you could find a Carver C-4000 preamp, you may just be able to call it a day.
Merry Christmas Paul!
Brooks passed
Merry Xmas Paul to you and your family! 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄
Hmm - for me, getting the best out of vinyl sound carriers is like listening to a soap bubble to hear the pulse and heartbeat unadulterated.
This is a variant of voodoo - but not really something for everyday use.
What?
I set my cartridge with a laser I got from NASA during a government auction. This thing is so precision the base had to be hand scrapped for almost a year to turn it to the millionth of an inch by a guy that worked for Don Bailey from Suburban Tool, Inc. Don is a legend in the machining world and is on youtube. I project the laser at least 20 feet and I tune it right in and it sounds as good as what Brooks used to do. Sometimes I use a feeler gauge and solder or epoxy to fine turn the arm. Ol' Brooks didn't know that trick. When I'm done a $10000 turn table might look like crap but it will sound like a million dollars and that is all that matters. Brooks was good but I'm the best. You are right though, If you don't tune your table nothing can fix that.
We may determine if alignment has sense by comprisoon LP to the same music in digital version Unfortunately it may come out opposite - that digiital need alignment 🤨
@@Mikexception Are you questioning my ability? I am the best and making turntables sound better anyone else.
@@funny0000000 Did I?
I like holographic CD!😃
Hey Paul,
Whatever happened to the second phono preamp that Darren Meyers developed that was even better than the Stella? Merry Christmas!