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New TT-- new problem

Hello all,
I'm a recent vinyl convert and have just upgraded my analog front to the VPI Scout with the JMW-9t tonearm and the Soundsmith Aida moving iron cartridge. I also use the Boston Audio carbon mat, which I also used with my previous tt. The rest of my system consists of:
Soundsmith MMP3 phono preamp
Rotel RA-1062 integrated amp
Totem Acoustics Hawk speakers
Kimber SilverStreak interconnect from tt to phono amp
Audioquest Copperhead interconnect from phono to main amp
Monster entry level (around $150 if I remember correctly) speaker wires.

My previous tt was the Music Hall MMF-5.1 with a premounted Goldring GL 2200 MM cart. After I got the MH, I stopped listening to my CDs; the sounds of course lacked the dynamics, clarity and lower end tightness of a better setup, but the warmth, lush character of the sound and a lack of any harshness, which would make me want to listen for hours with no fatigue, just blew me away.

Needless to say, after I upgraded to the Scout and the SS cart (plus adding the SilverStreak), I expected to be blown away again given the step-up. No so. Perhaps it is a mental factor of my great expectations, but I'm hearing exaggerated highs and loose end, and the overall sound lacking the involvement I had experienced with the Music Hall and the cheap Goldring cartridge. Another factor is that I am a perfectionist and a novice to a tt set-up and I've been very frustrated with not being 100% sure everything is set up as it should be.

I had the cart mounted by my dealer, who also set up the tonearm, including the VTA. I have since tinkered with the VTA to see whether it makes any difference, but I've yet to hear it. I also tried to correct the azimuth as it looked as if the cart was leaning slightly to one side. (As a side note, the user's manual VPI supplies with the Scout is nothing short of useless. In my opinion, it presupposes analog acumen well beyond a novice, but then states what must be rudimentary knowledge for any more advanced vinyl lover. It makes no mention of the VTA, for God's sake!) As a result mu frustration has grown as I'm not sure whether everything is set up optimally. The tonearm/cartridge match should be good given the effective mass and compliance of the combo and according to the resonance chart Michael Fremer emailed me. Same with the load capacitance of the cart (100 pf) and the preamp (also 100 pf).

I wonder if it is possible that the cart needs to break in; also the Silver Streak are considered rather "hot" and emphasizing high frequencies, at least until they break in. Also, the Scout sits on a rack with metal frame with glass shelves, which doubtless doesn't help. I've ordered a cutting board from Michigan Maple and Isoblocks from Mapleshade Audio, which hopefully will help with the apparent harshness of the setup. That said, I still can't quite get over the fact that a much more inferior tt and cart sounded seemingly warmer right out of the box.

Finally, I wonder whether the upgrade simply exposed the limitations of the rest of my system, and it was ultimately a mistake to replace an $800 package with $2800 worth of analog equipment without upgrading the amplifier at least.

I apologize for the long post, but as fellow audiophiles, I hope you can understand my disappointment and offer any advice or suggestions. Thank you very much!

actusreus

Showing 4 responses by actusreus

actusreus OP
733 posts
 
Thank you all for excellent advice. I will lose the mat, even though it definitely helped with the Music Hall. Also, a maple cutting board from Michigan Maple and Isoblocks from Mapleshade are on their way to help offset my iron and glass rack's poor isolation properties.

As far the phono stage, my Rotel doesn't have one, so the Soundsmith is the only one I have on hand right now. However, I'd think that it should be a good match for a Soundsmith cart, shouldn't it? The capacitive load of the cart is equal to the input load of the preamp at 100 pF plus the cables will add more, but it's my understanding that this should not be a problem unlike when the cart has a higher capacitive load (e.g., 400 pf) than the preamp. In fact, Soundsmith considers carts with 100 and 200 pf, virtually the same. Admittedly, I am rather a novice to analog and my understanding of much of the terminology is still quite basic. Please feel free to educate me if appropriate here, or perhaps point me into the right direction.

Finally, I'd like to make sure that the VTA is set properly, or at least that I know what I'm doing. From the description on musicdirect of the JMW-9T, this upgraded version of the JMW-9 Standard has "a low friction bearing mounted on a solid stainless steel rod with markings to set VTA (Vertical Tracking Angle)." The manual makes no mention of it and I'm not sure what to be looking for. Do they simply mean the threads on the shaft of the rod as you move it up or down? This could hardly be used for precise adjustment. Would getting a test LPs help dial things in? Some of the descriptions of the test LPs sound kind of intimidating to me. And they're expensive!

Again, I sincerely appreciate your input and advice. This forum is indeed an invaluable resource to us all.
actusreus OP
733 posts
 
Viridian and Cjlover--thanks for the great insight; I'll follow your advice as it only makes sense.
As far as going to my dealer, I'd prefer to do as much as I can on my own at this point and learn in the process. They've been great and very accommodating and, the perfectionist that I am, I suspect that I can come off as overly obsessive and difficult and I'd hate to undermine our relationship by questioning, even if impliedly, the quality of their work on the tt set up. Especially if it indeed is simply an adjustment "shock" to a more revealing rig.

Davers--how do you change the capacitive load in such cases? I assume you're thinking of being able to switch the load on your phone section. But mine doesn't have adjustable settings. Is there another way?
actusreus OP
733 posts
 
All cables have capacitance, whether cheap or expensive, don't they? So it would effectively increase the capacitance of the cable+phono preamp combo vs. cart's load. In this case, preamp has a load of 100 pF plus whatever the internal wiring and tonearm add, perhaps another 50 or more pF. The Aida has a load of 100 pF. But does this mean this is a good match? According to Soundsmith, my preamp should work fine with the Aida.
actusreus OP
733 posts
 
I tried to post this as a separate thread but it was considered a duplicate and flagged by moderators so I have to post it here. Here are the 2 more questions I have for Scout owners and those in the know:
1. The tube of my JMW-9T extends beyond the table's plinth slightly in the back. The overhang appears to be set correctly. Is this common? I wouldn't care much but it's going to affect rather significantly measurements for the cutout in the custom made acrylic cover I wanted to order. Does this have anything to do with this upgraded version of the JMW perhaps?

1. Azimuth setting. Now, my dealer mounted the cartridge and initially set up the overhang, VTA, tracking force, and azimuth. I've since reset the VTA to make sure the tonearm is parallel to the platter, tracking force, which was a little bit on the light side, but I've been having difficulty getting the azimuth right. I'm faced with two scenarios:
i) The wire across the tonearm head is parallel to the record (VPI-suggested test) and the tonearm almost even on the unipivot, but looking at the flat bottom of the cart around the cantilever (Aida has a flat/square bottom), it appears that the cartridge is slightly skewed to one side when playing a record.
ii) Adjusting the ring on the tonearm so that the bottom of the cartridge appears parallel to the record's surface causes the wire test to show that the tonearm head is now NOT parallel to the surface and the tonearm itself visibly skewed when resting on the unipivot.

My questions are: 1) Which scenario is more desirable in the absence of more advanced testing equipment (btw, the cartridge seems to be mounted properly so that the error cannot be corrected by tightening the screws; also I can't hear the difference in sound); 2) Is there a way to verify the azimuth is correct without the electronic equipment (such as Michael Fremer uses in his DVD) Would a test record help determine which scenario is a better one?

Thank you all for your time and advice. It's greatly appreciated.
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