VPI Classic and ZYX 4D

You're welcome, Stephanoo, though of course the proper interpretation of those tracks is not just my opinion. This has been discussed on vinyl forums for many, many years. Search the archives if you like, it's all there.

Reflect: it doesn't make sense to use those tracks as "tests" to be "passed". Real music is not cut at those amplitudes and velocities, so why apply so much VTF and anti-skating to track unrealistic grooves? Logic tells us this will result in excessive forces being applied to your cartridge.

You already verified this. The 4D performs best at ~2g and with minimal A/S, not at ~2.5g and with more A/S. You didn't describe how the music sounded at those higher settings but I can: dull, slow, lifeless, fat, no "snap", no pace, no air. Sturdy but stodgy, like yesterday's coffee. Am I right?

So, FOR THIS CARTRIDGE, tracking the 14db band (or higher) is irrelevant. Of course if you were using a super compliant Shure cartridge, the 16 or 18db band would be relevant and the 12 db band would not. If you must use this record to set antiskating, the only band that matters is the one that causes a tiny amount of mistracking (buzzing).

Of course antiskating and VTF are best set while listening to music. I do it every day, but I admit it takes practice.

I agree the resonance frequency tracks will identify a major arm/cartridge mismatch. That's the most useful thing about this record IME. Your results will be interesting.

For me the other bands have no value (the azimuth test band is bogus) but at least they do no harm. That's not true of those four anti-bias tracks, however. Used incorrectly, as so many do, they dull the music and shorten the life of a cartridge. That's why I spoke up.

Enjoy!
Doug

this totally makes sense to me.
Passing a 14dB track on a certain position of the record cut at a certain speed makes no sense whatsoever.

All in all at 2gr and a little antiskate I can track the 12dB.

the point is though that the next little buzing track would be the 14dB's one.
Now at 2rg I have the left ch left with a little bit of distortion while the left ch has more distortion.
If I were to balance the 2 distortion I would have to increase AS in this case.

Anyways I have contacted VPI and I definitely feel like say how incredible their service is and I strongly reccomand to buy their products for the quality of them and for the customer service.
Anyways I talked to Mie and told him the resonance problem and he told me to send him back cartridge and tonearm and they wull replace it probably with an higher mass (perhaps Stainless steel) orr add weight to it and properly set the system.

They are amazing.
I am going to send the package after 5PM and hopefully next week I will be able to get it back and then I will post the changes.

BTW the sound at 2.3gr and more AS wasn't that horrible, I mean it was still great.
I just thought that there was a little lack of air and I felt like there was less definition and soundstage less defined so I stepped back and that confirmed my impression.

Thank you Dough for sharing with us your kwnoledge.

Hello Doug/All,
I had to backtrack through the entire thread, and re-read all of my posts, and I didn't find where I specifically said the ZYX takes 100's of hours for break in? (it appears I'm the only "mark" in this thread) :-)

I have been a good "student" I think, (you being the teacher of course), and recall many of your comments-reviewz about everything ZYX.

I'll save space about going into full detail.

But it appears Stefanoo has not evidently succeeded in being pleased, as in one of his last posts posts, he makes referral to sending the whole shebang off to VPI, to let them scratch their heads.

All I can say, is I wish you the best of luck Stefanoo, and hope that all comes back OK. Mark

PS Doug: Thank you very much for that very understandable, and logical-technical explanation about the use of such Anti-Skate Tracks. I leaned something new again from the master!

I think I was the one saying about 100hrs...so my mistake.
I have read it somewhere but I can't remember where.

Well, the only problem with it was that the tonearm was too light for the combo so VPI which is a GRAT company is willing to help me out.

I am sure everything will work out great and I will post here as soon as my tonearm...ememe....and my ZYX 4D....will get back from the trip at VPI's industries :)

Mark,

My apologies for the mis-attribution, and thanks to Stephanoo for stepping up. Clumsy me. :-(

BTW the sound at 2.3gr and more AS wasn't that horrible, I mean it was still great. I just thought that there was a little lack of air and I felt like there was less definition and soundstage less defined ...

Agreed. Pressing a vibrating object (cantilever) into an elastomer (cartridge suspension) attenuates the vibrations, and higher frequencies are attenuated the most. Excessive VTF and AS sound a bit like turning a treble tone control way downward.

From everything I've read, Mike at VPI has been providing great service for many years . Glad to here they still are. A higher mass arm should definitely suit your cartridge. Let us know!