Does the dealer who sold you the new Grado cartridge and set up the table have an explanation? Does the dealer offer other brands of cartridges besides Grado? Did you buy the table from this dealer? The Denon is one of the best DD TT (doesn't cog) so I would go to the dealer first before replacing. That's what you paid him for....
Help- Denon DP59L...
OK, so you all got me back into vinyl. Started with a turntable I always wanted, a B&O TX-2 (linear tracking) that will not skip under any circumstances. Only problem is that it sounded horrible.
So again reading all your posts have gone to a Denon DP59L DD turntable with a huge platter and many adjustments. Knowing that I am incompetant to set this thing up, had a dealer mount and align a new Grado Gold cartridge. Using a (awesome) Copland CTA 301 preamp for phono stage either direct to amp or through SF Line 2 preamp for remote volume. Here is the problem. On some tunes it sounds great, but on others the ssssss sounds are distorted or I would say I have midrange distortion at all volume levels including very low levels. I do not believe that there is overmodulation distortion as it does not occur on peaks but during complex passages with lots of midrange action. I don't really want to screw around with the settings "tracking force" "antiskating" etc... unless someone tells me that the setup is flawed, but why would it be? That is why I had the prof. set it up. Does anyone have any recommendations?
Have tried another phono stage, same problem. Have been using records of my own that have been played only once or twice in the 80's to make tapes. Perfectly clean with D4 fluid/ brush but running low. This is great fun but I would like a cleaner sound.
So again reading all your posts have gone to a Denon DP59L DD turntable with a huge platter and many adjustments. Knowing that I am incompetant to set this thing up, had a dealer mount and align a new Grado Gold cartridge. Using a (awesome) Copland CTA 301 preamp for phono stage either direct to amp or through SF Line 2 preamp for remote volume. Here is the problem. On some tunes it sounds great, but on others the ssssss sounds are distorted or I would say I have midrange distortion at all volume levels including very low levels. I do not believe that there is overmodulation distortion as it does not occur on peaks but during complex passages with lots of midrange action. I don't really want to screw around with the settings "tracking force" "antiskating" etc... unless someone tells me that the setup is flawed, but why would it be? That is why I had the prof. set it up. Does anyone have any recommendations?
Have tried another phono stage, same problem. Have been using records of my own that have been played only once or twice in the 80's to make tapes. Perfectly clean with D4 fluid/ brush but running low. This is great fun but I would like a cleaner sound.