I scored this turntable from a recyclers and it sounded terrible so I installed a new stylus and belt but it sounded horrible still,then I discovered the wires in the head shell had been taken on and off so many times that they had broken off or were just hanging by a thread.I stripped them back a bit and soldered them so they have good contacts but where do I connect them now? Ive tried a few combinations without success, it sounds tinny without bass on one channel and the other channel barely works at all and there's a fairly loud hum? Does anyone know the correct wiring for these head shells? The black wire in the photo was the white wire before I replaced it.
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A quick goole came up with this
Headshell Wiring
Your problem could be in the tonearm cable/plugs or the tonearm itself.
What phono preamp are you using? Is your cartridge good and suited to the preamp?
kffern
Headshell Wiring
Your problem could be in the tonearm cable/plugs or the tonearm itself.
What phono preamp are you using? Is your cartridge good and suited to the preamp?
kffern
That link was the answer to my problem,now the TT is sounding a whole lot better.Thankyou very much for that,I really appreciate it. I'm not using a separate pre-amp I'm using a Sansui AU11000 with a rebuilt phono section.The sound is a bit down on one channel but I'm sure that its a switch on the Sansui that I haven't been able to clean properly so I'm waiting for some more De-Oxit in the post, then Ill desolder the switch and clean it properly.The cartridge and stylus are the right ones for this model.
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OMG! Theres more to it! Ive no idea how to do that(alignment) I just know that the weight at the end of the arm should be 2 grams by turning the dial on the end?
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Alignment is extremely important in order to get the best sound and not damage your LP's.
Google a lot. There are cheap alignment protractors available, but a 2 point protractor is best.
The basic concept is to keep the stylus as close to parallel with the groove through the the full arc of the record.
Its all part of the enjoyment of vinyl.
Regards,
kffern
Google a lot. There are cheap alignment protractors available, but a 2 point protractor is best.
The basic concept is to keep the stylus as close to parallel with the groove through the the full arc of the record.
Its all part of the enjoyment of vinyl.
Regards,
kffern
What would be the best keywords to use on Google? Because I'm a complete noob to TTs really.
Hi
You can cut Google out of the loop by going to Vinyl Engine to download and print a protractor. Just follow the instructions when printing to ensure you print actual size/100%.
You could start with one of the so-called 'Stupid protractors', a type which can also be bought commercially. I generally use the Baerwald alignment, but they offer Stevenson as an alternative, as this sometimes works better for certain arms.
In fact, you'll probably feel there's too much choice and information out there, which is why I suggested one of the simpler options to start with. This will ensure the cartridge is satisfactorily mounted. Some of the more expensive cartridges do require greater precision, and there is also ample scope for becoming an obsessive about this
!
HTH
Mark
You can cut Google out of the loop by going to Vinyl Engine to download and print a protractor. Just follow the instructions when printing to ensure you print actual size/100%.
You could start with one of the so-called 'Stupid protractors', a type which can also be bought commercially. I generally use the Baerwald alignment, but they offer Stevenson as an alternative, as this sometimes works better for certain arms.
In fact, you'll probably feel there's too much choice and information out there, which is why I suggested one of the simpler options to start with. This will ensure the cartridge is satisfactorily mounted. Some of the more expensive cartridges do require greater precision, and there is also ample scope for becoming an obsessive about this
!HTH
Mark
Hi
You can cut Google out of the loop by going to Vinyl Engine to download and print a protractor. Just follow the instructions when printing to ensure you print actual size/100%.
You could start with one of the so-called 'Stupid protractors', a type which can also be bought commercially. I generally use the Baerwald alignment, but they offer Stevenson as an alternative, as this sometimes works better for certain arms.
In fact, you'll probably feel there's too much choice and information out there, which is why I suggested one of the simpler options to start with. This will ensure the cartridge is satisfactorily mounted. Some of the more expensive cartridges do require greater precision, and there is also ample scope for becoming an obsessive about this
HTH
Mark
Ive downloaded the stupid protractor. Now all I need is a user guide for stupid people like me.lol Seriously though,is there a simple guide I can use?
Update,I took the headshell off and lined the cartridge and stylus up by eye,when I pushed the stylus body back it slipped into the cartridge properly Duh! when I tried the TT again I got the most amazing sound that filled the room (Julia by Pavlovs dog) Id forgotten just how good vinyl is Wow.I cant imagine it getting much better than this? But Ill still align the cartridge. Ive ordered some new gold plated wires for the headshell and thanks again for being so helpful mate.
This is an old post of mine but when I got my TT working it was only for a few days and now it doesnt matter what I do it will only play on one channel,the other side is distorted and very low. Ive set the cartridge and stylus making sure the cantilever was straight up and down on both Baewald protractor markings,the overhang is exactly 52mm from the rubber washer on the end of the headshell to the stylus. The specs for this TT says 11mm overhang but I cant find out where Im supposed to measure it from to the stylus? Ive done a continuity check with a DMM from the contacts on the tone arm to the RCA plugs going to the phono input on the amp but when I tried the contacts on the headshell to the four metal bits inside the cartridge that I assume are the pickup heads for the signal I only get one signal and a ground signal on the same contact from the cartridge body and nothing else from the other three contacts? The stylus is the right one for the cartridge I suppose,I got them from The Needle Doctor in the USA. Any help will be appreciated.
One side bad is not a minor alignment error. I've had carts mounted 20 degrees cross-ways and both sides played.
You have a wiring problem. When connected to a preamp/speakers, at least two of the cart wires should buzz madly when touched. Tarnish is likely. I'd work the whole path from cart to preamp. (Do not overlook bad RCA cables-- yes, several times I have torn the whole turntable apart before checking the cable....)
You have a wiring problem. When connected to a preamp/speakers, at least two of the cart wires should buzz madly when touched. Tarnish is likely. I'd work the whole path from cart to preamp. (Do not overlook bad RCA cables-- yes, several times I have torn the whole turntable apart before checking the cable....)
Ive done continuity checks several times,Ive pulled the TT apart several times as well trying to find the problem. Ive sprayed the cartridge inside out with DeoXit including all contacts? The phono stage on the amp has been rebuilt a few years ago? Is there a way to check if the phono stage is working correctly,I dont have a spare TT to test it with just a DMM.
Hi
An 'old responder' here!
Seems to me that the simplest approach might be to get hold of a cheap cartridge (something like an AT-91 or one of its clones) and fit that. If you still have the problem, you at least know it's somewhere else in the chain. If there's now sound from both channels, it was almost certainly the previous cartridge that was at fault.
It sounds as though you've checked most likely contact problems otherwise.
HTH
Mark
An 'old responder' here!
Seems to me that the simplest approach might be to get hold of a cheap cartridge (something like an AT-91 or one of its clones) and fit that. If you still have the problem, you at least know it's somewhere else in the chain. If there's now sound from both channels, it was almost certainly the previous cartridge that was at fault.
It sounds as though you've checked most likely contact problems otherwise.
HTH
Mark
Where do I do the continuity check from on the cartridge to the wires coming out? Ive used a needle clamped in an alligator clip on my DMM to probe the 4 metal parts inside the cartridge that Ive assumed are pickups. I only got one reading off one ""pickup"" to the headshell wiring but I also got the body of the cartridge continuity on the same wire. Yet I get a good looking readout of Milli-Amps on both sides of the RCA cable when I play a record? This is confusing.
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