Right channel bias in analog setup


As an analog newbie, I’ve been fighting with my turntable setup for a while now and am raising my hand for some help please. I have an original VPI Scout with a new Denon 103R cartridge connected to a Denon AU-300LC step-up transformer. This is connected to a Sutherland 20/20 phono pre-amp, which is connected to a Mark Levinson 326S pre-amp/Levinson 436 monoblock/Wilson Audio Sasha output. For some reason, when I am playing records, there is an obvious right channel bias where imaging seems right of center, regardless of what record I’m playing. When I switch to digital sources such as my CD player (Levinson 390S) or streaming (Amazon Echo Link), with the same music, everything is centered as it should be. I assumed the problem was an azimuth setup problem as I've read that channel bias can be due to balance problems there. After trying different variations, I finally got the system to image correctly, but the arm/cartridge is ridiculously leaning to the left. I can't believe this is the correct setup and that it won't eventually hurt the records and/or the cartridge over time. Any suggestions/help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
henrus

Showing 5 responses by henrus

Thank you both for your quick responses. Gosh this forum is amazing. I will set the azimuth back to 90 degrees as certainly there was no way that was the correct setting. As far as anti-skate, unfortunately the VPI Scout does not really have a great solution for that. Their way of providing anti-skate adjustments involve adjusting the coil wire connecting the tonearm, which doesn't really provide for fine adjustments. Regardless, I've tried coiling the wire more and less tightly and it didn't seem to have any effect on the right channel bias. I don't have the mechanical anti-skate mechanism as that was added in the Scout v1.1., though I may be able to purchase it from VPI and add it to mine. 

As for horizontal tracking angle, I'm not sure exactly what that means. I seem to have misplaced my alignment jig that came with the turntable so I just printed an alignment diagram and used that to align the cartridge if that's what you mean. If there is a good cartridge alignment instruction page you can recommend, I'd appreciate it. The VPI manual is lacking and difficult to follow. Thanks.
Oh my god. @millercarbon, you are completely right. I have noticed that when the last track of the record is playing, the right channel shift is noticeably less pronounced. Though has anyone else mentioned this problem? It's so clearly obvious that anyone with a Scout or similarly built turntable should be reporting it? How the heck can you correct for something like this. Crazy,
Can you use the VPI option? 
Yes, I plan to order it and see how it functions. Thanks again for the tip!


Is this the first turntable this cartridge has been on?

Yep. Will try another cartridge and see how that goes.

Try to increase up to 3 grams temporally and if bias won't change look for other clues.
Will try this as well. Thanks!