Need help with Ortofon stylus force gauge

Yahoo! We have a turntable. My Linn preamp does pretty darn good with a cartridge with as low an output as the 901. I only listened to one cut and just had to come in here and post to this thread. My guess is that what I'm hearing most is the cartridge upgrade. Yeah, I know, I know, just wait til it breaks in but in all honesty the increased detail is pretty stunning and I have yet to actually tweak this thing by ear. I sure wish I had a functioning cueing device. I'll be writing a review of this set up when it's broken in. Please post any thoughts you might have so I can get as much out of this as quickly as possible. Thanks again.

Patrick

Warning! Patrick Lugnut! Warning! Unplug that thing and put it in the garage, now! Otherwise you'll be hooked. Oops, too late. Welcome to the Teres/OL/Shelter club. Even if you're only here on a visitor's visa I predict you'll get your citizenship soon enough. And your friend's got Merlin's and two ZH270's? WooHoo!

Twl and I have both complained to Mark Baker about his documentation. A fifth grader could probably write it better.

Are you sure your cueing problem is due to insufficient liquid? On my Silver I had to raise the horizontal arm support a mm or two. There's a small allen screw on the face of the arm support and my arm came with a wrench to fit. Do it gently, the threads are pretty tiny.

You're right about the armboard hole. CB needs to drill 25mm holes for Rega type arms, not 24mm. Twl and I had the same problem your did.

I've got the same, single thickness board as your friend, and agree a stepped thickness board would be much easier to use. Maybe I'll modify mine like you did, should make it easier to loosen the nut for VTA adjustment. I didn't use the big washer or the toothed one. No need for it that I could see.

BTW, the Expressimo VTA collar and arm nut are MUCH better than the OL ones IMO/E. Give them a look.

Doug

Doug,

Thanks. I had already raised the cueing device to its maximum height. For the short term fix I cut a piece of cork gasket material cut to match the arch and adhered it with double sided tape. Few would recogize that this isn't stock. It looks and works very good.

I really like this table for a number of reasons and the cartridge is coming along quickly. I'm certain that I will miss it when taken out of my system but I've got to say that my trusty LP12 is NO SLOUCH. This whole experience has proven to my satisfaction that a properly tweaked Linn is THE best buy on the used market.

So, here's where I'll be ruined. The tables owner is bringing over his preamp. It's tube (and forgive me for not remembering what make it is) and has on the fly loading and gain. My Linn preamp has a fixed 150 Ohm loading and probably around 65 total db of gain. I'm thinking that whith the additional gain and 100 Ohm loading several improvements with the cartridge will happen. That may be a big enough improvement to be a jaw dropper on its own. I'm also aware that with such a nice tube preamp much more detail and realism will come through. I really don't care to enter the debate about whether tubes are technically less acurate or whatever. It's been my experience that quality tube components offer detail and depth that ss can't provide. If true in my system I will be ruined by the totality of this temporary insertion.

I've gained much more respect for my humble system through this experience. Every change is clearly heard. I now understand more fully the descriptions I read about reference systems and what one hears with a new piece. Linn has been trashed pretty harshly in these forums so the used prices are a steal. That aside, each change is clearly audible and equal in effect to what I read about upper end systems.

I like the VTA adjuster on the Illustrious just fine. My only complaint is finger access to the nut. If this were my table I would buy a cheap deep well socket and cut off the ratchet end and then remove enough side wall material to allow fitting it on the nut past the cables.

I've listened to a number of tables that are preferred above the LP12 in these forums and usually left uninvolved with the music. One thing for certain is the Teres has PRAT, big time. I found myself bebopping like crazy. Both legs keeping time with the music, head swaying and my hands drumming on my thighs. THAT is when a component just reaches into my soul and puts me THERE. It's not clinical, it's alive!

Nice table.

Patrick,

Very resourceful with the cork and tape fix. We'd expect no less from an experienced Linnie. I've seen the bashing but I've never seen a Linn, so I'll take your word that a used one well adjusted can be a good source at a good price.

65dB total gain (phono + line) is not enough to show all that a Shelter 901 can do, 75-85dB should be better. 150 ohms is a little high, 100 is probably best unless his pre includes a tranny stage. In that case you may want to experiment with loads as low as 20 ohms.

I switched from a SS pre to tubes 12 years ago, having heard just what you described. We have no desire to go back. Prepare to be ruined. :)

Well guys, I've been living with this table for two weeks and just this Wednesday I inserted a Supratek Syrah tube preamp into the mix. Wow! It's all very nice. The sad part is the preamp will be here only through this Sunday. So, the next three days will be a listening marathon. It's pretty cool to not only hear individual notes from every instrument but to also hear the sound of a guitar pick, distinct notes from a harmonica chord, etc. Not that I haven't heard this phenomenon before. It's just that it is all the time now. Whenever a great sax player does his stuff it's like I'm sitting next to the reed. I'm very happy for the owner of this gear and so glad that I've had the opportunity to be a part of it. Look for my review as soon as the cartridge and wires are fully broken in.