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Technics SL-Q202 cart recommendation
- Thread starter killdozzer
- Start date
OP
killdozzer
Major Contributor
- Thread Starter
- #42
This is such crap I can not believe this! Stupid sh**, I'm sending this to the manufacturer first thing tomorrow.
watchnerd
Grand Contributor
What happened? What went wrong?
Helicopter
Major Contributor
OP
killdozzer
Major Contributor
- Thread Starter
- #45
I'm blowing off steam. Haven't tested it yet since the assembly is impossible.
- Good one, Audio Technica! Well played. Thinking who ever gives so much moeny for a cart must be an idiot, so let's treat him as one. Jesus H...
- Good one, Audio Technica! Well played. Thinking who ever gives so much moeny for a cart must be an idiot, so let's treat him as one. Jesus H...
Helicopter
Major Contributor
If you are using the vintage headshell like the first one on the left, you may want to switch to a metal one with two slots for screws. The newer style Technics ones like the second one here are not really worth the money when you can get a high quality AT headshell that matches your cartridge. The second one is an AT-HS-1 which matches the older AT-95e and my AT-440MLb, so one like that would work with your cartridge. That one was replaced with the fourth one, AT-HS6 for the newer AT-VM95e and the $35 on Amazon in the US, AT-HS10. The last one is the AT-LH, which is really for he moving coil cartridges.
I would recommend AT-HS10:
The less expensive AT-HS6 will also work fine, but is not as good a cosmetic match.
One of the generic copies of the contemporary Technics headshell is also perfectly fine, but of unknown (likely perfectly good) quality:
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killdozzer
Major Contributor
- Thread Starter
- #47
You humble me with your patience and willingness to help. I'll take my time to write the answer you deserve, but I can do that only when I get home from work.
For now, thank you!
For now, thank you!
watchnerd
Grand Contributor
Oh, is this your first time mounting a standard (not P mount) cartridge?
Yes, it can be frustrating, even for the experienced.
It requires a lot of patience, especially your first time.
watchnerd
Grand Contributor
For the VM540ML, I used one of the AT headshells with pre-threaded holes (either the ATLH13 or ATLH15, I don't remember), but I have an SME arm, so don't need to worry about offset angle.
watchnerd
Grand Contributor
I understand your frustration, but I think you would have had the same issues no matter who you bought a standard mount cartridge from.
Ortofon standard carts aren't any easier to mount.
It's the same experience, regardless of brand, so no need to feel like you made a bad choice.
When I was a newbie, sometimes I bought cartridges pre-mounted on headshells to make it easier.
Hopefully it comes together for you. That was the first cartridge I mounted and set up myself. It took a lot more patience than I expected, but it went a lot easier the second time. I actually laughed after I 'set up' my first P-mount...meaning after I tightened the one screw back up.
Stick with it, and get higher magnifying reading glasses.
OP
killdozzer
Major Contributor
- Thread Starter
- #53
@watchnerd @Helicopter @BDWoody @Chrispy and all the rest who participated, let's try and keep everything civil and start with the positive. My deck sounds THREE times better than before and I would honestly have a hard time imagining it could sound any better. It is a vast improvement on so many levels... First to have my records played loud and clear - check. To have my records play less sibilant - check. To have better defined lows - check. And to have "messy" songs better resolved - check.
This one will stay with me and I'll probably try to get a spare stylus to prolong its life.
This one will stay with me and I'll probably try to get a spare stylus to prolong its life.
OP
killdozzer
Major Contributor
- Thread Starter
- #54
But let us still have our down and dirty, lowest human filth out in the open!!
No, I'm not a noob and I did this many times. I have the Technics original headshell, quite easy to use and straight forward. I also have one fake knock off (and I'm using that one since the resonance calculator told me I'll have a better performance with a heavier set up).
Still, let me introduce Dyke-u Sucker-moto, a head engineer at AT who came up with:
A ROUND NUT!!!! Yes! Yes, my dear friends, a round nut:
Remember how convenient it was to use a hexagon nut?? You, know, with flat sides to pinch it and hold it in place? Well, Dyke-u Sucker-moto solved that problem for us. It's a genuine carousel it spins and spins... Round and round it goes!! A briliant mind is behind this design.
No, I'm not a noob and I did this many times. I have the Technics original headshell, quite easy to use and straight forward. I also have one fake knock off (and I'm using that one since the resonance calculator told me I'll have a better performance with a heavier set up).
