VTF is widely misunderstood. Its not about stylus wear. Its about positioning the coils within the magnetic field. That is why its a range. The correct procedure is to set vtf somewhere within the range and listen. Then adjust one way or the other and listen again. In other words the correct procedure is to adjust by ear. Just like everything else with a turntable, by the way.
So you did everything right, and wound up a bit above spec. Big whoop. The question is, does it sound better? You say it does.
Therefore what you're really asking is should I suffer worse sound to be within spec and maybe have longer stylus life- which won't happen anyway because it has as much to do with tracking as force. Put this way its a no-brainer. Go with what you hear. Every. Single. Time. |
The Lyra and especially the Lamda have in essence preload applied with zero tracking force to help w coil alignment, my Delos sounds best at the top of the range and still does after breakin. Revisit scale accuracy and break it in within spec and revisit.
Jcarr on this site might respond to questions and if you are in USA Audioquest certainly will.
congrats on a fine cartridge, enjoy the music |
My Atlas, after a rebuild, sounds best at about 1.8. It’s still “breaking in” so this may change. But it mistracks (distortion) at the “recommended” 1.72 pretty badly. I’m playing with VTA a bit as well and currently have it set just a little below level, I’m thinking it’s a little “dead” there. So I may put it back to level. This is on an SME V tone arm.
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geof3" I’m playing with VTA a bit as well and currently have it set just a little below level, I’m thinking it’s a little “dead” there. So I may put it back to level."
You should try it with the arm base higher than the headshell. Most cartridges have the correct VTA with the tonearm slightly "tail up" |
“arm base higher than headshell...”
Really? Is that even possible?
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With the SME V that would be very high. Level for the V is based on the horizontal lines on the tapered arm. Steve Leung of VAS recommends level or slightly down for the Atlas. He rebuilt my cart.
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@jperry @geof3 ,
my sme v is set up by don better of don better audio and he has the base of the arm slightly lower than the shell. Is that recommended or should I make it flat horizontal as in the instruction manual . I have not experimented with either position . Didn’t want to change setup by the professional without good advice as I am new to accurate rig like this . I am used to rega plug and play till now .
The vtf I did adjust , he had set it at 1.9, When I reduced it to below 1.8 the sound started deteriorating. I have it a 1.82 now .
thanks everyone for your advice |
@newtoncr my sme v is set up by don better of don better audio Hey, fellow Clevelander ? ;-) Lakewood here. |
@bkeske
westlake :)
did don help you with your system |
@newtoncr
Nope, for better (pun intended) or worse, I’ve done everything myself thus far. |
Possible I suppose, but not well explained. I meant slanted down from back to front, and I think you know what I meant as well.
“arm base higher than headshell...”
Really? Is that even possible?
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@jperry
mine is setup slanted the other way ie front is higher than back of arm , just a tad bit, |
Dear @newtoncr : With no ofense at all please forgeret of all those " professionals ".
The really one gentleman expert and professional with Lyra cartridges has a name and he is J.Carr its designer.
I know very well the V tonearm and I had there the Kleos and way before it the Helikon and always was a good match with Lyra cartridges and if your V is inside SME specs it must runs good with your cartridge.
Now, that you like it your cartridge at over the recommended VTF range could means that your cartridge/tonearm overall alignment/set up is not really accurated ( including VTA/SRA. ), or exist a tonearm trouble somewhere or the Lyra cartridge suspension is not rigth to Lyra specs.
There are no reasons for your Lyra can’t be enjoyed at the Lyra Vtf. range and no you don’t be using it at over 1.72grs. No matters what.
My advise is that you contact directly to J.Carr and follow his instructions about. Period.
Btw, for me it’s incredible that an Atlas owner send that top level cartridge to rebuilt/fix it with a re-tipper and not through Lyra directly. There are several reasons why don’t do that but each owner decides by him self. I’m only saying.
Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R. |
newtoncr : or ( a big or. ) a phono stage or loaded phono stage that can't honor the cartridge very top quality levels.
R. |
@rauliruegas
I don’t understand what you are trying to say ? |
no you won't hurt the cartridge.....perhaps your scale is off?, always use your ears. |
@newtoncr... what rauliruegas is trying to say is run it within specs no matter what. I don’t 100% agree with that as it seems the V runs a bit “light” for a Lyra cart. I think I read somewhere that J Carr even recommended a dab of blue tack to the tone arm to accommodate? I have no idea how much. Anyway, yes, it is possible the overall numbers are not calibrated 100% on the tone arm, but running the Lyra at 1.8-ish isn’t going to hurt it. Regarding the VTA, the lines running down the center of the tone arm are what you use to measure. Start at “level” and play with it up or down, see what sounds best. Mine, as measured with the alignment tool, is about 1mm lower measured front to back. The lower edge of the tone arm is approx 3mm from the record edge with a 150 record. Which are pretty much SME “specs”. This seems to be a nice compromise for thicker and thinner records.
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Dear @newtoncr : That you are wrong with that set up and that just forgeret about those " professionals " you mentioned and put in touch directly with the only gentleman that can help you: J.Carr Lyra designer.
Btw, @geof3 the OP cartridge and the V is spot on: 10hz in the combination frequency resonance.
newtoncr, again put in touch with JC. Btw, a cartridge like the one you own needs around 60-70 hours of playing to settle down and after that playing time hours you need to make the true fine tunning and this means to make a in deep and very carefully overall cartridge/tonearm/TT/phono stage set up according the cartridge needs always inside the Lyra alignment/set up specs.
R. |
@newtoncr the first steps for any cartridge set up is to own a small round level and first check at the TT platter center ( nearest to the spindle. ) that must be dead centered in the level, then make the same at the TT arm board, next in the tonearm base and after finished the cartridge overall alignment/set up check with the level that at the tonearm pivot/fulcrum the left/rigth sides in the level are dead centered ( if the AZ alignment is independent of the pivot. ).
R. |
JPerry, I did figure that you misspoke. But "slanted from back to front" is more precise, although still not precise. Anyway, thank you for the clarification.
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@newtoncr : Other two importants subjects with the V tonearm is that is a balanced design and you must/should be use it in static mode the other issue is that the tonearm is well damped design: magnesium is good self dampened material and the tonearm is tapered that between other things avoid standing waves but additional to those characteristics SME designed a silicon tray to improve the cartridge/tonearm damping in favor of quality level performance in what we are listening.
Some owners do not like to use the V tray and orthers ( as me ) do it, this is up to you.
R. |
Hi there @newtoncr I’m a bit late to this post, but having recently acquired an Etna Lambda SL (which is fitted to a Linn Ekos SE tonearm), I have found that the cartridge sounds best at 1.75g – a little heavier than the recommended ideal 1.72g.
The instructions that came with the cartridge state:
‘Note that Etna SL (Lambda) features a new high-performance asymmetrical damping system, designed to make the signal coils precisely parallel to the front and rear magnets during play. The angle between signal coils and magnets is affected by tracking force, and we strongly advise not to deviate beyond our 1.68-1.78g guidelines. Setting tracking force so that the cantilever is exactly perpendicular to the (yellow) front magnet carrier during play should result in the largest dynamic range and best sound.’
I don’t know whether/how much the suspension will soften with break-in, but at 1.75g the cantilever is still not quite perpendicular to the front magnet during play (I estimate more like 95 degrees), which indicates scope for further increasing VTF.
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