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Using Test LP - curious observations

I've been tremendously enjoying my Lyra Delos with the Classic for about 1.5 yrs now, and just recently remembered I had the Hi-Fi News Analogue Test LP and got the urge to test my setup.
Here are some of my observations that came as a surprise to me:
1) Anti-skate (Bands 6,7,8,9 on side one) - the cartridge "passed" the test on Band 6 without any anti-skate, but there was audible buzzing coming from the right channel at higher amplitudes. Applying anti-skate made NO difference whatsoever to the results, whether on setting 1, 2 or 3 (most anti-skate). I prefer the sound without anti-skate so this only seemed to confirm that applying anti-skate arguably does nothing to improve the sound and likely makes it worse. It also seems to shed some light on why Harry doesn't like anti-skate.
2) Azimuth (Band 5 on side two) - My preamp has a mono switch so this seemed pretty straightforward. According to the instructions, there should be minimal (if any) mono output if the cartridge was aligned perfectly. Well, there was certainly some output, which immediately worried me, but what really left me scratching my head was the fact that no adjustment appeared to correct it, or make a significant difference. I use the Soundsmith's Counter Intuitive to fine-adjust VTF and azimuth, and after about 2 hours of a wide range of adjustments in azimuth through the CI, it was virtually impossible to determine the optimal azimuth setting, i.e., the output seemed consistently the same regardless of adjustments.

Please free to comment, share your experiences or explain my curious results. Or are they not curious?
actusreus

Showing 6 responses by moonglum

moonglum
619 posts
 
A degree of anti-skate is essential.
Recordings such as soprano with piano accompaniment can be useful. The soprano is usually well centred and will produce sustained notes not dissimilar to a test tone. In this way you adjust against any "edginess" on the most intense signals.
The idea is that it should barely handle these real world signals and no more.

You may find after doing this that Band 1 just happens to sound ok also - if it doesn't sound 100% clean don't worry about it. I've had several copies of the HFN/RR and yet to find one where the spindle hole is centred with 2-3mm.
Although there are those who scorn anti-skate altogether I don't think tonearm designers add A/S mechanisms for fun.
Just my tuppence worth...
moonglum
619 posts
 
BTW "Band 1" means Band 6.
moonglum
619 posts
 
Dear Actus....For information, to get the described benefits of zero antiskate are you currently using the recommended downforce of ~1.76g with the Delos?
One practice is to maximise the downforce or even go beyond the Manufacturers recommended range to persuade the cart to track. (I've never been convinced about the need to do this, despite persuasive arguments to the contrary, but the Delos is a rare case in which downforce overload is particularly not recommended - while I acknowledge that in theory such restraint should really apply to ALL cartridges :)
Sometimes you feel downforce overload may be correcting other problems e.g. wrong SRA. However this is only my opinion.

If indeed 1.76g, are you certain there is no bias i.e. when you balance your tonearm does it remain stationary or does it sign to one side or the other?
If it does remain stationary this can also be because friction in the bearing/s can be enough to overcome any residual bias.(Noticeable with old gimballed arms)
Best regards...
moonglum
619 posts
 
Dear Doug,
Thank you for your insights, your conclusions are highly plausible. At the risk of stating the obvious you will no doubt have seen cantilevers bent like a bow due to skating force (not referring to my current rig here, but past experiences BTW :)
This deformation to me suggests some stressing of the suspension. If a corrective force, albeit applied at the pivot end of the arm, renders the cantilever behaviour as straight and true as an arrow in the groove, then is it conceivable that the suspension could be LESS stressed than allowing skating force to otherwise act unhindered?

Would it be fair to say that if the cantilever looks good it is good, or is this misleading...?
Best regards...
moonglum
619 posts
 
Happy New Year Doug....you've clearly given this subject some thought. What, in your opinion, is the reason why turntables Nos 1-5 differ from No.6?
Cheers,
moonglum
619 posts
 
Excellent post Tony...I'm thinking of another possibility for variances in behaviour.
The same mechanism that VPI often use for antiskate - twisting of the arm cable - may have been unintentionally applied by manufacturers (or indeed by DIY owners) of other tonearms during arm cable-forming.
This could generate either a counter-force or worse, a complementary force?
I'm suspicious of the VPI solution as I can see it causing stress related micro-vibration in much the same way as clamping vinyl. But this is only an opinion....
Best regards,
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