Sibilance

[unfairlane]

Another side of this; if you have any kind of "battery-eliminators" at the same course as your system, move them away. All kinds of trafos makes a lot of electric noise and will make your system sound hard.

https://www.instrumart.com/assets/Fluke-BE9005-and-120_200.jpg

 

[Bugler]

Superampman, I have not thought of moving the actual wire loop. I would do that by loosening the screw and moving the wire? I can try it.



Bugler, I have a mirror alignment protractor. How would I use that to set proper azimuth? By sight?

Yes. By sight. You want the real cantilever and the reflected image to be in a straight line when viewed from the front.

 

[arcamguy1]

Hi group,
Update: still not 100% dialed-in on this TT; it's had moments sounding wonderful (generally new records) and others where sibilance drives me up the wall (on some used records...cleaned with Spin Clean/Music Doctor/Mobile Fidelity fluids);

Just to recap, if anyone wants to chime-in:

-alignment: the MMF 7.3 has a Pro-ject 9cc carbon fiber tonearm; it appears aligned, using the protractor supplied by Music Hall. This uses alignment for a 9" tonearm; are other alignments (Baerwald/Lofgren/Stevenson) better?

-VTF: bought a digital scale: the cartridge is a Goldring Elite, set to the nominal 1.7g.

-azimuth: according to the Fozgometer, it's as close as I can get it.

-VTA: I have not adjusted this. The arm appears parallel to the platter. I am using a Herbie's platter mat appropriate for the MMF 7.3.

-anti-skate: set to the middle notch, which is what the Pro-ject directions indicate for the downforce of the cartridge.

Suggestions appreciated...

 

[sqlsavior]

Any hint of free play in the tonearm bearings? That can cause sibilance.

Since you complain about inner grooves being worse, Stevenson may be worth a try, if possible.

I'd try the stock mat, adjusting VTA from 1/8" tail-up, moving down in 1/32" increments, to 1/8" tail-down. If it sounds good along the way, you can stop!

 

[malden]

I used to experience sibilance occasionally. I finally eliminated it by figuring out that the cause was due to a stylus of too high compliance for a medium mass tone-arm.

 

[arcamguy1]

Any hint of free play in the tonearm bearings? That can cause sibilance.

Since you complain about inner grooves being worse, Stevenson may be worth a try, if possible.

I'd try the stock mat, adjusting VTA from 1/8" tail-up, moving down in 1/32" increments, to 1/8" tail-down. If it sounds good along the way, you can stop!

I will try the stock mat, along with VTA. On this tonearm, the hex screws are very tight so I need to proceed on VTA with care. Regarding tonearm bearings, how would i notice that? The tonearm seems fine.

 

[arcamguy1]

Malden,
The effective mass of the tonearm is 8.5g; the dynamic compliance of the Goldring Elite is 18mm/N. Mismatch?

 

[jrtrent]

How much experimenting with vertical tracking force and antiskate have you tried? I think I read earlier in the thread that you tried 1.8 grams but haven't experimented with antiskate. If you haven't tried it yet, I'd suggest going up to the 2 gram tracking force limit and trying out all the antiskate options, including removing the antiskate weight altogether. It won't hurt to try your options, but, as another poster suggested, it could simply be that your cartridge is reading previous damage to used records, especially since you've said that you have moments of wonderful sound on new records and drive-you-up-the-wall experiences with some used records.

Another possibility is that some cartridges deal with sibilance in a more ear-friendly way than others. I've been happy with the modest Shure M97xE, about which TNT-Audio wrote, "The treble, while subdued, is quite pure, undistorted, and unstressed. Sibilance is handled well, troublesome 'S'es being reduced to a soft (dutch) 'ch'. This surely is a friendly-sounding cartridge!" It might seem an odd thing to put so inexpensive a cartridge on a good quality turntable, but it's good turntables that are able to wring so much performance out of a modest cartridge. Robert Greene, reviewing the $4000 Technics SL1200G for The Absolute Sound, used his own sample of the M97xE, and excerpts of his experience include, "I used an Ortofon Blue (supplied by Ortofon) and a Shure M97xE (of my own). . . With the Shure cartridge mounted in the SL-1200G, the playback presented itself with stunning immediacy and precision. . . The sound was very detailed and resolution was superb . . . Also striking here was the perceived resolution of spatial information. . . Menotti’s marvelous pizzicato accompaniments were plucked with total precision, voices were solid and articulate, and the music was well-defined in addition to being beautiful . . . Turning to Belafonte at Carnegie Hall [RCA LSO-6006], “All My Trials” (another heart-toucher if there ever was one), the back-up musicians were totally articulated, the voice seemed perfect."

 

[gusten]

I have not tested this needle cut. It ought to be very good with tracking difficult passages, but who knows. Sibilances mustn't only be depending on needle cut. Another thing is it's always good to how the sound is, a file will help.

A sharp enough needle is in reality needed to never experience sibilances due to mistracking, and a high enough VTF. Remember the VTF is the only force that keeps the needle in real contact with the groove walls.