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Ortofon A90 with Graham Phantom

Looking at the top of this cartridge there are 3 little tabs. One at the front and 2 at the back. The top of the cartridge does not make contact with the headshell on its entire surface. Also, with the Graham, the cartridge is further back in the slots for correct alignment making one of the tabs at the back not make contact at all with the headshell.

After aligning it with my Mint LP and securing the screws, viewing the cartridge from the front, i can see a small gap between the top of the cartridge and the headshell and the cartridge is "tilted" ever so slightly to one side because only 2 of the tabs are making contact with the headshell.

Are you experiencing the same?
Thanks
smoffatt
smoffatt OP
205 posts
 
Thanks for all the responses and tips. I have installed 2 little brass washers between the A90 and the headshell and tighten it down. I will give it a listen.

The cartridge is now perfectly level as none of the 3 tabs are touching now.
I do not have the SME base unfortunately. I do have a cartridge man isolator actually but i may not have enough VTA play at the back to bring the arm parrallel with the record surface. I will try this approach as well.
I am not about to take a dremmel to a $4K cartridge.

Thanks again guys......
tobes's avatar
tobes
436 posts
 
05-21-10: Smoffatt
Thanks for all the responses and tips. I have installed 2 little brass washers between the A90 and the headshell and tighten it down. I will give it a listen.

The cartridge is now perfectly level as none of the 3 tabs are touching now.

I think that's a good solution - though exact levelness with the head-shell is hardly an issue with the Phantoms azimuth adjustment.
I'm sure it will sound great.
tuboo
93 posts
 
The solution is easy.
use a 2.5 mm square spacer which supports the three tabs at the A90. ofcourse the VTA needs to compensate for the 2.5 mm thickness.
you may use aluminum, brass, or ebony.
the downside is one of those materials will sound best in your situation so you have yet another parameter to tune.
the three tabs on the A90 just fit fine with the Airline, but not much space left here either.

very tempting to comment on the dremel tool 'advise'..
downunder
1,329 posts
 
Tuboo, the only issue with that is the headshell is all ready thick on the phantom - adding another 2.5mm makes it difficult to find screws long enough.

I have a carbon fibre spacer from Thomas at TW, however none of the screws are long enough - where would you get loooong screws from??

personally I don't think it is that big a deal. the A90 is very rigid as is whether it be on the tabs or not.

yea I believe Stanwal is coming out with a DVD and book on how to care for your expensive cartridges with a dremel tool :-) sign me up - not
tuboo
93 posts
 
Downunder,
there are several screw lenghts supplied with the A90 package, but seeing the Phantom headshell thickness the 2.5mm extra spacer could be too large indeed.
the screws are metric 2.5 millimeter or M2.5 although they are easily obtainable in EU that might not be the case in USA.
but for sure you will find a supplier of metric nuts&bolts online who could send out those screws to you.
i can give you dimensions on the spacer to fabricate one yourself. the 2.5mm thickness is a suggestion, that could be 2mm but no less due to resonance. be sure to use non magnetic screws like rustfree steel, aluminium or brass.
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