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Trying to understand the turntable/vinyl world...

MattHooper

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Yes I feel the same way generally about the fact that fussing with vinyl is much more likely to reward with greater audible differences.
And I feel similarly about chasing the last bit of audible (or inaudible, likely) differences in digital. But if a yawn for me.

But that's part of my point. Even when we are talking about a format that is close to perfected, the impulse will still be there to fiddle, to delve in to the technology, to push specs or whatever. Nature of the beast.

(BTW, ironically as for my not chasing down the last bits of in-audible differences...I just bought a Benchmark preamp. LOL)
 

Bob from Florida

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Yes I feel the same way generally about the fact that fussing with vinyl is much more likely to reward with greater audible differences.
And I feel similarly about chasing the last bit of audible (or inaudible, likely) differences in digital. But if a yawn for me.

But that's part of my point. Even when we are talking about a format that is close to perfected, the impulse will still be there to fiddle, to delve in to the technology, to push specs or whatever. Nature of the beast.

(BTW, ironically as for my not chasing down the last bits of in-audible differences...I just bought a Benchmark preamp. LOL)
What are you using for the phono stage? I thought the Benchmark was a line stage only.
 

MattHooper

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What are you using for the phono stage? I thought the Benchmark was a line stage only.

I use a JE Audio HP10 phono stage.

I bought a second-hand Benchmark LA4 to try it out, as I've had some nice impressions of using my Benchmark DAC 2L as a pre-amp, and the LA4 offers some aspects I'd like if I'm actually going to replace my current Conrad Johnson preamp.

My tube power amps don't have the type of distortion level performance (nor balanced inputs) that can truly take advantage of the incredible low-noise specs of the LA4 (let alone playing a high noise-floor source like vinyl, but I also listen to digital).

However, it only has to "compete" with my tube preamp. I already have some impressions comparing my DAC 2L preamp to my CJ preamp.
But I won't dare tread there at this moment, in sharing them.....;-)
 

Bob from Florida

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I use a JE Audio HP10 phono stage.

I bought a second-hand Benchmark LA4 to try it out, as I've had some nice impressions of using my Benchmark DAC 2L as a pre-amp, and the LA4 offers some aspects I'd like if I'm actually going to replace my current Conrad Johnson preamp.

My tube power amps don't have the type of distortion level performance (nor balanced inputs) that can truly take advantage of the incredible low-noise specs of the LA4 (let alone playing a high noise-floor source like vinyl, but I also listen to digital).

However, it only has to "compete" with my tube preamp. I already have some impressions comparing my DAC 2L preamp to my CJ preamp.
But I won't dare tread there at this moment, in sharing them.....;-)
I looked up the JE Audio HP10 and that looks fancy and probably not cheap. I really had no complaints with my old Cary SLP 74 full function preamp - all tubes except lack of a remote control. That led me to getting a Schiit Saga and a Musical Surroundings Phonomena 2+ for phono. Still using the Phonomena with my Luxman 507 with a Hana SL - the Luxman in moving coil mode has a fixed 100 ohm load. One phono preamp that intrigues me is the Sutherland TZ Vibe transimpedance phono for low output moving coils only.
 

MattHooper

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I looked up the JE Audio HP10 and that looks fancy and probably not cheap. I really had no complaints with my old Cary SLP 74 full function preamp - all tubes except lack of a remote control. That led me to getting a Schiit Saga and a Musical Surroundings Phonomena 2+ for phono. Still using the Phonomena with my Luxman 507 with a Hana SL - the Luxman in moving coil mode has a fixed 100 ohm load. One phono preamp that intrigues me is the Sutherland TZ Vibe transimpedance phono for low output moving coils only.

One thing I really appreciate about the HP10 is that all the possible fiddly functions, impedance, gain, filters etc are all on easily accessible buttons right on the front. I can't believe the inconvenience many phono stages leave the user for adjusting those parameters (some you even have to open up the case!). I actually like to play sometimes with different impedance settings so it's fun.

