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Welcome Licorice Pizza (LP) lovers! Setup guides and Vinyl FAQ.

"Finger-tight" turntable hardware is the ticket in most cases

When you really crank down on the screwdriver or wrench to tighten your TT hardware, you're stressing the materials and raising their resonant frequency. IMO, finger-tight hardware has nothing to do with "decoupling," as there's no degree of slop involved (not if done properly*, in any case), which I agree would be a big mistake in most cases. I don't believe in decoupling anything between the stylus and the TT chassis, though the big SME arms on a Gyro/Orbe would seem to be an exception, but I haven't heard this combo with the Pederson or O-ring/BluTak tweak for myself.

When I gently* tighten my Morch UP-4 VTA setscrew, it sounds much better than when it’s fully tightened, and the Morch dealer and distributor both agree with me. Art Dudley also made the same recommendation on the VTA setting of his Naim Aro.

The same applies with the armboard mounting bolts on my Gyro.

I go a bit tighter with my cartridge mounting screws, but you have to listen and decide for yourself; every application has its own optimal setting.

*Around a 1/10 turn beyond the point where the screw firmly contacts the pillar. With my arm, this translates to just snug enough that it won't slip unless you press down fairly hard on the bearing housing.


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