Everything gets a little more liquid with time. But I would expect that by 10 hours you got what you got. If you can't hear VTA then for sure you're not gonna hear whatever slight changes the next 50 hours brings.
How are you changing VTA, and by how much at a time? Because you should be able to hear even microscopically tiny changes, I'm talking very small fractions of a millimeter. If you're not hearing that, pay attention to the balance between attack and fundamentals. Too high and there's more attack, a sharper faster sound, too low and its a bit bloated and you're losing a small amount of detail. Dialed in is perfect.
Then once you get this what you do next depends on by just how much your highs are too, uh, high. Loading it down (lower value cartridge resistor) might be the answer you are looking for. There is no right answer you just try a few values and see. When it sounds right to you, its right. |
I have a kit from DB that is rca plugs with different loading values, I think up to 200 or 800 ohms, but it’s meant for MC carts, not MM.
Would these even be worth a try? |
No! The Grado is optimized for 47K. |
Well that is certainly what Grado recommends |
What they recommend is what they recommend, not necessarily what you prefer. Your question:
before I get too worried about this prior to complete break in, is will the highs “soften” up once broke in. Is what I answered. If you want a softer top end more loading (using a resistor with a value lower than 47kOhms) will certainly accomplish that. The only way you will ever know is to try. Go and listen. You will see. |
I had Grados for many years...cartridges, headphones....they all need lots of time before they dance. Be patient
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Sonata 3 Timbre SeriesRecommended Load Range: 10k - 47k ohms But the highs are a bit more extended... , which seems to be a bit excessive, but just a bit, almost, but not quite sibilant.
Use 10k Ohm instead of 47k Ohm if you think there are too much highs |
Not sure how I can adjust this. The unit is fixed at 47k. There are no toggles on the unit to adjust.
It does come with some resistors to attach to the rca connector and ground, then you have to solder them in. But that appears to be for MC carts. That’s why I bought the DB set of rca plug in resistors so I would have to fool with that.
Grado says the cart is not sensitive to capacitance loading.
Not sure that’s relevant though. |
Its not. Capacitance varies with interconnects. All this means is it will tend to not be sensitive to or fussy with interconnects.
A resistor can be soldered in series with the hot lead either inside the RCA or inside the phono stage. If its a big deal go for it. Otherwise if guys are saying Grado can be slow to loosen up then wait and see.
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Last lemming the resisters work exactly the same for any type of cartridge. Solder in a 13K resistor and that will get you just over 10K.
You can always remove the resistor if you do not like the results. You can get the resistor from Digitek. A 1% metal film resistor will do. |
Grado MI cartridges are not sensitive to capacitance (associated normally with different phono cables / or if there is a capacitance switches on the phono stage), but load resistors is another story and the manufacturer gave you a range from 10k to 47k for this particular model, this is cartridge loading. The cartridge is MI, so what you see is different loading for MI, not for MC cartridges.
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Chakster, the resistors solder in exactly the same. The PH 3 SE has only only one set of inputs and one set of outputs. It has a gain of 58 dB which is adequate for MCs over 0.4 mV and MM cartridges under 4 mV.
The resistors solder in on large posts at the bottom rear of the main circuit board. You can't miss the posts last_lemming. There are 4 of them two for the left channel and two for the right. You just solder in one resistor post to post on each channel. A 15 minute job. You can solder and unsolder till the cows come home and you won't hurt anything as long as you are using nothing bigger than a 25 watt soldering iron. |
LL, which one did you get? High output or low output? With either If I guess right the lower load will bring the bass forward which should give you the balance you are looking for especially with the low output version.
Mike |
I understand your impatience. We all want instant gratification. Streengreen is exactly right; be patient. In my experience, 10 hours is not nearly enough; even for Grados which are not nearly as finicky as some other cartridges. I think you will be confusing matters, and yourself, by trying all sorts of tweaks before letting the cartridge settle. What you describe as the “problem” is exactly in line with what I have experienced with some new cartridges. Don’t do anything yet, other that ballpark adjustments of VTA. Good luck. |
Mijo,
I got the low output 1mv. The Nagaoka was 2.5mv and it was more than plenty, almost too much, so I went with the low output Grado. Works great from a volume aspect.
Frogman,
I will wait. It seems the prudent advice. |
I had Grados for many years...cartridges, headphones....they all need lots of time before they dance. Be patient
+1...I was a Grado dealer for many years and have owned a ton of their stuff. I probably have at least a dozen different Grado cartridges in the corral right now. IMHO, the regular Grado carts need about 40-50 hours and the wood body carts need about 80-100 of break/burn-in. YMMV. |
A resistor can be soldered in series with the hot lead either inside the
RCA or inside the phono stage. If its a big deal go for it. Otherwise
if guys are saying Grado can be slow to loosen up then wait and see. Yes, but if he wants to adjust his existing 47k --> 10k he needs to put it in parallel, not series. Since 10k II 47k = ~ 8.2k, use something like 15k. I have no idea if that's the right load. I use 47k on mine and its certainly not too bright. ask John. |
Very few manufacturers of the phono stages will give you optional load for MM/MI, for this reason I am using JLTi Phono stage with special mod made by the manufacturer for me. I can use whatever resistors (RCA plug- in parallel) for my MM or MC cartridges, because internal load resistors in my JLTi is 500 000 Ohm, for my MM or MI i can use whatever up to 100 000 Ohm (100k Ohm).
For all my MM/MI I’m using 47k - 100k Ohm.
But if i want to load it i can do that to 10k or whatever.
Apart from Grado the OP is referring to, I have never seen any other cartridge with recommended load resistors range from 10k to 47k given by the manufacturer.
But very often the recommended range is 30k - 100k Ohm for MM.
The 47k Ohm is not mandatory for MM or MI cartridges and never was!
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Accidentally posted this in my Hum thread but it should have been posted here:
Ok. Update.
It’s not the TT, cart, stand, motor, and it’s not the phono preamp (since I changed phono pre and it still did it).
i just hooked up a different TT with a different cart set on the concrete floor, and ran it to the same preamp / amp and I’m STILL getting the pumping.
So it must have something to do with the amp or preamp.
They are both tube components, so what could be happening here? They are both old in the tooth, but what’s odd is they don’t do it with the CD player, just when the TT.
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