Linn Basik Tonearm - effective mass?

Thanks for your interest throughout.

Andrew

Andrew, glad everything worked out for the best. Enjoy!

I don't know what the parameters ought to be. All I know is that with my current system woofer excursions happened. Previous to the Grado I had a Linn K9 cartridge mounted with no problem evident.

Whether Grado is being straight up or passing the blame, I can't tell. When I inquired what the ideal arm mass should be for the Platinum cartridge, they responded 14-17 g.

Nevertheless, the high pass filter arrived last night. It was breeze to set up. Best of all no woofer pumping and no discernible change in sound.

Andrew

Well let me flash back 20 years or so..I sold and set up many Linn tables, Lp12 and Ittok. Linn Basik table with Basik arm and many of these combos with Joe Grado cartridges. I had a Lp12 with Ittok and Grado Signatures many many variations and never had an excursion problem on my then high sensitivity speakers and 4 ten inch subs...94db..I never owned the Basik table Grado Signature combo but then I never had any complaints to remind me of a mismatch..So saying all of that what is the effective mass of an Ittok versus a Basik..Also I still use a Grado arm and Signature XTZ on an LP12...Tom

Well, I guess the Basik is a little heavier than I remembered. It's been 20 years since they made that arm.

However, I think that the idea that it is too light for the Grado cartridge is very fishy. I could understand too heavy, but too light sounds strange to me.

If it is in fact too light, then about 98% of all arms are too light for it, because there are very few arms being manufactured that are over 12 grams. I have a hard time swallowing the idea that Grado would make a cartridge that can only be used in so very few arms. The general audio user consensus is that the Grados need a lighter arm, not a heavier one.

It is my estimation that either they didn't communicate well to you, or they made a mistake. However, I don't presume to tell Grado about their cartridges.

This is an update for those who might have wondered about this thread's issue:

1. The Linn Basik arm is 12 g.

2. Grado states that this is too little for the Platinum cartridge.

Thus, use caution in purchasing Grado's for use with such arms.

Andrew

Twl,

Thanks for your response. If I was certain that it was a compliance problem (although it likely is) I would go ahead and get a new cartridge. However, this is still less than completely clear. I'd rather not get a new cartridge and have the problem persist. Since the filter is essentially on a free trial basis, I can see if it helps and how it sounds.

Anyway, my system is in flux - I'm planning some upgrades and I'm not sure where all this will fall out over the next year or so.

Thanks again.

Andrew

If you have the Basik arm, not the Basik Plus, it is a little heavier than the Basik Plus. I don't know the exact figure. However, it is somewhere around 11 grams. The Basik Plus is a little lighter. Sorry I can't give an exact figure, but I am quite familiar with those arms, and they are around 11 grams.

Instead of a high pass filter, how about just buying a Goldring Cartridge and eliminating the problem? It will sound better and work better.