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Ortofon MC A90 Cartridge VTF

I just spent the weekend at mikelavigne's where we did a comparison with three turntables all using the same Ortofon MC A90 cartridges. We had the cartridges setup at the recommended VTF and they did not all have the same amount of break-in time on them. I decided to see what would happen when we lightened the cartridges up.

We started on the first table and the weight was about 2.25. We lessened the weight until I thought that the sound really locked in. By the time we were done on the first turntable, the VTF was at around 1.56. When we did the second table we got the weight all the way down to 1.92. On the third table it ended up best at about 2.01.

All parties (myself, Mike and Steve) agreed that lightening up the carts really opened things up quite a bit without loss of bass. The inner detail and delicacy inreased as did speed and dynamics.

I called Ortofon and am awaiting a response but I was wondering if those of you who own this cartridge have gone outside the recommended range and if you could share your experiences.

There is more to read about this if you want under mikelavigne's system thread.
jtinn
vetterone's avatar
vetterone
154 posts
 
Hi Andrew,

Great question about VTF changes from one arm to another using the same cart. Mike had wondered the same thing during our trials. The A90 I had at Mike's with about 40 hours of use, was most happy on the Reed at 1.92 g. The same cart was installed on a Tri-Planar when I got home and the sonic sweet spot for that combination was 2.25 g.

Steve
tbg
5,263 posts
 
Vetterone, when you say "sweet spot" you seem to suggest that you could go lower but that the sound was not as good. Would the A90 in the Tri-Planar track at a lower tracking weight, but not sound as good?

I guess I am old guard. I set everything up accurately including the manufacturer's recommended tracking weight. Then I reduced the tracking weight downward until I got mistracking. Often I used the Shure record, but at least once I used an oscilloscope to look at the wave forms. Then I focused on the VTA.

Norm
mikelavigne
1,274 posts
 
Norm,

i don't presume to be at Steve's level in cartridge set-up proceedure.

i had my 120 hour A90 on that same Triplaner arm that Steve used on his 40 hour A90. we had had it set at 2.21 grams in my system on the Garrard. we had tried VTF's down to 2.0 grams and as high as 2.40 grams. for that cartridge on that arm in my system 2.21 was ideal. a few hours after removing it from that Triplaner and installing it on the Reed 2P we measured an ideal VTF as 1.56 grams for that exact same cartridge.

manufacturers set-up recommendations are 'suggestions'. you must listen. obviously if there is mis-tracking with too light a VTF that's a problem and that must be avoided. but it's right if it sounds best. i can see that too heavy a VTF at extremes needs to be avoided....as you can collapse the cartridge suspension.

i tracked my vdH Colibris from 1.30 grams to 1.45 grams and never had any mis-tracking. evidently the Reed 2P/A90 combo has some sort of synergy going where it's happy at 1.56 grams....at least that particular Reed 2P with that particular A90.
tbg
5,263 posts
 
Mikelavigne, it sounds like for this cartridge, the Reed has the optimum resonance frequency. I will soon be getting a Bergman tt and will be able to see where I need to see how low a tracking force I can use as well as what VTA is optimal.

In some respects the "everything fixed" approach of Shindo was a good deal easier, but allowed little experimentation. One had to accept Ken Shindo's judgment.
rauliruegas
9,123 posts
 
Dear Mikelavigne: All those differences in VTF seems to me that explain the intimate relationship between cartridge/tonearm/TT that are different in each set up, what is a " surprise " to me is that down/below the VTF manufacturer range the cartridge still performs on " target " with centered coils. Probably at that VTF set up are still centered.

Btw, what happen with the Jtinn question on the subject to Ortofon? has he already an answer?

Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul.
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