I wish it were that simple....

Posted by Pacman (A) on September 14, 2006 at 18:23:54

In Reply to: How did you determine that it is a phono preamp issue? posted by Ray-o-Stat on September 14, 2006 at 08:45:13:

There are many imfluencing factors that would cause "hardness".
Things like:
Cartridge break-in
I bought the cartridge in early 2005. It proably has 250 hours on it by now. If it's not broken in it's not going ot be.

Post break-in re-alignment (VTA)
Mis-tracking (need greater tracking force?)
I was really hoping one of these would be the answer. But I checked my alignment and VTA very recently and everything is still right on specification. I also checked by tracking force and its set in the middle of Shelter's recommended values.

Overly tighenened cartridge mounting screws
I'm pretty paranoid about stripping screws and damaging headshells, very unlikely.

Phono Cable not sufficently broken in
Cheap crappy phono cable
Most the cables I buy are used and therfore broken in. I have tried three
BEL
top-of-the-line Monster
Transparent Music-Link.
Of these cables, the Transparent is the one I'm presently using. It's the most revealing and spacious but it's also the most edgy. Interestingly, I bought the Transparent after reading in the Cables Forum that it was a "warm" cable. I thought it would solve my problem. But I suspect a lot of what a cable does is dependent on the components it connnects.

In the end the VPI and the Shelter 901 are both components that favor extension and transparency over warmth. I'm not dissatisfied with what I have purchased but I need something to tone down the edginess that results from the cartridge and the TT. The weakest link in my analog chain is the Monolith phono pre-amp. That's the most logical place for an upgrade.

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Follow Ups Full Thread

Topic - Suggestions for phono pre-amp - Pacman 19:23:51 09/13/06 (22)

Sutherland PhD (nt) - TWR 06:23:08 09/15/06 (0)

Thanks to everyone for their comments... - Pacman 18:35:54 09/14/06 (0)

Look for a used Herron - lanny 17:21:39 09/14/06 (0)

Art Audio Vinyl One is a very nice tube phono pre. - Terry P 13:27:56 09/14/06 (0)

About the 901 woodwind energy.... - tubesforever 10:02:03 09/14/06 (2)

VPI does not believe in anti-skate - Pacman 18:33:38 09/14/06 (0)

Jim, are you on the payroll at Grado? Never is there a post from you without the word "Grado". :-) (nt) - Garth 10:46:13 09/14/06 (0)

How did you determine that it is a phono preamp issue? - Ray-o-Stat 08:45:13 09/14/06 (3)

I wish it were that simple.... - Pacman 18:23:54 09/14/06 (0)

Ray's suggestions are excellent. Have you also tried - Terry P 13:25:11 09/14/06 (1)

Re: Ray's suggestions are excellent. Have you also tried - Pacman 18:46:35 09/14/06 (0)

Re: Suggestions for phono pre-amp - Shane From Aus 08:32:53 09/14/06 (0)

Herron has served me very well. - John N 08:18:04 09/14/06 (0)

See John Elison - F Robert Simms 06:53:44 09/14/06 (0)

Agree with Fred concerning tube reliability -i.e. don't - powermatic 04:52:08 09/14/06 (0)

Tube vs Solid State issues (Long) - Fred J 20:23:39 09/13/06 (6)

I think your term "mutt tubes" is going to stick Fred - Craiger56@aol.com 08:46:30 09/14/06 (1)

So Craig he is talking about mutt tubes and not mutt Tubes????? - tubesforever 10:05:13 09/14/06 (0)

There are good and bad of each type, reliable and unreliable too. - Garth 04:39:31 09/14/06 (3)

Solid State phono stages - Larry I 11:26:27 09/14/06 (2)

A Klyne or Pass with work with virtually any cartridge. - Garth 12:04:47 09/14/06 (1)

Thanks - Larry I 18:14:45 09/14/06 (0)

Follow Ups

I wish it were that simple.... - Pacman 18:23:54 09/14/06 (0)

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