Killing sibilance distortion - VPI & Jubilee

In order of appearance:

a) verify that you've set the correct VTF

b) try using absolute minimum anti-skate. On my JMW 12.5, I don't use the 'mechanical' anti-skate: I simply set it so that when balanced, the arm *slowly* drifts to the outside. I mean *slowly*.

c) try aligning with the stock VPI jig

d) re-check your spindle to pivot measurement, and print out a conrad hoffman http://www.conradhoffman.com/chsw.htm protractor (if you've not used his site, be sure to actually 'read' the 'read me'). Though not as accurate in absolute terms as the Mint, it is easily good enough to verify that the dimensions of your Mint protractor are correct.

e) try another cart. It's always good to have a Denon DL-103 around for an emergency backup, for situations such as you're experiencing, and as a PDG cartridge in it's own right.

f) follow any directives given you by DD. And no, that's not a joke.

Right you are, JohnBrown!

Dan

Hi Goatwuss
>>> Does this still look to be too far forward in the head shell? <<<

YES!

I'm pretty certain it will be further in with the original VPI alignment.

Next!
Some of these type Ortofon’s have a propensity for the cantilever going out of centre (slightly) and to the left when viewed from the front.
It means (if the case) that the cart body can actually not be used for your Zenith alignment!
Try to turn the cart if straight = 6:00 to ~ 6:03 i.e. very slightly to the left from the point where the protractor would suggest it to be.
(That's where a Graham and it's alignment jig has far less of a problem, as you can see if the cantilever is slightly off)

Axel

Hello all,

First of all - thank you for spending your time and thoughts on this! I will try each recommendation that is posted on here within the next couple of days, and I will update the thread as I go along with more photos.

I'm pretty certain it will be further in with the original VPI alignment.

Good prediction. If VPI's alignment is a single null point, as I think Downunder implied, or if its two null points are more closely spaced than Baerwald, that's guaranteed.

Unfortunately, a single point alignment or an alignment to two more narrowly spaced null points will put the stylus farther out of alignment on inner grooves.

I've not heard the GCPH, but the Syrah falls short of the performance levels needed to play challenging tracks like this with real clarity. I'm familiar with it and its costlier brothers, the Cortese and Grange, including the final mods to the Grange before it was dropped. They were all prone to microphonic feedback which resisted every attempt at isolation or damping. The tightly packed upper-midrange harmonics and their echoes in that AK recording would be muddied by any Supratek, IMO/IME.

Throw in an unstabilized unipivot and a cartridge which is not the last word in clarity and you may have a recipe for problems which no adjustments can fix.

Which other cartridges have you tried? The Jubilee was, in my system, somewhat muddy and undynamic. I don't remember it having sibilance isssues but I didn't try it on the most challenging material, since to our ears it couldn't pass muster on easier stuff.

What a depressing post. Sorry. :-(

Do try the suggestions of Axel, JohnBrown, Downunder and everyone else. I'm afraid my ideas involve spending lots of money.