Cartridge mis-tracking is the culprit! You need a cartridge with a long-contact stylus profile, like a Shibata or Micro Ridge. These can be costly! Try increasing the Ortofon Blue's tracking force to the maximum. Keep the stylus clean! Did you do a proper alignment of the Blue? Michael Fremer has videos available on how to do this.
New to vinyl question
I recently added a turntable to my system, mostly so I could play old records of my father's that formed my early introduction to music. I got what I think is a pretty good turntable, a Music Hall Stealth with an Ortofun Blue cartridge. I'm playing it through my Rogue Sphinx 2, hooked up to a Mytek Brooklyn Amp through Focal Aria 926 speakers. None of this equipment is the highest end available, but it's always sounded great when streaming from my BlueSound Node 2. When i first played some records, particularly jazz and classical, I really enjoyed the sound, though in not sure I prefer it to streaming digital in all contexts. I definitely think the vinyl sounds great for acoustic instruments and vocals, particularly female vocals. But after a little time playing some old Cream and Hendrix records (in new or like-new condition), I noticed pretty significant distortion particularly in the bass. I'm wondering if this is some issue of improper setup or just an artifact of analog reproduction. The sound I'm hearing on the bass lines in particular sounds like clipping i think. But I'm not playing at high volume and it doesn’t happen when I play the same track from a streamed source at the same volume. Any ideas for what I'm heading? I'm hesitant to expand my record collection until I get the issue figured out. Thanks in advance for any help you can offer.
- ...
- 27 posts total
+1 @jasonbourne52 Look at cartridge alignment first. Ensure tracking force is set properly. With tracking alignment, I find this is a bit less meticulous with the Ortofon 2M because they are not the most detailed cartridges to begin with, but they should be positioned properly on the tonearm with a cartridge protractor. It doesn’t look like the tonearm supports azimuth adjustments, but it does have VTA, so look into ensuring the height of the tonearm is correct. Also, did you buy the turntable and cartridge new? If not, this could be a sign of a dying cartridge that is in need of replacement. Luckily the 2M stylus can be purchased separately and easily replaced without removing the cartridge from the headshell. Last, turntable placement isolation is always important. It sounds like the cartridge is mistracking when the bass hits. If the table is in-between the speakers, the tracking is set right, and the cartridge is in good shape, it might be that you need more effective isolation under the table to reduce vibrations. Stick with it. Vinyl can be frustrating to get right but is very rewarding once it is. |
Thanks @jasonbourne52 @blisshifi , I'll fiddle with the tracking force to see how that affects the sound. I bought it new, and the cartridge was supposed to be aligned out of the box, but maybe it needs further adjustment. The store I bought it from can likely help, but they're an hour away so I'm hoping to get it solved at home. Thanks for your suggestions. I've definitely heard some turntable setups that sound amazing. Mine sounds great on some material, but it's inconsistent. Because vinyl is so much less convenient than digital, I feel it really needs to sound that much better better to compete for my already limited listening time. But I'll keep at it! Thanks again. |
@lewm thanks. Just ordered one. I'll wait until it comes in before making any changes. I did the adjustments as best I could per the instructions from the shop and videos I found, but I'm not sure it's right. I set it to 1.7g, which was the recommendation from Music Hall with the Blue cartridge. |
- 27 posts total