Hanna SL! Nice. When my Benz Micro Ebony cartridge had to be replaced I considered that one. (Went back to the Benz Micro though).

I'm not sure if the Benchmark will end up replacing my CJ preamp. I won't mind if it does. People trying to combine tubes and solid state seem to usually go solid state amp with a tube preamp. I'm intrigued by the other way around, hence trying the SS preamp with my tube amps. But I don't think I'm ready to go "full on accuracy" at this time, so I see my tube power amps sticking around. I've had them for 20 years.
 

Bob from Florida

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One thing I really appreciate about the HP10 is that all the possible fiddly functions, impedance, gain, filters etc are all on easily accessible buttons right on the front. I can't believe the inconvenience many phono stages leave the user for adjusting those parameters (some you even have to open up the case!). I actually like to play sometimes with different impedance settings so it's fun.

Hanna SL! Nice. When my Benz Micro Ebony cartridge had to be replaced I considered that one. (Went back to the Benz Micro though).

I'm not sure if the Benchmark will end up replacing my CJ preamp. I won't mind if it does. People trying to combine tubes and solid state seem to usually go solid state amp with a tube preamp. I'm intrigued by the other way around, hence trying the SS preamp with my tube amps. But I don't think I'm ready to go "full on accuracy" at this time, so I see my tube power amps sticking around. I've had them for 20 years.
The Phonomena is pretty adjustable - the Hana sounds best to me with a 1K load. Benz made some pretty fine cartridges. Not surprised you like the ebony. I was all tubes for over 20 years. I changed to a solid state integrated to simplify my system. With the Grand Veena 5 ohm speakers the Luxman did a better job than my tube amps. I understand the attraction though.
 

dlaloum

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One thing I really appreciate about the HP10 is that all the possible fiddly functions, impedance, gain, filters etc are all on easily accessible buttons right on the front. I can't believe the inconvenience many phono stages leave the user for adjusting those parameters (some you even have to open up the case!). I actually like to play sometimes with different impedance settings so it's fun.

Hanna SL! Nice. When my Benz Micro Ebony cartridge had to be replaced I considered that one. (Went back to the Benz Micro though).

I'm not sure if the Benchmark will end up replacing my CJ preamp. I won't mind if it does. People trying to combine tubes and solid state seem to usually go solid state amp with a tube preamp. I'm intrigued by the other way around, hence trying the SS preamp with my tube amps. But I don't think I'm ready to go "full on accuracy" at this time, so I see my tube power amps sticking around. I've had them for 20 years.

I have a JLTI - which I had customised with external loading plugs... and I made up a very extensive set of loading plugs so I could test and adjust to my hearts content... for a while I measured and modelled every cart under the sun (or it felt like it) - to try and identify all the parameters of cartridge/cantilever/needle performance .... anyone who simply sticks with "standard" cartridge loading, is only scratching the surface of what the system is capable of - and most especially in the MM world, where replacement needles have quite different behaviour to the originals - requiring substantially different loading to what was possible (or desirable) in the heyday of vinyl... (and even then, the fineprint on many cartridge specs, hinted at an optimal loading other than the "standard" 47k)
 

MattHooper

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I have a JLTI - which I had customised with external loading plugs... and I made up a very extensive set of loading plugs so I could test and adjust to my hearts content... for a while I measured and modelled every cart under the sun (or it felt like it) - to try and identify all the parameters of cartridge/cantilever/needle performance .... anyone who simply sticks with "standard" cartridge loading, is only scratching the surface of what the system is capable of - and most especially in the MM world, where replacement needles have quite different behaviour to the originals - requiring substantially different loading to what was possible (or desirable) in the heyday of vinyl... (and even then, the fineprint on many cartridge specs, hinted at an optimal loading other than the "standard" 47k)

I still consider myself mostly a novice with turntable stuff. My cartridge came already mounted so I never had to bother with it much until it finally wore out and I had to replace it.

