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Save a vinyl newbie, please

I've been stocking up on LP's for the past month and a half, and I finally got a turntable yesterday (a new Music Hall MMF-5). When I picked it up, the guy had it playing and it sounded great! He showed me how to set the tracking force, vertical tracking angle, the cartridge angle (or something like that), and the anti-skating force. He also gave me some suggestions of how to clean the records and the stylus before use. OK, perfect.

I brought it home and tried some of my records on it. It sounded horrible! I get loud pops every second or two. The pops drown out the music. The music sounds muffled, and sometimes it sounds like the ocean from the tweeters (particularly in the right channel). The situation only gets worse with the volume turned up.

I tried it with several of my best-looking LP's last night and still couldn't find one that was even listenable. I have a couple sealed records, so this morning I tried them with the same results. I called the place where I bought it and he said that only about 10% of records that I'll find actually sound good. That sounds like a good incentive to go back to CD's.

I'm using the MMF-5 with a Musical Fidelity A3cr preamp, Audio Valve ppp45 amps, and Audio Physic Tempo speakers. (You can click on my system for more details.)

Please let me know if you have any suggestions!

Michael
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g_m_c
443 posts
 
check to make sure your turntable is dead level.
svb4424783
9 posts
 
can't believe that the guy you bought the table from said only 10% of records you'll buy will sound good. god, what a jerk! ok, so here goes...do everything everyone else here has already suggested. clean them records good...find out how. either here or audio asylum...means either buying a good cleaning maching(my recommendation) or using the disc doctor system. anything less than these suggestions and you've got challenges. also, make sure that your stylus is clean. get a good cleaner for that. either extremephono stylus cleaner, disc doctor, or last. all kinds of junk can get on it, even after you clean the records reallyh well. make sure everyting is level. get a bubble level from any hardware store. and yeah, make sure that the cart is in right, aligned, tracking force and tracking angle are good. again, check in at audioasylum.com, go the vinyl area, do some searches, and you'll learn a lot. you have a very good table. assuming the cart is good, it is capable of great things. i own the mmf-7, the next one up, and love it madly. if you want to put up with the inital roadwork, you'll be rewarded. if not, there's always the digital solution.
good luck!
hifimaniac
507 posts
 
Until you get it right, lay off playing your best lps. No use having to replace them due to permanent damage.
viridian's avatar
viridian
4,184 posts
 
Something is terribly wrong. Most records, used or otherwise sound fine. First thing is to do some tests. Reverse the leads on the phono input at the back of the MF. You said that the right channel was worse, if the left channel is now worse it is a table setup matter, if the right channel is still worse, your phono preamp has a problem. Check to make sure that the ground wire is solidly attached to the grounding screw. If it is the table, and you have verified correct tracking force, anti-skate and overhang then the next thing to do is screw with arm height. Lower the arm a very small amount at the pivot point and report your results. Finally, you might consider posting what city you live in and one of the sorry asses that spends too much time on this forum might be glad to help. Hell, if you live in Portland, OR I'll be over this evening. You buy the beer; I'll bring the records.
Marty
benthar
42 posts
 
If the exact same turntable sounded great at the dealers then the problem is not with the records, it's got to be some sort of setup issue. Unless you changed any of the anti-skate, tracking force, etc. since he had it playing you can rule those out too. Look for things that changed when you moved the table.

1) you might be using a preamp with a different mm/mc loading than the one at the dealers - see if it's adjustable to a more precise degree

2) the table might not be as level as it was at the dealers

3) it might be placed on a different surface that at the dealers - actually my first thought. the way the support stand resonates or doesn't resonate is one of the biggest determining factors of vinyl playack. Describe to us how you have your system configured. Some of the "big" mail order places (needle doctor / audio advisor etc..) will have advise and equipment for such isolation.

dont give up...even records with wear can be quite enjoyable. 10% was not an accurate figure :^)
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