It has the "swing", but there is high rumble and scratch noise. Either the cartridge or the step-up transformer/amplifier or the RIAA preamplifier could bring forward the scratch noise. What do you use?
The preamp is Audiolabs 8000a.
Power Amp is Sansui AU717
Any other data that might help?
Let me also review and see if it can be recorded again.
Hello Hugo, thanks for the inputs.. working on better recording arrangement. Will repost once its in place. This recording output is from Sansui 717.
You're asking us to assess recordings you've made of your cartridge playing vinyl.
The pre/amp info is good, but even more critical are the tonearm & TT on which this is being played. And even the mounting surface upon with the TT is placed, and whether speakers are sounding (playing the music on the LP) while you're recording. Not to mention the A-to-D converter used.
Anyone who has explored serious vinyl playback knows all these factors come into play.
The current TT used for recording is a Dual 1229 and default tonearm. I have an arrangement for 12" gimbal carbon fibre tonearm and also a 24" inverted unipivot carbon tonearm which i can use any time.
I need to make good arrangement for stereo recordings though which I will look into on priority. Point taken on speakers when recording.Thanks.
Thanks kevinkr for your inputs. Its is mid to high compliance cartridge.
I will PM you for the contact. It will be really helpful.
I will PM you for the contact. It will be really helpful.
That seems such an underwhelming choice for what should be a reference tool. Even when it was newly launched around 1970, a Dual 1229 could not possibly be described as reference. Not when Thorens, Technics & Linn were already redefining vinyl playback. By current high end standards, standard specs such as rumble, wow/flutter, & tonearm bearing quality aren't good enough to be inaudible. Never mind the less measured criteria like vibration isolation, tonearm resonance & mass, system rigidity, etc, etc. Imo, you cannot fully appreciate how your cartridge differs from others on such a flawed test platform: it masks too much. And a different tonearm won't do much good without wholesale improvement of the drive & suspension system.
Hi mikessi, you may be right in your observations. This Dual is fully serviced with new bearings and all... It has very low wow and flutter, speed is accurate and i love it ! Nevertheless, will also have another belt drive setup for test to eliminate any doubts. Hope that should address the issues you have highlighted.
Thanks.
Thanks.
The Dual may not be the best of the best, but I think there are a few other basic issues that need to be addressed first.
What is the weird (noise?) band in the 14-19kHz range in post #44? What about the linearity of the frequency response? Is the Audiolab set to MC?
You will need a test record with a frequency sweep.
Eliminate the Sansui as a recoding source and extract the audio from the Audiolab tape out.
What is the weird (noise?) band in the 14-19kHz range in post #44? What about the linearity of the frequency response? Is the Audiolab set to MC?
You will need a test record with a frequency sweep.
Eliminate the Sansui as a recoding source and extract the audio from the Audiolab tape out.
Yes Audiolabs is set on MC, can eliminate Sansui. Have couple test records, let me check freq. sweep.
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I use Audition ($$$). In case you don't have that, Audacity is a free alternative, but I'm not really up to speed with that one.
It can be done in REW too but all of these programs have a bit of a learning curve.
https://www.audacityteam.org/download/
https://www.roomeqwizard.com/
As for the tracks on your test LP.
You can use track 6 & 7 on side one of the Analogue testLP.
Instead of using a voltmeter as indicated, I record the results with Audition (or Audacity) for analyses.
It can be done in REW too but all of these programs have a bit of a learning curve.
https://www.audacityteam.org/download/
https://www.roomeqwizard.com/
As for the tracks on your test LP.
You can use track 6 & 7 on side one of the Analogue testLP.
Instead of using a voltmeter as indicated, I record the results with Audition (or Audacity) for analyses.
But if this Dual is the platform on which you developed the cartridge, that surely cannot be good enough. Not if you're reaching for the high performance level of the best MC cartridges. Of course, I am not sure that you are.
My recommendation would be to use at least a Technics SP10Mk2 in great shape on a great plinth equipped with a great tonearm (Supatrac, Linn, SME, Rega... ) with the entire assembly on a great TT stand. Then you'd have a close to reference class TT platform on which to test out your cartridge and others.