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Optimizing TNT, Triplanar, Transfiguration Temper

I'm writing because of a combination of frustration and potential in my turntable set-up. I have never gotten the sound from the system that I expected, but feel that I am beginning to glimpse the potential of achieving it. I have made some changes recently that have led to more changes that have brought me closer to what I have heard from other systems with similar components. I am hoping someone can guide me toward finally obtaining the basic qualities that I'm looking for and I can fine-tune from there.
What I have heard before from lesser components and am not getting is the sound of the transients jumping off the record. I thought this problem was merely from the characteristics of the Transfiguration Temper Supreme, but with some modifications of the table I am beginning to hear it and wanted to see if I could bring it out further.
Let me back-track and tell you my components and what modifications I have made so far. I am running a VPI TNT upgraded to 4 (w/ the rectangle cutout for the motor), with the original motor and just added an SDS (which made the biggest improvement), a Wheaton Triplanar tonearm upgraded to VI, and a Transfiguration Temper Supreme cartridge.
When I upgraded to the SDS, the timing and solidity of the sound improved dramatically. I then found that using a single belt directly from the motor to the table actually outperformed the three-pully design originally designed for the table, perhaps with some trade-offs, i.e. voices sound clearer and better-defined, but piano may have a little less air and realism.
Finally, the table sits behind the speakers, particularly the left speaker. Moving the speaker forward a few inches seemed to significantly clean up the sound, so vibrations from the back of the (B & W 803) speaker may be muddying the water. My other components are Spectral DMC-20 and DMA-180 and MIT/Spectral reference cables.
Like I said, I am glimpsing the potential of this setup, and the music is starting to clean up and jump off the record, but it's just not quite there. I feel like I'm missing something simple and would like advice before making a lot of changes. I think I've set the cartridge up properly with regard to alignment, azimuth, VTA and no anti-skate. I have not removed the damping trough yet, and that is the next thing I was thinking to try. I am planning to try to further isolate the table from the speakers - the cable lengths prevent me from totally moving the preamp and turntable. I was also considering using different belts or string/dental floss etc. Another possibility is investing in a single-motor flywheel, which also would not use the three pulleys included with the TNT turntable. But, I feel that there is something simple and straightforward with the front-end that I am missing. Any advice?
128x128ctlphd
ptmconsulting
1,000 posts
 
Glad to hear that your changes moved things in the right direction. I agree with removing the damping trough, that just seemed to kill the dynamics on my arm.

Keep playing and adjusting. This is a top notch cartridge and, as such, it is very finicky to setup and get perfect. But when you do ...
ctlphd's avatar
ctlphd OP
42 posts
 
Just to make sure I'm in the right ballpark on VTA, I started with the base of the Temper cartridge approximately parallel to the record and adjusted up and down with the Triplanar by ear from there, until the high frequencies locked in and then the lows. The difference I get between a standard LP and a 200 g LP is about half a turn on the dial (i.e. 12 o'clock to 6 o'clock). Does that sound about right?
ptmconsulting
1,000 posts
 
Here's a write up by Jon Risch on VTA/SRA. I only wish I could find the picture that makes this all obvious. Basically the pointy sidewall of the Shibata stylus as to align perfectly with the angle of the cut in the record groove. Listen to high frequency tones for this, like triangles and vibes. When that aligns properly all should lock in, including the bass.

"Getting the stylus contact line to line up with the HF modulations of the groove wall is similar to aligning a tape haed to the recorded waves on the magnetic tape: you want them to be totally parallel with one another. When a fine line stylus is not aligned with the groove wall in terms of matching the SRA to the record walls groove angle as cut by the cutting stylus, then the footprint of the stylus will be riding over more than a single HF groove wiggle at a time. This results in a loss of HF's, and a blurring in time of the recovered signal, just like on a tape deck. If that was all that occurred, then incorrect SRA would be rather benign.

However, the situation for the groove wall is not like that of the tape deck, the groove wall and stylus are a mechanical interface whereby the groove wall modulations can torque on the stylus edge as it passes over the modulations at a rake angle that is not the same. This tends to generate spurious signals that are not harmonically related to the original signal, and the torquing tends to cause the intrisnic cartridge cantilever/moving system resonances to be excited and stimulated. The result: hash and HF frazzle that reaches surprisingly low in the audio band due to intermodulation with the signals being recovered from the record groove."
ctlphd's avatar
ctlphd OP
42 posts
 
More progress. I removed the damping trough, and that things cleaned up more. Instruments sound more natural, voices are clear and more distinct. I also received the Audio Additives Stylus Force Gauge. I was in the 1.9 range initially. I backed off to about 1.75, which improved the dynamics but was a little light in the bass and tonal textures. So, I went up to about 1.835, and things really locked in. I also reset the azimuth and VTF (the latter which I change with each record). I'm finding that I really like the silk thread as well over the rubber belt. Everything's just smoother and more detailed. Overall, things are finally very listenable and approaching the level which I expect from this table, arm, cartridge combination. The main thing I'm thinking of now is that I still have to decide whether to stick with this motor and get some sort of isolation for it or change to the single motor flywheel. I'm not convinced that having an additional belt even with the heavier flywheel is an optimal solution. As I'm writing this, I'm listening to Leonard Cohen's "Songs from the Road" and the voices (particularly his) and instruments sound so rich, natural, and detailed that I am very pleased with the setup right now. Thanks everyone for your help, and enjoy the holidays as I do with wonderful music!
ptmconsulting
1,000 posts
 
Glad to hear it is all working out. This is a finicky cartridge, to be sure, but it is well worth the effort to get it right.

Merry Christmas.
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