@halcro - smart :)
Here is an info I got form an experienced Decca user:
"Clicking and clunking sound when stylus is lowered into or raised from
the groove is, IMO, mainly associated with VTA/SRA settings. At some
point of VTA/SRA adjustment, the contact noise will disappear. Of
course, other adjustments such as bias, leveling, tracking angle, etc.
also come into the picture. Make adjustments as needed."
And another bit of info from the net:
"It really does seem that the better the diamond profile, the less of a
problem the extreme treble is and obviously arm damping and resonances
aids this as well. You can always tell if a Decca is misbehaving as the
nasal sounding "snap" as the stylus enters the groove is quite
pronounced."
Was wondering if other LDR users second that. I definitely have this short "snap" sound, which until recently I though was inherent to the design.
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A question to LDR users: When lowering and rising the cart, it makes a short pronounced "nasal squeal". Do you also experience it? If so is it normal or is it suboptimal setup as some suggest?
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Any feedback :) ? @halcro @noromance @howardalex
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Thank you guys :) It's more of a "plum"-type of a sound. Very short. It comes through the speakers when I lower and rise the cart. I doubt the cart has any damage as it tracks the most demanding opera/orchestra tracks like a charm! Even dirty vinyls. It doesn't really bother me but elsewhere got read that it is sort of normal with non-optimal setup, esp. the VTA. I've contacted Brian, let's see what he says. This beauty definitely desires every effort to optimize the setup!
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@halcro I’m waiting for Brian and John to comment. When I lowered the VTA a little bit, the squeak became less pronounced. To lower further I have to take the TT out of the plinth and work on the EMT930 tonearm rest...a pain :/
Anyway, halcro not sure if you read my earlier comments on the cart - it is a revelation!! I’d like to thank you for providing so much valuable info on it which helped me discover this gem! I've started buying more records and invested in costly vintage tubes for my amps :)
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PS Just got OK from John to use ultrasonic stylus cleaners. Very good!
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@howardalex What a rare beast you have there FR7fc. Interesting to learn LDR beats it in your system. What headshell and phono cable do you use?
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@chakster In the 2nd link in my post you have a (heroic) @halcro effort to convey sounds of different cartridges to all of us. You can hear yourself 7fz (presumably original) vs LDR and AS Palladian...if you are interested of course.
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I bought mine FR7f already modded. Otherwise I wouldn't touch it.
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@chakster Don't get me wrong, I'm not into "mine is bigger" business :) I've been recently on the market for a cartridge after I had learned that my modified FR7f (boron cantilever + Shibata diamond) has been modified pretty poorly (deformed innards). FR7fz was a natural candidate but after some investigation, and more importantly listening (thank you Halcro!!), I've decided to go for LDR. I'll be setting it up next weekend.
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Haha @halcro this is one of the most beautiful descriptions of how to deal with audio gear I've ever read! Thank you!
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I have one practical question on how to speak to this petulant girl. Which protractor types do you use? I have a Mint protractor for my FR64s. Since LDR has no cantilever, is is still possible to use it to find the correct angle? Another tool I have is a copy of a Dennesen protractor (admitedly never used it, relying solely on Mints). Any tips :) ?
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@halcro I asked Yip for 231.5mm alternative distance. The UNI I believe is an evolved version of the Dennesen (I have Nerva audio copy, very well made!). I also have an alternative protractor made to order by late Wally Malewicz (sadly was his last job). I guess I'll start with Mint which I know best. Got the point with setting P2S as precisely as possible, thanks!
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Thank you @halcro beautiful song :) ! Cannot judge the sound on this one as I'm not listening pop/rock so no points of reference. Thank you also for the VTF setting, will try that!
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I'm after my first date with LDR. It replaced a (modded) FR7f on my FR64s arm.
Well...
At some moment I've found myself standing and conducting together with Zubin Mehta leading Israelis...to my memory this has not happened to me before....;) Very direct, with a huge emotional potential, can go from soft sweet whisper to absolute drama in nanoseconds. Listening briefly to Bruckner 8 under Wand I got really scared. Bass....haven't heard such a powerful bass control before, fabulous heights (Joan Sutherland singing Haendel is the best test). Unlike some report, soundstage, or rather headstage in my case as I listen on headphones, did not get narrower. Its there, as big as the recording calls with great 3D imaging. But the girl is moody as hell - any mistake (scratches, dirt, dust, surface noise, etc) is immediately thrown into your face. Did mistrack once (buzz in the right channel) but surprisingly not on a loud and complex passage which it handles easily and emotionally. To the opposite. Collects dust like if it was a jewelery. These are my initial impressions after only about 3-4h listening.
Problems so far:
i) hum - not annoying but clearly there; comes from the EMT930 motor and (to a lower extend) the strobo lamp; with the TT off all dead quiet; I run TT ungrounded, probably grounding it could help; in general EMT930 is not a quiet TT, I think I also slightly hear the platter rotation
ii) a slight feeling sometimes that the right channel is a bit deadened; the balance does not shift to the left but the right channel a bit "sleeps"; my setup is v crude so probably VTA/anti-skate needs more play (azimuth measured v good).
