Does too much tracking force really damage records?
malden
Lunatic Member
High tracking force will not damage a record if the cartridge/stylus are designed for it.
High tracking force may damage your records if the cartridge/stylus were not designed for it.
Using higher than the maximum recommended tracking force may also damage the stylus suspension.
It sounds like your tonearm bearings may not be sensitive enough to track at lighter tracking forces. I would put the original cartridge back and set it to the max recommended.
Only time I had clear damage was when a diamond came OFF the cantilever and the cantilever started shaving a string of vinyl off the record.
Otherwise Ortofon QC hasn't messed up things for me, and I've played on hundreds of turntables.
Wear is a different isue about which enough has been stated in this thread.
Otherwise Ortofon QC hasn't messed up things for me, and I've played on hundreds of turntables.
Wear is a different isue about which enough has been stated in this thread.
tabarddn51
Super Member
Unfortunately, you get what you pay for. We have all fallen into that trap at one time or another, learn & move on.
If you can do some simple DIY & can advise how to overcome the situation.
Cheers
If you can do some simple DIY & can advise how to overcome the situation.
Cheers
It has more value being unmodified.
I'd sell and upgrade. (Most likely to a vintage TT)
I'd sell and upgrade. (Most likely to a vintage TT)
I don't know if there is a "usually." Likely depends on how each manufacturer approaches it. It will be interesting to hear what your dealer says about the possibilities.
One turntable with factory-set antiskate is the Rega Planar 1, and it uses a magnet. I'm reasonably sure that your turntable will work differently, but if you're interested, there is a video online that shows how to change the factory-set antiskate on a Rega. The antiskate adjustment procedure starts about one minute into the video.
A concerning thing to me is that the first step involves removing the center hub from the bearing. Granted I'm not at all a do-it-yourselfer, but I know that my Rega RP3 included this warning in the owner's manual, "Do not lift the centre hub out from the main bearing. The bearing is factory assembled with a film of special thick lubricant. If the centre hub is removed this film may be disturbed and the accuracy of the turntable could be affected."
I'm afraid I misread this post at first, thinking you were just thinking about reinstalling the AT3600L. That is a cartridge I really enjoy, but if you're not happy, there are other cartridge choices to try just to see if you like them better. As I mentioned previously, I think the VM95 body you have sounds great with the ATN-XP3 stylus, which has a recommended tracking force of 3 grams (2-4 gram range) that should work with your arm's factory-set antiskate force. Others in this forum have liked heavier-tracking Ortofons, Shures, and more.Hi. I ended up putting back the default stylus cartridge
It's ok. I'm not happy but it's ok
That stylus is decent enough for my turntable noobishnesh as a starter
I don't know how many hours you have on the 3600L, but if it's not much, it may grow on you over time. One review I agree with said:
"The AT3600L is a sonic delight. It may not be the most accurate or detailed cartridge around, but it is a very easy listen and thoroughly entertaining. Its warm tones and gentle treble will appeal to a lot of people. . . once you’re at home with this cartridge, I imagine an upgrade to be an uncertain path as I have come across few other cartridges that can match its charm."
Audio Technica AT3600L + AT91
Type: Moving Magnet (MM)Stylus: Bonded ConicalCompliance: Low/MediumPrice: £15-25 (AT3600L), £20-30 (AT91) Background The Audio Technica AT3600L is a cartridge that I briefly experienced as the sto…
phono-cartridge-reviews.co.uk
Thomas_AA
Well-Known Member
Studies from the past have shown that higher tracking force is related to increased wear of the record and shorter stylus life. It’s just physics.
With a given cartridge and the suspension compliance there is always a range to stay within. The range is given since each cartridge and stylus of the same model is not the same. The ideal stylus pressure should be when the magnet/coil is centered in the armature.
With a given cartridge and the suspension compliance there is always a range to stay within. The range is given since each cartridge and stylus of the same model is not the same. The ideal stylus pressure should be when the magnet/coil is centered in the armature.
Confused by skating outwards. Skating is an inward force. Not sure what you are describing. The VM95SH should track fine at about 2 grams. The anti skate on a shibata is normally higher than a conical or eliptical at the same tracking force. It is okay to have lower anti skate.
Do you have the manual? All the Argon and Pro0ject tables I looked at have antiskate adjustments - Hanging weight type and manual shows how to adjust it.
The tone arm is setup by rotating the weight until it is balanced, then moving the plastic scale to zero, and the tonearm should still be balanced. Then rotate the whole counterweight to the desired weight.
The antiskate is a hanging weight, and should hang over a rod with notches on it. Again, explained in manual. Pro-ject even has a setup video.
