New TT/cart question


I just hooked up, finally, a new Music Hall MMF7.1 with the stock Goldring Eroica high output moving coil cartridge. Here's my question. In previous years of TT use, I never could hear the music from the cartridge. I can hear the music playing from the cartridge when I turn the volume down. Is this normal with this cartridge, or is there a problem, ie VTF, etc? Most all my past experience has been with Shure carts.

Any advice/ideas welcome.
128x12804rdking
Not quite sure what you mean. You're supposed to "hear music from the cartridge". That's what they do. However, the output is low so that we send the signal into an amplifier. I don't mean for that to sound sarcastic. I'm assuming your old Shure cartridges were MM. Your Goldring is an MC and is probably lighter, with less mass to block vibrations from coming out to your ear. Just a speculation. As long as nothing is loose on the cartridge so that nothing other than the cantilever is moving, I wouldn't worry about it.
Johnnyb53, Yes, I am using the record clamp...

Markphd, yes, the shure's were MM.

I'm guesssing there is nothing wrong, just not use to hearing the sound from the cart. I need to play with the vta even though they say it's setup. bass seems weak...
I have a music hall MMF-2.2 which does the same thing. With the factory set goldring cartridge I could hear music coming from the cartridge, often quite loudly. I was told that this is normal. I didn't find that adjusting VTF or realigning the cartridge helped at all. I recently changed to a shure m97xe and the 'problem' pretty much disappeared. I can still hear a little bit if I put my ear very close to the cartridge. I think this is a characteristic of goldring cartridges. They seem ring/resonate. I notice this on a friends rega arm/goldring cart setup also.
Thanks all. Here's a new question. The setup only has about 15hrs on it so far, but it seems that the left channel is more dominant. Could this be from improper azimuth adjustment? Should I give the cart more break-in time before I start adjusting things?

For what it's worth, here is the setup:

Music Hall MMF-7.1
Pro-Ject Tube Box SEII
Primaluna Prologue II
Proac D15's

and, last, but not least......
Sony Discman........