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AT-ART9 cartridge on Marantz TT-15s1 - I don't think I'm getting the performance I should

Some time ago, frustrated with what was likely cartridge alignment issues coupled with worn LPs, I upgraded my cart and sold my VPI Scout turntable and now have an AT-ART9 on a Marantz TT-15s1.  That turntable was recommended to me because of its relative simplicity in cartridge alignment.  I've been really enjoying the fullness and clarity of the AT-ART9 on some LPs.  By "some" I've found that I mean records without obvious wear and that are cut on the quiet side. 

What's bugging me is that I feel l am getting far from the best out of this cart.  I have read that it is REALLY finicky to dial in for best tracking results, and my cart doesn't appear to be tracking a lot of records well at all.   I started buying a lot of vintage sealed records to eliminate groove damage from being the issue.  But I've noticed that almost every album that's cut on the "hot" side plagues me with distortion that gets worse as the stylus gets nearer to the inner grooves.   For example, I've played a lot of '80s hard rock and metal, and I can almost count on any album from that era cut on the Atlantic label in these subgenres to give me distortion that's clearly due to mistracking. 

What may set me apart from others on this forum is that I don't have buddies with comparable systems in driving distance from me where I can bring my records to hear on their systems, so I really have absolutely no basis for comparison.  I have just read people say that they have never heard IGD with this cart, whereas I hear it on many 75% of my LPs.  I don't have any problems with known audiophile pressings though, like new stuff cut by Chris Bellman, Kevin Gray, on the Classic Records label, etc. 

I used to have my cart professionally set up, but after finding that my dealer totally bungled the setup on my VPI the last time, I decided to learn how to do it myself.   I got myself several Stevenson protractors and a 3x magnifier so that I could see what I was doing, and it absolutely looks to me like I've got my cart aligned as perfectly as one can get it using the null points on the protractor.  

I *do* however think anti-skate is causing me problems with my configuration.  I did have it set too high and that absolutely caused me more distortion in the inner grooves as well as a large number of records "sticking" (i.e. repeating instead of skipping forward).   But even after adjusting this heavily, I still find that in the rare case that I have a used record that skips, the tonearm "sticks".   That, to me, suggests too much antiskate, but I have set the antiskate to be almost as minimal as possible from the best that I can tell. 

Absent of a local dealer that I've yet to find who I can trust to identify and fix this issue (especially since the nut used for setting antiskate on the Marantz is so loose that it would easily change while driving my TT back home), I'm at a loss having done everything I can do to possibly fix the problem. 

Based on what I'm saying here and your experiences, am I most likely missing out on the supreme tracking abilities of this cart, or is there just a lot of really bad pressings and damaged used vinyl out there?   And if it's the former as I suspect, is there anything about the Marantz's tone arm that suggests it's not up to the task of supporting this cart?  




izgoblin
jperry
2,432 posts
 
A few thoughts:

Buy something like this so you can really see if your stylus is clean
https://smile.amazon.com/Magnifying-Loupe-Jewelry-Magnifier-Jeweler/dp/B0137997H2/ref=smi_ge_rl_rd_g...

The recommendation for test records is a plus so you can check the tracking and improve the alignment

What alignment are you using? Some are less favorable to inner groves tracking

The cartridge may not be a good match for your arm, but even so is should track better than you indicate, so I would increase the tracking force to 2 grams and try it
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cleeds
5,682 posts
 
izgoblin
... my cart doesn't appear to be tracking a lot of records well at all ... I've played a lot of '80s hard rock and metal, and I can almost count on any album from that era cut on the Atlantic label in these subgenres to give me distortion that's clearly due to mistracking ...
"Tracking" and "mistracking" are words that are commonly misused on the forum. How can you be so sure that the root cause of the distortion you're hearing is "mistracking?" Are you saying that the root cause of this distortion is the cartridge's inherent inability to track the LP grooves? Or is it possible that the cause of the distortion isn't really "mistracking," but is caused by misalignment?
I have just read people say that they have never heard IGD with this cart, whereas I hear it on many 75% of my LPs. 
That suggests possible misalignment.
I got myself several Stevenson protractors and a 3x magnifier so that I could see what I was doing, and it absolutely looks to me like I've got my cart aligned as perfectly as one can get it using the null points on the protractor.   
That's good, but setting overhang to the null points is just one aspect of phono cartridge alignment.
I *do* however think anti-skate is causing me problems ... even after adjusting this heavily, I still find that in the rare case that I have a used record that skips, the tonearm "sticks".   That, to me, suggests too much antiskate ...
It's more likely that it's a damaged or dirty record causing that problem, especially because it happens with used records. What are you using to clean these records before playing them?

But your other problems suggest alignment issues. That your stylus will sit at the null point does not alone ensure that you've achieved the proper HTA. That is an often overlooked aspect of phono cartridge alignment and it's one of the advantages of using a proper mirrored gauge for alignment rather than a paper gauge. Such a gauge can also be also useful for setting azimuth.

hdm
1,055 posts
 
Agree. Likely alignment issues. The arm is spec'd (most closely) for DIN Baerwald so aligning to Stevenson would seem counter intuitive and the cartridge would have to be jammed up against the rear of the headshell and angled slightly to achieve proper Stevenson alignment. 

My suggestion would be to print off a DIN/Baerwald protractor using Conrad Hoffman's software, have it laminated and re-align. At least as a starting point. 
izgoblin OP
11 posts
 
Thanks for all of the responses!   I'm embarrassed to have to make one correction - it was the Baerwald alignment I did go with, not the Stevenson as I incorrectly said. 

I am going to definitely focus on setting azimuth which I previously did not, because quite simply, the manual that came with the Marantz gave no indication on how to adjust this.  That manual focuses more on the quick and easy alignment of the cart that it shipped with, which I found to track well but offered a completely unengaging sound on the best recordings.  As much as it hurts to have to pay another $300 for a fozgometer, I suppose it is a relatively small price to pay given what I've already invested into this system.

I found on another forum a link to the manual for the Clearaudio Satisfy Kardan tone arm which appears to be the same as or at least incredibly similar to the Clearaudio-produced tonearm that ships with the Marantz.  This provides an indicator on how to adjust the azimuth and even points out a simple error I made in setting antiskate.   So I will work on these and hopefully report success soon!
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cleeds
5,682 posts
 
izgoblin
That manual focuses more on the quick and easy alignment of the cart that it shipped with, which I found to track well but offered a completely unengaging sound on the best recordings ...
If you found the sound "un-engaging" perhaps the cartridge was not tracking nearly as well as you thought.

Some users think if a cartridge doesn't skip or get stuck in locked grooves, that it "tracks well." But if you accept the common definition of good tracking - the ability to accurately trace a groove with minimal wear - you'll see it differently.

For example, look at the popular Shure SC35C cart, which uses a spherical stylus that tracks around 5 grams. I guarantee you that this cartridge will rarely fail to stay in the groove; skipping or getting stuck is extremely unlikely - that's part of why DJs liked them so much. But with a 5 gram VTF, it's going to put a lot of wear on your LPs. Its spherical stylus is physically incapable of tracing high frequencies - the fat stylus simply can't trace grooves that small - and even at low frequencies, it's likely to struggle with high amplitude grooves. So we can say that the Shure SC35C is not a "good tracker," unless your only criteria is that the stylus stays in the groove.

You really need a test record to verify a cartridge's tracking ability.
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