Counter weights on your turntable...another dirty little secret?
This is more of a public awareness post for us Mid Hifi peeps who have recently made the dive back into vinyl. I did back in 2020 and did my research and decided on a packaged deal- please be gentle on me- from one of the two biggest online sellers out there. They set up too and provided some simple instructions to finish the set up when it arrived.
Fast forward a couple year down the road and I am thinking I should bring the table to my local audio repair guy in Northern Litchfield County, CT for a check up. I was concerned that maybe something was off, and man was I glad I did.
My turntable is ProJect Classic SB- you know that 1970's vintage looking one, coupled with the second generation Sumiko Oyster Blue Point II. This guy is extremely busy with endless warranty and service work- so it sat for time before he could check it out, but he knows what he is doing. He soon discovered that the most he could track the cartridge was at 1.47 grams-the Sumiko is supposed to track at 2 grams.
The problem was the counter weight. Next challenge was finding the right one and it was not an easy task, as tech support was tough for ProJet and he ended up fining something posted online back in 2018 on counter weights for ProJect turntables. He also reached out to a peer, who has a very reputable brick and mortar store here in western Connecticut for assistance.
As many of you may know most online sellers do not even sell counter weights.
He eventually found what I needed- for only $35 too, but I was shocked that this turntable was paired up with this cartridge-and this was not a cheap one either, it could not even track it properly. Why would that even happen? So for over two years I have not gotten the best performance I could from this set up.
So as they say buyer beware and add this tale to the long list of questions when sourcing a table, verifying settings, if your new table was set up at the factory correctly, or upgrading your cartridge
Setting up a cartridge is not as difficult as some make out. You do need to have the proper tools but if you’re investing in a nicer turntable you should also want to learn how to set it up. Some of what you need you can download and print out from the internet, like a cartridge alignment sheet. A good cartridge tracking weight scale is good to have for about $60. For most cartridges it takes about 10 minutes. |
I had 3 retinal surgeries plus the resultant cataract fix in 1 year in my dominant eye. BFD I have SCA 3-3 fumble fingers and still do my own setups. BFD As @dadawada sez it’s not rocket science or I would have to call my son in, a Dr.of Astrophysics. If you feel you need help, pay for it. @idigmusic64 logic demands paying for a certified mechanic to air up his tires. Any comments I’ve made only promote self sufficiency, a key part of the hifi experience for me. The OP was about starting out ignorant (like every last one of us) and then finding help. A beautiful thing. |
Learning how to set up your turntable should be a requirement for all audiophiles , included in the audiophile 101 course😃 seriously it’s a skill that helps you to be more involved in this hobby. There’s som many resources on line that can help and the set up tools are relatively cheap. Enjoy the hobby. |
Good comments (some a bit hot ... wait are we on an audio forum?). OP thanks for sharing your experience, nice to see a newer audio fan share experiences. We all started there. My $0.02 is that I agree with those that suggest learning how to set up your TT, lots of youtube videos out there. Should be able to get the basic tools (digital scale and printed templates) for less than $100... maybe even sneak in a USB microscope. I realize there are some that are restricted in this endeavor of TT setup, but most vinyl enthusiasts would say the reward exceeds the effort by leaps and bounds. |
Set weight to float tonearm, set to O, roll weight to 2, skate to 0, play tunes, easy peazy
had to hair dryer the tonearm assemble years back, as the lube dried a bit, warmed up, set, good another 30 years. after all these years, finally bought a blank record. Will set tracking finally, will see if I was off by much, don’t think so. Sounds good, looks straight
turntable mucking is great, head basement, pop on LP, stay close, wife comes, “whotcha doin?” setting up TT honey. will you be long, . Maybe an hour, great excuse, so is changing truck oil in garage, music, water, relax, change at slow pace, leaves me alone! Priceless, no naggin, whining, etc. 2 hrs free peace time in garage, me n my music.
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