AI thought it was a "rebranded Pro-Ject Debut Carbon EVO". It's not
And it doesn't have anti-skate user setting possibility. So it's fixed to 3-4 grams (for the included stylus AT3600L) and 2 grams is not good, so the VM95SH cannot be used
Now I'm back on the included AT3600L and it sounds fine
And it doesn't have anti-skate user setting possibility. So it's fixed to 3-4 grams (for the included stylus AT3600L) and 2 grams is not good, so the VM95SH cannot be used
Now I'm back on the included AT3600L and it sounds fine
I'd sell the AT-VM95 and then buy a cheap new AT3600L and mount it. They can be had for around $20USD (or less). That record player is specifically engineered for the AT3600L cartridge and presumably uses anti-skate preset for that cartridge. This would explain the arm wanting to move out when trying to set lower VTF for the AT-VM95.
Also, the AT3600L is a conical and conicals can track at much higher VTFs without damaging records. Also, many of us prefer the conical sound. I personally have chosen to run an AT-91, a lighter tracking version of the AT3600L also with a conical tip, on my main turntable even though I have multiple other cartridges in a drawer here, including an AT-VM95SH.
You'll come out dollars ahead and gain proper function and great sound by simply reverting back to the AT3600L set to 3-3.5g. It's a great sounding cartridge and one of the few genuine bargains left in HiFi.
Also, the AT3600L is a conical and conicals can track at much higher VTFs without damaging records. Also, many of us prefer the conical sound. I personally have chosen to run an AT-91, a lighter tracking version of the AT3600L also with a conical tip, on my main turntable even though I have multiple other cartridges in a drawer here, including an AT-VM95SH.
You'll come out dollars ahead and gain proper function and great sound by simply reverting back to the AT3600L set to 3-3.5g. It's a great sounding cartridge and one of the few genuine bargains left in HiFi.
So it's very different than the orginal Argon tables?
I'm afraid I misread this post at first, thinking you were just thinking about reinstalling the AT3600L. That is a cartridge I really enjoy, but if you're not happy, there are other cartridge choices to try just to see if you like them better. As I mentioned previously, I think the VM95 body you have sounds great with the ATN-XP3 stylus, which has a recommended tracking force of 3 grams (2-4 gram range) that should work with your arm's factory-set antiskate force. Others in this forum have liked heavier-tracking Ortofons, Shures, and more.
I don't know how many hours you have on the 3600L, but if it's not much, it may grow on you over time. One review I agree with said:
"The AT3600L is a sonic delight. It may not be the most accurate or detailed cartridge around, but it is a very easy listen and thoroughly entertaining. Its warm tones and gentle treble will appeal to a lot of people. . . once you’re at home with this cartridge, I imagine an upgrade to be an uncertain path as I have come across few other cartridges that can match its charm."
Audio Technica AT3600L + AT91
Type: Moving Magnet (MM)Stylus: Bonded ConicalCompliance: Low/MediumPrice: £15-25 (AT3600L), £20-30 (AT91) Background The Audio Technica AT3600L is a cartridge that I briefly experienced as the sto…
Wanted to follow up on the above highlighted bit. I've listened to a LOT of cartridges in the last ten years. I've been a fan of conicals for a long time but always assumed that the conventional wisdom must be right, that ellipticals (generally) are better than conicals, and more advanced cuts (shibata, ML, MR, etc) are even better. I recently found myself listening to an inexpensive turntable with an AT-91, a variant of the AT3600L, and loving it. So, I tried one on my main turntable, displacing an Ortofon 2M Blue. I loved it because it was balanced, 'direct' sounding and it simply appealed to me. It doesn't hurt that the AT-91 can be had for <$30USD.
Several times since then I've refitted the 2M Blue, an AT-VM95SH, an SAE1000LT, a Shure 95 with JICO SH tip, and a Grado Silver to compare them to the AT-91. In every instance I listened for a bit and quickly decided that I preferred the sound of the AT-91. It turns out that, at least right now in my life, I prefer the balance and sound of the music without the extra'air', 'shimmer' or whatever it is that more advanced tips bring to the table.
The AT3600L (and variants) is/are something of a miracle in phono. Cheap, available anywhere and everywhere, dependable, great sounding, balanced. I'm holding onto my small group of other cartridges because sometimes one gets a hankering to try something different. Still, I'm a conical lover and if I went 'more advanced' at this point it would be a cheap conical tip for the AT-VM95 or something like the Denon 103 with an added head amp.
Bottom line: don't sleep on the AT3600L. It's a genuinely good cartridge no matter the price.
The OP's Argon Audio TT MK2 does not have the thread and weight antiskate system that the prior Argon TT had. The older model actually included a protractor to help set up a different cartridge should the owner wish to do so, but the MK2's manual has a note saying, "While it is possible to replace the cartridge, it is not recommended. The turntable comes configured with a standard cartridge, and using other cartridges might result in improper functionality."