SME 3009 S2 Improved Tonearm problem...possibly

A Fidelity Research arm would be a lot better.

I'm open to a different tonearm. However, I'd rather not spend more money if not necessary. I know I don't have a lot in my vinyl setup compared to a lot of others, but $8,000 into this venture.

I've went through the setup for the past 2 weeks. It can't get any better setup without measurement equipment. I've used levels, VTF digital gauge, VTA alignment gauge, etc.

My only other option is the tonearm wiring because everything else has been addressed. I assume

I’ve played with the settings at the phono stage and have settled on the SoundSmith recommended settings. They seem to produce the best sound. However, I’m still not getting the best sound.

I just installed the fluid damper to the tonearm. I was getting high frequency distortion prior to installing the damper kit. I made a few other slight changes when I installed it, so I can’t point a finger at what made the shift in distortion.

I have went from the lowest recommended VTF at 1.8 grams and am now at the 2.0 gram setting. Neither have seemed to make any difference in the distortion or sound.

Midrange is muddy and distorted. Vocals are clear. They do seem a little laid back, but are clear. Drums are not as dynamic as could be. Not much impact or clarity there.

When the music gets lively, the distortion really starts to come through. Like I said, I noticed today that piano tracts really show the distortion. This is strange because my Klipschorns have shown great clarity and sound very lifelike in piano tracts prior to this vinyl setup.

My new cartridge came with 2 aluminum bars designed to go between the headshell and cartridge, if needed. I haven't installed them, though. 

Yes, the settings on the Gold Note are MC Input, 0dB gain and the load is 470k.

I added the two bars in between the headshell and cartridge. I guess it decouples the cartridge from the headshell and does add a bit of mass.

I reset the VTF to 2.11 grams. Double checked all the other settings too.

Threw on a mint original pressing of Phil Collins Face Value and played ’In the Air Tonight’. I played this the other day and it sounded pretty good till the drums kicked in and major distortion started. Tonight, the drums did not distort. I did have volume turned up quite a bit too. Here’s another problem I noticed the other day and forgot to mention. When the bass kicks in I get a hum that seems to come from the lower frequencies and builds and gets louder and louder till all frequencies distort majorly. What in the world is the cause of that? I almost want to equate that to like a tuning fork resonance. As the fork is struck, the vibrations build and build. Could this be some resonance coming into the tonearm?

By the way, distortion is still there, but has started to go away after the install of those two bars.

I purchased this cartridge per recommendations of Soundsmith themselves and I did inform them prior as to my setup. They were aware of what I have. I thought, like you said, from my research that my tonearm would want higher compliant cartridges. Soundsmith seemed to think it would work, though. I’m awaiting a call from Peter himself to hopefully get his insight on a remedy. Meanwhile, I’m still going to press forward in trying to fix it and try to get y’alls insight.

Thats feedback coming through the turntable/arm either airborne or through the floor. The fix is to move your turntable - is it near the bass speakers ? is it on a table thats passing vibration ? wobbly floor ?

That's what I deducted. It's not on the best of stands. it is placed in proximity of the left channel Khorn. I don't use a sub when playing vinyl. I put the turntable on top of a 26# solid walnut butcher block that is sitting on hockey pucks. The turntable is then sitting on spikes. The turntable itself is suspended by springs by design of Thorens. The lid is kept on when not in use, but when in use it is lifted off. It is not attached anywhere to the turntable.

One thing I've realized, I do not have the tonearm grounded to the chassis of the turntable. The chassis is grounded to the phono stage via an AudioQuest ground wire, but that is the only grounding I've done. Could this be the source of all my ills with this vinyl setup?

Looking at the Fidelity Research arm, it looks like a SME 3009 with a different bearing. If I buy a different arm, I'm looking for something that has more precise calibrations such as dials for VTA, VTF and Anti-Skate. The SME V looks like something I'd be interested in, however I don't know if that arm fits my table.

I will talk with Soundsmith about swapping the cartridge possibly. However, they are the ones that recommended it to me.

This is the link they sent to me when I emailed them asking what do they recommend with my setup. I gave them all the details of what I had and this is what they sent to me:

https://www.sound-smith.com/cartridges/317/low-output

I'm going to get the table and arm 100% functioning correctly and then go from there. I am open to tonearm suggestions. I prefer something like the SME V with dial settings. Would that arm fit my table, Thorens TD125 mkii?

Peter Lederman sent me an email in reply to mine about the problems I'm having. He is the owner, designer and manufacturer of the Soundsmith cartridge that I own.

He stated after I asked if it was the wrong recommendation and he said, "lower internal mass makes a cartridge more compatible, not less."

I'm not going to question his statement or his abilities. He invented the Soundsmith Zephyr cartridge, so he should know more than anyone.

Anyway, he called me yesterday evening and said he felt I'm having a bearing issue. He said my description of my problem is a classic example of a bad bearing. So, I plan to replace the bearing with a nylon bearing as SME originally made the arm with. While I'm in there I'll rewire the arm as well.

There's no stickiness in the motion of my tonearm. It's actually gotten away from me several times from how easily it moves.

Yeah, arm moves perfectly fine

Recording I made today of Christian McBride Trio