Still, let me introduce Dyke-u Sucker-moto, a head engineer at AT who came up with:
A ROUND NUT!!!! Yes! Yes, my dear friends, a round nut:
Remember how convenient it was to use a hexagon nut?? You, know, with flat sides to pinch it and hold it in place? Well, Dyke-u Sucker-moto solved that problem for us. It's a genuine carousel it spins and spins... Round and round it goes!! A briliant mind is behind this design.
OP
killdozzer
Major Contributor
- Thread Starter
- #55
Oh, but KD, don't be like that!!! Don't you see that it has a groove to fit the screwdriver? You can hold it in place like that.
And YEEESSS!!!! You guessed it; MEET a screwdriver to narrow to be placed across the round bolt to fit in the groove and hold the bolt in place:
And don't forget, your task is to tighten the cart at a very precise spot in headshell so the main designer at AT gave you these; a round nut for the bolt with incisions and a screwdriver waaay to narrow to grip both sides of the incision (and even if it did, it would be knocked out of its place by protruding bolt).
And YEEESSS!!!! You guessed it; MEET a screwdriver to narrow to be placed across the round bolt to fit in the groove and hold the bolt in place:
And don't forget, your task is to tighten the cart at a very precise spot in headshell so the main designer at AT gave you these; a round nut for the bolt with incisions and a screwdriver waaay to narrow to grip both sides of the incision (and even if it did, it would be knocked out of its place by protruding bolt).
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killdozzer
Major Contributor
- Thread Starter
- #56
Oh, you think I'm full of it and just venting??? Well someone must've thought what I think, because later they've changed it:
See how it now says "two hexagon nuts"? I'm not so mad after all. Imagine when they start putting these onto 540, it'll sell like crazy:
See how it now says "two hexagon nuts"? I'm not so mad after all. Imagine when they start putting these onto 540, it'll sell like crazy:
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killdozzer
Major Contributor
- Thread Starter
- #57
Well - I hear you say - if that's it, it's not so bad.
But there are so many genuine break-through concepts!! Meet wires too narrow for the part they are being sold with:
Golden plated and utterly useless, like Oprah Winfrey! You see, this golden plated wire, the one that's not mounted, you see how it's almost the same number as the pin? Well that's the wire that is being sold in the box along the cart. (No, I've checked, all other headshells and carts have pins pretty much the same so it just don't fit). So you can't use them.
But there are so many genuine break-through concepts!! Meet wires too narrow for the part they are being sold with:
Golden plated and utterly useless, like Oprah Winfrey! You see, this golden plated wire, the one that's not mounted, you see how it's almost the same number as the pin? Well that's the wire that is being sold in the box along the cart. (No, I've checked, all other headshells and carts have pins pretty much the same so it just don't fit). So you can't use them.
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killdozzer
Major Contributor
- Thread Starter
- #58
You know what you could do? You could try to slide it on something before you mount it on a headshell to widen it. Like a needle and stab your finger:
Now just slide it on the pin!
Now just slide it on the pin!
OP
killdozzer
Major Contributor
- Thread Starter
- #59
Have I mentioned how hard and stiff the connectors are and how there's no way to widen them?
Well, yes, no matter how hard the tweezers grip is, it's bound to slip of and damage the headshell.
Yes, as Chrispy says, such a treat and the fun part as well!!
Well, yes, no matter how hard the tweezers grip is, it's bound to slip of and damage the headshell.
Yes, as Chrispy says, such a treat and the fun part as well!!
OP
killdozzer
Major Contributor
- Thread Starter
- #60
Back to results; I thought if it's been made with such lack of attention to detail, it can't sound good. It'll be just snake oil, placebo, nothing. I went into it expecting it to fail miserably... And then, the English print of Dark Side... Amazing! Breathtaking. Moving on, some bass heavy pop... Brilliant, tight like Constance Mary Whitehouse's ass (the Mother Superior of inhibited PC fascist hypocrisy).
Leonard Cohen... Voice like it's next to my ear. I could feel the stench. Next it's the record I like but it's too sibilant - now less sibilant. Finally, The War on Drugs, a band I really like but many of their songs sound so messy and ill defined - they are intelligible, clear, defined... Records play almost as good as CDs.
And when they say micro:
For comparison.
Leonard Cohen... Voice like it's next to my ear. I could feel the stench. Next it's the record I like but it's too sibilant - now less sibilant. Finally, The War on Drugs, a band I really like but many of their songs sound so messy and ill defined - they are intelligible, clear, defined... Records play almost as good as CDs.
And when they say micro:
For comparison.
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