Kleos Sibilance


Hello Folks,

I posted this in a Delos thread but I thought I'd better start it's own thread.

I have a new Kleos in a JMW 9 Signature on a Scoutmaster. I am getting sibilance on vocals beyond what I have heard with either a Shelter 501 II or a VPI Ortofon on the same table. My dealer put the Kleos on the wand I had the VPI cart on. I have gone to 1.8g and did not solve it and I have checked the alignment. I brought the rear of the arm down as well. It may be less pronounced but it is still there. Otherwise the Kleos is quite nice. It has 3 or 4 hours on it now. I do not hear misstracking on high level passages, just sibilance and sometimes some grunge on male vocals. It is not on all vocals but it is fairly common.
128x128Ag insider logo xs@2xrobob
Sibilance still there on multiple LP's including Featuring Norah Jones. It is improved. The sound is really good otherwise. A bit less slam but everything is more controlled and crisper. Maybe a little HiFi sounding occasionally but very little. Just heard really nice cymbal hits that sounded real so that is definitely better. Norah gives a good try to Court and Spark but Ms. Mitchell owns that. At the risk of sounding like a broken LP, piano is so wonderful through the Kleos.

Pretty sure I cannot live with a blob of Blu-tack on the headshell!

So Dgarretson gets the prize, whatever that may not be, for recommending the weigh on the headshell trick.
I wonder if fremer had a lamp over the table to keep the cartridge warm per vpihw.

LOL

What a boatload of crap.

And from the designer no less.

UFB

Maybe used cars is a more appropriate gig.
Sibilance still there on multiple LP's including Featuring Norah Jones. It is improved. The sound is really good otherwise. A bit less slam but everything is more controlled and crisper. Maybe a little HiFi sounding occasionally but very little. Just heard really nice cymbal hits that sounded real so that is definitely better. Norah gives a good try to Court and Spark but Ms. Mitchell owns that. At the risk of sounding like a broken LP, piano is so wonderful through the Kleos.

Pretty sure I cannot live with a blob of Blu-tack on the headshell!

So Dgarretson gets the prize, whatever that may not be, for recommending the weigh on the headshell trick.
Hey Group,

I forgot to mention honorable mention to Bill for his insistence here that the issue was the tonearm. We just need to get him to stop being so shy.

So I called Donna again at Sota and ordered a refurb Star with the series V motor, composite armboard, and SME 309. They are going to mount the arm and I am going to ship them the Kleos for mounting in about 3 weeks unless they call and say they are ready for it earlier. Briefly spoke to Kirk as well. Nice folks.

When I switch back to the arm wand with the Shelter I will add more weight to that headshell and see how the Shelter responds.
I'm interested to hear how things work out with the SME 309. I'm considering moving to that arm myself w/ my Michell Orbe. Either that or a Rega RB1000.
Goatwuss, I definitely plan to post initial and later impressions.

Scary lack of specifications on the 1000, not even in the manual. Does it have adjustable VTA or will the Mitchell mod work? I am skeptical. Sales in large numbers does not denote greatness as you probably realize.

Your Orbe have the plinth? Why do they think it needs it? Not finding any info on the Orbe dampening, how does the subplatter or whatever work? In any case they appear to be nice machines. Was considering a Gyro.

Take it EZ,
Robert
I don't believe the RB1000 has adjustable VTA. If I decided to move forward with that arm, I would probably go with the shim-based approach. Once I get VTA roughed in for an arm/cartridge I don't usually mess with it too much, and I can buy R. Gandy's position that the increased rigidify is more important than more easily adjustable VTA.

No, the Orbe doesn't have the plinth, it's the spider edition. The way it works is there is a metal sub-chassis piece that has springs built in which sits on the kind of triangular piece. Where you can see what looks like black cylinders, these are actually just covers as there are adjustable springs underneath, where you turn a little knurled knob to adjust spring damping. The oil pumping platter bearing is seated in the metal sub-chassis.

