EMT 948 w/ 929 tonearm.

The issue is with the zero ballance when the VTF spring is set to zero.

You need to set it correctly first and then set the correct VTF with the VTF spring.

Send me a video on how to do that... LOL

From the user manual:

Adjustment of Balance and Tracking Force

...

This part is super important!!! I call it zero balance - "Set the tracking force adjustment level to "0". Lower the tone arm lift and turn the counterweight on the threaded tube end until the stylus tip balances exactly in the plane of the record. Fix the counterweight in this position by gently tightening the Allen screw."

"Set the tracking force adjustment level to 2.5..."

I’ve done that. I’ll check tonight again. Not that I'm an expert, by any means, mind you. I have 47 years in audio, I just couldn't get it rite. 😉

Hi @danmar123 ,

Don't worry. I had a similar issue.

I had used this turntable without any troubles for 5 years. Then I moved to another home and setted-up EMT again. I started to recognize there is something wrong with tracking. At first I blamed room temperature then I blamed conditions of a cartridge. I even sent the cartridge to Dusch for repair. After the repair it played better but still there was bad tracking and surface noise. I checked VTF many times with electronic weights but it didn't work. In the end after a year! I checked zero balance and saw that the stylus tip was about 1cm over the plane of record. I fixed it with a counterweight. So stylus tip become even to the plane of record. Then I put tracking force adjustment to proper 2.5g on electronic weights. After that the turntable played very clear without any tracking issues with much less noise and better sound balance.
I don't know why it happened. Maybe I set-up it incorrectly at first or the counterweight was moved during usage.
But it took me too much time to detect this issue.