Fun with vinyl measurements

[JP]

Which means we have aNother test track for VTA,… did not think of that one before, maybe the L+R could be useful for HTA.?

It is pretty clear from the tests here that VTA has little effect on frequency response, but significant effect on distortion… what people subjectively hear and claim to be more or less bass or treble byraising lowering VTA by arm end, therefor may be more distortion effects than frequency response changes, at least for these micro line styli

Have to ABX that - we’re just not very sensitive to distortion.

 

[morillon]

Have to ABX that - we’re just not very sensitive to distortion.

It depends a lot on what you're listening to (?)...with classical, acoustic, typically piano music, etc... it becomes much more noticeable. ( w&f too for piano...)

 

[Thomas_A]

Have to ABX that - we’re just not very sensitive to distortion.

Not sure if I'm on the right track since I've not seen much discussed in the past regarding VTA/VMA and crosstalk effects. I've can only recall the Yosh pages regarding this matter.

 

[JP]

Not sure if I'm on the right track since I've not seen much discussed in the past regarding VTA/VMA and crosstalk effects. I've can only recall the Yosh pages regarding this matter.

I don't know - haven't really been following along. Getting ready to be away for awhile - perhaps when things quiet down for a couple months at the end of February. Somehow I managed to put eight countries on the travel itinerary for 2026.

 

[Balle Clorin]

Some intermodulation test across record but with 45/45 modulation. see the effect of radius changing but nothing that resembles Løfgren /HTA alignment tracing distortion patterns

https://www.discogs.com/release/30401675-No-Artist-Me%C3%9Fschallplatte-f%C3%BCr-Klirr-und-Intermodulationsverzerrungen

File is available on request

Her is the 1000hz track across the record, 2 H distortion in bottom plot-increases with less radius as other tests also show, cross talk in middle plot

another carteridge/TT

 

[Thomas_A]

I don't know - haven't really been following along. Getting ready to be away for awhile - perhaps when things quiet down for a couple months at the end of February. Somehow I managed to put eight countries on the travel itinerary for 2026.

Sounds nice but perhaps a bit too much. Depends on where you are going. Europe?

 

[JP]

Sounds nice but perhaps a bit too much. Depends on where you are going. Europe?

It's definetaly more than I'd anticipated, and less time in London than I'd like.

January is NZ and Melbourne for Australian Open.
February Budapest and a day or so in Paris on the way back.
May cruise around Japan with a stop in Korea.
July London for a bit of Wimbledon and to see friends and then to Madrid for a few days.

Hopefully that's it with our typical US Open commitments in September. My wife already has 26 confirmed trips next year.

 

[Thomas_A]

Some intermodulation test across record but with 45/45 modulation. see the effect of radius changing but nothing that resembles Løfgren /HTA alignment tracing distortion patterns

https://www.discogs.com/release/30401675-No-Artist-Me%C3%9Fschallplatte-f%C3%BCr-Klirr-und-Intermodulationsverzerrungen

View attachment 500141

Her is the 1000hz track across the record, 2 H distortion in bottom plot-increases with less radius as other tests also show, cross talk in middle plot

View attachment 500144

another carteridge/TT
View attachment 500146

Not sure I understand, this is 400:4000 Hz L and R separate? Is VMA given to 12°? Then they did not adjust for spring-back during cutting.

 

[Thomas_A]

One far-fetched hypothesis is that a higher VTA than WMA reduces the pinch effect. A groove that is "more shallow" by having walls at 42° may cause this effect. But again just a wild hypothesis. Perhaps the people at Jico nows this?

 

[Balle Clorin]

More on VTA., some posted before, but an update is relevant now

see also

So using the nominal C=22degree VTA point on DIN 45 452 record and IMD og 2% at E=+6degree and 1% at nominal 22 degree VTA at the track and 1% IMD we get. a VTA of the cartridge of:
Pickup tracking running angle A=+E*(bc/ab)+C= 6*([2-1]/1)+22=6+22=28 degrees without 6 degree shim. I have not had time nor health to redo it on the CBS STR-111/112 record

Spoiler: Some old data for AT33PTGII , EFFECT OF 0.5 DEGREE VTA CHANGE, YES IT IS DETECTABLE ON DIN RECORD 45 452

 

[Balle Clorin]

More fun,
Shure TTR-109 crosstalk test record..

This must be the best crosstalk record so far.. Flat EQ with low end filter gives -40 to -43 on my Shure V15 -IV Jico SAS B with -6 degree shim

 

[morillon]

These are cross-referenced values, for example, a 155lc on the Hungaroron
(More than 41db )
;-)

 

[Thomas_A]

More fun,
Shure TTR-109 crosstalk test record..

This must be the best crosstalk record so far.. Flat EQ with low end filter gives -40 to -43 on my Shure V15 -IV Jico SAS B with -6 degree shim
View attachment 501315

The only odd thing was that your Merolemez test did not show any difference after shimming. I did see that. You got minimum values at 47° both before and after shim. I did see a change from 42° to 44-45°.

 

[Balle Clorin]

Vinyl behaves in mysterious ways, even if we do our best to understand it there is always something new to wonder about. It is a marvel that it sounds as good as It does: my next test will be about distortion cancellation

 

[watchnerd]

More fun,
Shure TTR-109 crosstalk test record..

This must be the best crosstalk record so far.. Flat EQ with low end filter gives -40 to -43 on my Shure V15 -IV Jico SAS B with -6 degree shim
View attachment 501315


View attachment 501326

42.5??!!

 

[Balle Clorin]

42.5??!!

Yes . Spot valiue “42,5/-40 other side has even 46.7 :. Se plot fore average values and trends, Band pass 400-7000hz , flat Eq . With no band pass and RIAA values are - 36 about

 

[Thomas_A]

Storm Anna has arrived. And this is just the beginning. I don’t recall seeing this much snow falling in such a short time. Time for some record cleaning today.

 

[narud]

LP Gear Vessel with Jico SAS/B VN5MR

I didnt put this in the measurement thread since this is pretty non standard. this measurement was taken using the pats audio 6mm shim. ive had a vessel body i picked up cheap years ago that i never did anything with because the replacement styli are ridiculously expensive for what they are. however, if you cut some of the plastic off of the generator mount, you open it up to different styli. i tried it with a jico sas/b for a vn5mr. it still has that excel generator dip in the presence region. maybe a good choice for someone looking for a "smooth" sounding cartridge? cutting the plastic off is a good option to open the cart up to better styli though considering the lp gear ruby/micro ridge stylus for this cart is spec'd at only tracking 60um at 2 grams and costs 597 bucks.

 

[deniall83]

I was recently looking at the Schiit Stjarna tube phono stage and I found this test report with some measurements. Can anyone comment on these, as I don't have the knowledge to make a judgement on them.

https://www.schiit.com/public/upload/PDF/Schiit%20APx%20Report%20for%20Stjarna.pdf

 

[narud]

Audio Technica 500x body with 45xml stylus 30k 280pf

i already have a couple 45xml styli ive been using with the older 500 body, but i bought a 510xcb for the body. decided to play around with some resistors while watching football and played around with some loadings. i ended up coming up with this and was pretty happy with it. i played around with 38k and 34k as well, but after recording some needle drops, this ended up matching up with a v15vmr pretty well. it just has a half db dip in the presence region compared to the shure. this worked out well since i didnt have to worry about having super low capacitance.