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What is distortion due to?

Every so often I hear distortion (like a buzz) while playing some records. Usually its when a pianist plays the upper registers really loud, like banging on the piano, but also with female voices in the upper register, loudly singing, also woth violin. Mind you, some records do not do this. But even a brand new 45 rpm pressing has one passage where I hear it (female voice).

System: VPI Scoutmaster/Sumiko Blackbird/ Musical Fidelity A308 with MM and MC phono input.

I rechecked azimuth, tracking weight, and cart alignment. Is it the recordings, or is my phono stage maxing out? I am using the MM stage because the blackbird is a high output MC and that is what is recommended.

My cart is relatively new, withless that 100 hrs on it.
dolifant

Showing 1 response by tobes

tobes's avatar
tobes
436 posts
 
Dolifant, when you say:
" I checked and did not have a twist in the wire. I increased my VTF to 2.2g, using a digital guage placed on top of the platter"
- do you mean you placed the cartridge directly onto the digital scale?

If so, the indication on the digital scale may be reading 'high' by a significant amount due to magnetic attraction to the scale parts. My own pocket digital scale would read about 0.3-0.4g higher than the actual VTF if the cartridge was placed directly on the weighing tray. Those MC magnets are quite powerful.

The best option is to build a small ladder adapter (Wally Malewicz's idea) that distances the cartridge from the scale and also allows measurement adjustment to record height.
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