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The Devil is in the Cartridge Setup (and a good phone pre)...

I had a freak out moment--or shall I say 2 days because that's how long it went on. 

I've been on these forums posting various things, noting my vinyl bested my digital and that's why I'm looking to figure out how to up my digital front end.  Well, my vinyl end became harsher, dirtier and grainier.  That's the best that I can do. 

No wait....I can say this.  I listen to tons of stuff and I use Norah Jones albums as a reference.  I know she should sound sweet, centered and pure.  I was tube rolling, re-positioning speakers and not able to roll things back. 

I recently "upgraded" two dirt cheap Texas Instruments op amps in my Manley Chinook to Burr Brown models, which had way better specs.  Could it be that BB op amps weren't doing the trick and causing the dry, dirty vinyl? 

After several days, I went back through my cartridge alignment and settings.  What I found was all was fine and dandy on positioning due to using a Feickert protractor, BUT I recently pumped up the tracking force to the upper limit, 2.0 grams, for the cart (AudioTechnica ART9).  I moved it back down to the minimal setting, 1.6 grams.  All is good. 

Maybe the cart's suspension wears over time and less force or weight is needed. I don't know.  

Phew.  I'm back in vinyl nirvana.  I was wondering if I needed different gear, meds, etc. to get back to where I once was happy.  

PS  And yes, the op amp "upgrade" made less difference than just setting my cart to where it sounds best. 
128x128jbhiller
soundermn's avatar
soundermn
344 posts
 
Back to the thread... I was listening to Norah Jones last night, and did notice that on some songs on "Day Breaks" album, it seems like the microphone is either too hot, or she's too close.  It makes her voice sound a bit over-done or over-produced and it's not so good.  But, it's only in a few spots that I noticed.

With your Manley, did the Op Amps change the sound?  I thought I read somewhere that Eva was quoted saying the Op Amps are for some purpose other than amplification, and aren't in the signal chain.  But, I don't remember the details.  
soundermn's avatar
soundermn
344 posts
 
Found it:  

Mrs. Eveanna Manley explained: “Those opamps are performing as a DC voltage servo in order to bias the FET operational point. Those opamps are not in the signal path. They just stabilize a DC voltage needed to set the operational point of the FETs”.
jbhiller's avatar
jbhiller OP
1,445 posts
 
That's interesting, Soundermn!  

I'd be talking beyond my expertise (very limited anyhow) to say whether op amps stabilizing DC voltage had any bearing on the sound when they are entirely out of the signal pathway.  This fact probably makes the quick swap less likely to have an impact on sound.
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