When is digital going to get the soul of music?

Tgun5, you have a very good post. I am buying a cd player from Aplhifi. I hope to enjoy music from it. I just wonder about the kids. They have no money. Should they be denied music because of that? I understand that the finances are further complicated because many preamps don't include phono-stages now. But it was very informative what you said.

Those that use a good cartridge alignment gauge like the Dennison and tighten up their cartridge bolts are kidding themselves. I believe generally that the cartridge bolt that is closest to the outside of the record corresponds to the right speaker, as you face it. So, you don't completely tighten the bolts. Then you slightly move them one way or the other. When one speaker sounds likes it is in, you stop on that side of the cartridge. You then move, slightly the other side to equal what you got in the other speaker. With anti-skate, you have to realize that you are compensating for the increased pull that you get as you get closer to the end of the record. If it sounds better at the beginning of the record, you don't have enough anti-skate-for example.

This is for the financially challenged. Assuming you have a suspended-subchasis turntable, the spring on the right usually corresponds to what you hear on the right speaker(as you face it). The left spring to the left speaker. The spring towards the back corresponds to the middle of what you hear. As you bring the cartridge(on one side)towards the front, the treble will get brighter(or more prominent). If you get one side sounding better than the other side, stop! Then you try to get the other side to sound as good. Take your time! Go very slowly. It's no problem to keep things static, until you get an understanding of what has happened.

jdaniel@jps.net,
Thanks for answering my question with your post of 1/30/06.
-Bill

I know this off subject, but I have to mention it. Don't try to do something with any cartridge parameter that it wasn't meant to do. In other words, find out what it the best for each parameter and stick with that. If it doesn't provide the bass that you want, then it doesn't provide the bass that you want, period. It requires finding out what each cartridge parameter does what.