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New turntable SRA questions

Hello I am very new to vinyl. I bought a Technics SL-D2 that was in good shape but the mat was hard and oily. I bought a Hudson HI-FI rubber mat to replace it. At the time, I didn't know about VTA/SRA. I measured the old mat at 4.2mm and the new one at 2.6mm. This TT does not have a VTA adjustment. Will that difference damage my records or will it just sound worse? Or is it ok? My records still sound great and everything looks OK to my eye. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. 

 

My TT setup: Technics SL-D2 with Audio-Technica VM95e headshell and cartridge.

rwkn22
elliottbnewcombjr
5,375 posts
 

Miniscule VTA/SRA adjustments are for perfectionists, and would typically involve better equipment.

IF the arm is parallel to a standard thickness LP while playing, you are good. That assumes the downward tracking force is correct, as the stylus/cantilever flexes a bit)

If not, you need to adjust something.

Fixed height arm, your choices are: buy a cartridge with compatible height; get a thicker mat; shim your cartridge down (least preferable).

you have opened up pandora's box.: beware of assumptions, other things could have been changed from the factory original, the headshell? the cartridge?

if changed, who aligned it for overhand and null points. azimuth verified?

 

 

 

 

rwkn22 OP
4 posts
 

Thank you both for taking the time to respond. The tonearm seems to be fairly close to being parallel with the record. It's not perfect but it seems to be close. I will be look into getting a thicker mat. 

My bad elliottbnewcombjr, I should have clarified earlier. I changed the headshell when I got the turntable. I adjusted the cartridge with a Geo disc, set the tracking force to 2g, and the anti skate to 2. Is there more I should do? 

Thanks again for the responses 

 

rwkn22 OP
4 posts
 

I took some photos the best I could. To my eyes, the tonearm is slightly aimed down. I will try to get it better in the future but this is how it looks now. 

 

dekay's avatar
dekay
5,563 posts
 

Just place a "thick" LP under the new mat (really thick would be around 2mm/really thin would be around 1mm) and see if it sounds better after readjusting the VTF.

The VTA of the stylus comes first, IMO.

I've owned many, many, many decks with SME arms, without the arm being totally parallel to the disc/platter, and they all sounded super once I dialed in the VTA.

I assume that "parallel" may be a bigger factor on some arms, but I have not experienced such with my older (various) SME's.

 

DeKay

holmz's avatar
holmz
2,328 posts
 

I measured the old mat at 4.2mm and the new one at 2.6mm.

Which is a difference of 1.6mm or 1/16th of an inch.

If the arm is 9” then the angular change is 1/(16x9) which is 1/144.
(That is gross 😎)

So it is 1/144 of a radian or ~<1/3 of a degree. I would not worry about 0.4 degrees if you have a stylus that is elliptical.
Maybe a line contact would notice that… but you probably do not have that type of stylus.

Does it sound good?

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