Bob, I'm glad you like the table. I think the drift is due to the fact that the Ortofon X5 is too light for the tonearm. 4.1 grams is at the lower limit for the counterweight. The 9c is not a low mass arm. You can see from Pro-ject's web site that the optimal cartridge weight is between 6-10g:
Effective tonearm mass 9,5g
Supplied counterweight cartridge weight 6 - 10g
Optional counterweights cartridge weight 10 - 15g and 4 - 6g
You'll get better sound (in particular, better bass) from a properly matched cartridge. The effective mass of an arm and cartridge plays a key role in how the needle tracks the groove.
However, if you plan to keep the Ortofon and the drift continues to be a problem, you might think about putting a small amount of light tacky glue (like reusable glue) on the lift bar that lowers the arm. I know this doesn't sound elegant, but it works.
Effective tonearm mass 9,5g
Supplied counterweight cartridge weight 6 - 10g
Optional counterweights cartridge weight 10 - 15g and 4 - 6g
You'll get better sound (in particular, better bass) from a properly matched cartridge. The effective mass of an arm and cartridge plays a key role in how the needle tracks the groove.
However, if you plan to keep the Ortofon and the drift continues to be a problem, you might think about putting a small amount of light tacky glue (like reusable glue) on the lift bar that lowers the arm. I know this doesn't sound elegant, but it works.