Installed brand new cartridge on Kenwood KD-550, new sound is terrible.

[luvvinvinyl]

3 yrs is relatively new to those of us that grew up with records as the main source of recorded music.

Yes, his 3 years might have one thinking he is a novice, compared to your 40+ years, and my 50 years of collecting and playing records. Notwithstanding that, he's asking questions, and trying to improve his system, and increase his knowledge. Lots of experienced AKers have asked the same questions, at some point in their audio journey.

Carlo1208, the advice to try a different cartridge, or cartridges, over time, is sound. There is a large range of moving magnet, moving iron, and high-output moving coil cartridges, all of which can be run with your Marantz phono input, and many of which will suit your Kenwood. Admittedly, the upper reaches of these ranges may have you looking for a higher-performance phono stage, but that point is down the road a bit. As your experience increases, you'll get a feel for the need to upgrade your phono stage, which you can do without replacing your Marantz, since the phono stage can move to another amplifier, if you upgrade there.

This is an exciting time for you. Good luck to you, and good sound, always.

 

[Grenadeslio]

Yes, his 3 years might have one thinking he is a novice, compared to your 40+ years, and my 50 years of collecting and playing records. Notwithstanding that, he's asking questions, and trying to improve his system, and increase his knowledge. Lots of experienced AKers have asked the same questions, at some point in their audio journey.

Carlo1208, the advice to try a different cartridge, or cartridges, over time, is sound. There is a large range of moving magnet, moving iron, and high-output moving coil cartridges, all of which can be run with your Marantz phono input, and many of which will suit your Kenwood. Admittedly, the upper reaches of these ranges may have you looking for a higher-performance phono stage, but that point is down the road a bit. As your experience increases, you'll get a feel for the need to upgrade your phono stage, which you can do without replacing your Marantz, since the phono stage can move to another amplifier, if you upgrade there.

This is an exciting time for you. Good luck to you, and good sound, always.

Agreed, I have been in contact with Carlo

 

[Carlo1208]

Ok guys. So full disclosure, and apologies for the sighs and groans I will cause all of you, but at the end of the day, after looking over my threads, reviews on Amazon, and looking at other threads, I decided to go with the Emotiva.

I was looking at my cartridge earlier and admiring. Decided to take it for a spin and listen to it. And noticed, that it actually sounded amazing, just very low. And thought to myself damn do I not want to let this go. So I decided that I will get a MC Supported stage. I actually found a thread here on AK about a guy asking if the Emotiva would be good with the Marantz 2270, and one user said he saw great results.

So basically, and I’m going to be truthful, I said “**** it” out loud and checked out the $166 Emotiva on my Amazon cart, along with some RCA cables (and guitar picks!!). Will be here on Tuesday.

Did I take a risk? Most likely, but I’ve taken a few so far and they’ve served me well. As one of you said, not the answer but an answer, and had to bite a bullet eventually.

And if it doesn’t work out? Well..... let’s just say I’ve found a perfect time to start reading books on Stoicism....

So again guys, thank you for help! Sorry for going in circles, and mods I’m sorry for making an unnecessary thread earlier today about cartridges I should buy (although truth be told I may still need it if my decision doesn’t workout ). This case is closed for now. Will let you all know how it all turns out.

 

[Macaroonie]

Good decision , you will not be disappointed . BTW I would be looking at 1.8 tracking for the 103R

 

[Tiver]

............... This case is closed for now. Will let you all know how it all turns out.

Ha.....based on the question and answer session, I put a big emphasis on the, "for now."

But that's not unusual or unexpected. I was going to post previously, but you ended up in the direction I was going to post about anyway. The Emotiva is a unit that you won't have any trouble selling down the road if you want to move into something else. You paid a fair price and you would be able to recover most if not all spent.

That being said, look at the spec's on your cartridge and the suggested loading and do a little research as to what settings match your cartridge. There will be commentary on forums as your cartridge is popular and you won't be in uncharted territory. The differences you hear, if any, may be quite subtle or they may be more pronounced. This is part of the journey.

Many listeners subscribe to the adage, "If it sounds good, It is good." The little tweaks and adjustments such as loading, and the bigger moves to change phono stages and cartridges tease us to continue and wonder, "but can it sound better?" This is a fine condition to be in as long as one doesn't obsess too much.

I am willing to bet you will be in a pretty good mood on Tuesday night once the Emotiva is in place. Have fun.

 

[kermit z]

I have run the Emotiva for a few years with a Denon 103, and love the sound and the flexibility this pre offers. The question we needed to ask, is what were you trying to improve on from the Ortofon? One has to be very careful falling into believing things will be night and day better,when reading others experiences. It happens all the time, Some love certain speakers, one goes and tracks down the model and pays big money, get them home and find you hate them. Same with turntables, pre's, carts, etc.

