VPI HW-19 with Graham 1.5 arm Question/Suggestions

May seem self serving you say “welcome back”, Miller ……but, welcome back.  

I lived with an HW19 MK4 for years and “lightweight” is the last word I would use to describe its inherent sound. It is a robust sounding table and one that some would call TOO warm sounding. I also used the Graham on a TNT 6 and there was no deficiency in amount of bass. So, I would look elsewhere for the reason for the thin sound that you are hearing. I do like dover’s advice re loading.

Having said all that, you don’t mention what speakers you are using. You provide an incomplete picture for anyone or give truly useful advice. If you were to state, “I bought a HW19 MK4 and I lost the great bass and warmth that my system had previously”, then, OK, something might be up with your tt setup. However, if your speakers are bass deficient then no turntable or cartridge setup will make up for the deficiency. What speakers are you using and is the turntable/arm a recent addition to your system?

Sent from my iPhonswssssse

Bingo!

You state:

”The sound is good but rather lightweight, neutral and nimble but polite, one might say meek with tight but lean bass. ” Exactly what I heard the times that I heard the original CLS.

For whatever it may be worth, from the Stereophile mag review of the CLS:

-“The bass was a little lightweight, there being a lack of upper bass”.

-“there was then a hole before the relatively sparse low bass came in.”

-“the bass being definitely a little sluggish compared with the treble”,

-“Another aspect of the CLS sound bothered me more in the long term: a lack of dynamic range in the lower mids and upper bass”.

If you are planning on keeping the CLS (it does have a beautiful transparency), my suggestion is to look for a VPI SDS motor controller. Bass will be improved to a degree that no mat, clamp or VTA adjustment will approach, and most importantly dynamics will be greatly improved. Music will be less polite with much more sense of groove.

Good luck.

Btw, I have no personal experience with the newer ADS motor controller, but it has not received as much positive commentary as the SDS which I like very much. There are other brands that are well regarded that work with the HW. Lastly, when did you last check, clean out and replace the oil in the HW’s bearing well? You may be surprised at the improvement in the areas that you are not happy with.

I respectfully have to disagree (sort of) with markd51’s assessment of the benefits of using an SDS, or similar, motor controller.  While it may be true that a tt motor controller may not increase the quantity of bass it will certainly increase the quality of the bass response.  

The benefits of “addressing speed issues” in turntables go far beyond the correction of obvious pitch instability. Think of this the same way we think about harmonic distortion.  Gross harmonic distortion is obvious and is perceived as such.  In the case of speed instability (distortion) we hear the dreaded waver (gross) in the decay of notes particularly piano, for instance.  However, reduction of speed instability to levels below this point is hugely beneficial.  In my experience, the benefits are increases in the pitch definition of bass instruments which results in obvious gains in their musical impact resulting in gains in the overall drive (groove factor) of the music. Improved pitch stability at these fine levels also results in improved overall clarity and imaging.  Why wouldn’t it?  Pitch waver, as usually perceived, is obvious.  At very low levels it is not perceived as such, but as a blurring of overall definition and clarity.  In the realm of dynamics this blurring results in a reduction in the musical excitement of a performance which is one of the OP’s complaints about the sound he is hearing.