You know the weight is 2 parts, right?
You move the entire weight to balance the arm.
Then you don’t move the weight, just move to dial on the front of the weight to 0.
Then move the weight until the dial reads 2.
The Technics Turntable Fan Club - Questions, Advice, Discussion
- Thread starter Turbo
- Start date
You move the entire weight to balance the arm.
Then you don’t move the weight, just move to dial on the front of the weight to 0.
Then move the weight until the dial reads 2.
Jbraswell
Well-Known Member
Jbraswell
Well-Known Member
Let us know what you think.Many thanks! Working like a charm now.
A little rusty on the setup.
Jbraswell
Well-Known Member
Everything is running nicely today.
The Technics talks very well to the Denon Amp with stock cables.
Volume stays in pretty much the same range as before with the old TT and DL-103R cart.
Overall, sounds like the outer frequencies are getting captured with more precision.
Things are a little more alive and airy. But I can now say without question the 103R was no slouch either.
It's been a noticeable change to move to the G with AT33 but it wasn't as noticable as going from say an inexpensive MM to MC or as big of a change as moving from AVR with external phono amp to a high end integrated amp.
Those sounded more significant in my system upgrades in the past.
This change has been more like going from a shelf bourbon like Buffalo Trace to a more refined and well aged single barrel.
I still love the Buffalo Trace for what it is but this is the top shelf sound that is polished on all corners.
When I sit down to consume music now, it's a little deeper and better experience.
I do miss the automatic function on the old Denon TT, which is probably my only con if there is one.
I've dozed off a few times listening to music before so I need to be more careful now.
Question- if I wanted to add a mono cart to the aresenal here, any issue with this one mounted on another Technics headshell?
AT33MONO
Because the AT33MONO does not easily pick up unnecessary strain components from distorted or scratched records, it produces mono audio of a much higher quality than that generated by a stereo cart ...
www.audio-technica.com
Looks like the weight would be 6.9G so a cart swap would be 10 seconds on this setup now. Not rebalancing tonearms or anything I can see.
You wouldn’t have to rebalance. You would have to change the tracking force and anti skate from 2 to 2.5 grams when using the mono.Everything is running nicely today.
The Technics talks very well to the Denon Amp with stock cables.
Volume stays in pretty much the same range as before with the old TT and DL-103R cart.
Overall, sounds like the outer frequencies are getting captured with more precision.
Things are a little more alive and airy. But I can now say without question the 103R was no slouch either.
It's been a noticeable change to move to the G with AT33 but it wasn't as noticable as going from say an inexpensive MM to MC or as big of a change as moving from AVR with external phono amp to a high end integrated amp.
Those sounded more significant in my system upgrades in the past.
This change has been more like going from a shelf bourbon like Buffalo Trace to a more refined and well aged single barrel.
I still love the Buffalo Trace for what it is but this is the top shelf sound that is polished on all corners.
When I sit down to consume music now, it's a little deeper and better experience.
I do miss the automatic function on the old Denon TT, which is probably my only con if there is one.
I've dozed off a few times listening to music before so I need to be more careful now.
Question- if I wanted to add a mono cart to the aresenal here, any issue with this one mounted on another Technics headshell?
AT33MONO
Because the AT33MONO does not easily pick up unnecessary strain components from distorted or scratched records, it produces mono audio of a much higher quality than that generated by a stereo cart ...
Looks like the weight would be 6.9G so a cart swap would be 10 seconds on this setup now. Not rebalancing tonearms or anything I can see.
I learned not to take manufacturer’s specs as gospel though. My stereo and mono cartridges weigh the same according to Grado. They don’t- there is a .3 gram difference, with the mono being lighter. I used slightly longer screws and a tiny bit of rope caulk applied to the mono headshell to make them weigh the same.
If this is the road you are going down, I’d spend $15 and get a digital stylus gauge from Amazon.
There are only a handful of manufacturers that will allow stereo/mono cartridge swaps without changing settings.