The Emotiva does a very nice job IMHO. You'll like the Denon once set up right. Then save up and buy more records. I have a modest collection of them at 1735

 

[Carlo1208]

Update:

My Emotiva arrived yesterday. Installed it no problem. And of course as you all said I connected to the AUX stage rather than the phono. And goddamn, it sounds phenomenal. Very, very satisfied with my new sound. Sound more clear and MUCH louder. I don't have to turn the volume knob as much compared to the last cartridge. In fact turning it as much as I did before can be brutal to me ears. Not something I want having tinnitus.

Only two questions:

1. Whenever I lift up the tonearm to stop playing a record, put it back into the ring guard, my speakers make a bump/pop noise each time I do so. Even with I close the ring guard as well. I can only assume it's the Denon that's more sensitive or something. Should I be concerned about this?

2. One thing that I was disappointed however, and something that I was hoping a new quality cart would fix based on a thread I saw a while back, was that whenever a section of a song it just one guitar playing, that guitar sounds really low. Like it sounds way "distant". For example, let's take Metallica's The Four Horsemen. In the beginning there's a riff where to guitar plays some powerchords, then right after there's the guitar that plays a riff. It's only one guitar, with the other instruments not playing at all. Sections like that sound really low, and if I don't have the volume high enough, can be easily missed sometimes. Any idea what causes this?

 

[Grenadeslio]

Update:

My Emotiva arrived yesterday. Installed it no problem. And of course as you all said I connected to the AUX stage rather than the phono. And goddamn, it sounds phenomenal. Very, very satisfied with my new sound. Sound more clear and MUCH louder. I don't have to turn the volume knob as much compared to the last cartridge. In fact turning it as much as I did before can be brutal to me ears. Not something I want having tinnitus.

Only two questions:

1. Whenever I lift up the tonearm to stop playing a record, put it back into the ring guard, my speakers make a bump/pop noise each time I do so. Even with I close the ring guard as well. I can only assume it's the Denon that's more sensitive or something. Should I be concerned about this?

2. One thing that I was disappointed however, and something that I was hoping a new quality cart would fix based on a thread I saw a while back, was that whenever a section of a song it just one guitar playing, that guitar sounds really low. Like it sounds way "distant". For example, let's take Metallica's The Four Horsemen. In the beginning there's a riff where to guitar plays some powerchords, then right after there's the guitar that plays a riff. It's only one guitar, with the other instruments not playing at all. Sections like that sound really low, and if I don't have the volume high enough, can be easily missed sometimes. Any idea what causes this?

How many hrs on the cartridge, they take some time to break in.

Also, incorrect alignment could be an issue if you don't have the rudimentary tools, IE digital scale and protractor (around $20 all in) to set it up.

 

[Blue Shadow]

He says he has had a table and records for 3 years, collecting 200 albums and he is going to college.

How many of you old farts had 200 records and been using them for a few years when you were in college, most probably. but that seesm to make Carlo just regular guy getting going in records, not someone that has no idea. He just needs guidance for the tonearm cartridge matching and the cartridge phono amp matching. Seems we are getting this done, no reason to say he's not going the right way or needs to go to some entry level cartridge. Not many of us had entry level cartridges if we bought a table with a top of the line cartridge for an extra buck or penny back in the day. Stereo store options might not have been as great a cartridge but still...

Let us know how the new cartridge sound on that table/arm with then new phono amp, plugged into the correct input.

 

[Carlo1208]

He says he has had a table and records for 3 years, collecting 200 albums and he is going to college.

How many of you old farts had 200 records and been using them for a few years when you were in college, most probably. but that seesm to make Carlo just regular guy getting going in records, not someone that has no idea. He just needs guidance for the tonearm cartridge matching and the cartridge phono amp matching. Seems we are getting this done, no reason to say he's not going the right way or needs to go to some entry level cartridge. Not many of us had entry level cartridges if we bought a table with a top of the line cartridge for an extra buck or penny back in the day. Stereo store options might not have been as great a cartridge but still...

Let us know how the new cartridge sound on that table/arm with then new phono amp, plugged into the correct input.

See my update! I just posted it on this thread earlier this day.

 

[Blue Shadow]

First thing to learn is that whenever you approach your system to make changes other than bass, treble, volume and balance you should, don't have to but should Turn the volume all the way down. On many units there is a Mute switch I use. When I do this no one ever hears me mess up with a bad cartridge landing on the record, loud change from a quiet record to a louder CD or loud noise when I clean a stylus. Learn this early in my audio life and it has save me, my speakers and folks around listening from many problems that would have reached the speakers in a very loud manner.

 

[Grenadeslio]

First thing to learn is that whenever you approach your system to make changes other than bass, treble, volume and balance you should, don't have to but should Turn the volume all the way down. On many units there is a Mute switch I use. When I do this no one ever hears me mess up with a bad cartridge landing on the record, loud change from a quiet record to a louder CD or loud noise when I clean a stylus. Learn this early in my audio life and it has save me, my speakers and folks around listening from many problems that would have reached the speakers in a very loud manner.

I switch on one if the tape inputs, this mutes everything.

 

[Grenadeslio]

See my update! I just posted it on this thread earlier this day.

