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I need help diagnosing a sibilant problem on vinyl

Rega Planar 2 turntable. Rega Elys 2 cartridge. Audible Illusions Modulus tube pre-amp. Audio Research D-51 tube amp. Rogers LS-2a speakers. Oppo BDP-95 disc player.
My discs, especially the SACD's sound fantastic. Vinyl instrumental's sound good. Anytime there's an "S" in the vocals on vinyl there's a harsh sibilance that doesn't make sense. It would only make sense if there was a cartridge/stylus problem or a phono stage problem in my pre-amp.
Before I take it to my very expensive, very slow HI-FI tech, does anyone out there have an idea of what it could be?
sprintz699
wc65mustang
524 posts
 
Moving magnets do not exaggerate sibilants.
Bad/good tracking is a function of tonearm/cartridge compatibility.
davide256's avatar
davide256
399 posts
 
give me a MC any day of the week over a MM in playing an LP with minor surface defects... a good MC will be a relaxed sound as it plays through a defect whereas the good MM will make you jump from the high frequency spike. I call that sibilance.

Tracking is an innate capability of the cartridge. A mismatch between arm and cartridge compliance causes a wow and flutter effect... it was kind of fun to put a Grado on a Grace 707 arm and see what an out of round record caused for horizontal vibration.
wc65mustang
524 posts
 
I suggest you bone up on basics concerning the synergistic relationship between tonearms and cartridges.

Good luck
davide256's avatar
davide256
399 posts
 
that would be boring after having done TT setups professionally for 4 years in the 80's. Far more interesting is reading techniques for arm bearing friction optimization, tone arm wand rigidity and arm resonance damping technology. Tonearm cartridge matching is pretty rudimentary compared to discussion on these design needs.
wc65mustang
524 posts
 
Setting up cartridges and understanding why they perform well (poorly) are unrelated. Cartridges are not " innately" good trackers as you seem to believe. Only when matched with a proper tonearm, will a cartridge perform optimally. Vice versa- great tonearm bad, improper cartridge match.

A great cartridge installed in the wrong tonearm will track poorly. Same outcome with great tonearm/bad cartridge match.

When you gain more experience, you'll understand better. I've been doing this for 50+ years and would be glad to help you.
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