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Tracking error distortion audibility

I recently unpacked my turntable from a couple of years of storage. It still sounds very good. Several times during playback of the first few albums I literally jumped from my chair to see which track was playing as it sounded so great. After a while I realized the "great" sound was always at one of the "null" points. They seem to occur at the approximately the proper place (about 125mm from spindle) and near the lead out groove. Questions:
Is this common? I have improved the resolution of my system since the table's been in storage but I don't remember hearing this before.
All others geometric sources of alignment error not defined by the null points (VTA, azimuth etc.) are essentially constant through out the arc correct? If so they should cancel out. I assume the remedy is a linear tracking arm but I am surprised at how obviously better the sound is at these two points.
Table - AR ES-1, Arm - Sumiko MMT, Cart. - Benz Glider, Pre - Audible Illusions, Speakers - Innersound electrostatic hybrid
Do linear arms really sound as good across the whole record as I hear at only the nulls with my set-up?
feathed
dertonarm
1,042 posts
 
Dear Berlinta, as I announced before: - I leave this thread now.
Our dispute doesn't bring this thread forward in any constructive way.
siniy123
166 posts
 
if the tonearm is aligned to closer to zero tracking error at the inner grove you should not hear any distortion or mistaking if you stylus has a good polish, cartridge suspension is good and tonearm is good mechanical match for the cartridge. Mastering engineers usually compress the dynamic range of inner tracks or put low dynamics tracks there. The limitation is obvious: they have to fit same time of music into less linear grove distance. I noticed that modern productions cartridges are not coping very well with problems of inner grove. I'm attributing this problem to much lesser styli quality today even at the highest price levels that it was in 70x-80x even at pedestrian level prices. There are obviously always exceptions today, such as Denon. Just to give you some examples: my Technics EPC-200CIIL, Micro Acoustics 630MP, Audio Technica AT20SS and half a dozen other MM and MC cartridges don't show any distortion.
Ag insider logo xs@2x
rauliruegas
13,051 posts
 
I know, it is not transferable, that was not my means on the subject but that only a few people make what it's suppose the best to do: physics, mechanics and geometry.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.
dertonarm
1,042 posts
 
Dear Siniy123, I absolutely agree with you.
With classical music however the mastering engineer has no choice, but to put the tracks where they belong. As most of the big climax in classical (especially of course symphonic music...) music are at the very end of the movements we usually see the end of a romantic symphony towards the inner grooves.

As we can do little to get the industry alter the polish/stylus quality, we should optimize the position of the stylus at the most critical part of the groove.
Thats why I vote for an alignment which puts the 2nd zero closer towards the inner grooves to bring the stylus in the best possible position when the going really gets rough....
genesis168's avatar
genesis168
409 posts
 
Dertonarm, you and syntax were saying about the Dennessen soundtraktor for alignment. Was wondering if it is the same one as the one listed on audiogon with only 1 grid???? Does it have 1 or 2 grids?

TIA
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