Another inexpensive improvement you might like to try, I keep several spare sets around. They work especially great under turntables but I've also had good results using them under disc players and amps as well. They're sold in different weight ranges.

 

[Ken Boyd]

Glad to hear your new phono amp is working out.

You state you notice that some sections are less loud then others, mainly when you get sections with a single instrument. In real live performances that is usually the case. A single voice is not usually as loud as a chorus. It might be that you are noticing that vinyl records are not as prone to what is common on CDs or digital records. They boast all the quite sections so that they are equal with the more dynamic sections. They call it loudness wars. Vinyl records for the most part have not suffered as much of this dynamic range boasting as other formats. When you come to a quiet section, it will be quiet, when you come to more loud sections the levels will increase. Keep in mind those quiet sections can be a bit rough if your vinyl is not clean or perfect because the natural tendency is to increase the volume to hear it better, which in turn will allow you to hear any imperfections that might be there, like surface noise, dirt, or scratches.

 

[jobrewer1983]

Check this one out. Completely flexible for LOMC and MM cartridges. Priced very fairly.

View attachment 1523620

I have been considering this ^^ I have a small Emotiva stack and like the phono stage on the PT-100. Wanted an external phono stage for another amp.

 

[jobrewer1983]

He says he has had a table and records for 3 years, collecting 200 albums and he is going to college.

How many of you old farts had 200 records and been using them for a few years when you were in college, most probably. but that seesm to make Carlo just regular guy getting going in records, not someone that has no idea. He just needs guidance for the tonearm cartridge matching and the cartridge phono amp matching. Seems we are getting this done, no reason to say he's not going the right way or needs to go to some entry level cartridge. Not many of us had entry level cartridges if we bought a table with a top of the line cartridge for an extra buck or penny back in the day. Stereo store options might not have been as great a cartridge but still...

Let us know how the new cartridge sound on that table/arm with then new phono amp, plugged into the correct input.

^^ well said

 

[jobrewer1983]

Another inexpensive improvement you might like to try, I keep several spare sets around. They work especially great under turntables but I've also had good results using them under disc players and amps as well. They're sold in different weight ranges.

View attachment 1528635
View attachment 1528634

I just got some new feet in for my 550, solid aluminum with rubber rings.

@Carlo1208




Have you oiled the motor on your 550?

https://liquidaudio.com.au/kenwood-kd-500550-turntable-motor-service/

If not, it’s a substantial sound improvement. If so, you already know. the link is a how to.

And cool cart man, I’m doing the same for another table myself. Waiting for a Blue Point No.2 to arrive. please do let us know how it sounds when you get it going

 

[jobrewer1983]

Update:

My Emotiva arrived yesterday. Installed it no problem. And of course as you all said I connected to the AUX stage rather than the phono. And goddamn, it sounds phenomenal. Very, very satisfied with my new sound. Sound more clear and MUCH louder. I don't have to turn the volume knob as much compared to the last cartridge. In fact turning it as much as I did before can be brutal to me ears. Not something I want having tinnitus.

Only two questions:

1. Whenever I lift up the tonearm to stop playing a record, put it back into the ring guard, my speakers make a bump/pop noise each time I do so. Even with I close the ring guard as well. I can only assume it's the Denon that's more sensitive or something. Should I be concerned about this?

2. One thing that I was disappointed however, and something that I was hoping a new quality cart would fix based on a thread I saw a while back, was that whenever a section of a song it just one guitar playing, that guitar sounds really low. Like it sounds way "distant". For example, let's take Metallica's The Four Horsemen. In the beginning there's a riff where to guitar plays some powerchords, then right after there's the guitar that plays a riff. It's only one guitar, with the other instruments not playing at all. Sections like that sound really low, and if I don't have the volume high enough, can be easily missed sometimes. Any idea what causes this?

Fantastic!

Oil the motor and id bet you get greater detail.

 

[Tiver]

I have always made a habit of hitting the volume control all the way down whenever starting or stopping record play. Drop the needle and ease up the volume, last song plays and down the volume. This eliminates all the potential noise involved with setting and removing the stylus from the playing surface. If you develop that habit, those extraneous noises are never amplified and for all intents do not exist.

 

[Montycat]

Glad to hear your new phono amp is working out.

You state you notice that some sections are less loud then others, mainly when you get sections with a single instrument. In real live performances that is usually the case. A single voice is not usually as loud as a chorus. I might be that you are noticing that vinyl records are not as prone to what is common on CDs or digital records. They boast all the quite sections so that they are equal with the more dynamic sections. They call it loudness wars. Vinyl records for the most part have not suffered as much of this dynamic range boasting as other formats. When you come to a quiet section, it will be quiet, when you come to more loud sections the levels will increase. Keep in mind those quiet sections can be a bit rough if your vinyl is not clean or perfect because the natural tendency is to increase the volume to hear it better, which in turn will allow you to hear any imperfections that might be there, like surface noise, dirt, or scratches.

Nice description of dynamic range and the different formats.