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VPI HW-19 with Graham 1.5 arm Question/Suggestions

Greetings everyone, 

I have a very handsome, black oak, late model VPI HW-19 Mark IV with a black Delrin Aries platter.  The tonearm is a Graham 1.5 Basic tonearm sporting a Benz Micro MC Gold cartridge with elliptical stylus.  The tonearm cable is Audio Art IC-3 Classic phono cable DIN to RCA.

The sound is good but rather lightweight, neutral and nimble but polite, one might say meek with tight but lean bass.  It is not strident or shrill, or analytical, or bright.  Most of the turntable and phono upgrades I read about suggest that they will make the sound have more clarity, be more precise, more accurate, tighter, and lower the noise floor.  These qualities are not necessarily what I want. 

I would like the sound signature to be warmer, fuller, richer, more colorful, or more romantic.  

I am considering many options, including new phono cable, new footers, a platter mat (presently records sit directly on the Delrin platter), a different record weight-stabilizer (presently using a VPI Delrin screw-down clamp), a new shelf, and of course a different cartridge.

I welcome any suggestions from anyone on how to warm up or enrich the sound quality.

hoodjem

Showing 1 response by dover

dover
2,182 posts
 

@hoodjem 

The standard loading options on the Rowland are not optimal for this cartridge - ranging from 10-185 ohms or 47k.

The Benz has an internal impedance of 40 ohms - although 47k should be ok you might want to try 400-1000 ohms for this cartridge. I know the Benz range well.

You can do this with the Rowland - turn off all the loading switches and insert resistors in the internal loading socket internally next to the dip switches designed for this purpose - check your manual.

The Benz and Rowland I could see how one could describe them as polite - but not lacking in bottom end - I have heard both components. - for a few dollars buy some 400, 800 and 1000 ohm loading resistors then reassess.

 

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