MM Cartridge for VPI Scout

I'd try your cart with the VPI anti-skate device. I ran mine with a Dyna 20X-H (high-output) and it sounded really good. This is a cart VPI recommended for this TT. Sumiko Blackbird is another, and some of the Grado's (especialy for classical).

I used the Ortofon RED in mine, requires extra weight in headshell or lighter counterweight from VPI.

Not enough info to fully diagnose the problems? We'd all be just guessing at this point.

A MM Cartridge will most likely have even more output, and would help nothing if you are going into the same phono stage without changing anything else.

But I suspect your problem lies elsewhere. Cartridge set up, in regards to alignment, and vertical tracking force will be two important issues you need to check.

If you say you're tracking at 1.9 Grms, are you absolutely sure of this? Has overhang-alignment been properly set?

What phono-stage/pre amp are you running into? What is the gain, and loading set at? Is your Stylus Clean?

Did you just begin to notice this problem, in other words was it playing OK, and now there's a problem, or is this a new set up, and note the problems? Used, or new Cartridge?

Please elaborate some more, and we'll all try to help. Mark

Mark, I am using the phono section in the C220. The cartridge is perfectly aligned or as good as it will get. I used the MintLP (took me 3 months) and I also had it professionally setup. Overhang is close to perfect.

I did some checking and VPI is not very generous with their tonearm specs. It appears as though the JMW 9 is a low mass arm which would mate best with a moderately high to very high compliance cartridge. My cartridge is not a good match for my arm from what I read.

It does sound better than it has but I am thinking of trying a moving magnet. Ever since I took the table in to get set up, I saw with my own eyes how poorly my cartridge tracks with this tonearm on the test equipment. From what I read, it should be used with a moderate or high mass arm for best results.

The guy who set it up also told me that good MM cartridges will track much better than my cartridge. I have a Benz H2. He said the low output track better than high output MC's but you have to spend thousands (Cartridge and phono pre etc.) to get the performance. He said I could get very close to low output performance and in many cases better with MM cartridges.

That is why I am interested in MM cartridges. he said I should also get a solid state preamp/phono section if I want to pursue Low output MC. Whatever that means.

Not really a low mass arm designed for high compliance cartridges. It is about 10 grams in mass, which is about the same as the SME V and most arms of standard length and without detachable head-shells. Low mass arms have a mass of 5 grams and under, the SME III is an example. The VPI should handle anything except very low compliance or extremely high ones; the latter are about extinct. Check Vinyl Engine for arm data, they have info on almost all arms. They also have an arm resonance calculator derived from the cartridge compliance and the arm mass.