I'm not sure about their perspective on plinth vs no-plinth - I think it just comes down to user preferences. What I do know is that the plinth can be added or subtracted at any time, but I'm fine without it.
01-06-11: Goatwuss
I don't believe the RB1000 has adjustable VTA. If I decided to move forward with that arm, I would probably go with the shim-based approach. Once I get VTA roughed in for an arm/cartridge I don't usually mess with it too much, and I can buy R. Gandy's position that the increased rigidify is more important than more easily adjustable VTA.

While rigidity is important, having fixed VTA/SRA you just can't extract everything that's possible from cartridges with exotic line contact stylii.
Perhaps most of your records are the same thickness(?), but mine are all over the place.
IMO having fixed VTA is like having a camera with no adjustment for focus. YMMV.

I only adjust VTA/SRA to compensate for record thickness. It can be really surprising how much adjustment is required to maintain a static VTA over different records - which can be easily set/verified with the Phantom arm's micropoise level.
Thanks Goatwuss. Orbe sounds well thoughtout.

Tobes, looked at your system, bet that updated TNT with the Phantom is quite nice.

I am with Tobes on the VTA issue. Some of Rega's design decisions do not make sense to me. Wish the VTA was easier to set on the 309. It is similar to the arm on my Perspective (someday I need to get the cart lead I broke repaired and put a spare cart on that) in the way you raise the back of the arm and then tighten something. The JMW Sig has a knurled knob you turn then tighten two allen heads.
Not to go too far off topic - but my understanding is that several mm of difference in tonearm base height only changes SRA by fractions of a degree. I know that others have had different experiences, but I have not heard these minute changes in SRA angle make a major difference to the quality of sound.

There's still time, I suppose, but for me it's pretty far down my laundry list of things to worry about!
Anyway I'm not in a mood to argue about this and I hope to enjoy your Benz LP with your Technoarm. - Geoch -

Hi Geoch,

Maybe you didn't notice but I changed the Michell Tecnoarm for the Graham Phantom MKII
Hi Curio,
Congrats. Excellent allround choice.
I compare these 2 but I purchase the Reed 3Q in favor for a 12" once that I keep my Pluto 9A as a good representative 9.5"
I've tend to prefer pivoted arms over unipivots but I like my cartridge to stand at the edge of effervescence in transient speed, resolving power & inner detail. Somehow I feel that the pivoted arms & especially 12" can manage to handle the overtones of these cartridges (Condor-XPP-Goldfinger) in a more secure & effective manner. What I discover is that the personal taste in cartridges may apply also to the tonearms.
(ie) : I have found that the highly regarded Triplanar has the same influence to my ears as the Benz LP. It is far more "relaxed" that I like.
I don't know why I have always to apologise for my findings.
My choices are reflecting my personal taste and I've never use our forum like a playground or a battle field.
Regards and have a nice day.
Hi Geoch,

