VPI Classic and ZYX 4D

How is it possible that a Silver copper coil of a Universe could sound worse than a 4D?

Silver has a much higher molecular weight than copper. Higher mass coils make ANY moving coil cartridge sound undynamic, slow, sluggish, less lively. High mass coils defeat the whole purpose of the MC design.

That would lead me to think that the 4D might be a better cartridge.

A copper coil 4D is a better cartridge than a silver coil UNIverse, but so what? A VW on great tires will beat a Porsche on flat tires around Sebring. That doesn't make VW the better race car.

VTF
No one can tell you the ideal tracking force for your 4D, because each 4D will be different. This is true of all high end cartridges. You must learn to listen and adjust by what you hear.

I can tell you what to listen for. Too light and bass weakens, then you get mistracking. Too heavy and the music loses pace and snap, it sounds sleepy or slow. Find the sweet zone in between.

That zone will change as the cartridge ages, so what's right today will not be right next year. What's right on one 4D will not be right on the next 4D.

ANTI-SKATING
It won't hurt to try antiskating. A new cartridge probably needs some, I never told you or anyone that it wouldn't. All I said is that SOME cartridges need less as they age, and a few eventually need none. But again, each cartride will be a little different. You can measure this with instruments or by listening. What you can't do is take my advice or anyone's advice as gospel, choose some number or amount and forget about it. Vinyl replay is not like that, at least not with this level of gear.

VTA (actually SRA)
I get best results with ZYX's very close to level. If you've aligned with a Mint then VTA/SRA may be less critical. We adjust for every LP, but most people don't want that much bother.

Stefanoo, I would think that you would need a lighter counterweight, not a heavier one. You would need a heavier one if your counterbalance was running off the end of the tonearm and you were tracking 1.95 grams. As I read it, you can't track any lower than 1.95 grams with the counterweight all the way in touching the base. I would think there would be some drag effect from the counterweight rubbing the base as the cartridge tracks. To move the weight out away from the base, you would need a lighter counterweight. Besides, as the cartridge ages, you may want to track lower than 1.95 grams. FWIW, I'm tracking at 2.00 grams.

Doug's comments seem to be pretty accurate. I've never heard a UNIverse-X. I bought the UNIverse-S because I was moving from a Koetsu Rosewood Signature, and I was afraid that moving to a UNIverse-X would be too lean for me. I lived happily with the UNIverse-S for over 4 years.

The dealer I bought the 4D-X from also had a Omega-S. He said the 4D-X sounded better than the Omega-S. After 4 years with the S version, I decided to go ahead and give the X version a try. I'm glad I did. I also have a Dynavector XV-1s that just came in, some day I hope to get around to mounting it and comparing it to the 4D-X. To be honest though, between how good the 4D-X sounds, and how nice the weather has been, I don't know when I'll get around to it.

The Mint LP tractor is a great tool, I wish I had bought it sooner.

Cheers,
John

P.S. I am going to buy Magic Eraser this afternoon to keep the stylus cleaned as you suggested many times.

just a quick note.
I hope it will help people who will have the same problem I had.
The solution is to take the screw for fine adjustments off the counterweight's stub.
That way the counterweight will be a little bit away from the unipivot.
Now I have set the tracking force up to 2gr and I can go much higher if I'd like too.
it seems to work much better without the screw and that is what mike told me to do.

I'd suggest to all owners of VPIs to take that screw inside off and regulate the tracking force only relying on the counterweight.
it takes a little longer but it is not impossible, of course :)

Hope this helps.

thank you all for your advice.