First I'd tried another method when I put the new cartridge on. But it didn't seem to sound quite the same as my original and I was bothered by what seemed to be a bit of a fatiguing higher frequency peak (bad for sibilance etc) and a bit of a "sheen" on the high frequencies.

Eventually I splurged for a Mint Best Tractor:


Custom made for my turntable/arm.

Uses super fine points for adjustment and parallax mirroring to help out. It is BRUTALLY challenging, like doing brain surgery for the first time.
Took me hours. Finally managed to get it mostly bang on straight I think. Sounds great anyway, and whether placebo or not, it sound smooth and balanced again, like my first cartridge.

If you have any particular wisdom to impart about what you've found particularly important, I'm all ears. I've never actually adjusted VTA (only VTF and the angles necessary for the Mint Tractor). Though my cartridge looks parallel to the record.
 

Robin L

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I have a JLTI - which I had customised with external loading plugs... and I made up a very extensive set of loading plugs so I could test and adjust to my hearts content... for a while I measured and modelled every cart under the sun (or it felt like it) - to try and identify all the parameters of cartridge/cantilever/needle performance .... anyone who simply sticks with "standard" cartridge loading, is only scratching the surface of what the system is capable of - and most especially in the MM world, where replacement needles have quite different behaviour to the originals - requiring substantially different loading to what was possible (or desirable) in the heyday of vinyl... (and even then, the fineprint on many cartridge specs, hinted at an optimal loading other than the "standard" 47k)
I dunno, a coke habit seems like less hassle.
 

Bob from Florida

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I still consider myself mostly a novice with turntable stuff. My cartridge came already mounted so I never had to bother with it much until it finally wore out and I had to replace it.

First I'd tried another method when I put the new cartridge on. But it didn't seem to sound quite the same as my original and I was bothered by what seemed to be a bit of a fatiguing higher frequency peak (bad for sibilance etc) and a bit of a "sheen" on the high frequencies.

Eventually I splurged for a Mint Best Tractor:


Custom made for my turntable/arm.

Uses super fine points for adjustment and parallax mirroring to help out. It is BRUTALLY challenging, like doing brain surgery for the first time.
Took me hours. Finally managed to get it mostly bang on straight I think. Sounds great anyway, and whether placebo or not, it sound smooth and balanced again, like my first cartridge.

If you have any particular wisdom to impart about what you've found particularly important, I'm all ears. I've never actually adjusted VTA (only VTF and the angles necessary for the Mint Tractor). Though my cartridge looks parallel to the record.
I have done the 2 point alignment many times in the past. It is a pain as you are going back and forth for what seems like hours. It can be very accurate, however single point alignment is easier by far. The challenge with single point systems are 2 fold. First, they need to be done for the exact arm - table combo in question. Second, the arrow on the protractor has to point at the center of rotation of the tonearm. I bought a Clearaudio protractor when I had my Merrill Heirloom with Graham Robin Arm.


1636983487425.jpeg


I have the silver version as shown above - the new ones are black. On any table - arm combination you adjust the ruler length until the plumb point on the right is touching the center of rotation of the arm. The metered scale should equal the specified spindle to arm distance specified in your arm manual. Clearaudio arm bases are concentric which allow rotation to get that distance correct. Clearaudio arms also have a conical depression for the plumb point to drop into further increasing accuracy. Changing cartridges is a snap with my new Performance DC table - as shown above. The tool has 4 curves you can choose from - I have only used the IEC standard and am quite happy. Mount the cartridge and the overhang and zenith is done in 5 minutes or less!
 

EJ3

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I have done the 2 point alignment many times in the past. It is a pain as you are going back and forth for what seems like hours. It can be very accurate, however single point alignment is easier by far. The challenge with single point systems are 2 fold. First, they need to be done for the exact arm - table combo in question. Second, the arrow on the protractor has to point at the center of rotation of the tonearm. I bought a Clearaudio protractor when I had my Merrill Heirloom with Graham Robin Arm.


