Why are the vocals on some records hidden behind the music on my system?
...maybe I don't have the PT-6 it might be a PT-5 because there is no dial to adjust vta only a set screw to tighten after manually raising or lower the tone arm by feel, I wish there was a calibrated dial it would have been so much easier.Note though that my post referred to the dial for setting VTF (i.e., tracking force), not VTA. Regards, -- Al |
scooby2do ... the alignment itself didn't take 2 1/2 hrs but making adjustments to the vta is a change an listen to see if it is better or worse then doing that over an over until you find what you feel is the best ...It sounds like you're relying on intuition and feeling here. While I think listening is a critical part of phono cartridge setup, you're chasing your tail if you don't start with measurements, imo. For VTA, that means using a VTA alignment gauge. For overhang and tangency it means using a mirrored alignment gauge that aligns the actual cantilever, rather than the cartridge body. There are so many variables in phono cartridge setup that if you rely on crude tools and listening alone, achieving proper alignment is very much a hit-or-miss proposition. And while it's difficult to diagnose a problem such as yours remotely, it sure sounds like a setup problem to me. |
Your speakers too can clash with your amp,preamp the McIntosh are decent but a Pass Labs 250.8 would destroy it as well as Ampzilla ,and ambrosia Amp,preamp little kniwn gems from late great Jim Borgiano. Nelson Pass New 250.8 and many others are far more refined. i sold Macintosh nice Looking and dependable, but not the last word in resolution. For Cd McIntosh for not their Forte. look up the Lascala, Tube dac, or a Great Lampizator dac , or manygreat players . Rule of thumb don’t buy everything from one company ,no one makes great everything unless you have $$. Gryphon .comes to mind , Goldman, great Swiss company not too expensive Ensemble. Even cables are system dependent . Your system is good just a few things can be bettered for similar money’s that we’re spent. Just speaking the truth .having owned a store . |
audioman- being in a HI-FI deprived area (rural Okla.) I would have to gone to Dallas, Houston, Denver you get the picture, just to check out any HI-FI stores (unless you count BestBuy). So I bought something that I had heard in the past that sounded good. Now I did go to RMAF in 2017 to hear the Raidho speakers (XT-2 and D-1.2). Wish it was like the 70's with a audio store on every other corner (I lived in Tulsa most of my life). Maybe one of these days I can change it up a bit? Plus all these are used so I didn't pay full price even though it still was a lot of money for me. |
I'm not surprised that you found adjusting VTA made a noticeable difference that brought you closer to your goal. IME, it's a super important adjustment; possibly the most important. Personally, I will only use tonearms with VTA adjustment on-the-fly capability. I tweak it for every LP I play with superb results. That said, I still feel a cartridge that's a closer match to the preamp phono sections would be the way to go. At a $2K potential budget for a phono stage, you can get a truly outstanding cart that matches either the MC or MM gain on the C100 (a high end rig by any measure). Without another box between you and the music, BTW. Even better would be a second hand Graham or Micro Seiki arm with VTA OTF and any one of a dozen <$1K LOMC or high end MM cartridges to mount on it at the same $2K overall. That approach kills 2 birds with 2 stones (so to speak), and gives you a more flexible platform for the future. I also live in the sticks, and that is a key consideration for me. Good luck with whatever you decide. Keep us posted and happy listening! |
