VPI Traveler - nickel on the headshell worked wonders!
A better option! I use them to add mass to my SME 309! http://www.ebay.com/itm/2-Pack-Tonearm-Headshell-Cartridge-Spacer-3-gram-Weights-for-most-turntables... Or this! http://www.musicdirect.com/p-7669-vpi-stainless-steel-headshell-weight-for-jmw-tonearms-3-gms.aspx |
I trust you are rebalancing the arm when you add the nickel. A nickel weighs 5 grams. If your not, coupled to the VTF that the arm should be set at, 1.5-2.2 grams depending on your cartridge, that’s a lot of force on top of your records! I can’t imagine this kind of weight doing your records any good. Or the suspension and the cantilevers. Are you sure the VTF was set properly for either of your cartridges? Also, what kind of alignment protractor are you using? I use the Baerwald alignment on my Traveler and the manufacturers recommended tracking force and have no problems with my Traveler - just pure, unleashed music. The Traveler is a HiFi deck; not a DJ deck. It shouldn’t need nickels or even pennies on top of it’s headshell,. Especially with the cartridges your using. The effective mass of the Travelers tonearm is a perfect match for the compliance ratings of the cartridges you are using. You may want to look at another solution. Good luck to you brother. |
What Paraneer said. Assuming you did have the good sense to re-set VTF after adding the nickel to your headshell, the results you got suggest that there was a priori a mismatch between the effective mass of the tonearm and the compliance of either or both of the cartridges in question. (Because adding the nickel would dramatically increase tonearm effective mass.) It would be a good idea to find out what those parameters are for your equipment and to then determine whether this is a possible explanation. If there is no issue of compliance/effective mass mismatch, then possibly you need to remove the nickel and start over with setting up the alignment and VTF. (A quality VTF gauge is a good investment for anyone interested in vinyl.) This cure could be worse than the disease in the long run, for your LPs. |
Yogiboy - thanks for the links. I thought I'd try the nickel first to see what difference it made, but will definitely buy a headshell weight. Paraneer - yes, I reset the tracking force after placing the nickel on the headshell. I had resisted trying any additional weight because I knew that both cartridges were good matches with the tonearm. I really don't know what the problem is that requires the additional weight. I use the Geodisc alignment tool. I've checked the platter, and it is level. The tonearm is level when it's on the record, and I've been using the recommended tracking force, sometime a tenth of a gram higher to compensate for the lack of anti-skate. I didn't know what else to try, and the nickel seems to have solved everything. Very odd. Scott |
Another item you can add to the headshell, one proving damping as well as mass, is the little lead weight sold at fishing supply shops. It is a thin rectangle about 1/2" X 3/4" X 1/8" (thick), with double-sided tape on one side. Just attach it via the tape to the top of your headshell, or maybe even between the bottom of the headshell and the cartridge. |