View attachment 165597

I have the silver version as shown above - the new ones are black. On any table - arm combination you adjust the ruler length until the plumb point on the right is touching the center of rotation of the arm. The metered scale should equal the specified spindle to arm distance specified in your arm manual. Clearaudio arm bases are concentric which allow rotation to get that distance correct. Clearaudio arms also have a conical depression for the plumb point to drop into further increasing accuracy. Changing cartridges is a snap with my new Performance DC table - as shown above. The tool has 4 curves you can choose from - I have only used the IEC standard and am quite happy. Mount the cartridge and the overhang and zenith is done in 5 minutes or less!
This is why I went with a Technics SL-M3 (Yes, I know, Linier Tracking and T4P cartridges have their own different things to deal with).
Image 2 - Technics SL-M3 Quartz Direct Drive Turntable
 

JP

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Always wanted to play with one of those.
 
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EJ3

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Always wanted to play with one of those.
My second TT (my mother's, hooked into my system [since it was a gift from my wife & myself, you know who gets the care of the TT duties, right?]) is a DUAL 1229.
 

MattHooper

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I have done the 2 point alignment many times in the past. It is a pain as you are going back and forth for what seems like hours. It can be very accurate, however single point alignment is easier by far. The challenge with single point systems are 2 fold. First, they need to be done for the exact arm - table combo in question. Second, the arrow on the protractor has to point at the center of rotation of the tonearm. I bought a Clearaudio protractor when I had my Merrill Heirloom with Graham Robin Arm.


View attachment 165597

I have the silver version as shown above - the new ones are black. On any table - arm combination you adjust the ruler length until the plumb point on the right is touching the center of rotation of the arm. The metered scale should equal the specified spindle to arm distance specified in your arm manual. Clearaudio arm bases are concentric which allow rotation to get that distance correct. Clearaudio arms also have a conical depression for the plumb point to drop into further increasing accuracy. Changing cartridges is a snap with my new Performance DC table - as shown above. The tool has 4 curves you can choose from - I have only used the IEC standard and am quite happy. Mount the cartridge and the overhang and zenith is done in 5 minutes or less!

Cool.

I tried the Clearaudio guage first (borrowed from a friend) and got decent sound. The Mint Tractor seemed to dial things in best for me.
I don't go changing my cartridges, unless I absoltely have to (e.g. distortion from age), so I don't mind taking the extra time with the Mint Tractor when I need to.
 
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Bob from Florida

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Cool.

I tried the Clearaudio guage first (borrowed from a friend) and got decent sound. The Mint Tractor seemed to dial things in best for me.
I don't go changing my cartridges, unless I absoltely have to (e.g. distortion from age), so I don't mind taking the extra time with the Mint Tractor when I need to.
Whatever works is great. The beauty of the adjustable arm board is you can get the spindle to arm center exactly what the arm in question specs. The down side is the factory may not have tweaked things in - even with turn key packages. It pays to check - especially with most stuff getting shipped to you without a local dealer to tweak for you. Having tools and skill sets is a bonus when questing for maximum sound quality. It sounds like you have both!
 
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Supposing perfect alignment, wouldn't you say conical stay on the groove better on worn records then? I ask out of curiosity, as my fine line iwas bent from the get-go (my fault), but it still sounds better then my Ortofon 3E and my Stanton trackmaster conical, with the only caveat that it skips.

ALso, my poor attempt of VTA alignment and a close pic of my (very) dirty ML

Well, I am afraid it is treatment like this that gives analog worse name than it deserves.

A simple dab of the dirty ML in picture in nothing more fancy than water moistened Q-tip would produce "almost" clean looking stylus - given the proper choice of lighting, even at this rather low magnification, the Micro Ridge/Edge/Line features would be clearly recognisable.

