What should I do?

All very helpful suggestions here weighing the available options. "If @louis doesn't respond".., we know where he should put it! 👍 HA

No dealer will take a cartridge back unless it is broke,check VTA it will have to change after cartridge is broken in.What is the name of this mystery cartridge.

What is the name of this mystery cartridge.

Ha...i was wondering the same. I may offer to buy it depending on what it is assuming @louis decides he’s done with it. ;-)

Dear @louisl : All LOMC cartridges when we buy it in new condition always needs that the cartridge suspension settle down before we can " play " with loading and other cartridge/tonearm set up parameters.


You need to start with the cartridge manufacturer recomendations/specs and after the set up been that way just let play the cartridge for at least 50 hours with out putting to much attention to its quality level performance, you can't have under scrutiny or make any changes in its set up.

Then after those 50+ hours you will re-check the overall cartridge/tonearm set up: overhang/overall geometry alignment, VTF, VTA/SRA, azymuth, antiskate, changes on loading and the like.

That means that now you will start the cartridge fine tunning till you find out that the qualioty performance of that cartridge is " there " where you really like it.

I know you own/owned SS cartridge, Lyra Kleos and an old very good 0.2mv LOMC cartridge ( that I owned but I can't remember the manufactuerr. ) and that use/used VPI tonearm that I don't like it not only with LOMC cartridges that are more demanding than MM/MI ones about tonearms especially with unipivots like your VPI.

In the other side iof your new cartridge is really a top tier and you are using tubes then there is an additional problem.

Do what you want it because you never give answers to what other gentlemans ask for when you are the OP   ! ! ? ? ? whom ask for advices. LOL.

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.

That could certainly be the problem. If you have A VPI unipivot or any unipivot tonearm including the Graham get rid of it. I know of no LOMC cartridge that would be happy in a unipivot arm, way to floppy. The Graham is the best of them being stabilized with magnets but there is no reason to resort to that type of maneuver when for that kind of money you can buy the best bearings made. A tonearm can move in only 4 directions, up + down, side to side. In every other direction it has to be rock solid. This is particularly true with today's low compliance cartridges.
This is way more important than any reduction in friction, if any a unipivot might have. The forces involved playing a record are more than enough to overcome the friction of even the cheapest tonearm bearings out there. If you don't believe me defeat your antiskating and put your arm down on a blank disc and see what happens. Better have your catchers mitt on. It is actually more important that a bearing be smooth rather than the lowest friction. A tonearm can not make a cartridge sound better, but it can sure as h-ll make them sound worse, a lot worse. Way back I know a guy who mounted a Koetsu in a Transcriptor's Vestigial arm. The poor Koetsu would jump out of the groove. Forget about sounding bad. It was totally unplayable. Anyway when you put a LOMC cartridge in a unipivot arm what you usually get is muddy bass and dull transients even if the effective mass and compliance match up. If you really have to use a unipivot arm go find yourself an old Shure V15. If the arm is too massive just drill a bunch of holes in the arm tube.