The setup (1st attempt):
FR64S on EMT930, Orsonic AV101 headshell with Ikeda silver wires, AQ Leopard into DIY EAR834 phono.
1) Vertical geometry: VTF at 1.85g, VTA - the cart top parallel to the record surface (set by eye, waiting for a VTA block to do it better). This resulted in the arm back going quite up and giving me a headache to properly set the height of the EMT arm lift that I'm using (that was the biggest pain in the whole setup!!) The London leaflet says to keep the arm parallel but then the cart top surface is quite slanted.
Azimuth set using a mirror and then 800-20k Ortofon Test LP sweeps.
2) Horizontal geometry: Although completely unsupported by alignment tools I know, I followed the crowd and aimed at the alternative 231.5mm P2S distance. Getting it off EMT930 is tricky, I have a custom made collar with an off-center hole. After much sweating I was able to come close, some 231mm probably. The best what could be done. The P2S was set using Nerve Audio copy of the Dennesen protractor.
The overhang was set using both Dennesen and custom made MINT (for 231.5mm of course). Orsonic headshell did not make my life easier as it has v short slots. Pulling the cart all the way back and removing the rubber gasket of AV101 (anyway recommended by FR64s manual) made it possible to be spot on with both Dennesen and MINT. Angular alignment was done with Dennesen and sort of cross checked with MINT. In lieu of the cantilever, I was aligning the stylus image with the MINT cross lines.Anti-skate - first set to about 2g, then decreased to 1.5g without much effects. Have to learn and experiment more. Especially to improve tracking and perhaps that slight right channel "sleeping".
3) Electrical: 47.5k standard load. I'll wait some 20h to beak in and then play with the load. Now it sounds very good, perhaps I wouldn't mind having a bit more body but that can also be my electrostats.
All in all I'm very happy with this "drama queen" :) THis is what I've been looking for - a direct, hard reading no-mercy cart
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@noromance Thanks! I have to learn properly how to set VTA by ear. It's a pain in my EMT setup but looks like I cannot avoid it. Is LDR very sensitive here? BTW confirmed with Brian that cart top should be parallel not the arm.
My vinyls ale cleaned with both ultrasonic and suction plus I brush before dropping the needle, but it still catches longish thin dust "hairs". Good to know Mr Muscle (aka Magic eraser) can be used with LDR, thanks! Was asking Brian but he mentioned only soft brush. Do you know if ultrasonic cleaners like AT637 can also be used?
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@noromance Re R load, in my usual procedure, I first experiment with Dale RN60 and when I find the correct value I replace with a Z-foil (or actually Charctroft). Before placing I burn the resitors with a modulated pink noise for 3 days. Great resistors!
ATM, I do not miss clarity but a bit of the body but I’ll wait until the cart burns in before any load changes (I’ll only change now the input RCA’s to WBT silver ones plus silver wiring from them to the input cart selector of my phono; this way will have a fully silver path from cart to the input tube grid).
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Went through another fine tuning session with my DLR. Unfortunately at the moment my system is not where I live so I have access to it only every 2-3 weeks :( I keep beeing amazed by the cart.
VTA - used a VTA block to check the cart top was parallel and gave it a tiny bit of a negative angle (tail down). Gave more body and volume to the sound, v nice!
Changed the London supplied steel screws to Transcendent Frequencies titanium ones, the same length as London’s. The VTF decreased quite a lot by some 0.7g. After compensating and checking the alignment with a copy of the Dennesen protractor (Nerve Audio) did not detect any difference. Might...MIGHT be the sound went a tiny bit more direct but that could be my fantasy.
Hum - f...k it, didn’t bother to ground the EMT930 to see if it disappear. Doesn’t bother me once the music start playing.
Anti skate - tried all the range from 0.5g to 2.5g on two test records (HiFi News and Clearaudio). No...NO..change in tracking ability of any sort. Nothing, nada. It misstracked exactly the same way and in the same places both on 0.5g, 2,5g and in between. DLR is not a torture track champ but who cares? Multiple atempts to visually examine if the diamond leans to the center or to the outside when lowered gave nothing either - it stays straight. Set AS to minimal on my FR64s.
To do: 1) Change the RCA sockets and the input MM wiring on my DIY EAR834 phono to WBT silver and solid core Ag wire. All bought, have to burn it in first before soldering in.
2) After some 20h more (30h total) will start playing with the load (now 47,5k) but honestly don’t feel any need now. Will try to measure the capacitance input tube to cart pins and perhaps add a silver mica cap to bring up to the London recommended.
Great journey!
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@noromance Indeed to keep the static to dynamic balance ratio the same, I've moved the counterweight a bit closer to the pillar. In any case, if there was a sound difference, it was v tiny.
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