The reason why the stylus got so dirty in the first place is record hygiene. And , there is NO better place to start with record hygiene than a new, never played before record. The mould release agent/grease/oil/callitwhateveryoulike is an integral part of the vinyl material that gets pressed - meant to be released on the record surface while it is being removed from the mould/stamper.

This layer of oil/grease/callitwhateveryoulike , once it performed its intended role of releasing the just pressed record from the stamper, continues to :

1.) As it is electrically speaking an insulator, it supports building up electrostatic charges
2.) Because new records ARE very heavily electrostatically charged, they attract dust particles from the air - clearly visible in your VTA picture.
3.) When stylus hits this sludge of grease and dust, it creates noise > generates more static buildup > attracts more dust > causing static discharges between the surface of the record and stylus cantilever or even cartridge body > which can cause in extreme cases VTF changes of up to about half a gram > causing mistracking ...; in reality, the definition of a vicious circle ad nuseaum.
Taken together, playing records as they came from the factory is the shortest way to destroy them, while "enjoying" in surface noise NOT recorded in the groove, ticks, pops & all the undesired unmentionables pleaguing the analog record playback.
In extreme cases, that grease/oil/callitwhateveryoulike present on new record can cause "aquaplaning" of light tracking ( below 1.5 gram ) styli ... - to the point of skipping the grooves ! I would have never believed it if it did not happen to me recently - on a at least 30 year old pressing on de facto new never played NOS Virgo Intacta record pressed in Germany. A totally "clean" looking, undamaged record would simply jump grooves until being properly cleaned - THEN it played superbly, even with a cart tracking below 1 gram ...

I did intentionally put this hygiene part on the top of my answer. It is a fact that cleaned record WILL sound better using lesser cart/stylus than a new dirty one using superiour stylus/cart. And, most importantly, the cleaned record will preserve its quality for an incomparably longer time.

Regarding stylus tip profiles - the higher one goes up from conical to Micro Line, the more precise alignment/adjustment is required. Conical is safe for the records - even if grossly misaligned - simply because no matter how it is aligned in the groove, its contact surface with the groove walls remains almost the same - meaning it can not damage the groove ( provided it does not mistrack, of course ). With anything more closely resembling the cutting stylus, the requirements for ( listed from the most important to the least ) increase :

1.) Azimuth
2.) Zenith
3.) Lateral geometry
4.) VTA/SRA

So, advising somebody possesing an otherwise great TT that does not allow for the PRECISE Azimuth and VTA/SRA adjustments ( or the inability or unwillingness to adjust these parameters if the equipment allows for it ) to use a line type or even VdH/Gyger/Micro Whatever/SAS stylus migh well be counterproductive.
There is a reason Denon DL-103 survived in producttion for by now almost 60 years - as it is very forgiving cart regarding the alignment, as it uses a conical stylus. There were more advanced versions of the 103, but they appeared and went - the basic model is , after all these years, still going strong. Unlikely to get discontinued, as long as record playback will be in sufficiently high demand.

Regarding used/damaged records being played by various stylus tip profiles ... - sorry, ANYTHING that has large scanning radius not long enough to effectively "bridge" the damaged part of the groove is not going to work. As I wrote before, it takes at least VdH/FG II and above to accomplish that.
Provided that these styli are perfectly aligned/adjusted , of course.

PS: No idea how the pics here can get uploaded ... - any help ?
 

dlaloum

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Summary... playing records is really simple, throw any old record on any old spinner, with any old needle and it just sounds perfect.....
 

anmpr1

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Finally, after all these years, and in response to a question that exactly no one was asking, the folks at Nagra have decided to sell a record player. You can go to their site and read their pseudo-engineering marketeering spiel. Obviously it'll be top notch, but it got me to thinking about how it all went down, at the marketing and product planning meeting:

Dieter: Ok, I've called this meeting to brainstorm ideas about what can we do to play on our 'heritage', and cash in on the vinyl resurgence. You know, we want to be able to sell something no one else has. Something that will definitely justify the through the roof cost we're going to charge, and at the same time, something having the 'Nagra aura'.

