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Testing a cartridge

Hi, everyone. I just put together my "new" Empire 698 turntable with a brand new Audio-Technica 120E cartridge. Everything sounded great, when all of a sudden the right channel went dead. I tested the interconnects for continuity, but those are fine. Made sure everything was plugged in properly, and still no sound. Could it be the cartridge? Any way to test it? Any other thoughts on what else I should check? Thanks in advance!
hurricane
4 responses Add your response
tubeo
72 posts
 
It could be a phono input problem . Try reveresing the tonearm output cables to see if the dead channel moves or stays in the same one .

Also , you could ever so briefly test for continuity between the cartridge output pins [ red / green , white / blue ] . It will let you know if it is an internal wire problem .
mofimadness's avatar
mofimadness
4,933 posts
 
Also check to make sure the stylus assembly is fully "snapped" in. Since this cart has a user replaceable stylus, it might have come loose.
photon46
1,076 posts
 
Another thing to check with on your Empire is the circuit continuity of the phono cable. Assuming yours has the stock Empire cable, check carefully. They can be prone to developing open circuits/loose connections. Wiggle the cable where it connects to the tonearm and make sure everything is snug. My 598 cable would sometimes need to be wiggled & moved around until an open connection would reseat.
hurricane OP
20 posts
 
Thanks, everyone. I will certainly try these things and get back with the results!
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