The Courteous Vinyl Playback Discussion

[sqrl]

What are some of thoughts on anti-skating settings? I know it’s recommend to set it to the cartridge tracking force. For mine 2 grams so the anti-skate is around 2. I find that with some records it will immediately skip into the first track. So I will set the anti-skate to around 1.4 and seems to help somewhat. Does it depend on the record and does anyone else experience this as well? Or is it just me because this was an issue for me on my previous turntable.

I posted a table of Technics SL-1200 antiskate settings against Wallyskater % antiskate here, which may be useful for people with those tables, under the assumption that they are standardized.

I set the azimuth, set the antiskate to around 13% initially and then make small adjustments up or down to get similar right and left channel distortion on the phono cartridge response script.

 

[EJ3]

I have noticed that my subwoofers move a lot with some of my vinyl records, so I decided to use a subsonic filter available in my Linn Akurate DSM.
I set the filter quite low at 12 Hz because Linn recommends setting it somewhere between 7 and 12 Hz for a full-range system, and it has definitely calmed down the subwoofers.

At what frequency do you set your subsonic filter in your systems?

I was lurking but since you asked, my answer is:

Filters measurements top ​ Frequency Response, Normal (left) and 15 Hz filter (right), Apt Holman Preamplifier. ​ Same as above, different vertical scale. ​ ​ 15 Hz filter (only) response.​ The low-frequency response is the same with the tone controls either defeated or engaged, for all inputs and all outputs. The 15 Hz filter is selected with a rear-panel switch. It's -1/2 dB at 20 Hz, -1 dB at 17.5 Hz, -2 dB at 15 Hz, -3 dB at 14 Hz, - 5 dB at 12 Hz and -10 dB at 10 Hz.​

 

[DavidEdwinAston]

I am puzzled by the notion that vinyl, CD, streaming, or whatever, is the actual way to listen to music, mechanically. (Live being best.) Surely, it is just, the music that matters?

 

[sqrl]

I am puzzled by the notion that vinyl, CD, streaming, or whatever, is the actual way to listen to music, mechanically. (Live being best.) Surely, it is just, the music that matters?

Live music sound frequently sucks too.

 

[EJ3]

Live music sound frequently sucks too.

But I usually enjoy live music much more (whether it is being there [BEST] or recorded {unless having been shoddily recorded}), regardless of the format.

 

[MattHooper]

I am puzzled by the notion that vinyl, CD, streaming, or whatever, is the actual way to listen to music, mechanically. (Live being best.) Surely, it is just, the music that matters?

The medium can influence the experience.
Depends on the individual how much and in which direction.

It’s like watching movies: I’m a huge fan of watching movies on the big screen in movie theatres, or at the least on my big projection screen at home. I wouldn’t be caught dead watching any movie I care about on a laptop or on the back of an airplane seat. I want to experience the movie in my favourite way on my favourite medium. Plenty of other people are not so fussy and don’t feel as affected by how they watch movies.

 

[sqrl]

I'm getting off topic from courteous vinyl playback to courteous live performance here, but I went to hear Don Cherry's Nu Ensemble many years ago and someone was yammering away at the table immediately behind us. I turned around to shush them and saw it was the most famous UK TV comedian at the time. I was undeterred, except that the person they were yammering away with was my boss at work.

 

[DavidEdwinAston]

I'm getting off topic from courteous vinyl playback to courteous live performance here, but I went to hear Don Cherry's Nu Ensemble many years ago and someone was yammering away at the table immediately behind us. I turned around to shush them and saw it was most famous UK TV comedian at the time. I was undeterred, except that the person they were yammering away with was my boss at work.

Cracking story!

 

[EJ3]

Cracking story!

I forgot to mention: the venue and crowd that it has does matter quit a bit, so choose the venue wisely.
And, even so, of course, the unanticipated can happen, as @sqrl pointed out.

 

[mike70]

I posted a table of Technics SL-1200 antiskate settings against Wallyskater % antiskate here, which may be useful for people with those tables, under the assumption that they are standardized.

I set the azimuth, set the antiskate to around 13% initially and then make small adjustments up or down to get similar right and left channel distortion on the phono cartridge response script.