Hans: How about instead of 'regular' belt drive, we add an additional belt-tensioner flywheel thingy? That will make it look like an open reel deck, and we can offer some sort of esoteric engineering claim for, something that will sound believable to Ken, over and Hi Fi News. And we'll ship one to Fremer, over at Stereophile. You know, the guy that just got his whole house wiring upgrade. He'll definitely appreciate that with a good review!

Dieter: Great, thinking. That's what I'm looking for. We'll make the drive system look like an open reel tape recorder. And open reel is about as cool as you can get. Anyone else? Brenner?

Brenner: And of course we'll add a little round meter that measures something. VU? Not sure about that. How about wow and flutter? Or rpm?

Hans: We'll call it the Nagra Modulometer!

Brenner: Umm...er... what's a Modulometer? Isn't that that from a '50s sci-fi movie?

Hans: No. Your thinking about an Interociter. This will be different. And much better. We'll figure out what it does later, tonight at the pub, after work. Once we've thrown back a bucket or two of Trois Dames, it'll all start to make more sense...

nagra3.jpg

nagra2.jpg
 

Leiker535

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Well, I am afraid it is treatment like this that gives analog worse name than it deserves.

A simple dab of the dirty ML in picture in nothing more fancy than water moistened Q-tip would produce "almost" clean looking stylus - given the proper choice of lighting, even at this rather low magnification, the Micro Ridge/Edge/Line features would be clearly recognisable.

The reason why the stylus got so dirty in the first place is record hygiene. And , there is NO better place to start with record hygiene than a new, never played before record. The mould release agent/grease/oil/callitwhateveryoulike is an integral part of the vinyl material that gets pressed - meant to be released on the record surface while it is being removed from the mould/stamper.

This layer of oil/grease/callitwhateveryoulike , once it performed its intended role of releasing the just pressed record from the stamper, continues to :

1.) As it is electrically speaking an insulator, it supports building up electrostatic charges
2.) Because new records ARE very heavily electrostatically charged, they attract dust particles from the air - clearly visible in your VTA picture.
3.) When stylus hits this sludge of grease and dust, it creates noise > generates more static buildup > attracts more dust > causing static discharges between the surface of the record and stylus cantilever or even cartridge body > which can cause in extreme cases VTF changes of up to about half a gram > causing mistracking ...; in reality, the definition of a vicious circle ad nuseaum.
Taken together, playing records as they came from the factory is the shortest way to destroy them, while "enjoying" in surface noise NOT recorded in the groove, ticks, pops & all the undesired unmentionables pleaguing the analog record playback.
In extreme cases, that grease/oil/callitwhateveryoulike present on new record can cause "aquaplaning" of light tracking ( below 1.5 gram ) styli ... - to the point of skipping the grooves ! I would have never believed it if it did not happen to me recently - on a at least 30 year old pressing on de facto new never played NOS Virgo Intacta record pressed in Germany. A totally "clean" looking, undamaged record would simply jump grooves until being properly cleaned - THEN it played superbly, even with a cart tracking below 1 gram ...

I did intentionally put this hygiene part on the top of my answer. It is a fact that cleaned record WILL sound better using lesser cart/stylus than a new dirty one using superiour stylus/cart. And, most importantly, the cleaned record will preserve its quality for an incomparably longer time.