I enjoied the 12" Reed 3Q on my Raven One but probably I wasn't prepared to the 12" sound .. or to the Ziricote armwand sound .. or the BenzLP with that armwand sound..
I didn't love the additional warm spread on the whole frequencies spectrum
By the way I'm super happy about the result of the Graham Phantom - Benz LP on my TT.
I found this result much more natural and balanced to my ears .. the Graham is faster than the 12" Reed and helps the Benz to trace better than the Reed .. even if I obviously used the Mint for both.
Probably is a compatibility issue.
Curio :
"the Graham is faster than the 12" Reed and helps the Benz to trace better than the Reed"
Maybe it is so, I'm glad that you have found the best arm for your Benz LP. Actually I think the particular arm may well be the best allrounder for most cartridges and thus the safest bet with the minimum risk. Although I must insist that the energy between this cartridge & the arm's headshell is minimum. By this logic you could probably stay lower to your budget, but I agree for your choice of this elevated quality as you can always install almost everything you wish to your Phantom II in the future.
In my set-up the Phantom II was more linear (in the risk of sounding lean) and maybe more neutral-accurate (completely uncolored in the border of being bland) in comparison for my taste, while the Reed 3Q has a fleshy & organic ID (wood tube?) with equal precision (maybe due to it's 12" armtube) and I witness a more delight tonality & by this a more exciting performance overall with my Condor & Goldfinger. Of course I remind you that my priorities in audio are strictly focused to an emotionally oriented performance (and not invisible or perfectly achromatic components as I see no reason for a monitoring listening, let alone that there are not exist such items).
So : Idler drive TT, DHT SET, Full-Range Horns for me & my vicious audio appetite, although I cannot but congratulate you for your new reference caliber tonearm. (The trackability test is an unmistakable indicator for quality & compatibility. The tonality of course is another subject)
Take care & enjoy your system.
I have been trying to tame the silblance and tracking distortion on my scout for quite a while. I have taken the same records played on a scout to a friends house. He has an old Mission table, a very good one. There was no sibilance tracking error and no inner groove distortion on his table at all. He brought over the same alignment tool he used on his table and tried his best to fix it. When he was finished, he said that is the best it will be. Still sibilance and inner groove distortion. He said the same thing that Audiofeil said. Get a better arm and that the arm is not good enough to get the best out of the Benz. I guess unipivots are tough to engineer and the only one he has heard that sounded good was the Graham Phantom. He told me to look into gimble arm such as a triplanar. I cannot see myself drilling my scout to put a triplanar or phantom on it even if i could afford it. My room is always over 70 degrees so I don't buy that argument. A moving magnet cartridge would probably track better on my table. Could it be just a matter of being maxed out, facing reality, plain and simple. Maybe I should try a Rega RB300 and see if the problem goes away. I guess it is a pretty good value.
"Maybe I should try a Rega RB300 and see if the problem goes away. I guess it is a pretty good value."

Ixnay on the Rega. No VTA adjustment unless you buy the Mitchell mod. I believe the Rega's to be common not great.

What is the weight of your Benz? VPI has headshell weights. Call 'em and ask them to send you one. There is also somebody selling something called the Isolator, which is essentially a headshell weight with dampening. Might be worth a try.

As I said earlier, VPI wants HEAVY cartridges.

Good Luck,
Robert
Tzh21y - I agree with Rob on the RB300. It's an excellent arm for the price, but I don't think that you'll find it up to the task of completely eliminating sibilance distortion.

If you want to try Rega, I would suggest giving the RB1000 as it supposedly has much higher bearing quality and tolerances.
I have had for some time the Michell Tecnoarm with Benz LP and I have found the combo magical .. obviously for the price of the Tecnoarm.
If you are interested I'm selling the Michell Tecnoarm that's in perfect condition as a new one.
He mentioned the rega as it is pretty much a drop in and it is also widely accepted as a standard decent arm. He thought it might give me an idea on what is going on. I have the headshell weight and although it helped, the cartridge did not sound very good with it, to my ears at least. I have also tried the the antiskate and it did not sound as good as without. I have the Mint LP and my cartridge is definitely aligned as good as it will get. The frustrating thing is that it is sort of a teaser, the JMW tonearm allows me to get a taste of what the Benz is capable of, but will not allow the Benz to really shine. Does anyone know of a drop in replacement for the JMW 9. I am open to suggestions or is it just a matter of starting over.
"Does anyone know of a drop in replacement for the JMW 9. I am open to suggestions or is it just a matter of starting over."

There are none. VPI does not use any standard mounting hole. Like me, you must start over.

Sorry 'bout that,
Robert
I wonder if the problems that are being experienced are rather simple, obvious ones, that something is somehow being overlooked?

Have any of you possibly tried the use of headphones, o eliminate the possibilities of acoustic interaction?
The Headphones should eliminate any such possibilities.

Yes, I suppose if the Rega is a drop in fit, one could perhaps try that route. And later sell a lesser rega, and go up the Rega ladder.

What about Damping the Arm with a Silicone damping Fluid? I haven't read anyone's comments about trying that?

I've never had the pleasure of trying Lyra Cartridges, but I have with Benz, and they seem to be versatile, and usable on a vast array of Arms.

I sort of find it hard to believe that the way this thread has gone so far, that the concensus seems to point to saying-claiming that all VPI JMW Tonearms are somehow inferior, inadequate and not up to the tasks of performing correctly with many world class MC Cartridges?

