Left Channel LP Distortion

What Dan_Ed said^^^

The actual A/S setting you can get away with is cartridge- and tonearm-specific, but the underlying concept is valid for any cartridge.

Every A/S device in existence is based on inherently flawed engineering. They all pretend to counteract forces pulling inward on the STYLUS by pulling outward on the TONEARM. (A correctly engineered A/S device would pull outward on the CANTILEVER - good luck building that!)

The lateral pull of A/S on the toneaarm must be absorbed somewhere, but:
- the stylus is (hopefully) locked in the groove
- the cartridge is locked to the headshell
- the tonearm is locked to the TT.
The ONLY place in this system with any flexibility is the suspension inside the cartridge. Therefore, the lateral pull on the tonearm is absorbed by your cantilever mushing into the suspension.

Your cantilever is supposed to be tracing the most delicate undulations in the groove wall, so as to mimic the precise path of the cantilever that held the cutting stylus. But with A/S squashing the cantilever sideways into a pillow guess what happens: speed, high frequency response and micro-dynamic detail all get smothered. (Excessive VTF sounds almost exactly the same, for the same reasons.)

Some A/S is probably necessary for most cartridges to track really difficult passages cleanly, but the amount is far lower than is commonly applied. I use 3 tiny O-rings, which weigh only 11% as much as the metal A/S weight that comes with the TriPlanar. IOW, I've reduced A/S by nearly 90%.

And forget test records, unless you listen to music that sounds like a test record. Use your ears.

Joe Grado said to me not to use anti-skate that is was an unnessary evil. Funny thing though when I bought one of his wonderful tonearms a couple years later it had an anti-skate adjustment. Tom

How are you going to sell tonearms if you don't have anti-skate adjustment..that's why Harry at VPI has a device for his. Thedudiotweak..Did you know Joe? Did you know that he sang with the Met? Nice guy!!

Lewn...damping - to use it or not...is not an indication that your tonearm is right for the cartridge you use. Some cartridges require some, some cartridges require none, and some require lots. I have a Benz on a VPI, and indeed some damping makes the cartridge sound better...too much is harmful to the sound, too little and it can be improved. Experiment and listen. Having more VTF is usually better than too little. It sounds as though you have too little

Stringreen, I spoke to Mr. Grado several times about his cartridges, headphones and tonearm. He always took my calls and was there on the job. He was very outspoken and dynamic in his beliefs in his work and his designs. Certainly nothing wrong in that. The midrange quality of his designs were a direct reflection of his vocal skills. Tom