Regarding stylus tip profiles - the higher one goes up from conical to Micro Line, the more precise alignment/adjustment is required. Conical is safe for the records - even if grossly misaligned - simply because no matter how it is aligned in the groove, its contact surface with the groove walls remains almost the same - meaning it can not damage the groove ( provided it does not mistrack, of course ). With anything more closely resembling the cutting stylus, the requirements for ( listed from the most important to the least ) increase :

1.) Azimuth
2.) Zenith
3.) Lateral geometry
4.) VTA/SRA

So, advising somebody possesing an otherwise great TT that does not allow for the PRECISE Azimuth and VTA/SRA adjustments ( or the inability or unwillingness to adjust these parameters if the equipment allows for it ) to use a line type or even VdH/Gyger/Micro Whatever/SAS stylus migh well be counterproductive.
There is a reason Denon DL-103 survived in producttion for by now almost 60 years - as it is very forgiving cart regarding the alignment, as it uses a conical stylus. There were more advanced versions of the 103, but they appeared and went - the basic model is , after all these years, still going strong. Unlikely to get discontinued, as long as record playback will be in sufficiently high demand.

Regarding used/damaged records being played by various stylus tip profiles ... - sorry, ANYTHING that has large scanning radius not long enough to effectively "bridge" the damaged part of the groove is not going to work. As I wrote before, it takes at least VdH/FG II and above to accomplish that.
Provided that these styli are perfectly aligned/adjusted , of course.

PS: No idea how the pics here can get uploaded ... - any help ?

Sorry for the lax treatment hahaha. The second pic was taken immediately taken after dabbing the stylus in gel. That gunk must've accumulated through 3-4 sides of playing. I have a cleaning machine and I really need to do a complete reclean of all my collection, the problem is that even with a tiny collection like mine it takes a whole afternoon.

I made the mistake of preferring thicker inner sleeves because they looked better and were easier to storage (no wrinkles) in the behind of the record envelop (I figure that with a lot of old records I buy in shops, keeping the discs inside the cardboard sleeve itself weakened the already feeble glue and made them tear with time), and that has led to accumulated ESD on all my records, specially on the 180-200g ones. As of recently I started doing 1-2 sweeps with a record cleaning brush to gather all the dust and light debris, and then I pass this roller tangentially to the grooves. I don't see it leaving any residue over the surfaces, but I don't have ultrabionic eyes. Any thoughts?

1638198764807.png

Btw, to post an image you just have to copy it and paste it directly, or use the insert image tool (ctrl + P). Bonus pic of my new (and not bent) ML (disregard the first image's VTA, azimuth, etc, I just found it pretty and hadn't aligned it yet):

1638198896965.jpeg
1638198956722.jpeg

Finally, after all these years, and in response to a question that exactly no one was asking, the folks at Nagra have decided to sell a record player. You can go to their site and read their pseudo-engineering marketeering spiel. Obviously it'll be top notch, but it got me to thinking about how it all went down, at the marketing and product planning meeting:

Dieter: Ok, I've called this meeting to brainstorm ideas about what can we do to play on our 'heritage', and cash in on the vinyl resurgence. You know, we want to be able to sell something no one else has. Something that will definitely justify the through the roof cost we're going to charge, and at the same time, something having the 'Nagra aura'.

Hans: How about instead of 'regular' belt drive, we add an additional belt-tensioner flywheel thingy? That will make it look like an open reel deck, and we can offer some sort of esoteric engineering claim for, something that will sound believable to Ken, over and Hi Fi News. And we'll ship one to Fremer, over at Stereophile. You know, the guy that just got his whole house wiring upgrade. He'll definitely appreciate that with a good review!

Dieter: Great, thinking. That's what I'm looking for. We'll make the drive system look like an open reel tape recorder. And open reel is about as cool as you can get. Anyone else? Brenner?

Brenner: And of course we'll add a little round meter that measures something. VU? Not sure about that. How about wow and flutter? Or rpm?

Hans: We'll call it the Nagra Modulometer!

Brenner: Umm...er... what's a Modulometer? Isn't that that from a '50s sci-fi movie?

Hans: No. Your thinking about an Interociter. This will be different. And much better. We'll figure out what it does later, tonight at the pub, after work. Once we've thrown back a bucket or two of Trois Dames, it'll all start to make more sense...

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That made me laugh because because I remember pulley systems being literally the first physics class I had in High School, as their workings couldn't be simpler than basic algebra.
 
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