Add Headshell weight to track better?

Howdy Toufu,

1) go do some resonance checking on:
http://www.resfreq.com/resonancecalculator.html

2) It could just be that some added weight (but VERY little) could be of some help.
That could be if your arm resonance is out of the acceptable band (too high, my best guess).

3) And there's another suggestion entirely, but I promise it will work! Consider the use of a Step-Up transformer, my best guess is, your phono-pre does not have such.
Your cart has 0.4mV output so it can work with a low ratio trannie. Around 1:12 to be on the save side, 1:16 could still work without risking a phono-pre overload.

It will give you a number of benefits (not pocket though!) and reduced groove-noise is one, appart from greater dynamic range, detail etc. I've done it, so I speak from experience (mind, I don't sell any of the stuff either).

I tried my darntest to get reduced groove-noise, - I clean my records with a Hannl-MERA (best I know of). Only since having gone with an SUT can I say it is acceptable. A lot of groove-noise happens in the very high frequency band (Ultra sonic band) and what you hear are just the lower sub-frequencies/harmonics of all that pop and crackle mess. A properly set-up SUT will take care of a LOT of that, but of course not all!
Take care,
Axel

>>04-24-09: Axelwahl
Howdy Toufu,
And there's another suggestion entirely, but I promise it will work! Your cart has 0.4mV output so it can work with a low ratio trannie<<

Very bad suggestion and information.

The output is 4.0mV not 0.4mV

Audiofeil is right, the MusicMaker cartridges are designed to go directly into an MM phono stage. Inserting more gain (via SUT or otherwise) is likely to overload the phono inputs and cause increased distortion.

As to the original question, I doubt that adding a headshell weight will have much impact on surface noise. The MusicMaker is designed for low-mid mass tonearms, which is exactly what you've got (assuming JMW 9). Not sure where you got the idea they're a mismatch, but they're not obviously so by the specs.

1. Record cleaning, including effective fluids and vacuum pickup, as Markphd said. This is vital. There's no substitute.

2. Upgrade phono stage. Many phono stages (including virtually all inexpensive ones) exaggerate transients from surface irregularities. Switching to a higher quality, better built phono stage almost always reduces the sonic effects of each "click" and "pop".

Hi so sooooooooory,
I got this 0.4 mV from a website and it was obviously VERY wrong.
So SUT in NOT an option at all.
Please accept my apologies, and thanks for watching out with a pealed eye.
Axel

Hi,
seems I got this cart just VERY wrong, can't even blame the web no more, so it must be entirely my fault.
And I sure got my private helping from Audifeil for being so daft.
Good to have some watch-dog about, catch out folks that don't have their act straight!

I truly had it to be a MC cart and it sure isn't one, we don't use these around my place so much, no excuse I know.
I will be more careful, 'cause it don't feel so good to make such silly mistakes, believe me.
Greetings,
Axel