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I am at the end of my rope, please help

I have a problem that I can not solve and makes no sense to me at all.
My right channel is stronger than my left by a large margin. I can plug my tonearm cable directly into a Fozgometer (measures left and right output) and I get a substantially stronger signal on the right side. I confirmed this with my Voltmeter to make sure there was not a problem with the Fozgometer. So, as far as I can tell, this narrows the problem down to the Cart, Tonearm, Tonearm wire or the table.

Here is what I have tried:
1. Changed Azimuth in both directions. Small change but still much stronger on the right side.
2. Changed antiskating. Very little change.
3. replaced the cartridge. No Change.
4. replaced the tonearm and cartridge. No Change.
5. replaced the tonearm, cartridge and tonearm wire. No change.
6. I have used a second test record. No Change
My turntable is perfectly level.
I simply do not see how this is possible! I have an $83,000 system that I can not listen to. Any ideas would be much appreciated.

My system:
DaVinci Turntable > Lyra Titan i > Schroeder Reference tonearm > Manley Steelhead > Stealth Indra cables > VTL 450 amps > Stealth Mlt speaker cables > Vienna acoustic Mahler speakers
audioraider
atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
11,861 posts
 
From the last set of measurements, it sounds like the arm wiring is fine.

OK- so with 2 different cartridges the same thing happens. And if you swap the cables from the tone arm left for right at the input of the phono section, the problem moves. All that is left really is the cartridges. So its either something common to their setup in the arm, or both have a similar problem. Now, the latter is really rare, but it could happen if both cartridges got subjected to something that could damage them.

I would put the DVM on DC voltage, and connected it to the inputs of the phono section, just to make sure you are not dealing with a malfunction that is putting DC on the inputs (like a shorted tube). If that's OK- the idea that you got 2 bad cartridges at the same time gains credence.
lewm
13,173 posts
 
The problem here is that Audiorader is not always responsive to the questions, which perhaps is understandable given the large number of inquiries. But as a result, we are going off in all directions basing our ideas on incorrect assumptions in some cases. Al, I asked the same question you asked re whether he is using a continuity checker or a real ohmmeter. He has not responded. However, it would seem that he is indeed using a continuity checker, which, as you, and I earlier, surmised may not distinguish the 5-ohm resistance across the Lyra Titan coils from "continuity".

If he really has changed out all the interconnect wiring without any benefit, I stand corrected. It was not clear to me that he has tried that. As far as I could tell back when I made my last post (and I do mean my LAST post), he had changed out cartridges and tonearms. The typical Grandezza I have seen in photos provides female RCA jacks into which one then inserts ones ICs of choice. It was not clear to me that he had swapped channels at both ends of his ICs. Or indeed simply inserted a fresh pair of ICs.
audioraider OP
8 posts
 
I appreciate all the suggestions but I am not responding to some posts because people are not reading my posts. like suggesting this can have anything to do with the phono stage since it is not even hooked up. These readings are coming from the Phono RCA plugs. If you had read my last post I went into great detail about my SCHROEDER arm and how it is wired. I am using a digital meter for continuity and I find it an interesting theory that the higher voltage of the meter may be reading the small resistance in the cart as continuity. If that is true than I am completely back at square one. I have tried everything and nothing has worked so I am going to do this; I have ordered a new Lyra Titan i and will install it tomorrow. If I get the same reading than I will have the tonearm rewired. That is all there is in the chain so if those two things don't work I am going to throw the entire system in the ocean and take up another hobby.
hifihvn
943 posts
 
When I touch the white and blue pins on the cart I get a complete circuit. I don't think that should be happening. when I do the same to my backup MM cart I do not get a complete circuit. I am thinking that the cart has a short. Seems a little strange that it would be on both sides but my question is, Before I spend thousands on a new cart, is there any difference between a MM cart and a MC cart that would cause a complete circuit on an MC and not on an MM? Am I supposed to get a complete circuit?
Audioraider (Threads | Answers | This Thread)
Audioraider,Your reference to continuity is most likely causing confusion in this thread.There are good suggestions by knowledgeable people.Techs,Designers,Engineers,and hobbyist,are used to seeing 0 ohms for continuity.This may help give some clarification,if you are using the continuity setting in a digital meter.My meters that have it(feature),all give similar characteristics on continuity setting.This should tell you why you get continuity with the MC cartridge,but not for the MM cartridge.The link at the end is for one of my meters that has a continuity setting.It works best for tracing a broken connection,or direct short.It will beep below 25 ohms,and if the item being tested is above 250 ohms,is does not beep.It thinks nothing is being tested if it is above 250 ohms.Its just for quick convenience.That may explain the MM vs.MC question adding confusion.Your Lyra is around 5.5 ohms.Your MM is probably over 400 ohms.Here is the manual link for it.Hope this helps.Pdf reads page 6,actual page 2.Its for a Fluke 179 meter.[http://assets.fluke.com/manuals/175_____umeng0100.pdf]
atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
11,861 posts
 
Hifihvn makes a good point. The way you assure that the reading you are looking at is real is to start out by shorting the leads of the DVM together and looking at the reading you get. If the leads are in good shape you will see about 0.1 ohm.

Now if the leads in the tone arm, say from the red lead to the center of the right channel RCA are more than about 1 ohm I would say that you have a problem. Now you might see a reading like 1.1 ohms; don't forget to subtract whatever the reading of the DVM is when you short its leads together. You are going to see some resistance because the wires are very thin. Some phono cartridges have source impedances as low as 5 or 6 ohms, so you can see that a series resistance like that could have an effect.

If you have beeper in the DVM that register continuity, it might beep if you have anything less than 400 ohms, so it cannot be trusted.
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