I used the wallyskater in my Tecnnics mk7 and i founded that the antiskating is very close to the standard.
with the same setting as the VTF (2.1) you get more or less 10% ... i left it in 2.3 to give a little more antiskating.

 

[sqrl]

I used the wallyskater in my Tecnnics mk7 and i founded that the antiskating is very close to the standard.
with the same setting as the VTF (2.1) you get more or less 10% ... i left it in 2.3 to give a little more antiskating.

So the settings are not well standardized.

 

[mike70]

So the settings are not well standardized.

You used a vintage 1200?

 

[sqrl]

No - new this year.

 

[mike70]

No - new this year.

Then you're right, a lottery

 

[sqrl]

Then you're right, a lottery

I doubt that n = 2 is enough of a sample to draw that conclusion, or that my own measurements are superior to those of Technics. Next step is to recheck my measurements.

 

[EJ3]

sqrl said:
Live music sound frequently sucks too.

I'll go with sometimes (as opposed to frequently):
I was once at a Blues Concert and the sound man for Bobby "Blue" Bland was doing a horrid job. B.B. King came out on stage and asked if there was a soundman in that audience, as Bobby's was having issues. I had run sound for a local rock band for many years & DJ'd at radio stations and night clubs (and figured that I could do better than what I was hearing), so after I saw that no one else raised their hand, I raised mine. And was told to come on over to the sound board. It turned out that the sound man had become pretty ill (perhaps from over indulging in alcohols?). At any rate, I realized that, even a person who had just seen someone operating a sound board before could do better than the current sound man, so what I could do would certainly be an improvement. So I got to work (and was thanked by Bobby & B.B. from onstage at the end of Bobby's set). Apparently I did more than OK, as the audience responded to them thanking me with a healthy round of applause.

 

[Bland_username42069]

Don’t know if this has been posted but a headshell with battery amp built in. Sadly only for MC as this would benefit MM far more. I’m assuming MM will just clip it

Yamamoto Acoustic Craft HS-1A Ebony Headshell

CAUTION Prices will be revised sequentially from July 21. Please purchase as soon as possible. Shipping will be in 1~3 business days. Beautiful ebony headshell with beautiful resonance High-grade ebony headshells for musical instruments Description HS-1A and HS-1As are made of African ebony, a...

exclusive-audio.jp

 

[antcollinet]

Don’t know if this has been posted but a headshell with battery amp built in. Sadly only for MC as this would benefit MM far more. I’m assuming MM will just clip it

Yamamoto Acoustic Craft HS-1A Ebony Headshell

CAUTION Prices will be revised sequentially from July 21. Please purchase as soon as possible. Shipping will be in 1~3 business days. Beautiful ebony headshell with beautiful resonance High-grade ebony headshells for musical instruments Description HS-1A and HS-1As are made of African ebony, a...

exclusive-audio.jp

Why would it benefit MM More?


it is only going to be beneficial if the built in amp is significantly lower noise/gain than your phono pre-amp.

 

[Bland_username42069]

Why would it benefit MM More?


it is only going to be beneficial if the built in amp is significantly lower noise/gain than your phono pre-amp.

PHLUX-II active phono cartridge

Phaedrus PHLUX active phono cartridge active moving magnet cartridge Richard Brice

www.phaedrus-audio.com

 

[sergeauckland]

Don’t know if this has been posted but a headshell with battery amp built in. Sadly only for MC as this would benefit MM far more. I’m assuming MM will just clip it

https://exclusive-audio.jp/en/produ...hsa-01-head-amplifier-internal-head-shell[/UR

Why would it benefit MM More?


it is only going to be beneficial if the built in amp is significantly lower noise/gain than your phono pre-amp.

It would be a lot more difficult to do this for MM cartridges as the output level would have to be up to 5V or thereabouts, difficult to achieve with a tiny 3V battery, although phantom powering could be used as per the Phlux product.

However, the principle is sound, insofar as the signal level in the arm and subsequent phono cables is higher.

Professionally, turntables have always had the phono stage built-in to the turntable plinth/enclosure and exit at line level, thus eliminating all the uncertainties of MM cartridge loading or fragile signal levels.

S