Graham tonearm tweaking

Oh,yeah!!You put the fluid on the tip of the bearing,you have just taken off,that is now facing up.This is for fine tuning.Originally the fluid is squeezed into the bearing well at the pivot.Don't overfill this.

As you observed, fluid level, the VTF and VTA affect the sonic quality. The tough music passages on the record put more pressure on the stylus than lighter passages. Therefore, the correct setting for complex music passage may not be desirable for lighter music passage.

That is rediculous!Once you have the setting maxed out,and can track complex and difficult passages,anything else should be cake!Remember,what you are looking for is MAXIMUM retrieval of timbre,and harmonics.These fall into place when all else is obtained.At that point tracking is precise,and superb.You should,also have total consistency from one type of music to the next.Unless you want to get a bit NUTS with making changes for different discs.I don't.I mean I want to spend my time listening to music,not errors in set-up.

I think some of you are "Thinking This to Death" a bit.

Just try playing around for a few listening sessions.Then report back.Or better yet,forget about this thread and enjoy your music!!I know I will when my table comes back.

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Sirspeedy,
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I am grateful that your table has been out of your hands for a while. Otherwise, you would not have had the time to write all you have in the last couple of weeks or so and we would not have the benefit of your experience and insights.
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Nice job on your posts and thanks for the time and effort you put into them.
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Rgds,
Larry
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Thanks for the gratitude! Believe me,it has been my great pleasure to discuss this matter. Nobody,and I have many audio friends,some owning 2.2's,some JMW,Air Tangent,Immedia etc.Nobody helped me as I am the only guy in my little club that has 16.00 in tolls to get to my house,so visits are not too frequent.

That is one reason I am so down on the "audio experts" in the highly visible press.They are,to a great degree,just "FREAKIN'" hobbyists,like you and me.They are taken way too seriously.This topic should have been discussed on plenty of occassions in the mags!As John Belushi would have said "But,NOOOO!" these guys are to busy shilling stuff they really know little about other than they "WANT" it at a discount.Why do you think someone becomes an audio journalist( I know quite a few,at arms length,thank GOD).For the salary,ha! My pal YODA made dreck as a reviewer.He did it out of "LOVE" for the music/hobby.He owns 22 year old speakers that today's "YUPPIE Young Pishers" would not look at,to their loss.

Larry,Doug,and the rest of those whose set-ups I've seen descriptions of.If you really think what you own is not at least 98.787% of the "reviewers choice" stuff It's time to take up photography or better yet,tennis,as I'll be moving to Florida in 2 years.We can have a good hit.

I recently went to two high line audio homes in NYC.One a rich hobbyist with too much money.Never keeping anything long enough to learn how to set it up properly.300,000.00 worth of,literally, the worst sound I've ever heard.I took a day off in anticipation.I left about 45 minutes later.The reference material? KODO drums!!MAN!!

A week later I was at a former high line audio mag reviewer's home.This was only 250,000.00 worth of stuff.This guy LOVED himself.I wouldn't dare to mention what I owned.He would have sneered me out of his "Robbon Chair".Truthfully,it did sound good,but had the worst mid bass bloat I had ever heard in any set-up.This is a person recommending to us,the masses,how we should spend our money!!My pal,YODA,with a set-up averaging about 10 years old per unit,has IMO Dead Perfection in virtually every area I can think of.Why?He could care less about "BUZZ" stuff.His own set of standards are unwavering.

I hope I'm not coming off like I myself am some kind of self important snob.I know nothing.Then I see true experience,like my pal Sid.I do know that there are "TONS" of GREAT set-ups out there.I've heard alot.I love all different types of audio presentations in differing systems.There is no such thing as a reviewers choice,just a hobbyists personal prefference.

Doug,as for your comments about the "lack of resolution" in the Graham's VTA adjustment,compared to the Wheaton.I owned a Wheaton for 4 years.You do realize the Graham's scale is set for much smaller adjustments(as in more precise).Think LEICA here.There should be NO problem when adjusting on the fly,if everything is set properly.

Also,Doug--That really was great stuff on the damping differences in different arms.You really are a true "expert",and it is obvious.I'm serious!!