That it still could possibly be a lack of understanding-knowledge, and the ability to ptoperly set of these Arms?
Note that I am trying to stay in a neutral territory here, not wishing to ruffle anyone's feathers. Just some food for thought? Mark
One person whom I wish would enter, and personally comment on this thread, would be Mr Jonathan Carr of Lyra.

This wise man is a great source of knowledge, and one who perhaps could help others understand what would help extract the best performance from his Cartridges, hence the do's, and don'ts.

I know I always carfeully study anything this man has ever written here. He's a good gift to this community, and I hope he sees my post, and comments. Mark
Why doesn't VPI use a standard mounting? That I am curious of. Are they afraid their tonearm cannot compete with others?
>>01-10-11: Tzh21y
Why doesn't VPI use a standard mounting?<<

Define standard mounting.

Triplanar?
Rega?
Dynavector?
Hadcock?
SME?
Brinkmann?
Linn?

And why would vpi want to encourage the purchase of other tonearms with a more "universal" mounting pattern?

Do you think they'd sell as many arms?

I don't.
VPI arms don't require drilling the armboard. You simply screw it in the correct place, and set it up according to the cartridge. Very, Very easy.
markd51: Acoustic interaction? In what way?

In my case the adjustments have been checked and rechecked.

Look at their website, they sell MM's and a HOMC. One of their people told me they like heavy cartridges. Not the sort of folks that would want a $2750 Kleos on their 2nd from the bottom arm.

And don't get me wrong, I like the Scoutmaster/JMW 9 Sig. Well made stuff. Keep in mind that I mentioned that I had issues with the Shelter 501 II as well. Had to put one of VPI's weights on and up the tracking force. Also keep in mind that the problem with the sibilance was mostly solved by adding weight to the headshell.

I probably should have tried the fluid as HW suggested but I became disenchanted and have thought for years that fluid dampening is ok for tables but not tonearms.

You read the whole thread?

Thanks for your thoughts,
Robert
"VPI arms don't require drilling the armboard. You simply screw it in the correct place, and set it up according to the cartridge. Very, Very easy.
"

Point was they are not like any other. Can't drop in a Rega or an SME which would be the two most common mountings.
I really hope no one is reading this but the morons posting on it. It is almost impossible to get everything wrong but you guys have figured out how to do it. Thank you Stingreen and Markd51 for some sanity.

1- For the wise guy dealer - I have no financial interest in this thread; I didn't have to make another tonearm or turntable or record cleaner 10 years ago let alone worrying about the money now. You’re speaking out of your rear end.

2- The JMW-9 is the exact geometry or the Rega, the Rega drops into the hole cut in the chassis and works perfectly - more bad information.

3- There is no such thing as a standard mounting - every damn arm is different unless the company is actually trying to make it easier for customers to use other arms if they want to - like VPI did with the JMW-9 mounting. We have over 50 mounting templates for different arms, all different.

4- Robob can buy whatever table he feels like buying and I hope he enjoys it but if he cannot get a Kleos to work in the arm he has then he has no concept of how to setup a unipivot. It is different than a fixed bearing arm.

5- Putting a Shelter or any cartridge with a compliance of less than 12 on an arm with the mass of the 9 or 9 Signature is asking for trouble. Then when the combination needs weights or damping complaining about the mess someone else made for them. There is a reason we recommend Dynavectors, they work perfectly in the arms. BTW, the Lyras work perfectly also and we recommend them all the time. Would it work and sound better in the Classic arm, absolutely, can you make it work in the 9, I can!!
The only reason you make a low compliance (less than 12) cartridge with a weight of less than 9 grams is because you do not care about your customers problems.

6- Temperature is a major factor in cartridge tracking; ask J Carr or Peter at SoundSmith.

7- If you want help with anything that is VPI just send an e-mail. We are very busy (must be all those customers buying our lousy arms) selling tables in 57 countries around the world and the US so it may take a few days for a long answer but you will get answered.

8- Do you think it makes any sense to compare a tonearm that costs double the price of the whole table the customer has???

9- We get 4-5 e-mails a week from customers sold the wrong cartridge for there tonearm, one that requires major work to make right. Isn’t easier to send us an e-mail and ask us what works perfectly in the arm we make!!!!!

