VTA / SRA

[Ferox]

I was at a friends the other day to try and diagnose why his TT system was sounding very bright and splashy. Neither of us are very experienced at setting up a turntable and all my experience is from the 1980's and just recently refurbing an old 80's turntable. The arm seemed to be high at the back - sloping down towards the cartridge which we though might be part of the problem. After adjusting the arm to level it seemed a bit better but still bright so it was lowered again to where the arm was sloping the opposite way. We didn't want to take it any further as we were worried it was taking things too far. The attached photo is of the stylus with the final setting of the SRA. My first question is does angle seem ok?

All the cartridges i have experience with have a cantilever that levels out at the end where the stylus is attached meaning that having the arm parallel to the record surface gets the stylus pretty much perpendicular to the record. This cartridge (Ortofon Rondo Bronze) seems to have the stylus perpendicular to the cantilever, is this common?SRA.jpg

[struth]

arm should be level when playing, give or take a fraction... all records are slightly different thicknesses. if system doesnt sound bright bar tt, then recheck the settings geometry and tracking weights too.

[AJSki2fly]

Check as Grant says, plus be aware Ortofon cartridges can be very sensitive to VTA setting, that's what I found, I have an Ortofon Rondo Blue I use sometimes.

I found that if it is slightly too high then it will sound bright, I start with a medium weight record about 140gm and then adjust the VTA carefully and listen after each adjustment to the same track until happy. Try and pick a track with female vocal and that you know well, Eva Cassidy - Fields of Gold is good one, if sibilance is too much then its too high at the rear, although there is a little sibilance even at optimum setting.

[Ferox]

Yes, That's the way I've always set it in the past, but this time the stylus appeared to be at an overly acute angle to the vinyl. It may be the cut of the diamond i suppose so might be how it is meant to be. Thanks for the advice.

[jgillingham]

The attached photo is of the stylus with the final setting of the SRA. My first question is does angle seem ok?

All the cartridges i have experience with have a cantilever that levels out at the end where the stylus is attached meaning that having the arm parallel to the record surface gets the stylus pretty much perpendicular to the record. This cartridge (Ortofon Rondo Bronze) seems to have the stylus perpendicular to the cantilever, is this common?SRA.jpg

The stylus in the photo is perpendicular to the record, not the cantilever, so the angle does seem OK.

[karma67]

it rather depends what diamond profile is on the cartridge,i would as a starting point get the bottom of the cartridge level with the record,parallel in other words.

[RobbieGong]

it rather depends what diamond profile is on the cartridge,i would as a starting point get the bottom of the cartridge level with the record,parallel in other words.

+1 What he said, then try to dial in / find the sweetness by carefully raising and lowering the arm rake. If you've the ears, there's a point where it will just sound right - to your ears.....