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I need help diagnosing a sibilant problem on vinyl

Rega Planar 2 turntable. Rega Elys 2 cartridge. Audible Illusions Modulus tube pre-amp. Audio Research D-51 tube amp. Rogers LS-2a speakers. Oppo BDP-95 disc player.
My discs, especially the SACD's sound fantastic. Vinyl instrumental's sound good. Anytime there's an "S" in the vocals on vinyl there's a harsh sibilance that doesn't make sense. It would only make sense if there was a cartridge/stylus problem or a phono stage problem in my pre-amp.
Before I take it to my very expensive, very slow HI-FI tech, does anyone out there have an idea of what it could be?
sprintz699

Showing 4 responses by davide256

davide256's avatar
davide256
395 posts
 
If what you have is the stock RB300 arm consider counter weight and wiring upgrades. I found these to be helpful. I also find moving magnets exaggerate sibilants unless you have the very best of turntables. You may find a high output moving coil more pleasing on the Rega Planar.
davide256's avatar
davide256
395 posts
 
give me a MC any day of the week over a MM in playing an LP with minor surface defects... a good MC will be a relaxed sound as it plays through a defect whereas the good MM will make you jump from the high frequency spike. I call that sibilance.

Tracking is an innate capability of the cartridge. A mismatch between arm and cartridge compliance causes a wow and flutter effect... it was kind of fun to put a Grado on a Grace 707 arm and see what an out of round record caused for horizontal vibration.
davide256's avatar
davide256
395 posts
 
that would be boring after having done TT setups professionally for 4 years in the 80's. Far more interesting is reading techniques for arm bearing friction optimization, tone arm wand rigidity and arm resonance damping technology. Tonearm cartridge matching is pretty rudimentary compared to discussion on these design needs.
davide256's avatar
davide256
395 posts
 
John_tracy, thanks that's good information and timely. The phono section of my CJ pre amp has a noisy channel and since that's acted up I've been thinking of finally tossing in the towel on Grado Signatures and going to a Dynavector MC setup. So I'll have to think about which is the more cost effective path, paying more for a MM phono pre with loading control to use with the Grado I have or getting a simpler phono pre and new Dynavector MC.
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