It's late and I need to stay off these forums, too much bad information from people with little experience and not so subtle agendas.

HW
>>01-11-11: Vpihw
You’re speaking out of your rear end<<

And you design with yours.
HW,

With all due respect (I like the design of your tables), I purchased a Scoutmaster from my dealer with a Shelter 901. I had bad sibilance distortion, and went on a quest remove all of the distortion. I tried three cartridges, an Ortofon Jubilee, Benz L2 and finally an AT33PTG. I was never able to get rid of the distortion on the JMW9sig.

I did contact VPI, and Mike who I believe is one of your lead techs did take the time to try and help me. I actually mailed him my tonearm, along with the Ortofon Jubilee and Benz L2 for him to professionally setup so that the distortion would be gone. I would be lying if I said I was surprised that when I received the arm back with the Benz setup by Mike that there was no change to the sibilance distortion at all.

Finally, Mike told me by email that "The two MC's really wanted a more massive arm setup, like the new Classic has."

I can read between the lines here, as to me this is finally an admittance that the JMW9 family of tonearms cannot properly accommodate MC cartridges. Instead of rolling the dice with a "more massive" VPI arm, I chose to change platforms altogether.
"The JMW-9 is the exact geometry or the Rega, the Rega drops into the hole cut in the chassis and works perfectly - more bad information."

Apologies HW, did not see that in any of your documentation.

"There is no such thing as a standard mounting - every damn arm is different unless the company is actually trying to make it easier for customers to use other arms if they want to - like VPI did with the JMW-9 mounting. "

True, but the Rega and SME mountings are more(far?) common than any others.

"Robob can buy whatever table he feels like buying and I hope he enjoys it but if he cannot get a Kleos to work in the arm he has then he has no concept of how to setup a unipivot. It is different than a fixed bearing arm."

The dealer initially set it up and I have tried many things, except the fluid. Interesting that since you knew I was having issues and publicly asking for help, why did you not have someone email me?

"Isn’t easier to send us an e-mail and ask us what works perfectly in the arm we make!!!!!"

That is one way to do it. The other is to buy the cartridge you want and if it does not work ask for help. If it cannot be made to work then one must go back to the previous cart, buy something else, or replace the arm. In this case I really wanted a Delos or a Kleos. The VPI cart lacked the clarity and high end of the Shelter and the Shelter lacks fullness in the midrange.

HW, I appreciate you taking time to reply. We wish J. Carr would chime in.

Thanks,
Robert
someone mentioned earlier of a standard mount, i do not know if that means an SME mount will work for more tonearms than just SME, Rega mount etc.

I just know my friend definitely knows what he is doing and he said the problem is most likely the arm and not the cartridge. WE tried anti skate and that was much worse. Adding the headshell weight deadened the sound.

I did not even know the mass of my JMW 9 as it is not listed anywhere. I cannot find the effective length and other information on this arm. Why isn't this sent with the table and arm?
Another question is if some cartridges work with the JMW 9, why not list them somewhere so I don't waste $1,500.00 on a cartridge that is not compatible with the arm. Maybe I could have spent my money better elsewhere. Another question is why would a VPI dealer sell a cartridge that will not work well with a particular arm? That is not a very good VPI dealer, not good for VPI either. I would think VPI would want happy customers and not frustrated ones.
I also cannot believe that the founder of VPI would call VPI owners and others chiming in on this thread morons. I have read numerous threads posted on the gon regarding JMW 9 tracking concerns, I am not the only one voicing concern. My cartridge is only a polite Benz, others have spent considerably more and are having similar issues. If I would have known this, i could have picked up and older used table, installed a Triplanar on it and been way ahead of the game. I could have put a 100 dollar cartidge on it and it would probably sound better than where I am at right now.
Robob, I haven't read all the replies, but I have been suprised to find the same sibilance on the cd-meaning that it was in the recording(overloaded mikes?).
"Robob, I haven't read all the replies, but I have been suprised to find the same sibilance on the cd-meaning that it was in the recording(overloaded mikes?)."

