zyx universe cartr.- ideal weight -ideal vta ,

Doug, I liked the way you've said that, "Smothers Responsiveness". You analogy makes much logical sense to me about VTA, and Anti-Skate. Your words hit home, thank you for putting it into words than even I can understand.

So many disbelievers seem to speak about "fairies dancing on a head of a pin", and whatnot when speaking about all things "analog".

Your logical suggestions, and advice we have talked about in private.

My Benz Ruby 3 is finally starting to sound like a good Cartridge, it's not sounding "quite so broken" anymore, and sometime soon, I will try your suggestions of O-rings as well, lessening VTF, try to ignore the Digital VTF Scale (within reason), and let my ears be the final judge.

Makes mucho sense that excessive VTF, and Anti-Skate, even if ever so slight, may not serve much benefit.

Doug, are you still calling minimal anti-skating on the Triplanar 5 O-rings?

I am using 1.95 VTF. Anything below and you can hear it.

On my lesser ZYX, I run it at 1.86 =/-.01. Much less and there added sibilance and much more is a bit congested.

I'm responding to Marisplunge, Dgad and Mt10425 together because they're all talking about, "Where do you play right now?"

A funny thing happened with our UNIverse this summer. Until then both our UNIverses (we're on #2) performed best in a VTF range between 1.90g (in the summer) and 2.15g (in the winter). Our changeable climate causes changes in any cartridge and that's been the range for the UNIverses. With anti-skating we were always between 4 and 6 O-rings, varying with VTF and also with individual LP's.

This June or July the mistracking point suddenly began dropping and the sweet spot dropped right along with it. Last year if I'd tried to play a record below 1.90 I'd have gotten mistracking for sure. Yet all of a sudden I found myself using VTF's of 1.85, 1.80, 1.75 and even 1.70! I was also able to reduce antiskating to 3 O-rings, then 2.

What's going on?! The cartridge has 1,000+ hours on it and all of a sudden it's breaking in? I guess that's possible. In June we switched to AIVS from another cleaning fluid that left a lubricant film in the grooves. This film acted as a shock absorber for the stylus. Since the stylus wasn't reaching full extension (and it wasn't, our dynamics with AIVS are hugely improved) the suspension wasn't being fully excercised. I think getting the grooves truly clean has finally allowed our cartridge to fully break in.

Last night, despite temps that would have required 2.00g and 5-6 O-rings a year ago, I played fairly dynamic LP's successfully (gloriously) at 1.65g of VTF and just 1 O-ring! When we played one of our toughest tracking LP's (Ashkenazy/Beethoven sonata #1/London) I finally had to use a bit more force. I moved VTF "up" to 1.68g and used 2 O-rings for antiskating. Result? The best tracking and playing performance we've ever had on this LP.

So, if your records are really clean then at some point in your ZYX's life it may start tracking better at lower VTF's and with less antiskating than you've come to expect. The sonic result is a further improvement, so we fairies all have to stay on our toes to balance on that pin! ;-)

Interesting read Doug, and in relation to this whole thread, and what has been written, do you feel then, that such minor changes of .01-.03g (and such) in VTF (with the UNIverse in particular) may be somewhat not only affecting the Stylus-groove interface itself, but also how precise the Coils are situated within the Cartridge itself as well?

You very last post seems to suggest this, in that the suspension appears to have further broken in, and a lower VTA was optimum for Coil Centering within the Cartridge. (do correct me if I'm wrong about these possible assumptions).

If I am so far on the right track with this thinking-reasoning, then could it also be a viable reason why a Cartridge like the ZYX UNIverse may be slightly more sensitive in this regard of VTF changes in comparison with other fine MC Cartridges? Thanks, Mark (PS: I sure do love topics like this, as it's the know-nots like me that learn something! lol)

Hmm,this concept of tracking force being a bit lower,if LP's are really clean "really" turns me on!Never even thought of "that one"!Damn good assumption,with the amazing sensitivities of the best MC's!!I LOVE it!!Makes total sense!!!
Sadly I won't be able to check this out for two reasons...#1 I am in the process of ordering my Phantom,
(back-ordered,and just my luck,so what else is new).#2 I am usually quite lazy with wet cleaning my LP's,even though I have a good cleaning machine.
BTW,for those interested parties...this afternoon,as my wife and daughter left me to fend for myself(in a Barnes and Noble)while they tortured me with the typical weekend shop(lengthly),I just happened to come by the latest issue of some British audio journal(one of the more popular ones,and I forgot exactly which one.....SORRY!!).Here,I noticed something very interesting(to many on these threads).It certainly was to me,as I truly believe that the biggest advances in home "quality" audio(to me,at least) are the "devices" responsible for what goes on in in the actual "groove".This is just my silly opinion,though!
ZYX has a new design out(according to what I read)which seems to be a darn good idea,and though very pricey,I wonder if it will find it's conceptual way into the "UNI".
This is the elimination of the side-walls, amongst other things like coil refinements,etc(as I understand it,which may not be totally acurate,since I am no "maven",but quite a fan).The NEW design is called the "4D"...COOL name!!Price advertised was 2250 British pounds.
I'm left to wonder if this is below the superb "UNI",or if it is(as I assume)will there be some refinements made to the "UNI",in the not too distant future.

Best to all(almost) -:)

today i am tracking at 1.81 with cartridge eye balled level with lp.
but if you really want to take your universe to another level please get a nanomount system. O my goodness.
BTW now that i am using walkers lp cleaning system i think this vtf is possible.