Slightly Skewed Cantilever on NEW 2M Bronze Stylus (and more)
- Thread starter atomvinter
- Start date
I couldn't find a good BF Super Reverb, but I do like the drip-edge Silverface line. It's a clean, early 1969 model. I reverted the original AA165 circuit back to the classic BF AB763.
Yes, it is loaded with reconed CTS 10-inch alnicos.
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atomvinter
New Member
some pretty sweet gear shots itt fellas. yeah @Fishead - a cartridge uses induction just like a guitar pup, thats why they call them pick ups! it is pretty mind blowing to think about discovering the phenomenon for the first time for sure, fascinating stuff, but i digress.
forgive me for the late reply, i needed to step away for a bit. with a fresh set of ears, i sat down yesterday and threw on the first side of max roach's jazz in 3/4 time. this is a good one for testing this by ear imo because everything is either panned hard left or right. i like to use jazz records to do sound tests generally because audible distortion etc is a lot easier to pinpoint for me. anyway, it didnt take long for me to realize that there is no perceived amplitude discrepancy between either speaker. after critically listening for awhile, i then took a look at some 2M styli/carts listed on usaudiomart. i think i saw at least 2 listings for a bronze where the cantilever was very much like mine, if not even a bit further skewed to one side, and both with low hours. i also noticed similar situations on several other types of carts. it would appear that maybe its just not as big a cause for concern as i had initially thought. though, like i said, my original one appeared nearly perfect. im thinking im just gonna roll with this stylus for now. i have long wanted/planned to add some other carts to the stable, but this whole thing has prompted me to get working on that sooner than later.
forgive me for the late reply, i needed to step away for a bit. with a fresh set of ears, i sat down yesterday and threw on the first side of max roach's jazz in 3/4 time. this is a good one for testing this by ear imo because everything is either panned hard left or right. i like to use jazz records to do sound tests generally because audible distortion etc is a lot easier to pinpoint for me. anyway, it didnt take long for me to realize that there is no perceived amplitude discrepancy between either speaker. after critically listening for awhile, i then took a look at some 2M styli/carts listed on usaudiomart. i think i saw at least 2 listings for a bronze where the cantilever was very much like mine, if not even a bit further skewed to one side, and both with low hours. i also noticed similar situations on several other types of carts. it would appear that maybe its just not as big a cause for concern as i had initially thought. though, like i said, my original one appeared nearly perfect. im thinking im just gonna roll with this stylus for now. i have long wanted/planned to add some other carts to the stable, but this whole thing has prompted me to get working on that sooner than later.
Not a bad call, amigo......especially since you do like the sound of the thing and once the "pedal hits the metal," i.e. diamond lands on vinyl, you're not looking at it anymore anyhow, right? Happy listening and thanks for providing the feedback. So often, when others have similar issues, they can read these threads and be enlightened, which is the magic of the " 'Karma" as it were. Happy listening!
It's kind of hard for me to tell based off the photos because this is hard to capture in a photo properly but I'll take your word for it that the cantilever is off (I've tried capturing this same exact type of photo many times). While both are important, there is the L/R angle of the cantilever as well as the angle of the diamond profile within the record groove. While they should be the same, they aren't always necessarily, and the angle of the diamond supersedes that of the cantilever if you were to choose one that is more important which effects sound. If your diamond still looks like it's equally within the groove on all sides while playing, I wouldn't worry about it and it should be fine. The device used to test for a L/R diamond profile imbalance is called a fozgometer -if you are using anything other than your eyes to calibrate azimuth.
Still, many would simply consider the cart defective if the angle at which the diamond makes contact within the groove is different than its corresponding cantilever angle. VTA is properly set by equalizing the diamond profile within the groove (from front to back, not by making sure the tonearm "looks" level from the side) while azimuth controls the (left to right) diamond profile "roll" within the groove as well. In this way, minute adjustments can be made to optimize playback of non-perfect diamond profiles within the groove. Front, back, left, right diamond profile adjustments allow 360 degree adjustment and are possible for tables with these additional adjustments (which not all have). If your table has VTA or azimuth adjustment you can try optimizing it if the diamond isn't already perfectly seated equally on all sides, but since the seller offered a refund, you may as well save yourself from worrying about it and replace it. Good luck with whatever you decide. All in all, the effect should be relatively minor. Usually what I notice with the issue of a diamond seated unevenly within the groove (especially with regards from right to left) is that one channel will be slightly louder than the other.
Still, many would simply consider the cart defective if the angle at which the diamond makes contact within the groove is different than its corresponding cantilever angle. VTA is properly set by equalizing the diamond profile within the groove (from front to back, not by making sure the tonearm "looks" level from the side) while azimuth controls the (left to right) diamond profile "roll" within the groove as well. In this way, minute adjustments can be made to optimize playback of non-perfect diamond profiles within the groove. Front, back, left, right diamond profile adjustments allow 360 degree adjustment and are possible for tables with these additional adjustments (which not all have). If your table has VTA or azimuth adjustment you can try optimizing it if the diamond isn't already perfectly seated equally on all sides, but since the seller offered a refund, you may as well save yourself from worrying about it and replace it. Good luck with whatever you decide. All in all, the effect should be relatively minor. Usually what I notice with the issue of a diamond seated unevenly within the groove (especially with regards from right to left) is that one channel will be slightly louder than the other.
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sound hound
Super Member
Doesn't a lot of measurement have to do with passing through the mean and finding an average? Nothing seems to be really perfect, everything a little off. As long as it doesn't start veering too much into a "just noticeable difference," that really does make a difference.