Ortofon MC A90 Cartridge VTF

Dear Jtinn: You start the thread where you share with us that you are waiting the Ortofon answer.

By M. Lavigne last post we assume you already have the answer and I have to say that we all are waiting your post about.

Could you?, thank you in advance.

regards and enjoy the music,
Raul.

Dear Jtinn: I have four times the A90 in my systems for only a few hours each time so I can speak on the long run.

First time ( the cartridge was not settle down yet ) I run at 2.4grs with a good performance not the best the cartridge can but good enough, last time I run at 2.1grs with excellent results. The cartridge is so good that I agree with Downunder: it sounds great in most settings.

In a case similar to this I ask directly to Dynavector if I can go up to 2.6grs in the XV-1 and they told me ( I posted somewhere in that time. ) NO. The manufacturer VTF range has some targets: that the coils stay centered, that there not exist any kind of mistraking ( even if we can't detect it ), that the cartridge suspension works on target and that the cartridge performs according the manufacturer targets/voicing.

IMHO in the short run we can make any kind of cartridge set up with VTF, maybe it can't damage the cartridge or the LP's ( ??? ), but in the long run my advise is: stay inside manufacturer VTF range.

I write the " danger " of mistracking with lower VTF and I say " even if you can't detect it ", this IMHO is important because we can have a tiny/minute cartridge mistracking that we can't detect and that we are hearing like more transparency/openess on the highs.
Of course that Ortofon is the best " source " to give a precise answer but if I was any of you I stay inside the manufacturer VTF range.

Lyniv point out something that is important especially with top resolution systems like yours: every time you change the VTF you change the VTA/SRA and overhang, could you detect it? I can't say it in those systems but are another factors to take in count as is IMHO to be sure that Azymuth is on target.

Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul.

Dear Jtinn: In the other side there is no reason to "
wait "/hope that the cartridge performs the same in
three different TT/tonearms ( I'm assuming were different
but two tonearms. Btw, same IC tonearms/phono stage cables?
), the
cartridge/tonearm/TT relationship is " personal "
especially cartridge/tonearm and along that
cartridge/tonearm then the load impedance and even than the
SRA belongs to each recording the same cartridge in
different tonearm sometimes needs different VTA/SRA to tame
the sound.

I comment this because only one cartridge was on the
manufacturer VTF recomendation, is obvious by your posts
that you don't try this cartridge in the tonearm where the
cartridge performs like you like at 1.56grs. and niether the
other way around too.

Normaly a cartridge of this caliber and coming from Ortofon
IMHO have to perform in excellent/top manner inside the
manufacturer specs/advise if the cartridge makes good match
with the tonearm and if the cartridge is full and in good
operation conditions.

Anyway, Ortofon has the best/precise answer on that 1.56grs
VTF.

Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul.

Dear Mikelavigne: All those differences in VTF seems to me that explain the intimate relationship between cartridge/tonearm/TT that are different in each set up, what is a " surprise " to me is that down/below the VTF manufacturer range the cartridge still performs on " target " with centered coils. Probably at that VTF set up are still centered.

Btw, what happen with the Jtinn question on the subject to Ortofon? has he already an answer?

Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul.

Dear Jtinn: Certainly the Ortofon people at Ortofon ( Denmark. ) has the same advise and they does not talk about " follow your ears ". Next is the answer direct from other Ortofon Chief:

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Hi Raul

There are some things that might go wrong when you are using such a low VTF.
I certainly won’t recommend that!

Most critical is that you will probably damage your records do to mistracking.
Remember that the Replicant 100 has a very narrow (“sharp”) edge!

Secondly (and third) you might have wrong VTA and SRA.
So the coils will be in non-ideal position and misaligned rake angle will cause distortion and record wear.

Ortofon cartridge are designed to have correct VTA and SRA when used with correct (i.e. recommended) VTF in a tonearm parallel to the record surface.
The range of VTF that is indicated in the data-sheet gives you the limits for adjustment.

Hope these comments helps you

Best regards

Leif Johannsen
Chief of acoustics and technology
Ortofon A/S

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I posted about " minute/tiny " mistracking even if we can't detect and about coild position, both subjects IMHO are critical for the cartridge performance.

Of course that we audiophiles normaly follows our ears and like Mike each one of us made/make what give us better musical pleasure.

Thank you Mike to share your A-90 experiences.

Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul.

Dear Mike: As you know several times in audio is really difficult to meet/match exactly the " technical " factors with what we heard/hear.

Obviously that your cartridge/tonearm combination function in that precise way and to function/perform in that way it needs that lower VTF.
I want to think ( by my experiences. ) that other cartridge/tonearm combination can perform in a similar way but with different VTF.

The behavior in a tonearm/cartridge and its performance is something that we know works and have to works in matced couple but we really don't know yet all the why's and how's on that critical relationship.

Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul.

Dear Mike: +++++ " one is tempted to conclude that
maybe the Reed 2P arm has advantages over the Ortofon arms
used to form the factory perspectives ... " +++++

yes, you/we can speculate about. Seems to me that Ortofon
like any other cartridge designers/builders have to make the
cartridge voicing using different tonearms because that
cartridge will work out there with different tonearms and
has to perform in good " shape " with almost all.
Well this is what I assume about but I can say it for sure.

Now, I have a little different perspective than you in that
subject:

if I assume that either the cartridge and the tonearm are
right on manufacturer specs, that is that there is no single
build/operation quality problem then that tonearm does not
match the cartridge needs.
Why is that?, IMHO if for an audio item perform at its
" best " I need to make an out of manufacturer
specs set up then something is happen that could not be
good.

In this specific case at least, according with the
manufacturer, the cartridge coils are not " centered
" ( non-ideal position. ) at that lower than specs VTF
and this is critical ( it generate different kind of
distortions. ) and one of the main targets of the designers
when they give/made its set up specs.

Mike, that you like/enjoy the better in that set up is not
the subject and I'm not questioning that in anyway, I'm
refering what IMHO is the non-ideal tonearm for that A-90 in
that TT in that audio system.

It is not easy to find out what is happening and where is
happening but something is happening in favor of your ears,
why?????

Regards and enjoy the music,
raul.