Thanks, I may have to check that out. Which recording are you referring to? I am getting the sibilance on most lps.

"someone mentioned earlier of a standard mount, i do not know if that means an SME mount will work for more tonearms than just SME, Rega mount etc. "

As Bill (Audiofeil) said there is no standard mount. However, some arm manufacturers use the SME style slot and some use the Rega hole because those are common. SME has been around for a long time and Rega sells in volume.

Ditto on the lack of VPI documentation. Had I know about the Rega compatibility, I might have tried one of the non-Rega arms that fit that hole.

BTW, I think HW was calling Bill a moron not me. VPI may want to keep in mind that Dual was once the number table. And probably Garrad before them. It's easy to loose one's way while selling lots of product. Ask GM.

Y'all be cool,
Robert
PS: Like a child before Christmas, it is difficult to wait on my new table/arm.
Robert-

Just curious. When you said you checked alignment, how did you determine and set azimuth? Excuse me if you've already answered this question.
He said morons plural, not necessarily directing it at you Robert but he just should not have said that. If that arm will only work best with MM cartridges, why not say something like MM cartridges recommended for the JMW 9, signature etc. It obviously has difficulty tracking with demanding cartridges. I think people should be aware of this so they do not make the same mistake as me. If you just plan on popping on a mm cartridge and listen occasionally, it probably is good enough for others. I just get ticked off when I take my sibilance and distortion ridden records to a friends house, and he plays them on a 30 year old turntable and they sound amazing, no distortion or sibilance. Why is that? He is using a Lyra cartridge as well. It tracks like a train on his table. If you were to see this table, it is not as nice to look at as a VPI, but it sounds great. I have never seen his table come up on the gon for sale. Its an old Mission 774 or something like that.
Before I upgraded from my Scout turntable with the original JMW-9 arm I used a Lyra Argo cartridge and also a Lyra Skala cartridge with the JMW-9 arm and I got excellent sound with no sibilance or other problems.
The Argo weighs only 6.4 grams but it tracked well and sounded great with no added weight on the headshell.
Again, trying to be fair, trying to be unbiased, after reading much, of not all of this thread, I still personally haven't came to any solid conclusions.

My thoughts are, is, or was it truly the JMW Arm to blame, or could it possibly be something else?

I have no financial interest, or gain, to come here to say the JMW Arm is crap, or is it the Lyra Kleos at fault?

Or that maybe the real truth lies somewhere in the middle, that neither are/were at fault, and the playback issues were caused by something else?

As I had hoped Mr J Carr would've participated, as i know he's highly knowledgeable, but I can think back, and remember some words he once said, and I'd like to roughly quote some of his own comments from the far past.

I remember Mr Carr once commenting about Cartridge design, in regards to the many design principals persued, and implemented.

That he once commented about the Benz Cartridges as an example, of being a versatile Cartridge, but with that versatility came compromises in the design.

Compromises, that may have allowed the design to be usable in a variety of conditions (meaning various Tonearms I took this), but perhaps as well a compromise in the optimum performace that could've been achieved.

I don't at all question what he had said, and will not question the truths to those statements, as the man no doubt has forgotten more than I'll ever know about an MC Cartridge.

But with those statements, I perhaps can read between the lines, and understand that he may have also said in a round about way, that with his designs, and Cartridges, that they have been optimized per the "Lyra way", that his Cartridges, to be fully realized may take a little more attention-detail to set up, that his designs won't "candy coat" a presentation-recording, that they will lay bare the "truth", and sometimes in those instances, playback can be heavenly stellar, or laid bare with all it's flaws, and shorcomings. And that also, his designs may be a little bit more particular in the Tonearm they will be paired with.

Others, that as well may share similar revealing traits as these Lyras, could be the top tier ZYX, and I can recall people like Doug D making mention, that to extract the best playback from a Cartridge like the ZYX UNIverse, that any old Tonearm wasn't going to cut it.

