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Warning: Linn tonearm anti-skate not accurate

Hi,

After repeatedly having problem, including ruining a perfectly aged Koetsu Urushi, I found with the aid of HFNRR that the Linn Ekos antiskating is not accurate.

With 3 different cartridges tracking between 1.7 - 2.0g, the optimal anti-skatings were found to be between setting the tonearm anti-skating dial to "2.4-2.6 g". I checked with the anti-skating setting tracks on HFNRR test record (most MC can cover the first 2 tracks, but Shure V15 can go through 3 tracks).

After using my cartridge on the Ekos for about one year, playing about 100 hours, at 1.9g VTF, anti-skating dialed to '1.9g', my cantilever was slanted about 5 degree to the left (view towards the rear of tonearm), indicating undercompensation.

Another fellow Linn users told me he found same thing with Akito tonearm and also had a slanted cantilever.

So please check your setting before ruining another cartridge.

www.extremephono.com
extremephono

Showing 3 responses by jayboard

jayboard
301 posts
 
My working assumption for any turntable, regardless of brand, would be that the anti-skating dial reading is not adequately reliable. Tracking force dial readings probably are more reliable, but I wouldn't put too much faith in them, either.

Extreme, I also use the HFNRR record to set up my turntable. I asked a question here about the anti-skate results I was getting, which seemed counter-intuitive to me. You might find some of the discussion in the thread interesting; search for "Anti-skating question" in the forum archives.
jayboard
301 posts
 
Extreme, you missed the gist of my post in that thread --not that it matters ;-). You posit that using a grooveless track should undercompensate for skating force, and that is a widely held view. I found that using the grooveless track method _over_compensated for skating force, and that thread provided some corroboration for my finding.

My conclusion: The heck with generalizations about this matter.

Certainly, the heck with those numbers on those dials. You mention the RB250 -- I don't even know if the anti-skate dial on my RB250 has numbers on it, 'cause if it does I never paid them any attention.
jayboard
301 posts
 
...what Bkearns said. Extreme, your surprise and frustration that anti-skating dial numbers are not accurate is getting in the way of your reading of the "anti-skating question" thread, which has nothing to do with that specific problem. Just thought you might find it interesting, but no big deal.
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