Setting up a system with HiFi Sounds HFS75

[sprint]

I'm using a HFS75 test record to set up my new Orbe and Micro Benz Wood SL (0.4mv o/p) and a newly refurbished SME V.

With a tracking weight anything between 1.7 and 1.9g (man rec 1.6 - 1.9g) and a similar bias setting (both tracking weight and bias have been set using the SME dial readings as I don't have a separate tracking force scale) it passes Bands A and B of the lateral and vertical modulation tests.

However, it will not pass the Band C, 300Hz lateral + 18dB ref 1.12e-3 cm peak amplitude even by increasing the tracking weight and bias setting which is disappointing?

Would one expect a SME V and Wood to pass that test or is that only reserved to the top quality cartridges?

However, when going to side 2 of the disc I have problems with the outer, mid and inner bias and tracking tests.

These are at a slight higher peak amplitude of 15dB, 300Hz lateral + 15dB ref 1.12e-3 cm peak amplitude but I immediately find that the tracking weight and bias settings for the side one tests no longer hold.

When playing theses tests I find that I am getting distortion in the right channel.

The tracking weight now really needs to be set to its max limit of 1.9g (SME scale reading) and the bias now wants a much higher setting something between 2.125 and 2.5 (SME scale readings). At these settings you can identify some distortion in the right channel when doing the outer test.

Moving to the mid test and using the same tracking weight it seems less sensitive to the bias and something between 2 and 2.125 mostly eliminates the right channel distortion.

However, when you go to the inner test it starts off free of distortion but as the track moves in so high distortion appears. The only way it will play the inner track test is to increase the tracking weight to around 2.2/2.3g and increase the bias to its max setting of 3?

Clearly I can't use these settings as they are way outside the manufactures max setting of 1.9g, unless the SME dial reading is wildly out, which I doubt it is 15/20% out?

The other concern is that I also have a test record with a blank area for crude bias setting. I know it is next to useless but what I do find is that with tracking weight at 1.9g and the bias around the 2.2 settings as soon as I lower the arm it skates immediately to the centre. Setting the bias to max reduces the speed at which it skates to the centre, but to the centre it goes? The platter top is level.

I would appreciate some comments and advice as to if the results of the tests are what you would expect taking into account the equipment used or is passing all these tests unrealistic? If so what should I expect or is there an indication that there may be a problem with the arm or cartridge?

[YNWaN]

The ability to track the most demanding sections of your test record has absolutely nothing to do with the absolute quality of either the cartridge or the arm. Tracking ability is largely the remit of the cartridge and even then it says more about the specific stylus profile and the cartridge suspension than it does about sound quality. Many (most) of the best quality (sounding) cartridges will do no better than yours.

I seriously suggest you take your test record, put it back in its sleeve and put it back on the shelf - leave it there and do not use it again.

I have very many years experience with setting up turntables and with using test records - almost without fault, they are useless at actually achieving the best sonic results. I would expect the SME to be reasonably accurately calibrated, but personally I always use an external stylus balance. I would set the tracking weight to near the manufacturers maximum recommended and use your ears to decide on the final setting whilst making very fine adjustments to the tracking weight. A blank disk does not apply forces to the stylus in the same way that an actual music groove does, using a blank record to set bias results in an artificially high setting. Unfortunately,there is no definite correct setting for bias which should ideally vary across the surface of the record and partly depends on the specific stylus profile. I would set it to approximately 15% lower than the tracking weight and then use your ears to fine tune it,