VPI Classic and ZYX 4D

@Stefanoo: Yep, how all five LPs in the series.

BTW, the ZYX is a darn good tracker. It handles two of the hardest cartridge tracking tests I know of on LP without pausing-the original Saul Goodman Mallets, Melody and Mayhem on Columbia and Ameniya's Summer Prayer on RCA/Japan. The former album has some bells that most cartridges run away from; the latter has all types of percussion cut at some pretty high levels that doesn't faze the ZYX. So sit tight and let the cartridge loosen up.

Listen--I thought my copy of one of the Music Matters jazz lps was defective when I played it with a relatively new Titan i. It mistracked like a mother and the LP sounded defective. Emailed Ron and then had to tell him that it turned out to be the cartridge :( After the Titan i was broken in, no problem playing this LP.

Patience, and what audiophile has any, is definitely a virtue :)

Myles

That's what I keep on telling myself - hopefully my patience will eventually pay off. In the meantime I am on my second UNIverse cartridge and for some reason continue to have the right channel mistracking issue. Again the first one was a used cartridge which was advertised as having 75 hours on it so it should have theoretically been broken in and I traded it in towards a new one thinking that perhaps it was defective. The second one continues to have the same issue despite 75-100 hours or so. I've tried everything - two tonearms, three turntables, all kinds of VTA, VTF and antiskating adjustments, alignment and realignment with both the SME jig and a MintLP protractor, adding mass to the headshell, making sure turntable and tonearm are level, etc, etc...still the same issue. And as I've said the sound is otherwise so good that I'm just prepared to live with it and hope that it settles in for the time being. But all I know is that my other cartridge (a well-used Ortofon Kontrapunkt B which costs 1/3 as much) tracks the first three tracking tests on the HiFi new test LP and I never heard any mistracking on regular records - the UNIverse doesn't appear to pass either of these tests. Of course other than the occasional tracking issue on certain particularly challenging LPs the UNIverse sounds night and day better than the Ortofon.

Out of curiosity, how many hours are required for proper break-in?

thank you very much for your comments.
Based on what you said I will let the cartridge loosen up for anther 20hrs (i.e. 2-3 weeks or less hopefully)

BTW the sound has changed quite a bit in these last 5 hrs.
I think I am up to 25-28hrs so it is too early.

The only thing I am concerned though is the tracking force I am dialing in.
I had increased it up to 2.35gr right now and it seems to be better on the tracking test in fact that's how I get the 14dB's.
Listening shows a better tracking and more details although a bit less of air but all in all very balanced.

I don't hear any mistracking except with the harmonia mundi's.
I will put that record back in in a couple of weeks and see what's changed.

BTW What is the tracking force that worked the best for you?

Hfisher,

that sounds strange though.
If you have sme V and antiskate on you should be able to pass at least the first two tracks.
I don't know about the third.
I personally don't hear any mistracking anymore after the last regulation.

Please check better you alignment with MintLP, because you should be able to easily pass the 12dB and also the 14dB's one.

I have read that 100hrs are required for the cartridge to fully brake in.

But anyways I am sure your cartridge is not defective and neither is your tonearm, so I assume you should check better your alignment and the VTF/AS's combo.

Do you have an oscilloscope to scope the output taken from your phono's output?
Last, have you checked your azimuth with a precise DVM and track n.5 of side 2?
That is important too.

I live in Wisconsin if perhaps we are close that would be cool.

P.S. eheheh I just saw from your profile that you are from Canada .... never mind them :)