Poor Quality ...

virtu · 5th June 2003, 02:33 PM

Hi ,,, i am new on this forum.
I am from Brazil and i am one more fan about listening music ...

it past 3 weeks i think i got interested to purchase a "used" old turntable here at my country.

I found one with the mechanical system perfect BUT the sound quality is terrible

So, i really dont know what can i do to make the sound get better. On the cartridge of my player i saw an "adaptador" and the cables of the "arm" is very tinny.

If i change the "cables" of the "arm" or chanve the cartridge can i get a better sound ?

sorry about my english.
the words in "..." means that i dont know the correct nomeclature (name) of the piece or i dont know the word in english

thanks for any help.

virtu

Netlist · 5th June 2003, 04:38 PM

Hi, virtu
Welcome to the forum.
Nice website you have there; are these your drawings?

What brand is your turntable and cartridge? Is the needle still ok?
Is it well calibrated?

Don't worry about your English, we understand everyone here

/Hugo – MultiEnglish

virtu · 6th June 2003, 01:59 AM

Hi Netlist

thanks about the site ...
and yes .. those are my drawings

the brand of my turntable is gradiente (a brasilian brand) and the cartridge is "LeSon" (www.leson.com.br)

the needles i bought a new one and is ok
and the player is calibrated as well.

i think if i change or take off the adapter of the cartridge i will get a better sound quality.

virtu.

Nat Eddy · 6th June 2003, 12:06 PM

I think that Gradiente owned Garrard in the late 80's, so you might have a turntable that people in other parts of the world would recognise if you posted a photo. The wires in the arm are supposed to be tiny -- they only carry a very small signal and they need to be very flexible. But I am not sure what the adaptor you mention is -- if it is unneccessary it probably would be worth experimenting and taking it out.

It occurs to me that you might be running the signal from the turntable into the wrong input -- I looked at the Le Son site and they seem to make both magnetic and ceramic/piezo cartridges, and if you are hooking up a magnetic cartridge to a ceramic input or vise versa, you will get either insufficient signal or major overload. Or if you are plugging into a high level input you won't get decent sound. Pardon me if you already know this. These are obvious mistakes but people new to vinyl sometimes aren't aware of them.

virtu · 6th June 2003, 07:50 PM

Hi Nat Eddy

Thanks for the reply.

Maybe i will buy a digital camera and post a photography of the player on my site (not sure when i will get the camera).

About the adaptor. The cartridge and the wires are not familiar the conections, let me more expecific, to connect the wires on the cartridge i need the adaptor.

About the wires. I think the wires is ok, only if are they broked inside or have bad conditions to carry the signal.

But first of all i think i will change the cartridge and listen to check the quality of the sound. Next week i will try to do this.

virtu

Havoc · 7th June 2003, 03:37 PM

Better follow the advise of Eddy and chack where you plug your TT in. Also an explanation of that mysterious adaptor could be helpful.

virtu · 7th June 2003, 03:59 PM

Hi Havoc.

Thanks for the reply.

In this site (http://www.leson.com.br/fonocaptores.htm)
if you go to ceramic/piezo cartridges section you can see my
cartridge (model: LK - 100 S).

Looking at the ceramic/piezo cartridge and the magnetic ones I can see the 4 little "things" at the back, and on ceramic/piezo dont have this.

The adaptor that i mentioned its a piece to connect at a ceramic/piezo cartridge and have the 4 "things" to connect the wires. Understand ?

I have a ceramic/piezo cartridge with an adapter to connect like a magnetic cartridge like Nat Eddy said.

I will try to get a magnetic cartridge with a friend to test it.

virtu

virtu · 7th June 2003, 04:03 PM

One more question...

How can i connect the wires in a ceramic/piezzo Cartridge ?
I have to open it to make the conections ?

thanks for all.

virtu

Havoc · 7th June 2003, 07:09 PM

I do not get the whole idea. So, what you say is that at the back of the cartridge (the lk-100s block at the end of your arm, where you put the stylus vn-100 (needle) in) has no 4 contacts for wires. You have some kind of adaptor that gives you contacs for the 4 wires. Now, where is that adaptor? At the back of your cartridge, at your amp, in your TT??

Also, do you connect this to a riaa preamp? As I remember, this is not needed for a piezo. You should be able to connect this straight to a line input.

virtu · 7th June 2003, 07:50 PM

Hi Havoc.

The adpator is in the back of the cartridge.

But today I made some tests.

I went to a shop and test the TT and the sound was poor. Change the cartridge for a magnetic cartridge and the sound was amazing.

But when i got back home the sound was poor again. I have several equipments that i can connect the TT like a mini-system, audio input of a TV, a cube for guitar and all this units the sound was poor.

The cartridge now is OK. The Turntable is OK. But the volume is not OK.

