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Weird issue with my VPI... please help

I have a VPI Scoutmaster with a Shelter 501 MKII cartridge.

This is fairly new, so cartridge has maybe 40 hours on it.

Imagine a graphic EQ where you pushed the lowest band up full... and did the same to one other band in the upper midrange... and that's what it sounds like.

I thought it was something else in the playback chain, but I've isolated it to the turntable (switched phono stages to be sure). Other sources play fine so it's not the preamp or speakers etc.

Any ideas? I don't know if it's always been like this because when I first got the turntable I had some serious speaker issues where I couldn't hear the difference between any electronics (had a very muddy sound). Now that I have that cleared up (CDs sound great) I can hear the difference between different preamps etc... so I finally sit down to hear what my new vinyl collection actually sounds like... only to find out I have a problem of sorts.

The cartridge was setup by Elusivedisc.com where I bought the turntable.

Any help much appreciated!
madfloyd

Showing 6 responses by stringreen

stringreen's avatar
stringreen
6,515 posts
 
Bad cartridge...no setup error that I know will make a cartridge sound like that. I agree about Shelter cartridges...they sound fine in a VPI arm. Call back your dealer, explain the problem and get an RA number to send it back.
stringreen's avatar
stringreen
6,515 posts
 
The fact that Shelters do better in fixed bearing arms is not the issue. Madfloyd's complaints are not of optimumization, but of severe frequency response errors. I suspect a bad cartridge the replacement of which will sound very good indeed. ..just my suggestion.
stringreen's avatar
stringreen
6,515 posts
 
VPI can be adjusted with added weight at the headshell end. If this is how the setup was done I don't know, but that is the reason Harry provides it. When I heard the VPI/Shelter table, it sounded excellent to me. Audiofiel...I'm just stating the facts as I see/hear/read them. I'm not being biased or snotty nor am I trying to have it both ways. Read carefully what I say and take issue or not..that's what this hobby and these posts are all about. If I made my living selling high end goods to those whose interest is high end, I would be more careful in what I say...
stringreen's avatar
stringreen
6,515 posts
 
Madfloyd... The VPI Signature 9 incher works extremely well with Dynas and Benz's. The "signature" is mainly the use of Nordost tonearm wiring (there is additional tonearm tube damping). I must admit it doesn't sound very good at all when new. My tonearm (or cartridge - but I suspect it was the tonearm Nordost) took hundreds of hours to break in. Be patient though, the rewards are great. A light bulb just went off as I wrote this. There are those that really badmouth VPI arms. I'm just wondering if they heard one that wasn't yet broken in... just wondering.
Those people who are Anti-VPI tonearm people might also check out www.high-endaudio.com/RC-tonearm.html Here is a listing of tonearms that rank the VPI 10.5i in the same category as Graham and Triplanar. Don't believe everything in print..especially on the internet, however, it is interesting.
stringreen's avatar
stringreen
6,515 posts
 
Artemus..remember that the better the component, the car, the wine, the watch, etc., etc., the bigger the price which goes up exponentially. Therefore the Ebony may only be better in some ways..maybe even marginally better, but to get that bump in resolution, smoothness, wide soundstage, depth, etc....you have to pay, baby, pay.
stringreen's avatar
stringreen
6,515 posts
 
I am using the Benz LP, and it took this cartridge a very, very long time to really come alive...maybe hundreds of hours. Maybe it was the Nordost cable in the arm, but whatever...be patient. You have a very low output cartridge so you have to be careful that it is set up properly with the preamp.
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