MT10 alignment questions

Today I have received an answer from Clearaudio to the same questions as Mcintosh.

Dear Andrew,

thanks for your feedback regarding the McIntosh turntable.
I’ll give you some answers from our point of view, please note that this is not an official announcement by McIntosh.
So let have a look:

1. As I wrote above my MT10 has a figure 6 at the end of the model name - MT-10-6 (factory number is YJ1839). It means a 6 generation or what?
1.The model name is MT10-6 since a long time, I guess it since the beginning of this model. It’s not known to us, if there have been different versions. Although there are slight changes in the parts within the years the name of the turntable never changed.

2. My MT10-6 does NOT have a dot at the top of the tone arm between the n and t, (to which the manual refers as the center of the pivot) Older versions did. I have no idea why mine does not, and it makes using the plastic factory supplied alignment almost useless. I also have a more sophisticated SMARTractor alignment tool with the hanging "nail" which I can't accurately place without that dot. Can You comment why? And what is the way to solve it?
2.The manual of the MT10-6 is still from the early beginnings. The slight changes at the turntable (like the removal of the dot at the top plate of the arm) are not in the manual. All I can tell you, is that the latest models don’t have the dot, you are up to date with your MT10-6.

3) The supplied cartridge is ALLEGEDLY a Clearaudio Talismann V2; however, the recommended tracking force for that cartridge is 2.8g, and the McIntosh literature states that the recommended tracking force for the MCC10 is 2.4g! Also, the output of the Talismann is .7mv and the MCC10 is .5mv!........ YES! Why it is so? Comments?
3.Like I said before, the manual is from the early beginnings. At the beginnings there was a different cartridge in the package of Mt10-6. The current version if with the Talismann V2 cartrdige and that’s why I highly recommend to use the 2.8 g tracking force. You can refer to all out technical specs regarding the cartridge (such as output voltage etc.)

4) I put a cartridge tracking force 2.4 g and faced the problem that my tonearm lift does not go down to the end. How to solve it?
4.Please check again with 2.8. g tracking force. Another tip: move up and down the lift a few times manually to dispense the grease properly, it is necessary for a new unit.

5) And I have problem with speed sensor. The plate is running to slow. I feel the difference in speed very clearly compearing the same records with my previous Clearaudio Concept.
5.What is the display showing? I would recommend to make sure the speed sensor and the stroboscopic ring at the bottom side of the platter is clean. Then check the speed with stroboscopic platter and speedlight and if need be fine-adjust the speed with the potentiometers on the backside of the unit.

With the cartridge situation becomes really interesting......
Yeah, even more confusing| McIntosh says one thing, and Clearaudio says another! Is anyone else bothered that the Clearaudio rep says the manual contains tracking force info. that is purportedly .4g off? This is info. we could have used long ago!
 
Clearaudio rep says the manual contains tracking force info. that is purportedly .4g off? This is info. we could have used long ago!

TF is not set in granite, generally they give a range of something like this 1.4g - 2.0g. And when a cartridge is new you use it on the high side to break it in.
 
... some photos of the adjustment tools and the process...
IMG_5914_zpsxah9vwpe.jpg


IMG_5915_zpsmksqhud3.jpg


IMG_5916_zpsv8hnzmqb.jpg


IMG_5917_zpscf1wfbel.jpg


IMG_5918_zpst3xhfa3k.jpg
 
Today STROBOSCOPE TESTRECORD + SPEED LIGHT (Set AC076) and TRACKABILITY TEST RECORD (LPT 83063) from Clearaudio has arrived. The big advantage of the Clearaudio strobe disc is, that you can place your cartridge onto the strobe record, while measuring the speed, as there are grooves provided on the disc. This means, for the first time a real time speed analysis is possible under realistic circumstances. I checked the speed at my MT10 and it turns that the speed was properly adjusted at the factory.
Big thanks to McIntosh and/or Clearaudio ;-) One vinyl record I use before had a defect and It seems to me that platter is running slow, but after check with mentioned above tools - everything is fine.


FullSizeRender%209_zpshpysp6tl.jpg


IMG_5949_zpsjkzmgeh3.jpg
 
Last edited:
I was and You will be surprised with the attitude to the client from Clearaudio/McIntoch concerning my question on adjustment my MT10 raised in this thread. Giving You last answer from Clearaudio.

Hi Andrew,

I have some news for you.

We got in touch with McIntosh regarding your issues and changes in this details are scheduled.
(I guess you did too, right? J)

To help you out straight forward we would like to offer to send you an additional tool you can use to set up your arm precisely.
On top of that I will see to get you one of the new height gauges to check tonearm height.

Where are you located? Do you mind to tell me your address?

Mit freundlichen Grüßen / Kind regards

i.A.
Stefan Kmuch
Technischer Kundendienst / customer service


Will see what will come ....
 
3) The supplied cartridge is ALLEGEDLY a Clearaudio Talismann V2; however, the recommended tracking force for that cartridge is 2.8g, and the McIntosh literature states that the recommended tracking force for the MCC10 is 2.4g! Also, the output of the Talismann is .7mv and the MCC10 is .5mv!........ YES! Why it is so? Comments?
3.Like I said before, the manual is from the early beginnings. At the beginnings there was a different cartridge in the package of Mt10-6. The current version if with the Talismann V2 cartrdige and that’s why I highly recommend to use the 2.8 g tracking force. You can refer to all out technical specs regarding the cartridge (such as output voltage etc.)

How does one determine when production shifted from the older version of the cartridge to the newer version?
 
Back
Top Bottom