Ortofon MC A90 Cartridge VTF

"It will be interesting if Mike keeps his 1.5gm long term on his Garrard, as sometimes what can seem like an improvement in the short term is not as sucessful long term."

Downunder: I think he probably will. There were three of us there and it was fairly evident that this was the best setting. Maybe if the cartridge continues to change he might tweek it a bit more, but I think it was spot on.

I never agreed with HP's assessment in my system. I had the XV-1S much lighter than 2.6. I even think that might be enough VTF to eventually damage the suspension on that cart.

David: No we did not switch the cartridges between the tables. Three tables and three cartridges is quite a bit of work as it is. :)

Tbg: That really was not what we were looking for, it was simply the best sound we could get.

Jtinn, but going lower was stopped by mistracking, right? With a sharp radius stylus, I suspect that Lyniv is right, you are changing the VTA when you change the tracking weight. Perhaps very slightly lowering the VTA would yield the same results. Going to a thicker record would do the same thing.

Dear Jtinn: I have four times the A90 in my systems for only a few hours each time so I can speak on the long run.

First time ( the cartridge was not settle down yet ) I run at 2.4grs with a good performance not the best the cartridge can but good enough, last time I run at 2.1grs with excellent results. The cartridge is so good that I agree with Downunder: it sounds great in most settings.

In a case similar to this I ask directly to Dynavector if I can go up to 2.6grs in the XV-1 and they told me ( I posted somewhere in that time. ) NO. The manufacturer VTF range has some targets: that the coils stay centered, that there not exist any kind of mistraking ( even if we can't detect it ), that the cartridge suspension works on target and that the cartridge performs according the manufacturer targets/voicing.

IMHO in the short run we can make any kind of cartridge set up with VTF, maybe it can't damage the cartridge or the LP's ( ??? ), but in the long run my advise is: stay inside manufacturer VTF range.

I write the " danger " of mistracking with lower VTF and I say " even if you can't detect it ", this IMHO is important because we can have a tiny/minute cartridge mistracking that we can't detect and that we are hearing like more transparency/openess on the highs.
Of course that Ortofon is the best " source " to give a precise answer but if I was any of you I stay inside the manufacturer VTF range.

Lyniv point out something that is important especially with top resolution systems like yours: every time you change the VTF you change the VTA/SRA and overhang, could you detect it? I can't say it in those systems but are another factors to take in count as is IMHO to be sure that Azymuth is on target.

Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul.

Dear Jtinn: In the other side there is no reason to "
wait "/hope that the cartridge performs the same in
three different TT/tonearms ( I'm assuming were different
but two tonearms. Btw, same IC tonearms/phono stage cables?
), the
cartridge/tonearm/TT relationship is " personal "
especially cartridge/tonearm and along that
cartridge/tonearm then the load impedance and even than the
SRA belongs to each recording the same cartridge in
different tonearm sometimes needs different VTA/SRA to tame
the sound.

I comment this because only one cartridge was on the
manufacturer VTF recomendation, is obvious by your posts
that you don't try this cartridge in the tonearm where the
cartridge performs like you like at 1.56grs. and niether the
other way around too.

Normaly a cartridge of this caliber and coming from Ortofon
IMHO have to perform in excellent/top manner inside the
manufacturer specs/advise if the cartridge makes good match
with the tonearm and if the cartridge is full and in good
operation conditions.

Anyway, Ortofon has the best/precise answer on that 1.56grs
VTF.

Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul.

I've commented regularly for 3+ years about exactly the same VTF behavior with two ZYX UNIverses. I'd be astonished if an A90 or any other cartridge acted differently. Individual details and numbers vary, but not the basic behavior.

All cartridges have elastomeric suspensions. All elastomers alter with usage, age and climatic conditions (some more than others). Therefore, the amount of downforce needed for optimal performance changes.

To clarify a point made by Tbg, excessive VTF sounds nothing like inaccurate SRA. The two effects are utterly different, at least in our system and to our ears. Yes, changing VTF does alter VTA and SRA, particularly with modern styli, but that doesn't undo the fact that the VTF sweet spot of a cartridge changes. It just means you have to monitor both parameters to maintain optimum performance.