Settings Shure M95ED cart on Pioneer PL-A45D TT

[marini]

I got one from a seller based in the UK (where I am) for around £45. I’m gonna see how it goes when it arrives.

 

[marini]

So far, so good with the new cart. I set the tracking force at 1.25g and played the whole Pink Floyd’s The Division Bell album without issues. Fingers crossed!

 

[marini]

And the problem is back
After playing several records, old and new, all properly cleaned, the distorted noise - mostly on the right channel is back. Totally random and intermittent. Beginning of the record, mid way, towards the end.
I double checked the tracking force, anti skating, cartridge alignment - all good.

Interestingly, just like before, the M75ED-II with the nude elliptical by Analogis seems to be working perfectly (TF set at 1.3g).

What else could be wrong, considering I already replaced the cart with another M95ED and it's running a brand new JICO HE stylus?

 

[C Hart]

From your tests it is established that this problem is not the stylus and not the headshell/tonearm pins. If you can get the problem to happen consistently with one setup and not with another then you have basically isolated the bad component. So far data points to both M95s being bad.

That is definitely bad luck, which is unfortunate but with 40-50 year old components it can happen. I got 2 M95s (Premier version) on eBay and one was bad (with intermittent channel dropouts). The other is fantastic. You have all those new styli so I would try again to get a known good tested M95.

 

[bkatbamna]

One thing to check if it happens with all the cartridges is the RCA leads from the TT to pre-amp. If it only happens with one or two carts and not with all, then it is the cart or the headshell wiring.