DesertTwang
Active Member
I recently installed an AT 440MLa cartridge in my Pioneer PL-540 turntable. It replaced the stock AT 3600 cartridge, which I had fitted with an aftermarket stylus (DE211 from turntableneedles.com). After about a year, that stylus was slanted to the right (when viewing the cartridge head-on), i.e. toward the outer radius of the record. I ascribed that slant to a lack in antiskating force. I used to have it at about 75% of the VTF.
I didn't want to make the same mistake with the new cartridge, so I tried adjusting anti-skate by ear, but there is absolutely no difference to be heard, even when it's dialed all the way back to 0, or added all the way (4).
Next, I tried to set the anti-skate force with the visual method, i.e. by watching the cantilever veer inward or outward as it lowers into the groove. The problem is that it doesn't under most settings. If anything, the cantilever wants to slant ever so slightly outward even at higher settings than recommended by Pioneer.
The only noticeable difference in slant is when I set the ASF to either 0 or all the way to 4. According to this method, the correct setting is at "3," which is twice than the recommended value (VTF = 1.4).
I verified the AS is working by zeroing the arm and floating it. Turning the AS dial in that situation results in a vigorous swing toward the outside, so it definitely isn't broken.
Could it be that due to its age, the AS mechanism has weakened? The problem is that I have no clue how the mechanism actually works. If it's a spring of some kind, I could see how it gets weaker over time.
In other words, how concerned should I be about an AS setting this high?
I didn't want to make the same mistake with the new cartridge, so I tried adjusting anti-skate by ear, but there is absolutely no difference to be heard, even when it's dialed all the way back to 0, or added all the way (4).
Next, I tried to set the anti-skate force with the visual method, i.e. by watching the cantilever veer inward or outward as it lowers into the groove. The problem is that it doesn't under most settings. If anything, the cantilever wants to slant ever so slightly outward even at higher settings than recommended by Pioneer.
The only noticeable difference in slant is when I set the ASF to either 0 or all the way to 4. According to this method, the correct setting is at "3," which is twice than the recommended value (VTF = 1.4).
I verified the AS is working by zeroing the arm and floating it. Turning the AS dial in that situation results in a vigorous swing toward the outside, so it definitely isn't broken.
Could it be that due to its age, the AS mechanism has weakened? The problem is that I have no clue how the mechanism actually works. If it's a spring of some kind, I could see how it gets weaker over time.
In other words, how concerned should I be about an AS setting this high?