2. analog
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Turntable, where is my bass???

Hi, I've noticed a clearly diminished low frequency output with my analog gear lately but cannot put it in precise timely relation with a particular event since I have mainly been playing newly acquired records during the last few weeks or very old ones that I hadn't heard for years. But now, the familiar records surprised me with a lack of "something" (there was actually one recent change of IC)

The chain of the signal is Transfiguration Spirit III cart -> Well Tempered Reference arm with original wiring sitting on Well Tempered Reference table -> Synergistic Research Tricon analog IC -> Tidal Preos pre-amp.

Possible culprits I can think of:
1 (the one I hope it to be) The SR Tricon is only a few weeks old; before that the dealer had lent me a broken-in demo cable that I was allowed to keep several weeks until my newly ordered one arrived. So could this be a questin of break-in?
2 Could the arm somehow have "deregulated" itself, e.g. in respect of VTA?
3 Resistive load is fixed at 120 Ohm; could I just be growing aware that is the wrong value? Does anyone know the preferred value for the Spirit III ? (I can't experiment changing it myself, but the Tidal guys could fix another value if can tell them which one)

Does someone know of other possible causes that are perhaps subtle first and then just "snap"? It can't be my hearing since I don't notice any change in the digital department.

Thanks for your insight.
Karel
karelfd

Showing 1 response by rauliruegas

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rauliruegas
12,786 posts
 
Dear Karel: Other than IC and tonearm damping fluid level I think that could be worth to re-install ( like a new cartridge ) your cartridge just from the begin: clean the cartridge connectors pins, be sure that the tonearm to cartridge connectors make good connection, overhang, Azymuth, VTF, VTA, stylus deep clean, check that the cartridge cantilever is right on " target ", etc, etc.

It seems to me that the load impedance is not the problem. You could try with a different cartridge and see what happen.

If nothing works and I mean that you don't recovery that " bass " then you have to thing that maybe there is a trouble on the cartridge it self or on the phono stage.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.
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