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Tracking error distortion audibility

I recently unpacked my turntable from a couple of years of storage. It still sounds very good. Several times during playback of the first few albums I literally jumped from my chair to see which track was playing as it sounded so great. After a while I realized the "great" sound was always at one of the "null" points. They seem to occur at the approximately the proper place (about 125mm from spindle) and near the lead out groove. Questions:
Is this common? I have improved the resolution of my system since the table's been in storage but I don't remember hearing this before.
All others geometric sources of alignment error not defined by the null points (VTA, azimuth etc.) are essentially constant through out the arc correct? If so they should cancel out. I assume the remedy is a linear tracking arm but I am surprised at how obviously better the sound is at these two points.
Table - AR ES-1, Arm - Sumiko MMT, Cart. - Benz Glider, Pre - Audible Illusions, Speakers - Innersound electrostatic hybrid
Do linear arms really sound as good across the whole record as I hear at only the nulls with my set-up?
feathed
halcro's avatar
halcro
2,289 posts
 
Axelwahl,
I have a 10" Continuum Copperhead and a 12" DaVinci Ref Grandezza mounted on my Raven AC-3 and I can hear no increased distortion on the Copperhead over the DaVinci on the same recordings.
I agree with Dan_ed that without correct alignment, the 12" arm will sound just as poorly as the shorter one without correct alignment.
Ag insider logo xs@2x
rauliruegas
9,123 posts
 
Dear Axel: I owned and own several Ortofon cartridges ( MM/MC ), normally are very good trackers I can't remember any single problem with any of them like the one you are having.

From my experiences on it the V maybe is not the best match for your heavy weight and almost high compliance Windfeld. I never try it this cartridge but other than an out of specs in the cartridge suspension mechanism or a mis-match with the V I can't see where is the problem " culprit " because you already try almost every " rule " about.

You can try that cartridge with other tonearm and that V with other cartridge and see what happen.

Btw, I read somewhere that in your system that cartridges needs over 1Kohm on load impedance, IMHO and through my experiences with other Ortofon LOMC ones 100 Ohms is more than enough and if yours needs over 1 Kohms I think that there is some " trouble " elsewhere in the audio chain because it is not normal to load so high a cartridge with an internal impedance so low like the 4 Ohms in that cartridge.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.
dertonarm
1,042 posts
 
Dear Axelwahl, dear Feathed, you should check and read (for inspiration...) the thread about "oldskool tonearms...." from last month. During this thread the problem of tonearm geometry was discussed in length. Inner groove distortion is either a problem of:

a) miss-alignment/-adjustment of tonearm (any of its parameters)
b) miss-alignment/-adjustment of cartridge (any of its parameters)
c) worn or damaged stylus
d)...there is no d)

If you hear clear and precisely that the sound is significantly better at the 2 zero-error points, than your set-up is NOT optimal (in fact - far from it).

Please do re-check your whole tonearm-cartridge set-up (for the sake of your record collection....) with a good (Denessen or similar) tonearm alignment tool.
dertonarm
1,042 posts
 
Dear Axelwahl, BTW - I know Dirk Sommer - and honestly, he is NOT into tonearm geometry at all (noone of the staff at Image-HiFi is really into tonearm geometry - they are all happy if they do NOT have to mess around with that ...). The tonearm/cartridge combination you are using can be - assumed that nothing is defect - adjusted to excellent and homogenous sonic results and no distortion at all.
Its a matter of skill, care and precision.
jloveys
226 posts
 
May I jump in here to give an honour mention to the excellent and easy to use Graham cartridge alignment device that always is spot on with any cartridge I mounted, doubled checked carefuly with two points protractors. This clever device is a pleasure to use because you know alignment is correct BEFORE the armwand is mounted on the arm. I wish that all tonearm designer include this kind of device with their tonearm. It is safer for our valuable cartridges.
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