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Integrating a new turntable into existing system and having sound quality problems...

Hi, I just a purchased a brand new turntable a Project Carbon debut and a Project Phono Box and integrated them into my existing stereo system and have run into some sound quality issues.


Problems

1. The first album I played was a brand new Diana Krall Wallflower album.  Her voice seemed very thin and crackly (not the traditional cracks and pops of vinyl) which was surprising given her voice is so smooth when listening to her CDs.  I brought the album back to the store and they played it on their cheap system and it seemed to work fine.

2. None of the other albums had the same level of thinness and tininess as the diana Krall album but they all seemed light on bass compared to listening to CDs on the same system.

3. One odd thing i noticed on the Diana Krall album was that my tonearm kept wanting to come off the album at the start rather than grab a groove and work inwards.  not a problem i have experienced with the other 6 albums I have been playing.


My Setup

Rotel RCD 991 as a transport

Bryston Dac

Mastersound compact 845 integrated - Single end triode with 2x30 watts

Pioneer speakers S-03EX - their TAD  trickle down speakers - not the usual Pioneer speaker


I added the Project Carbon Debut, plugged into the Project Phono Box, plugged into the AUX input of the integrated amp (therefore I am using both the pre and power functions of the integrated)


Any help on troubleshooting the poor sound quality issue would be appreciated.  I wasn't sure if it was related to

1. vinyl sounds like crap compared to CD (not likely) but it does in the Diana krall situation

2. is it just the wrong synergy of the system?

3. is the turntable not good enough to match the quality of the amp and speakers?

4. are there adjustments that I should be making to the tonearm to have more down ward force to pick up more bass???

5.do I need a higher quality phono stage?

6. should I get a higher quality phono pre amp and skip the pre amp stage in my integrated - although I assume given the build quality of my integrated, I would need to pay a pretty penny to get a comparable or better stand alone phono preamp.


Any input would be greatly appreciated.


Thanks

vwman111
minkwelder
191 posts
 
I don’t know why you’re experiencing problems only with the Diana Krall album, but it sounds as if you have not set the proper Vertical Tracking Force (VTF). I'm assuming you installed the tonearm counterweight which is packaged separately in the carton. If you did, you still need to adjust VTF. This is done with the counterweight.

Check your instruction manual for the procedure.
almarg's avatar
Ag insider logo xs@2x
almarg
8,673 posts
 
None of the other albums had the same level of thinness and tininess as the diana Krall album but they all seemed light on bass compared to listening to CDs on the same system.
In addition to the possibility that Minkwelder suggested, these symptoms could be caused by a polarity reversal on one (and only one) channel. In other words, if the white and blue cartridge connections are interchanged, OR if the red and green connections are interchanged.

One odd thing i noticed on the Diana Krall album was that my tonearm kept wanting to come off the album at the start rather than grab a groove and work inwards. not a problem i have experienced with the other 6 albums I have been playing.
Try reducing the anti-skating force, especially if when you view the cartridge from the front while the stylus is in the groove of a ROTATING record the cantilever is visibly deflected to the left, relative to the approximately straight-ahead position it probably assumes when the stylus is lifted off of the record. Try to set the anti-skating force such that there is no visible left or right deflection of the cantilever when the stylus is in the groove of a rotating record, relative to its position when the stylus is lifted off of the record. I think that your turntable may only provide 3 choices for the anti-skating setting; if so choose whichever setting minimizes that deflection of the cantilever. If the resulting setting conflicts with the one recommended in the turntable manual for the tracking force that is being used, ignore the manual’s recommendation.

Regards,
-- Al

bdp24's avatar
bdp24
4,908 posts
 
I would take the table and the LP into the store, play the album on your table and the store's "cheap system" for a comparison, and ask the staff to look for the problem (part of the price you paid for the table is for service). I'm assuming the store you referred to is where you purchased the Project.
rar1's avatar
rar1
1,578 posts
 
The Project Debut Carbon comes with an Ortofon Red cartridge.  I am not sure which model Project phono box you purchased.  If it is the Phono Box DC, is there any chance that you have the MC/ MM switch set to MC, should be MM?  

Rich 

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