Records with words with the letter S are slurred

As you might surmise from the responses so far, just about anything in the reproductive chain can in one way or another cause sibilance. It's difficult to analyze the cause from afar, but can you say whether you hear sibilance with CDs? If not, that would more or less let the speakers, the amplifiers, and the linestage of your preamplifier off the hook. That leaves the phono section or phono stage, turntable, tonearm, cartridge (or tonearm/cartridge match), or the LP itself.

Then, can you say whether you hear this phenomenon on all LPs, or only a few?

Sometimes if you lower the VTA it will cure that problem! Give it a try,you have nothing to lose.

Get a real tunable!!!

I have a lot of experiance dealing with these types of problems. I can give you some ideas, but you need to list your entire system (make sure to include cables, tweaks and anything similar." Also list some of the albums that gives you the most problems.

The problem is usually a combination of VTA and VTF. Try lowering the tail of the cartridge slightly and also increase your tracking force a little. Should help immensely.

Shakey