Demagnatize cartridge??


My Denon 304 seems to have been "magnatized" by a new stylus force gauge I am using -- the gauge just "sucked" the cartridge down to it. Now the cartridge magnetic attraction. Does anyone know if this is harmful to the cartridge or playback? Is it possible to de-magnify a cartridge? There is also an excessive amount of "hum" coming through, even though I have tried different loading configurations. Could these problems be related? I appreciate your help!
cekiv

Showing 1 response by dougdeacon

Cekiv,

There's nothing wrong with "digital" scales of course. They are certainly more accurate than the Shure teeter-totter, even a non-magnetic one. (Some Shures are magnetic and some aren't. This is because Shure failed to accurately specify the right kind of SS for different production runs. Some SS is magnetic, some isn't.)

To use your new scale safely you need some kind of step, so that you're not dropping the cartridge directly onto the magnetically attractive platform. This confers the additional benefit of letting you weigh at record surface height, which is also more accurate. The doohickey you need can be DIY'd from nearly anything. Here's a photo of one (overly elaborate) solution:

http://www.simplyblack.net/WVC/tools/scale.htm

My step is simply a 1" wide length of brass strip folded into the appropriate shape. Others cut up a credit card and glue the pieces together, which seems like an excellent idea for audiophiles! ;-)

Doug