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Slight increase of tracking force = Big Improvement

I have a Kiseki Purple Heart cartridge on my SME 20/2 with an SME IV mk vi tonearm.  For a while now the sound quality I was getting from my analog rig was less than satisfying.  It didn't sound bad, it just didn't move me the way it had in the past.  This was not always the case.  I can't explain why there was sound degradation.   

I thought my cartridge must be worn out and started shopping new ones (still haven't ruled out an upgrade, but that's another story).  Then, last night I decided to up the tracking force a bit to see if that would help.  I had been running 2.0 grams the entire time I've had it, and that seemed to be great for most of the time I've had it.  I adjusted it to 2.25 grams and immediately noticed a huge improvement.  It was night and day.  Everything is a lot better now.  Imaging, dynamics, bass, midrange and treble are all dramatically improved.  

It's funny because I had never given tracking force adjustments any serious consideration in achieving the best sound from a turntable.  I figured it was best to set it at the lightest recommended setting and as long as it sounded good, don't mess with it anymore.  This revelation is something that has changed my strategy going forward when setting up and tweaking in the future.  

The Purple Heart specs recommend tracking force between 2.0 and 2.6 grams, with optimum force being 2.4 grams.  I am planning to experiment some more in the next few days.  

128x128snackeyp
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rauliruegas
12,851 posts
 
Dear @snackeyp  : There are at least 3 main premises why to follow the VTF manufacturer/designer LOMC cartridge advise:

first is that following his advise cartridge coils will stays " perfectly " centered and second is that tracking cartridge abilities are spot on ( cartridge suspension is working as designed to. ) as the designer desing it for tracking.
Third and maybe no less important is that the designer cartridge voicing did it at that specific VTF.

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.
bima
30 posts
 
A slight hardening of the suspension would require a slight increase in VTF, so that "cartridge coils will stay 'perfectly' centered", as Raul put it.

You say "It didn't sound bad, it just didn't move me the way it had in the past." This seems consistent with your findings: the Kiseki is an older cartridge, and your slight .25g increase restored the original positioning of the coils. 


tzh21y
1,654 posts
 
I own a Lyra Delos and even though the tracking force they recommend is 1.75 with a range of 1.70 to 1.80, I track at right around 1.70 and feel it sounds best at this setting.  Other cartridges may vary in this area.
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noromance
9,545 posts
 
@tooblue I find that clamps and damped mats, soft feet etc. rob the life from the sound. It could be argued that I am hearing tiny resonances which augment the perception of information. It could also be argued that you are hearing less detail due to the absorption of energy by damping materials. 
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