Shin Hayata
Member
Still on the Black 1 :/
Grado Cartridges and Stylus - Questions and Advice.
- Thread starter RenegadeMonster
- Start date
dropsonde
Well-Known Member
Well, I guess my wife does listen to me after all. Pretty sweet birthday present she got me here!
I’ve got my alignment protractor, plastic tweezers, micro-scale, painter’s tape and clean bandana ready to mop my brow.
@HiFi Guy I believe you posted a step-by-step install process on a thread somewhere but for the life of me I can’t find it. Could you kindly link it or repost here? That would be a big help — thank you!
For reference, I have the same table as @Joe Mac, a Pro-Ject Debut Carbon Esprit SB.
I’ve got my alignment protractor, plastic tweezers, micro-scale, painter’s tape and clean bandana ready to mop my brow.
@HiFi Guy I believe you posted a step-by-step install process on a thread somewhere but for the life of me I can’t find it. Could you kindly link it or repost here? That would be a big help — thank you!
For reference, I have the same table as @Joe Mac, a Pro-Ject Debut Carbon Esprit SB.
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Joe Mac
Well-Known Member
For that table I posted this after the first time I did it. Make sure to get some plastic tweezers (they give up before you break anything) and only grab the connections by the gold plugs, not by either the wire or the black connection!
The Pro-Ject Pergola - Questions, Answers, Advice & Chat
They make so many tables and loads of us have them so here we are. I’ll add system details to the first couple of posts if people want to put them up! @Joe Mac Cartridge: Hana SL Table: Debut Carbon Esprit SB Phono: Musical Fidelity MX-VYNL Pre: PS Audio Gain Cell DAC Power: PrimaLuna Evo 300p...
www.needlesandgrooves.com
The Pro-Ject Pergola - Questions, Answers, Advice & Chat
They make so many tables and loads of us have them so here we are. I’ll add system details to the first couple of posts if people want to put them up! @Joe Mac Cartridge: Hana SL Table: Debut Carbon Esprit SB Phono: Musical Fidelity MX-VYNL Pre: PS Audio Gain Cell DAC Power: PrimaLuna Evo 300p...
www.needlesandgrooves.com
B
Black Sheep Audio
Guest
From Mr. Grado... "we made an improvement to the coils in the Black3 chassis", "more resolution"
I’m not kidding when I say I used blue painter’s tape to hold the nuts in place. Then I used my finger to hold the nut/tape combo up to the hole until the screw grabbed the threads.
I find it easer to secure the inner screw first- the left if viewed from the top. Leave it loose. Then connect the 4 wires. Then tighten the screw a bit more so the cartridge isn’t flopping around but you can still move it to align it. Then do the other screw/nut. Then set your tracking force. Lastly, align the cartridge.
@dropsonde Also Happy Birthday and congrats. If you have any issues, DM me with your phone number. I can walk you through it by phone if necessary.
Shin Hayata
Member
Which stylus? A Gold3? I’d get the 8MZ as it costs the same- $150.
apholden
Well-Known Member
As far as I know, all Grados styli will fit all Grados cartridges, or at least all cartridges with removable styli.
Shin Hayata
Member
Referring specifically to the 8MZ.
I wanted to know if I had any other upgrade path. Right now, I’m perfectly fine with the Grado Black 1. But in the future, I also want to get better sound and upgrade.
Wasn’t sure I had much of an upgrade path
dropsonde
Well-Known Member
Ah yes, meant to say I also have a set of plastic tweezers — I got one of those seven-packs. Did you have better luck with a particular tip style or does really matter? Appreciate the pointers!For that table I posted this after the first time I did it. Make sure to get some plastic tweezers (they give up before you break anything) and only grab the connections by the gold plugs, not by either the wire or the black connection!
The Pro-Ject Pergola - Questions, Answers, Advice & Chat
They make so many tables and loads of us have them so here we are. I’ll add system details to the first couple of posts if people want to put them up! @Joe Mac Cartridge: Hana SL Table: Debut Carbon Esprit SB Phono: Musical Fidelity MX-VYNL Pre: PS Audio Gain Cell DAC Power: PrimaLuna Evo 300p...
The Pro-Ject Pergola - Questions, Answers, Advice & Chat
They make so many tables and loads of us have them so here we are. I’ll add system details to the first couple of posts if people want to put them up! @Joe Mac Cartridge: Hana SL Table: Debut Carbon Esprit SB Phono: Musical Fidelity MX-VYNL Pre: PS Audio Gain Cell DAC Power: PrimaLuna Evo 300p...
