Cartridges & Sensitivity to VTF


Cartridges & Sensitivity to VTF

Throughout the years of my involvement with vinyl. I’m beginning to wonder if some of these cartridges are more sensitive to Vertical Tracking Force than others. I only having direct experience, in my home, with the Benz L2 Wood and the Lyra Skala, I don’t have the experience to form much personal experience. I hope to get a general understanding which cartridges are more sensitive to VTF variations when compared to others.

For those of you with your Cartridges…

Could you provide some insight on the VTF range and sensitivity of your cartridges?

Which cartridges you have owned that are very sensitive to (0.0x grams)?

Which cartridges you have owned that are very sensitive to (0.00x grams)?

Care to share any other observations?

Thanks,
Dre
dre_j

Showing 2 responses by dougdeacon

Every MC I've used long enough to play with VTF has responded audibly to changes of
.02-.04g, less in some cases. That includes Denon 103/103R, Ortofon Jubilee, Shelter 901, seven different ZYX models and probably some others. I don't remember any MC that did not respond to VTF changes in this range.

The more resolving models are certainly more sensitive - the ZYX UNIverse is exquisitely so - but they all react in the same basic pattern. Higher end cartridges give you more for your trouble, but the same VTF-setting technique works on all of them. Thank goodness!

Note to those with arms that lack a fine VTF adjustment: you don't have to do what Txp1 did and buy a different arm (though there's nothing wrong with that). If you like your present arm in other respects and want to add fine VTF adjustment without moving that ^%$# ~! counterweight, just hop out to Home Depot and buy some O-rings. Choose an I.D. that provides a snug fit on your arm's end stub. Slide one or more onto the end stub and you'll reduce VTF in .02-.04g increments, depending on the thickness of the O-ring and the length of the arm. Simple, cheap, very fast, reliable, repeatable. Just remember to lock your arm down while adding/removing O-rings, for safety.
Stringreen,

We first used O-rings to fine tune VTF on an OL Silver. Of course they'd work on any arm with an exposed length of end stub behind the counterweight. Just set your c/w for the maximum downforce you're likely to want, then reduce in increments by adding O-rings.

We later switched to a TriPlanar, which also had no fine VTF adjustment at that time (new ones now do). The O-rings really enjoyed this upgrade. They sound better on a $4K arm than on a $1K arm! ;-)

I've also posted about using (smaller) O-rings for fine tuning antiskating to a degree not possible with the sliding metal weight the TriPlanar comes with. Soon after that post a certain gentleman named HW started including O-rings along with the metal weight in the antiskate retrofit kit for the JMW's. My patent infringement attorney is looking into this scandalous appropriation of freeware for commercial purposes. ;-)