For years I have not had a cartridge. My kids broke all of them. They are grown and out of the house so I got a Shure M97xE, not a real high end cartridge. I have just completed a major system upgrade, I wanted to listen to my old records. I just got a Denon 2930ci DVD player (SACD and DVD audio) and I have always had a CD player. I was digital guy and poo-pooed analoque. Well no more! I am astounded at the sound of vinyl. What I was missing!
The M97xE is very similar to the M15 type V, which I owned years ago. I cut my teeth on analoque in the 60's and the best cartridge I ever heard was an EMT back then.
I had all but given up on vinyl years ago, but was never happy with the sound of digital. I always thought the bad sound was my system or my ears. Just recently I decided to do something about it. I got my system to the point that it could not be faulted, and still, even DVD-A and SACD did not sound right. I got the wax out of my ears. Then I got a cartdridge. That is when I re-discovered vinyl.
I had all but given up on vinyl years ago, but was never happy with the sound of digital. I always thought the bad sound was my system or my ears. Just recently I decided to do something about it. I got my system to the point that it could not be faulted, and still, even DVD-A and SACD did not sound right. I got the wax out of my ears. Then I got a cartdridge. That is when I re-discovered vinyl.
Groovy!! 
You didn't mention your table. I would guess since you either pulled it out of moth balls, or bought a yardsale special just to listen to your "old" records (I could very well be wrong), you are probably listening to mid-level analog by todays standards.
Many tweeks, and there resulting smiles, await you
Congrats..enjoy the ride.
-Casey
You didn't mention your table. I would guess since you either pulled it out of moth balls, or bought a yardsale special just to listen to your "old" records (I could very well be wrong), you are probably listening to mid-level analog by todays standards.
Many tweeks, and there resulting smiles, await you
Congrats..enjoy the ride.
-Casey
I have just experienced the same thing- I picked up a Thorens TD150 at the weekend, from eBay.
The listing did not have any info. in it, but I looked at the photos, and decided it was a good gamble.
It turned out to have a Linn basik Plus tonearm, and a Dynavector Karat 23Rs MC cartridge.
The sound is stunning, even through a low-end, SS amp with just an MM input- I can't wait to sort out a decent amp.
James
The listing did not have any info. in it, but I looked at the photos, and decided it was a good gamble.
It turned out to have a Linn basik Plus tonearm, and a Dynavector Karat 23Rs MC cartridge.
The sound is stunning, even through a low-end, SS amp with just an MM input- I can't wait to sort out a decent amp.
James
Here is the setup:
Cartridge: Shure M97xE
Arm: Shure SME 16"
Table: Technics SP-15 direct drive Quartz, on 3/4" acrylic and isolation dampers
CD/DVDs: Denon 2630ci
Preamp: Dyna PAS modified
XOver: Marchand electronic 4 way:
Power amps:
Sub: Hafler 200
Woofer: Hafler 220
Mid: Hafler 220
Tweeter: Hafler 120
Speakers:
Sub: (2) Hartley 24 in an opposed compound configuration in a 20 cu ft enclosure, xover 60 Hz LP 24 db LR
Woofers: Dayton 8" aluminum in sealed enclosures, xover 60 Hz HP 12 db BW 12 db + acoustic rolloff; LP 800 Hz 48 db LR
Mids: Accuton C44-8 ceramics, xover 800 Hz HP/6000 Hz LP 48 db LR
Tweeters: Ionovacs: xover 6000 Hz 48 db HP
I would be astonished if a different turntable or arm would be audible. I'm sure this will be in disagreement with some here. A better (more expensive) cartridge might well be audible, but the price/performance ratio curve looks lousy. As you can surmise, I put my effort and money into the weak link - the speakers.