Joe Mac
Well-Known Member
Honestly I just bought a cheap set off amazon, I don’t have a clue about tip style
The key is to take it slowly slowly and only put pressure on the metal parts, the wires are really really fragile and easily broken. If you’re patient, slow and careful it isn’t a hard job though.
dropsonde
Well-Known Member
Thank you, and very kind offer for the safety net. Really awesome of you.
I will give it a go tomorrow and reach out if I run into any snags. Fingers crossed it goes smoothly!
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Looking at the pictures of what you bought- I’d use the one with the broadest tip.
@Joe Mac is right though- those wires on Pro-Jects are fragile. Slow and steady movements- nothing sudden.
I’m sure this will make some cringe- I use my fingers most of the time. Then again, I’ve installed hundreds of cartridges. That said, I’d use tweezers if I was working on a Pro-ject.
Splunders
Well-Known Member
Maybe I got lucky, but I had zero issues mounting the Gold3 compared to the Gold2. The supplied screws were waaaaaay longer and much more controllable than the previous iteration's shorties. It was very easy to get the screws thru the headshell, then into the cartridge enough for it to hold on while I dialed in the exact positioning. I got my Gold3 after a few folks here, so maybe Grado addressed that issue before I got mine?
dropsonde
Well-Known Member
So I survived the cart replacement process and am officially a member of Gold3 cart club! It wasn't easy, not going to lie. Blew out a pair of tweezers, asked for and received personal expert consultation from @HiFi Guy -- who is the best -- and miraculously got through it without snapping my delicate Pro-Ject wires. They were definitely the most difficult part -- the screws literally only took a couple of minutes to get on the nuts.
A couple of nuggets from my experience to add to the knowledge database here.
It's not necessary to push the wire connectors flush to the back of the cart (like they were originally on my Ortofon). That was frustrating until (a) @HiFi Guy told me as long as they were even partially connected they were good, and (b) I realized the pins on the Grado may be a touch longer than the Ortofon's. Also don't panic if the black plastic/rubber sheath on the wires slide down the wire and expose the naked wire/connector. @HiFi Guy advised me that wires on some tables don't even have the sheaths. Also, don't be tempted to twist/rotate the connectors on the pins while removing or connecting. Too much force on the pins and bad things can happen apparently. Thankfully I didn't find out the hard way!
Much thanks to @HiFi Guy for posting the step-by-step install process here and graciously (and patiently) answering my many questions, and to @Joe Mac for sharing his tips from his Pro-Ject cart install. Cheers, fellas!
Inaugural spin was Neil Young's Homegrown. I could tell an immediate difference in that my heart momentarily sunk after I dropped the needle because I didn't hear any sound -- I thought I had broke one of my wires. Imagine my surprise when music started playing. I just wasn't hearing the noise I typically heard after dropping the needle with my Ortofon!
A couple of nuggets from my experience to add to the knowledge database here.
It's not necessary to push the wire connectors flush to the back of the cart (like they were originally on my Ortofon). That was frustrating until (a) @HiFi Guy told me as long as they were even partially connected they were good, and (b) I realized the pins on the Grado may be a touch longer than the Ortofon's. Also don't panic if the black plastic/rubber sheath on the wires slide down the wire and expose the naked wire/connector. @HiFi Guy advised me that wires on some tables don't even have the sheaths. Also, don't be tempted to twist/rotate the connectors on the pins while removing or connecting. Too much force on the pins and bad things can happen apparently. Thankfully I didn't find out the hard way!
Much thanks to @HiFi Guy for posting the step-by-step install process here and graciously (and patiently) answering my many questions, and to @Joe Mac for sharing his tips from his Pro-Ject cart install. Cheers, fellas!
Inaugural spin was Neil Young's Homegrown. I could tell an immediate difference in that my heart momentarily sunk after I dropped the needle because I didn't hear any sound -- I thought I had broke one of my wires. Imagine my surprise when music started playing. I just wasn't hearing the noise I typically heard after dropping the needle with my Ortofon!
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HayesWeighsIn
Well-Known Member
Getting to be close to time for a new stylus for the Green on my VPI Cliffwood. Seems like the 8mz is kind of the no brainer way to go?