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Newbie Issues: Grace F9 with Micro Seiki DD-40

Hey all - total newbie here. I’ve only been researching phono setups for a few months. I ran into some serious playback issues after trying to replace my cart. Wondering if anyone can tell me what is causing it?

A friend actually gave me a DD-40 with original MA 505 tonearm (14 g effective mass) and stock headshell. So I have been thrown into this (awesome) world of hifi in an effort to live up to this amazing gift. The DD-40 came with a Stanton 681eee cart and I immediately replaced the broken stylus with an LP Gear replica as a placeholder before upgrading. To my ears it sounds really really good after calibrating it properly (I am an entry level digital audiophile but this is my first analog experience). 

Because my setup is MM for now I have fixated on the Grace F9 series as my first cart upgrade. I bought a used F-9 L on ebay from someone with great reviews and an easy return policy. The problem is the playback is absolutely horrid:

- distorted muffled sound
- incessant skipping
- needle gets stuck between tracks

I have recalibrated and readjusted many many times including starting from scratch and calibrating the entire TT and tonearm setup. Every time it still sounds the same. While doing the same steps but going back to the Stanton cart works just fine. I even replaced headshell wires and have nice cables (Kimber Kable and Van den Hul) and a Furman power conditioner. It’s running through the phono input of a Pioneer SX 838. 

When I increase the tracking force beyond the recommended range for the Grace the skipping issue gets a bit better but not really. And the sound always remains distorted and muffled - that never improves.

Visibly the cart, cantilever and stylus look totally fine meaning not bent or broken. But again I’m just a newbie and have not put anything under a magnifying glass.  

So all that said, with the issues I described above, what do you all think is the problem?

1) Worn out needle?
2) Bad / bent cantilever?
3) Busted cart?
4) Bad newbie calibration?
5) Cartridge / tonearm mismatch?
6) Something else?

Any help would be greatly appreciated - thanks!

YL
hauie88
hauie88 OP
23 posts
 
I hear all of your advice and it's settled - I'll look into (eventually) getting BOTH a new cart and a (working!) vintage cart, haha.

@chakster that is truly a beautiful cart. All your suggestions sound amazing but they also seem to be quite rare so I'll just have to be patient to see when they come up. Have you had any experience buying from Reverb? 

I have already shipped the Grace F9 back for a refund so fingers crossed everything goes smoothly. Then it's back to the drawing board. 

For new carts - and given my setup and newbie status - what price range do you all think I should target? For now I just want to be able to live up to the components I have. I don't want the cart to hold the system back but I also don't want to go too crazy and lock myself into a top of the line cart before I learn more about all this.

Thanks!

Hauie
mofimadness's avatar
mofimadness
4,993 posts
 
Why don't you give us your budget for a new cart and we'll give a few recommendations?
hauie88 OP
23 posts
 
Hey @mofimadness sure thing. How about in the $500 range? Just has to be MM.
mofimadness's avatar
mofimadness
4,993 posts
 
These would be my recommendations within that budget for new cartridges. 

I have a massive amount of experience/knowledge/background with analog, but everyone has their own likes and dislikes, so take it for what it's worth.

Gold Note Vasari Gold (my current new favorite for the money)
Audio Technica AT150Sa (Discontinued, but still available new)
Audio Technica VM750SH
Goldring E3 (my budget best buy.  What a FUN cart)

Ortofon 2M Black (a used one would be within budget)


chakster's avatar
chakster
6,144 posts
 
How about in the $500 range? Just has to be MM.

Stanton 881s mkII or 981 ... and Pickering XSV/3000 or XSV/4000 is the best you can buy withing $350-750. All modern cartridge at this price are joke compared to those killer MM, most of the modern carts does not have even a nude diamond (bonded instead), stylus profile on most of the modern carts is elliptical max, not line contact type. Stanton/Pickering products from the 70s-80s have strong reputation, you will find tons of feedback online. Stereohedron mkII stylus tip is one of the best ever made.

@chakster that is truly a beautiful cart. All your suggestions sound amazing but they also seem to be quite rare so I’ll just have to be patient to see when they come up. Have you had any experience buying from Reverb?

When you pay with PayPal invoice the source doesn’t matter, you’re protected anyway. The seller who can guarantee that it will be as described is what you need, someone who can adjust and check your cartridge before it will be shipped. Also it must be someone with a proper sound system, because people with mediocre sound system raving about average or awful cartridges pretending to be experts without any experience with top quality MM/MI/MC.


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