Cartridge: Shure M97xE
Arm: Shure SME 16"
Table: Technics SP-15 direct drive Quartz, on 3/4" acrylic and isolation dampers
CD/DVDs: Denon 2630ci
Preamp: Dyna PAS modified
XOver: Marchand electronic 4 way:
Power amps:
Sub: Hafler 200
Woofer: Hafler 220
Mid: Hafler 220
Tweeter: Hafler 120
Speakers:
Sub: (2) Hartley 24 in an opposed compound configuration in a 20 cu ft enclosure, xover 60 Hz LP 24 db LR
Woofers: Dayton 8" aluminum in sealed enclosures, xover 60 Hz HP 12 db BW 12 db + acoustic rolloff; LP 800 Hz 48 db LR
Mids: Accuton C44-8 ceramics, xover 800 Hz HP/6000 Hz LP 48 db LR
Tweeters: Ionovacs: xover 6000 Hz 48 db HP
I would be astonished if a different turntable or arm would be audible. I'm sure this will be in disagreement with some here. A better (more expensive) cartridge might well be audible, but the price/performance ratio curve looks lousy. As you can surmise, I put my effort and money into the weak link - the speakers.
Prepare to be astonished
Something as simple as replacing that "trampoline" of a rubber mat on your table with a felt "Discwasher" style one, along with the addition of a record clamp/weight will make it seem as though you upgraded your cartridge. Think of it this way..you wouldn't set your subs/speakers on pillows would you? Of course not. Well, other than scale, placing your album on a springy surface is the same thing. Your dealing with a transducer coupling to the physical world, and any "give" will cause energy loss..in this case energy that never makes it to the cartridge. You have to remember, that the footprint of your stylus is so small, that the "Pounds per Square Inch" at the contact point is tremendous.
Do yourself a favor, and try it. This one very simple mod will either prove or disprove what I'm saying...I know what outcome I'm betting on
There are dozens of econo mods you can do to improve things.
-Casey
Something as simple as replacing that "trampoline" of a rubber mat on your table with a felt "Discwasher" style one, along with the addition of a record clamp/weight will make it seem as though you upgraded your cartridge. Think of it this way..you wouldn't set your subs/speakers on pillows would you? Of course not. Well, other than scale, placing your album on a springy surface is the same thing. Your dealing with a transducer coupling to the physical world, and any "give" will cause energy loss..in this case energy that never makes it to the cartridge. You have to remember, that the footprint of your stylus is so small, that the "Pounds per Square Inch" at the contact point is tremendous.
Do yourself a favor, and try it. This one very simple mod will either prove or disprove what I'm saying...I know what outcome I'm betting on
There are dozens of econo mods you can do to improve things.
-Casey
I'm willing to try easy econo mods. Is the prescription here to decouple the record platter from airborne transmission? The Technics platter mat is rather hard and non-resilient. Is the suggestion to substitute a more resilient mat? Weighting the record and damping it's vibration with a resilient mat would change it's resonance and could have an affect. Is that what we are talking about?
rdr-
Egg-suh-lent.
The rubber mat was intended to isolate the motor noise & provide a cushy spot for your vinyl. As far as the noise, the better DD tables had a low level anyway. As for protecting your record, thats why you use the felt.
The goal here is to get the vinyl and platter to be as one..coupling it as tightly as possible, not de-coupling. The first thing that will jump out after doing this, is the attack (rimshots for example), followed by bass extension, and finally to a lesser extent, midrange clarity.
I see the felt mats on ebay all the time, and you can use a heavy cocktail glass as a temporary weight, just be sure to center it carefully.
Have fun. And let us know your thoughts after trying it.
-Casey
Egg-suh-lent.
The rubber mat was intended to isolate the motor noise & provide a cushy spot for your vinyl. As far as the noise, the better DD tables had a low level anyway. As for protecting your record, thats why you use the felt.
The goal here is to get the vinyl and platter to be as one..coupling it as tightly as possible, not de-coupling. The first thing that will jump out after doing this, is the attack (rimshots for example), followed by bass extension, and finally to a lesser extent, midrange clarity.
I see the felt mats on ebay all the time, and you can use a heavy cocktail glass as a temporary weight, just be sure to center it carefully.
