SME IV Tonearm and Warped Records

snackeyp

... warped records will bump the base of the tonearm as it tracks toward the end of a record side ...

To be clear for those not familiar with your arm, I’m pretty sure you’re referring to the underside of the pickup arm rather than the actual base. This can be an issue with phono cartridges that are very short in height, so one solution is to choose another cartridge.

I can raise the tonearm in the mount, increasing the VTA, but the sound is not as good, so I do not consider this a good option.

When you increase VTA, you also change VTF (however slightly) and overhang. And changing the overhang also affects tangency - a critical and often neglected aspect of phono cartridge alignment, ime. So if you want to increase VTA to improve the pickup arm’s clearance over the LP surface, you’ll also need to check those other parameters to ensure a valid comparison.

I've been using SME products for nearly two decades now and have never seen or experienced that problem. I heard it on the forums once or twice before, but always figured it was a bad rumor. 

Properly set up, serious warps play without a problem in my system, with plenty of clearance left. These records so warped, that I toss them into garbage right after.

So my questions are:

Are these records so severely warped that you have no business playing them on such nice components? If so, junk them.

Is the VTA properly set up, where the white line at the center of the arm wand is parallel to the surface of the record? And verified with a proper measuring tool within 0.1mm?

invictus005

I’ve been using SME products for nearly two decades now and have never seen or experienced that problem ...Properly set up, serious warps play without a problem in my system, with plenty of clearance left ...

Same here. But it is true that the SME pickup arms can have problems with phono cartridges having a very shallow height.

Is the VTA properly set up, where the white line at the center of the arm wand is parallel to the surface of the record? And verified with a proper measuring tool within 0.1mm?

That’s a very good starting point for setting VTA, but it’s not likely to yield the best result. The ideal VTA for any setup is defined by the cartridge, not the pickup arm. Many modern cartridges are designed to track at 20 degrees, while earlier stereo cartridges were often set for 15 degrees. (Hence, the legendary Shure "V-15" cartridges.)

When aligning a phono cartridge, you really need to be looking at the cantilever to get it right, not the pickup arm. That’s why the best cartridge alignment gauges rely on a mirror, such as the WallyTractor or Mint gauges. But for VTA, using the white line on the SME arm wand is a good reference when combined with a proper measuring gauge.

@cleeds Hmmm, I disagree. One should never ever align VTA to the cantilever. VTA should be aligned by either having the top of the cartridge be parallel to record’s surface, or if you’re Fremer, one can use a microscope to look at the stylus’ SRA.

I personally find the microscope idea ridiculous.

I have corresponded with just about all major cartridge manufacturers and every single one of them recommend that the top of the cartridge, or the tonearm wand should be parallel to the record. And that’s good enough for me.

If the cantilever is mounted wrong, or the stylus is crooked, get a new cartridge. Why bother compensating for crap like that?

invictus005

... I disagree. One should never ever align VTA to the cantilever. VTA should be aligned by either having the top of the cartridge be parallel to record’s surface ...

If you do that, you’re not assuring the exact VTA for each single cartridge. Different cartridges specify different VTAs. As I noted, some are designed for 15 degrees, many for 20, some even more. Remember that VTA is the angle between the LP surface and the cantilever itself. (That’s a slight oversimplification, but sufficient for this discussion.) So the only real question is whether you want to get VTA correct, or you’re happy with an approximation.

If the cantilever is mounted wrong, or the stylus is crooked, get a new cartridge. Why bother compensating for crap like that?

If the cartridge is out-of-spec, it’s defective and should be returned. But every product is manufactured with tolerances and with a phono cartridge, even a slight deviation can be audible. In particular: Tangency. To visually set that properly, you need a mirrored gauge that uses a crosshair and reflection of the cantilever itself, such as the WallyTractor. Many listeners, however, are happy to get "close enough," and can’t be troubled with that step.

Of course, if you use a conical stylus, none of this matters. But as the stylus shape gets finer - from elliptical to any of the "fine-line" or Shibata-type stylii - precise alignment becomes all the more critical for best results.

if you’re Fremer, one can use a microscope to look  at the stylus’ SRA.I personally find the microscope idea ridiculous.

Why? In many respects, getting the correct SRA is even more important than getting the VTA spot-on.