Right now i dont know what to do. Maybe come back to the shop i went and ask about their equipments that they used.

virtu

5th June 2003, 02:33 PM	#1
virtu diyAudio Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Santo Angelo, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil	Poor Quality ... Hi ,,, i am new on this forum. I am from Brazil and i am one more fan about listening music ... it past 3 weeks i think i got interested to purchase a "used" old turntable here at my country. I found one with the mechanical system perfect BUT the sound quality is terrible So, i really dont know what can i do to make the sound get better. On the cartridge of my player i saw an "adaptador" and the cables of the "arm" is very tinny. If i change the "cables" of the "arm" or chanve the cartridge can i get a better sound ? sorry about my english. the words in "..." means that i dont know the correct nomeclature (name) of the piece or i dont know the word in english thanks for any help. virtu

6th June 2003, 12:06 PM	#4
Nat Eddy diyAudio Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Connecticut	poor quality I think that Gradiente owned Garrard in the late 80's, so you might have a turntable that people in other parts of the world would recognise if you posted a photo. The wires in the arm are supposed to be tiny -- they only carry a very small signal and they need to be very flexible. But I am not sure what the adaptor you mention is -- if it is unneccessary it probably would be worth experimenting and taking it out. It occurs to me that you might be running the signal from the turntable into the wrong input -- I looked at the Le Son site and they seem to make both magnetic and ceramic/piezo cartridges, and if you are hooking up a magnetic cartridge to a ceramic input or vise versa, you will get either insufficient signal or major overload. Or if you are plugging into a high level input you won't get decent sound. Pardon me if you already know this. These are obvious mistakes but people new to vinyl sometimes aren't aware of them.

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5th June 2003, 04:38 PM	#2
Netlist diyAudio Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Jan 2003	Hi, virtu Welcome to the forum. Nice website you have there; are these your drawings? What brand is your turntable and cartridge? Is the needle still ok? Is it well calibrated? Don't worry about your English, we understand everyone here /Hugo – MultiEnglish

6th June 2003, 01:59 AM	#3
virtu diyAudio Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Santo Angelo, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil	Hi Netlist thanks about the site ... and yes .. those are my drawings the brand of my turntable is gradiente (a brasilian brand) and the cartridge is "LeSon" (www.leson.com.br) the needles i bought a new one and is ok and the player is calibrated as well. i think if i change or take off the adapter of the cartridge i will get a better sound quality. virtu.

6th June 2003, 07:50 PM	#5
virtu diyAudio Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Santo Angelo, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil	Hi Nat Eddy Thanks for the reply. Maybe i will buy a digital camera and post a photography of the player on my site (not sure when i will get the camera). About the adaptor. The cartridge and the wires are not familiar the conections, let me more expecific, to connect the wires on the cartridge i need the adaptor. About the wires. I think the wires is ok, only if are they broked inside or have bad conditions to carry the signal. But first of all i think i will change the cartridge and listen to check the quality of the sound. Next week i will try to do this. virtu

7th June 2003, 03:37 PM	#6
Havoc diyAudio Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Belgium	Better follow the advise of Eddy and chack where you plug your TT in. Also an explanation of that mysterious adaptor could be helpful.

7th June 2003, 03:59 PM	#7
virtu diyAudio Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Santo Angelo, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil	Hi Havoc. Thanks for the reply. In this site (http://www.leson.com.br/fonocaptores.htm) if you go to ceramic/piezo cartridges section you can see my cartridge (model: LK - 100 S). Looking at the ceramic/piezo cartridge and the magnetic ones I can see the 4 little "things" at the back, and on ceramic/piezo dont have this. The adaptor that i mentioned its a piece to connect at a ceramic/piezo cartridge and have the 4 "things" to connect the wires. Understand ? I have a ceramic/piezo cartridge with an adapter to connect like a magnetic cartridge like Nat Eddy said. I will try to get a magnetic cartridge with a friend to test it. virtu

7th June 2003, 04:03 PM	#8
virtu diyAudio Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Santo Angelo, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil	One more question... How can i connect the wires in a ceramic/piezzo Cartridge ? I have to open it to make the conections ? thanks for all. virtu

7th June 2003, 07:09 PM	#9
Havoc diyAudio Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Belgium	I do not get the whole idea. So, what you say is that at the back of the cartridge (the lk-100s block at the end of your arm, where you put the stylus vn-100 (needle) in) has no 4 contacts for wires. You have some kind of adaptor that gives you contacs for the 4 wires. Now, where is that adaptor? At the back of your cartridge, at your amp, in your TT?? Also, do you connect this to a riaa preamp? As I remember, this is not needed for a piezo. You should be able to connect this straight to a line input.

7th June 2003, 07:50 PM	#10
virtu diyAudio Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Santo Angelo, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil	Hi Havoc. The adpator is in the back of the cartridge. But today I made some tests. I went to a shop and test the TT and the sound was poor. Change the cartridge for a magnetic cartridge and the sound was amazing. But when i got back home the sound was poor again. I have several equipments that i can connect the TT like a mini-system, audio input of a TV, a cube for guitar and all this units the sound was poor. The cartridge now is OK. The Turntable is OK. But the volume is not OK. Right now i dont know what to do. Maybe come back to the shop i went and ask about their equipments that they used. virtu