Grado
Soundsmith
Hana- SL or ML
Ortofon- Quintet or Cadenza
One thing that @AnthonyI and I both found was that upgrading headshell wires to A/T 6018 made a noticeable difference.
Jbraswell
Well-Known Member
Good points. Also I have a gauge already.
Those little AT wires are pricey!
Did you upgrade both carts with the new leads?
I think I'll settle in with a mono cart now and then look at upgrading the leads later.
My mono records are growing in numbers and a little more beat up. I also don't want to stress this ST cart hoping it's got some good life left. I thought about a mono switch but the cart option is cleaner with less variables in the signal path.
Yep. I tried the cables on one headshell and ended up changing to the A/T wires in all 3.
Because my phono stage is dual mono with 2 power supplies in 2 separate chassis, I got a nasty hum with the mono cartridge. A stereo/mono switch between the G and the Sutherlands solved the issue. You shouldn’t run into this with a more conventional phono stage.
Jbraswell
Well-Known Member
I am weak and ordered two sets of leads and the AT33MONO with new headshell.
Just too curious how good these old jazz records can sound.
I will add to my thoughts on the G.
That motor bearing is set so smooth that if you slightly spin the turntable by hand it might just spin indefinitely without any power applied.
Perfectly balanced it seems.
Also the brake is pretty cool.
I just use the auto setting but it stops on a dime it seems.
AnthonyI
Well-Known Member
Hmm, if you look at the clearance and the head shell, it looks like it's riding a little low on the back end.
zombie.modernist
Well-Known Member
Do you have an acrylic vta/azimuth block? Agree it looks like it’s riding a bit tail down, the block will help sort it out better than a photo (lens distortion is likely to screw with a photo a bit). Alternatively you can start with the manual reco based on cart height.
Jbraswell
Well-Known Member
I don't have one of those blocks. Might need to look into acquiring one.
I had the tone arm adjustment set at zero, which is the lowest setting in Technics manual for a 17mm cart height.
This cart is 16.5.
I moved height position to 1 just now, which is the recommended setting for 18mm cart height.
Seemed to help level it a bit.
Overall, the tonearm appears to have a gradual slope from the pivot down towards the cart.
I found it easier to get things adjusted correctly with a thicker mat.
Jbraswell
Well-Known Member
So this tone arm slope is a thing?
What mat did you move to? I have a cork I could put under the rubber mat.
I got the Funk Firm Achromat 5 mm.
Put the cork under the rubber then check with an alignment block. You can get one cheap at Amazon.
The issue is that the arm height won’t go low enough for some cartridges. A taller mat fixes this.
Jbraswell
Well-Known Member
I like this plan. Stock mat looks to be 3 mil.
Cork is another 3mil.
Should put me right at 6 mil then.
zombie.modernist
Well-Known Member
Forgot those ATs are kinda short. I do think they’re a bit of a “low rider” (a la War lol) compared to some MMs with a long protruding cantilever. I second the taller mat idea. Been meaning to get one myself for my GR, keep waffling on what I want though. It’s beyond me why they cheaped out with the 3mm mat, even on the $1.7k GR it seems like an odd place to penny-pinch since as stated above it will put some carts out of VTA spec.
Jbraswell
Well-Known Member
The mono AT I just received is even shorter.
I couldn't find my old cork mat today.
Probably burned it in a old mailer box accidentally.
Instead grabbed a Technics 6 mil off ebay for $50.
I didn't like the cork flakes with the mat anyway.
Single rubber mat keeps it looking tidy.
Azimuth block is also on the way.
I should be dialed in nicely then.
Because the A/T mono has a conical/spherical stylus, VTA doesn’t matter.The mono AT I just received is even shorter.
I couldn't find my old cork mat today.
Probably burned it in a old mailer box accidentally.
Instead grabbed a Technics 6 mil off ebay for $50.
I didn't like the cork flakes with the mat anyway.
Single rubber mat keeps it looking tidy.
Azimuth block is also on the way.
I should be dialed in nicely then.