VPI HW-19 with Graham 1.5 arm Question/Suggestions

I use to have the same table, with a Graham 1.5t tonearm.  That is a nice sounding setup, and one that I would not suspect is the source of a not so warm and rich sound.  I like the idea of trying "free" fixes first, like lowering VTA or changing the cartridge loading (increasing the value of the loading resistor).  It might help to know other things about your setup--other components, how the sound current compares to your digital sources, etc. 

It is very hard to predict what a set of compliant footers will do, particularly when the table itself has a suspension.  Now you have two sets of devices with their own resonant frequencies and behavior.  I doubt that footers will be a big help for the tonal characteristics you are describing.   If the table/arm are contributing to the sound you are describing (sounds like too much damping is what you might be hearing), then perhaps a different platter mat that provides less damping will help.  You can do that for free by removing the rubber ring around the spindle of the VPI which is part of the reflex clamping system; with the ring removed, a record will lie flat on the platter and you can then dispense with using the clamp.  With the record less well coupled to the platter, it will ring a little bit more (vibrations imparted into the record by the stylus playing the groove will not be as well damped) and this might change the sound in your favor.

It has been a long while since I had your arm, so I don't quite remember if the instructions talk about changing the amount of silicone damping fluid in the uni-pivot housing; you should check if that is another way to tune the sound to your liking.  

The far more costly alternative involves getting a new cartridge.  There are models that sound warmer than others by a considerable degree.  For example, most Grado cartridges are one the warmer side, with a prominent upper bass/lower midrange and slightly boomy (less tight) bass.  I find Grado's too be too murky sounding for my taste, but, taste vary.  Many of the Ortofon models below their very top models are also on the warmer side (except the "Black" models of each line that use a Shibata stylus) and are not as murky as the Grado's.  The real champions of the warmer sound are Koetsu's, but, most of their cartridges are quite expensive.  Koetsu's are rich, warm and relaxed sounding while still sounding clear and dynamic--this is a very hard mix to achieve.  

mijostyn,

I have heard the arms you mention, and I have heard setups using these arms that did indeed sound very good.  But, I would not make the generalization that a two-axis arm is superior in regards to bass reproduction (implying that uni-pivots are inherently inferior in this regard).  As you noted, Graham makes a stabilized uni-pivot and so does Basis, and I think both are pretty good arms.  If I had to pick a pivoting arm that had the biggest bottom end (and a very warm sound), it would be the Moerch Anisotropic arm, which is a uni-pivot arm with a low vertical effective mass but a very high horizontal effective mass that is specifically designed to be good at bass reproduction.

Melm,

I set vta by ear, and to some extent there are tonal changes.  But, overall, I do agree that one should not make large vta changes for that purpose.  On a nine inch arm, I change the pivot height no more than 1mm or so from the arm being parallel to the record surface; this represents a fraction of a degree in vta/sra change.

Melm,

I set vta by ear, and to some extent there are tonal changes.  But, overall, I do agree that one should not make large vta changes for that purpose.  On a nine inch arm, I change the pivot height no more than 1mm or so from the arm being parallel to the record surface; this represents a fraction of a degree in vta/sra change.