Project 6.9 set-up information needed...



I have a rather nice - although pedestrian set-up that I need assistance with. I purchased a Rogue Cronus along with a Project 6.9 turntable. I have the local high-fi shop put on a new cartridge for the Project 6.9 in a Grado Blue and set-up the weighting. It has never sounded great but recently it is much less appealing in that it has harsh high and the sound stage is compressed and thin with very little low-end and a pinched mid-range. I use a record brush and my records are cleaned regularly on a nitty-gritty cleaner at the same high-fi shop I had the Project set-up.

The force when set correctly using the float method will not properly track and jumps all over so I must use more force on the stylus than I should in order to open-up what little low-end I can get and the anti-skating seems to be excessive as it pull more than my other tables - although these table were never set-up well and only adjusted by me based on my ear. The VTA is WAY OFF and there appears no way to adjust that as the top of the cartridge is slightly higher than the back and with the gimble on the tone-arm I cannot find a way to adjust that to level the cartridge.

Is there anyone who may have a manual for this table I could borrow or you could scan - I will compensate you for the effort is needed. I would like this to sound much better than it does. I am using the stock preamp in the Rogue Cronus although I do have a Phono Box II that was in use with my B&O Beogram and Nachmachi RE-2.

Thank you in advance - Darren
ddt_jmt
VTA is adjustable on that model via a hex key on the arm pivot base. If you still need a manual I think I have a copy of it in .pdf form
D, when I first got that table, I think I was using a Grado Black--which was a pretty low-cost cart. At the time I sold the table I was using a Benz Micro MC20E which was a $150 MC. My pre-amp has always been my BAT VK-3i, which has the phono board installed. I honestly can't give much of an evaluation of either from memory, so not sure if this is even helpful.
I appreciate the heads-up on the Vinyl Engine site. I am awaiting the validation e-mail now...

What was the cartridge you were using on the Project? I had a Project ONE with a Shure cartridge and then my B&O which I like but the cost of a new cartridge in a non-starter.

I am thinking of upgrading the phono preamp to a Bottleneck or a Tube Box SE II or maybe something else.

D
Darren:

I have owned one of these and had pretty good results--enough so that I decided to move up in the vinyl food chain. Based on what you've shared, let me suggest the following ideas.

You really should use an actual stylus force gauge vs. using any other method. Most people are okay with the Shure although I find a digital scale to be quite a bit more accurate.

There are a lot of folks that avoid anti-skate altogether. Once you get accurate stylus force set, you may want to try that as a reference point and see if it improves things. On my current table (Wilson Benesch) I am using only the very slightest amount of anti-skate. This provides the correct results when I use a setup record's tracking test to listen for proper anti-skate (the HiFi News record).

You can get a copy of the manual by joining the vinyl engine website at no cost. I believe you can set VTA (although I recall is wasn't easy or obvious).

Good luck!