SME 3009 S2 Improved Tonearm problem...possibly

Yes, the settings on the Gold Note are MC Input, 0dB gain and the load is 470k.

I added the two bars in between the headshell and cartridge. I guess it decouples the cartridge from the headshell and does add a bit of mass.

I reset the VTF to 2.11 grams. Double checked all the other settings too.

Threw on a mint original pressing of Phil Collins Face Value and played ’In the Air Tonight’. I played this the other day and it sounded pretty good till the drums kicked in and major distortion started. Tonight, the drums did not distort. I did have volume turned up quite a bit too. Here’s another problem I noticed the other day and forgot to mention. When the bass kicks in I get a hum that seems to come from the lower frequencies and builds and gets louder and louder till all frequencies distort majorly. What in the world is the cause of that? I almost want to equate that to like a tuning fork resonance. As the fork is struck, the vibrations build and build. Could this be some resonance coming into the tonearm?

By the way, distortion is still there, but has started to go away after the install of those two bars.

I purchased this cartridge per recommendations of Soundsmith themselves and I did inform them prior as to my setup. They were aware of what I have. I thought, like you said, from my research that my tonearm would want higher compliant cartridges. Soundsmith seemed to think it would work, though. I’m awaiting a call from Peter himself to hopefully get his insight on a remedy. Meanwhile, I’m still going to press forward in trying to fix it and try to get y’alls insight.

@jebcamaro 

When the bass kicks in I get a hum that seems to come from the lower frequencies and builds and gets louder and louder till all frequencies distort majorly. 

Thats feedback coming through the turntable/arm either airborne or through the floor. The fix is to move your turntable - is it near the bass speakers ? is it on a table thats passing vibration ? wobbly floor ?

Because there appears to be issue with arm/cartridge this probably doesn't help, making the TT more sensitive to feedback. do you have a lid ??

Ah, the joys of buggy-whip technology!

The Soundsmith cartridge does not mate well with the SME arm. It obviously mistracks on some recordings. Get a better arm! The SME 3009 is late- Fifties technology. A Fidelity Research arm would be a lot better. I have two. I had a 3009 44 years ago. Soon sold it and bought a JH Formula 4.

Thats feedback coming through the turntable/arm either airborne or through the floor. The fix is to move your turntable - is it near the bass speakers ? is it on a table thats passing vibration ? wobbly floor ?

That's what I deducted. It's not on the best of stands. it is placed in proximity of the left channel Khorn. I don't use a sub when playing vinyl. I put the turntable on top of a 26# solid walnut butcher block that is sitting on hockey pucks. The turntable is then sitting on spikes. The turntable itself is suspended by springs by design of Thorens. The lid is kept on when not in use, but when in use it is lifted off. It is not attached anywhere to the turntable.