Have fun. And let us know your thoughts after trying it.
-Casey
Hey Chris,
Never had access to one..sounds good though
rdr-
One other thing your rubber mat does is control the resonance of the "cowbell" of a metal platter. The felt does control this as well, but after you're sold on the felt/weight we'll move on to Phase II, and kill the resonance dead
-Casey
Never had access to one..sounds good though
rdr-
One other thing your rubber mat does is control the resonance of the "cowbell" of a metal platter. The felt does control this as well, but after you're sold on the felt/weight we'll move on to Phase II, and kill the resonance dead
-Casey
It also helps to decouple from any bearing noise, and dampens to some extend the airborne excitation of the vinyl disc - which can act like a membrane.
I found that a clamp can actually increase resonances.
Simple test - motor off, oickup stylus resting on the LP - and then crank up the volume slowly - do this w/wo a clamp. Also with different mats - notice the position of the volume control when resonances occured. Be very carefull - at a certain point they can run away on you -
damage to the speaker.
Use a test record - the empty portion for antiskating - , and do the same with the motor running, after having the anti skating adjusted and the arm stays stable in the centre of the empty section. Tells you if you feed some noise from bearing/motor into the system. Test different mats to see which optimally dampens the sound. Again - crank up carefully.
I picked up a lathe for about $20 this weekend from a fleamarket...
A bit big for a jewlers lathe and a bit small for anything else.
Sure is a baby compared to the one we had in class in school.
I do recon it has enough room to turn a platter on, so I will soon atempt makeing my own DIY TT.
First gotta find a chuck and mate it up with a motor I have lieing around somewhere.
When I want to listen to queen once in a while, I don't listen to the CD's my wife got me as a gift one year, nope I scrathc out the old LP's I have been tagging along since my school days in the previous century.
A bit big for a jewlers lathe and a bit small for anything else.
Sure is a baby compared to the one we had in class in school.
I do recon it has enough room to turn a platter on, so I will soon atempt makeing my own DIY TT.
First gotta find a chuck and mate it up with a motor I have lieing around somewhere.
When I want to listen to queen once in a while, I don't listen to the CD's my wife got me as a gift one year, nope I scrathc out the old LP's I have been tagging along since my school days in the previous century.
audio-kraut-
Well, if it has a cruddy bearing..sure, I don't think the SP15 has a wimpy bearing( being that it is a "consumerized" SP10 (a tank)). I believe this has to do with the extra weight on the bearing. No harm in running your test though.
IMHO, trying to kill noise with the mat, is like catching the horse AFTER it's left the barn. Best to dampen the platter from below..the Phase II I mentioned above.
As always, YMMV, but the tweeks I'm suggesting are all reversable, and have been tried by me and several friends, with no I'll effects.
-Casey
Well, if it has a cruddy bearing..sure, I don't think the SP15 has a wimpy bearing( being that it is a "consumerized" SP10 (a tank)). I believe this has to do with the extra weight on the bearing. No harm in running your test though.
IMHO, trying to kill noise with the mat, is like catching the horse AFTER it's left the barn. Best to dampen the platter from below..the Phase II I mentioned above.
As always, YMMV, but the tweeks I'm suggesting are all reversable, and have been tried by me and several friends, with no I'll effects.
-Casey
M97xE
I love my Shure M97xE. Got it on Amazon for $30 on a special. It measures up good to the specs and I can get the full 20 Hz to 22 kHz (mostly white noise anyway) without to much DB loss.. One channel produces 4 % less signal but I can adjust it on the preamp. I track at 1 gram and need only an equivalent ½ gram anti skating. It’s a good cart.
I love my Shure M97xE. Got it on Amazon for $30 on a special. It measures up good to the specs and I can get the full 20 Hz to 22 kHz (mostly white noise anyway) without to much DB loss.. One channel produces 4 % less signal but I can adjust it on the preamp. I track at 1 gram and need only an equivalent ½ gram anti skating. It’s a good cart.
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