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Cartridge Replacement? Denon DP-30L(S) + AKG P10ED

N

NorcoExtreme

New Member
Picked up a Denon DP-30L with an AKG P10ED cartridge. When playing, the sound can get a bit crackly and seems like it's skipping from the track.

Do I need to replace the cartridge or re-do the weight and anti-skate? Currently the tracking weight is 1.8 and the anti-skate is 2. Those were set from the previous owner and I haven't adjusted them.

Thanks!
 
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Have you measured the tracking weight? Or are you going on the marks on the counterweight.
 
The AKG P10ED is not a common cartridge. I took a look at a few write ups. One said it was a nice cartridge but that the suspension tends to harden up with age. That might explain your experience with it. It might be worth doing some reading about this cartridge. The "P" suggests that it is a P mount cartridge. If so, tracking force should between 1 and 1.5 grams normally.
 
Here’s some pictures of the cartridge and weights. I don’t have a scale so it’s just based on the counterweight marks.

IMG_1964.jpegIMG_1947.jpegIMG_1946.jpegIMG_1965.jpeg
 
I would do these two things first before throwing in the towel on the Cartridge.

First, clean the Stylus. Don't worry about using something like 91% IPA Alcohol, it likely won't hurt, it would be a plus if you have a Stylus Brush. If not, use a old soft Toothbrush. Don't drown the Brush or Cartridge.
Wipe from back to front.

Next, re-balance the Tonearm, first neutrally float the arm, re-set Counterweight Dial to zero, and then adjust till you have exactly 2g weight. 1.8g might be a little light. Adjust Antiskate Dial to about 1.5g.

Go from there. I once had the exact same Turntable, I bought it for my Mother to enjoy.
 
In the past I've had several AKG cartridges. I was employed by an audio retail chain that carried AKG cartridges (and headphones) so was able to try out a few different ones. Not many were sold but the P10 sold the most. In general, AKG cartridges were "low riders" so did not do well with warped LP's. Other than that, they sounded OK but did not wean me off Shure and Stanton.

As was mentioned, the suspension suffers from age. Time is not kind to AKG cartridges. I sold my last AKG (P25), some years ago and have not had the urge to acquire another. I recall AKG styli being scarce 15 years ago and suspect they have not gotten more accessible. Because of the suspension issue, I imagine a NOS stylus,if ever encountered, would be someting to avoid.
 
62vauxhall said:
In the past I've had several AKG cartridges. I was employed by an audio retail chain that carried AKG cartridges (and headphones) so was able to try out a few different ones. Not many were sold but the P10 sold the most. In general, AKG cartridges were "low riders" so did not do well with warped LP's. Other than that, they sounded OK but did not wean me off Shure and Stanton.

As was mentioned, the suspension suffers from age. Time is not kind to AKG cartridges. I sold my last AKG (P25), some years ago and have not had the urge to acquire another. I recall AKG styli being scarce 15 years ago and suspect they have not gotten more accessible. Because of the suspension issue, I imagine a NOS stylus,if ever encountered, would be someting to avoid.
Click to expand...
Thanks! What does NOS stand for?
 
I loved the original AKG cartridges, -clean fast, and balanced - but the thing that made them special was the suspension- the pivot was a thin piece of metal with a hole in it through which the cantilever passed, with a thin layer of elastomer to hold it (I believe there was a sort of boot at the rear to damp the system). This made the imaging outstandingly precise, but it also made them very much affected by aging - there was no protective layer on the outside of the damper block. So AKG essentially had to withdraw the entire line.
I believe your cartridge is of the newer redesigned range of cartridges, which I've never heard. I believe they are relative rare - I think AKG as a cartridge maker never recovered from the bad PR and then the rise of moving coils and then the CD.
I bought a P8es from an AKer who had treated the suspension with oil of wintergreen, which damaged the cosmetics, clouding the clear plastic, but did revive the suspension. It sounded great, but then one coil went. I've recently acquired another body from a different AKer, and will be trying it out soon.
All this is to say, if you can find an inexpensive stylus, it might be worth buying, but a different cartridge would probably be a safer choice. But don't toss the cartridge - later on you might want to try to revive it or you might come across a new stylus.
 
I know some may balk, and I admit myself I didn't get really deep on the DP-30L I bought for my Mom to enjoy. (I bought for $100 from ebay, like new condition, and I sold it for $100 after my Mother's passing)

But I did at least dial in the Arm, and simply checked the alignment with a simple Mofi Geodisc I had.

Still, Table set up with this one is really no different than if it's a $10,000.00 Turntable. Same checks-tests needed-applied if you wish to get the best from it. I believe mine had some cheapo Denon Cartridge, likely elliptical. Played nice though her Sansui 7000, and B&W DM-302 Speakers.

Sure, I went through the whole table for her, top to bottom.

Crackling can be more than just a dirty stylus, one has to run down the line by process of elimination, do the checks, and go from there. Cabling, etc etc to pinpoint the cause.

And often VTF can be an issue. I once installed a brand new $3,000 ZYX Airy 3 on my VPI Table, was so anal with everything, but had initial issues. Sibilance. Tony Benett sounded drunk! LOL

Only one setting I screwed up, I stupidly set VTF too light to 1.7g, and factory suggested setting was 2g.
Just an easy change of ,3g made an entire world of difference. After some further eyes and ears, and listening, I came to realize I had bought one killer cartridge with performance that was so startling, I then knew where the money I spent went! Wow!

Your table is a decent entry level table, easy to live with, I liked it, was easy to work on, reliable, and sounded just fine. I would say one of the Table's biggest weaknesses was it was a bit more prone to some acoustic vibration and definitely helped to have it on a good table-base.

I still have 2 other Denon Tables, both DP-2550. These are of course much better tables, but the DP-30L would/could benefit with some worthy entry level Audio Technica-Denon-etc MM Cartridge, it could be a pretty good performer,
 
markd51 said:
I would do these two things first before throwing in the towel on the Cartridge.

First, clean the Stylus. Don't worry about using something like 91% IPA Alcohol, it likely won't hurt, it would be a plus if you have a Stylus Brush. If not, use a old soft Toothbrush. Don't drown the Brush or Cartridge.
Wipe from back to front.

Next, re-balance the Tonearm, first neutrally float the arm, re-set Counterweight Dial to zero, and then adjust till you have exactly 2g weight. 1.8g might be a little light. Adjust Antiskate Dial to about 1.5g.

Go from there. I once had the exact same Turntable, I bought it for my Mother to enjoy.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the tips. I cleaned the stylus and re-balanced the tonearm. Still disappointed with not as clear sound as I was hoping! I hooked up the turntable I was using previously, Pioneer PL-30-K with AT3600 cartridge, and it sounded more clear.
 
Thanks for the replies! I'm going to pick up a new cartridge and keep the AKG for future considerations.

Based on other posts, looks like Ortofon 2M Red, AT-VM95E, or Nagaoka MP-110 are considerations.
 
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