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Benz LP cartridge distortion - any advise?

I recently purchased a BENZ LP cartridge here on Audiogon and I am having a frustrating time dialing it in. The main issue is with an unpleasant amount distortion and sibilance heard on vocals. It can also be heard on some brass instruments. Other instrumentation (guitars, bass, drums, etc) sounds clear.

This is my first cartridge of this caliber and I have read that dialing it in takes some work, but I have reached a point where I need to ask for some help. I wonder if someone who is more experienced with this cartridge might be able to give me some direction.

Here is what I am working with:

Benz LP cartridge (original, not the current “S” class), purchased used with 100 hours, currently tracking at 1.9 grams (alignment was performed with a MINT tractor)
VPI Classic turntable with JMW 10.5i tonearm
Graham Slee Elevator, currently loading at 1000 ohms
EAR 834p phono stage
McIntosh MA6600 amplifier
B&W Nautilus 804 speakers

Adjustments in VTA don’t seem to help eliminate the sibilance or distortion.

I appreciate any advise.
woodvale
elizabeth
6,726 posts
 
I (personally) would question the seller. If it was sold knowing the cart was bad for some reason and they just dumped it on you? Is the problem 'serious' that is unlistenable? or just a minor 'fussy' sort? If the former, no cart should be behaving like that and i would start wondering about the motive for selling it. If the latter, then you have my sympathies...
There was a big spate over on another site that actually spilled out on to here over a used cart that was sold and the new owner had big trouble with getting it set up. In that case the seller absolutely would not consider taking it back. i wonder if you could return it to the seller? Or, (again) is the problem small enough that you are trying to work it out yourself?
audiolui
280 posts
 
Have you adjusted azimuth at all? This cartridge shouldn't have lots of sibilance. Try an LP that you know doesn't have much sibilance and see what happens. If still problem and azimuth already adjusted, then it could be defective.
steveaustin
56 posts
 
Does the distortion seem to favor one channel over the other (i.e. are you hearing it more in the left channel or more in the right)? If so, you might also spend some time making some anti-skate adjustments. Distortion in the left (inside) channel could be too much anti-skate, and in the right (outside) channel could indicate too little anti-skate [I think I've got these right - someone jump in if I've got them backwards]

I have a few records where I always seem to get a little distortion in one channel or another in certain spots, and of course I got all concerned about my cartidge and settings when I first noticed it (especially since the distortion wasn't occurring during any particularly dynamic passages). Since I found that it was occurring consistently in the same places on these particular records, I now attribute it to either a pressing failure (in the case of records I purchased new) or perhaps damage in those particular spots by previous owners of the record (in the case of records I bought used).

I'm just hoping this is the case and not that you got a bum cartridge.
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