Is that then a flaw of the Arm itself, or of the Cartridge? Or actually of neither? Just a incompatible mismatch? Mark
That could be it, a mismatch, but a VPI dealer knowing what table I had sold me a cartridge that has no business being on that arm. I am just speaking about my situation. I have read that others have had problems with their cartridges even after being set up by VPI. I would think they would know how to align cartridges. I believe one of those instances is mentioned in this thread. Maybe it was a defective cartridges, or should I say cartridges. Who knows.
Update. I recently realigned my cartridge. I do not believe it. My cartridge is tracking beautifully now. It is one of those, what happened? I have heard better, but it is certainly listenable right now. I think the biggest thing that I did was adjusting the VTA and azimuth. More the VTA though. It seems as though the Benz I have is very sensitive to VTA and only being off slightly is all the difference. I am very excited! Even though it is somewhat difficult to set up, it took me about a year, it is possible. I cannot believe it. Sounds great through the whole side, very little inner groove distortion and tracking error, big improvement. There is still some sibilance on some tracks, So Long So Wrong last track side two, but I believe this to be a recording glitch and just very demanding to track. Maybe a better cartridge or a MM cartridge could do a better job but I am not touching any of the settings. It seem together, the JMW 9 and Benz H2 are not very forgiving in setup.
Good for Tzh21y!

I am the OP and no amount of adjusting has solved my issue. As I mentioned, putting weight on the headshell improved things significantly.

Over last weekend I removed about 1 gram of the Blu-tack (imitation brand) and reset VTF/VTA. This resulted in more lively sound and somewhat underdamped sound. And the sibilance increased somewhat.

Yesterday I removed the Kleos and send it to Sota so they can install it in a SME 309 for my upcoming Star refurb. I put the wand with the Shelter 501 II back on the JMW 9 Signature and readjusted VTF, etc. Real difference. Not as fast, lighter and undistinguished bass, and generally lower quality sound. The Shelter is pretty good in some areas, it does retrieve a fair amount of detail and has a clarity that my VPI/Dynavector 20xH cannot match. Of course I bought the Shelter when they were under 1K$.

Y'all have some fun,
Robert
When I purchased a new cart for my Signature arm, I used the following to determine if the cart could be compatable. I purchased the mentioned cart.

ZYX Fuji R100 X(H)-SB
- Cart weight 9 (5 cart, 4 SB)
- Compliance 15 horizontal, 12 vertical

JMW-9 Tonearm
- Effective mass 7.7

JMW-9 Signature Tonearm
- Effective mass 9.5

RESONATE FREQUENCY EQUATION

rf = 159 / sqrt ((eff. mass + cart weight + fastener weight) * (compliance))

CALCULATIONS

JMW-9 Tonearm
- Resonant freq 9.9 horizontal, 11.1 vertical

JMW-9 Signature Tonearm
- Resonant freq 9.4 horizontal, 10.5 vertical

I would also check your spindle to pivot distance to ensure it is 223mm. With the VPI plinth, I can almost make this distance (just over 222mm). I also use the Mint LP Protractor as I find this more accurate than the supplied protractor.

I am not sure why any of this is not clearly documented, but having this has helped my situation. Maybe HW can comment on the above specification.


So, Maczurak, tell us how the resonant frequency relates to tracking sibilance. I'm rusty on the specifics.

Thanks,
Robert
This was a post more in response to text from 01-11-11: Robob. I also checked the Kleos as this is what I was planning on trying once I completed my project to replace my Scout plinth. I wouldn't buy any cartridge without first checking this calculation.

"Isn’t easier to send us an e-mail and ask us what works perfectly in the arm we make!!!!!"

That is one way to do it. The other is to buy the cartridge you want and if it does not work ask for help. If it cannot be made to work then one must go back to the previous cart, buy something else, or replace the arm. In this case I really wanted a Delos or a Kleos.

"This was a post more in response to text from 01-11-11"

Which doesn't answer the question of how resonant frequency relates to sibilance.

It also does not refute the idea of buying the cart one wants and seeing if one can make it work.

And you failed to put quotes around my remark:

"That is one way to do it. The other is to buy the cartridge you want and if it does not work ask for help. If it cannot be made to work then one must go back to the previous cart, buy something else, or replace the arm. In this case I really wanted a Delos or a Kleos. "

Robert