Ortofon MC A90 Cartridge VTF

Hi Lew

Tracking force range - 2.0 to 2.5 gm. Recommended tracking force 2.3gm.

It will be interesting if Mike keeps his 1.5gm long term on his Garrard, as sometimes what can seem like an improvement in the short term is not as sucessful long term.

I had a similar situation with the dyna XV-1 and HP insisting that 2.6gms was best. Yes it sounded quite impressive for the short term, however I went back to 2.05 gm's for longer term enjoyment.

A couple of days ago after Mike's post I lowered my tracking weight and had a listen to the same album. It seemed to sound better at the time, so I left it.

I measured it today and it was at 1.97gms. I will live with it for the rest of the week, play a lot of different albums, then go back to 2.3gm's and see what it sounds like then, or maybe something in between.
To me, it is important to go as slow as you can and as Lew has mentioned before - do a longer term ABA - obviously if it sounds wrong you change it.

The thing about the A90 is that it sounds great on most setting. However every time you change/tweak VTA/SRA/VTF/antiskating/azimuth etc, every change is clearly audible.

Paul,

I have no tracking issues with the Phantom at 1.97gms. It would probably be benefitial to go over check all of the alignment parameters in case something is amiss.

cheers

This reminds me of advice that was given me after I got my old Grado TLZ cartridge out of mothballs in connection with the MM/MI craze. Someone wrote that someone else on VE wrote that the one and only "correct" VTF for the TLZ was 1.62 gm. This made me laugh, to think that I could ever set it that accurately using a Shure VTF seesaw, notwithstanding the fact that I also believe different tonearms will give different optima. These digital gauges are getting us in trouble. (I finally caved and bought one too.)

For the first month with my A90 I was tracking at 2.27 on my Reed Tonearm, now I have settled at 2.18.

Just for the heck of it yesterday I listened to a track at 1.55 it was actually better than I thought it would be, however, I found it not the right match for my system.

Also, at a listening session at my friends on a VPI table and arm we settled at 2.18 with the A90 in his system as well after trying several different setting.

It would be interesting to know if you switched the carts to the alternate tables in Mike's system to see if you consistently chose the same settings. Without knowing this is it hard to look to the cart just yet. I actually suspect it is "voice" of each table really causing these vast differences in desired VTF. However as we all know the sound is all that really matters.


David

Dlanselm, it used to be that you tracked as lightly as you could without mistracking. Are you suggesting that you seek some sonic perfection? I guess I read the earlier posts to suggest what was the lowest VTF without mistracking. Perhaps I am wrong?

Whenever you change the vtf, you are altering the vta, which DOES make a significant sonic change!! That most likely is what we are are all hearing!