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Ok, so it aint a "real" TT
But sounds better than the Pioneer I've owned since new.
If you can't be with the one you love, love the one you're with.
Welcome to the first church of vinyl. You're going to have a great time here.
Hi Frank, welcome to the forums.
It seems most of our TT guys are absent. I have no idea about the cartridge alignment on your rig. In general, you would want the arm to run parallel to the surface of the record. If the cartridge doesn't throw the arm way up or way down, it might be pretty close.
Congrats!!!!
I believe Monty is right about the tonearm being parallel with the record surface. Play some vinyl. Play some more vinyl. If you have dirty records and don't want to spring for a record doctor vacuum cleaner get an Allsop Orbitrac. It's the next best thing. Play some more vinyl. Now, isn't that soothing on the ears?
Maybe I'll see you at a garage or estate sale.
Just remember vinyl is final!
Start with the arm as close to parallel as you can, and then adjust the back down down (this is called a VTA or vertical tracking angle, adjustment) since I have found some cartridges work better at a little bit of an angle. Whatever adjustments you make, keep them small and then go back and listen. If an adjustment doesn't help, or doesn't sound as good, you can go back to what you had previously.
At the risk of spending more money on alignment than on the TT you might try to find a GeoDisc to help with set up. They are basic and helpful. Your TT is much more finicky than a CDP but if you get things set right the sound will be much better. Asuming you don't have a disproportionately good CDP!
Have fun with it, there's lots of good music still to be had on vinyl.
Thanks guys!
This subject came up at work and a co-worker offered to sale me a practically new Denon DL 160 High Output MC cartridge for $75.00.
Is this cart overkill for this TT or would it even work (match) with the arm?
*** see attachement ***
It's alway nice to have several cartirdges. You can pre-mount them in universal headshells. They can easily be switched. This requires no more than rebalancing the arm. The arm on your TT is a medium mass arm. The Denon should work fine with it. I am quite certain it will sound better than the ADC.
For all things for vinyl go to www.needledoctor.com. You should have some type of stylus protractor to properly align cartridges. A geodisc or something like the DB Stylus protractor I've had for 20 odd years. A Shure SFG-2 is an adaquate balance for checking tracking force. The calibrations on lots of older tone arms are not really accurate.
Record cleaning is something else you need to consider. The cheapest effective device is made by Allsop www.allsop.com. The Orbitrac 2 is about $45. Get some kind of a brush or velvet pad device to give clean LP's a quick dusting every play. I use a Discwasher for that.
Is it just me, or has discwasher changed the cleaning solution over the years? I rarely use the stuff, but my older solution seems to evaporate much faster than the new stuff.
I used the discwasher to clean up all my old albums that I haven't listened to in 20 years or so because my carbon brush just couldn't do the job. Once cleaned, I simply use the brush between plays.
Between play use is what I suggested. Yes they have changed the formula over the years. When I bought my first brush from them it was just Discwasher fluid. Last time I bought some it was D4. I think they have changed D4 along the way also.