New turntable SRA questions

This weight, 3 grams, acts as a spacer, lowering your cartridge, thus raising the active end of the arm,

IF you can back off your counterweight enough to start with an extra 3 grams weight, it could work quite well.

I suggest you invest in a headshell, new cartridge

, and this as a spacer, 1. i.e. headshell allows azimuth adjustment, gray or black, full access to wires from sides .. https://www.ebay.com/itm/303574519597?hash=item46ae738f2d:g:SKUAAOSwGjpexst0 2. at microline stylus https://www.audio-technica.com/en-us/cartridges/type/moving-magnet/vm540ml 3. the weight/spacer https://www.ebay.com/itm/303971279932?hash=item46c619a43c:g:-eMAAOSwGAJggimB note: 4. later, if/when you move to a different turntable, get one with an arm with removable headshell, then this $300-$350. investment moves to any future upgrade.

Well that's great because it sounds substantially better than Spotify. And that is a good idea to use the old mat as a shim for thinner records. I will definitely experiment with all this new information. 

My records will be spinning. I appreciate all the help.

Holmz: Yes it is elliptical and it sounds great to my ears. Both L and R are clear and it's tracking well. I really can't compare it to anything other than spotify though.. 

If it sound as good or better than Spotify, then you are doing good.

DeKay: I am unfamiliar with SME. Is that the type of tonearm I have? I will definitely experiment with a lp under the mat and see if it sounds better then go from there 

Thank you all for the great advice. I'm learning a lot 

I would suggest that you clean the oily old mat… That may work better for the standard LPs.

The new mat being thinner would be good for the thicker 180gr jobs… and then both thicknesses would be at about the same level… in case you shim or otherwise get a perfect SRA.

Like this @dekay  fellow:

As adjusting the arm height on my current SME 3009 non-improved is a PITA I set it up for average thickness LP's and I use a lifter/under mat for thinner LP's (the thinner one's are generally "import" LP's from Europe issued in the 70's/early 80's).

rwkn22:

SME is a manufacturer/brand.

My various models have/had adjustable tonearm height (seems yours does not), but they (my older models) are tedious to adjust.

I'm picky, but also practical (meaning old and lame), thus using a shim mat for thinner LP's works for me.

The thinner LP's sound brighter (lighter in the LF's) if I do not use the shim mat to raise them.

You may experience the same (fuller sound) by trying a shim mat (an LP under the current thinner mat in your case - as it's an easy zero cost experiment).

The Grado cartridges I use are more sensitive to VTA VS the old Sure V15III cartridges I used to use.

Anyway, if it sounds good it is good.

DeKay

Holmz: Yes it is elliptical and it sounds great to my ears. Both L and R are clear and it's tracking well. I really can't compare it to anything other than spotify though.. 

DeKay: I am unfamiliar with SME. Is that the type of tonearm I have? I will definitely experiment with a lp under the mat and see if it sounds better then go from there 

Thank you all for the great advice. I'm learning a lot 

Holmz:

1.5-2 mm makes a big difference in SQ with my current deck/cartridge (same with the past ones).

As adjusting the arm height on my current SME 3009 non-improved is a PITA I set it up for average thickness LP's and I use a lifter/under mat for thinner LP's (the thinner one's are generally "import" LP's from Europe issued in the 70's/early 80's).

I'm currently using the first version of the Grado Gold Prestige (previously used the Silver version).

All styli have been OEM.

DeKay

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?

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

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. 

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 

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?

this difference won’t damage your record. your stylus will be tracking under the different angle. that might or might not be beneficial. there are solutions such as cartridge spacers, but they add weight and need to be re-adjusted properly after applying. Also you can use extra washers for providing ideal tracking angle. Mainly you’ll want your arm tube parallel to record surface.