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Help me understand tonearm/cartridge compatibility, please!

Hi everyone,

Once again I'm seeking to educate myself on turntable set-up issues with the help your vast experience.  I only recently came to understand the importance of cartridge loading, and I think I have a decent handle on that.  However, I have been having issues with some new cartridges that I've tried, and my guess is that it is due to cartridge compliance, something I don't have a full grasp of yet.  The following results have held with two different phono stages:

I have a Marantz TT-15s1.  It comes with a tonearm designed by Clearaudio for Marantz and a Clearaudio Virtuoso cartridge.  After I broke the stylus no on the cart I decided to explore some other carts.  I have gotten a wide variety of results, and I am guessing that compliance is the issue.  The Clearaudio cart that comes with the table has a compliance of 15.  

1.  Denon DL 103r (compliance 5)- very thin sound, almost like someone turned down the bass and turned up the treble on a tone control.   

2.  Denon DL 110 (compliance 8)- excellent sound at very moderate volumes - deep sound stage, clear vocals, quick transients.  However, raising the volume to even average levels results in significant high frequency distortion, enough to make things unlistenable. 

3.  Grado Reference Sonata 1 (compliance 20) - this seems to work fine, without distortion.  Frankly, I like the sound of the DL 110 better, but the distortion has let me to stick with the Grado.

So, I am assuming that the compliance of the two Denons is too low for my tonearm and that I should stick to a cart closer to 15+?  

Any thoughts would be appreciated.  Thanks, and happy holidays!
Scott 
smrex13
smrex13 OP
423 posts
 
No phono stage built in to the Naim, nor is there a phono amp built in to the Marantz.  I have looked everywhere for specs on the tonearm that comes with the Marantz, to no avail.  One review called it a Clearaudio Satisfy Tonearm, but that tonearm costs more than the entire Marantz package (table, arm, and $800 cart), so I don't think that's accurate.  

I believe I had the loading right for the Denon 103R, but maybe not...

Scot
almarg's avatar
almarg
8,673 posts
 
Hi Scott,

Would I be correct in assuming that you have been running the DL-110, which is rated at 1.6 mv output under the standard test conditions, into the MM input of the Heed, and that you’ve set the Vincent to MM mode when using it with the DL-110? If not, the added gain resulting from using the phono stages in LOMC mode with the DL-110 could very conceivably account for the distortion you’ve described. Especially given the high sensitivity (= a low sensitivity number, 150 mv in this case) of your Naim integrated amp.

Best regards,
-- Al

smrex13 OP
423 posts
 
Thanks for all your suggestions.  In response to the questions and comments..

1.  Yes, I was using the MM input for both the Heed and the Vincent with the DL-110.  Through the same configurations the Grado with an output of 5.0 mV (vs. 1.6mv for the DL-110) does not distort.   

2.  It's not a case of break-in for the cartridges because the problem is significant distortion.  I should have mentioned that the DL-103 also distorts at higher volumes, but it sounds terrible at every level.    

3.  I have done some tweaking with the arm height, but I'm fairly new to turntable set up.  I have a GeoDisc and a digital stylus force gauge, so I know I'm fairly accurate on those parameters.

Right now I have the Sonata on the 'table which sounds pretty good, but I really preferred the sound of the DL-110, so I'd like to figure out how to make that one work.  

Thanks, Scott

 
inna
5,245 posts
 
Just an idea. Eliminate the speakers, try the headphones and see if the distortion is still there.
In a totally different situation, the other day I was listening to a badly scratched record. In one spot, when the volume was moderate, the stylus went through without skipping, but when I increased the volume it skipped.
But the compliance of your cartridge is low, the arm probably just can't take it when it gets tougher.
yogiboy's avatar
yogiboy
2,678 posts
 
You need to get a test record that has a arm and cartridge resonance frequency band. I use the Shure TTR115 ERA IV.
This can be had on Ebay for less than 20 bucks. It is the most valuable tool you can get for testing arm and cartridge compatibility.
If you have a mismatch with the arm and cartridge you will have a problem till the cows come home!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/SHURE-Audio-Obstacle-Course-ERA-IV-trackabilty-test-record-turntable-cartrid...
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