Inner groove distortion is a mix of various geometry problems that are prolly not as critical in the outer grooves. A/S setting is one, but alignment may be more critical. I think the tighter radius of the inner grooves makes azimuth misalignment errors more apparent, too.
Try this: from in front of the turntable, move the tonearm as far as you can to the right. This should allow you to place the AS bar on the FRONT of the bar that extends out from the base of the tonearm. It will now stay in place as the weight on the other side of the bar you have just moved to the front will cause a clockwise force, which pins that bar to the other one.....hope that made sense.
I think you're right; as the radius of the grooves become smaller the closer it gets to the spindle, the greater the centrifugal force.
Inner groove distortion is a mix of various geometry problems that are prolly not as critical in the outer grooves. A/S setting is one, but alignment may be more critical. I think the tighter radius of the inner grooves makes azimuth misalignment errors more apparent, too.
Anyhow, proper alignment is key to good playback for the whole record.
Get a new one, hard to determine what is slightly used.
I don’t know how much AS needs to change for needle position but with all else the same, record playing a tone for example, with the only variable being record speed as it glides past the nail, I would think it would need more AS at higher (outer groove) speeds. But I’m not going to research or ai AS to learn more. I know it is a continuously moving target and tonearm attempts to correct it are a rough, generally fixed guess at best.
I don't think that's because of antiskate, or any 'set-up' issues.
Let's not over think this.
Just be aware that a new stylus can make a record sound better, but the scratchiness you describe is not likely to be affected much by the that new stylus in a positive way. In fact, it might even sound worse since the new stylus should be picking up more information from the groove, including the "scratches" since these are physical defects (damage, caused by another object imparting a scratch in the vinyl) and will be there forever. Once it's scratched, that's it.....you will continue to hear that scratch.
A good LP cleaning setup is a requirement for any vinyl playback.So, just don't think that a new stylus will get rid of the noise you're hearing because it is highly unlikely the stylus that is causing it. It could very well, however, be in part dirt that has collected in the grooves and for that to be remedied I can think of no better method than ultrasonic cleaning. Anything stuck in the grooves that can be cleaned out is likely to improve the playback by reducing noise. I'd say your idea about getting a newer, conceivably better condition record and playing that to see/hear the difference is a very good one as it will tell you something about record condition
I use a pocket microscope to view before and after cleaning my records. A record before cleaning, when viewed with naked eye, might look super clean. Look at the same record with a pocket microscope and you will probably see hundreds or thousands of tiny white specks of dust/dirt, both on the lands and in the grooves. After a thorough cleaning the number of specks seen should be zero...that is the goal.A good LP cleaning setup is a requirement for any vinyl playback.
Same anti-skate as the Realistic Lab 300.And for the record My CEC BA 600 has a very similar, if not identical, anti-skate mechanism. View attachment 3823623View attachment 3823624
Make
a note of the visible groove on the lower arm where the weight sits and the grub screw on the weight for repositioning it.
Please refer to this thread for details.
What's AS and VTF?
No, not at this point. It actually sounded quite sweet other than that. Like some of you have said, there's an intangible quality that's hard to explain. A sweetness that I don't get from Qubuz or other streaming services, even though I've invested in a nice DAC (Geshelli Labs J2 with 4499 chipset and Sparkos opams). I was running the turntable with my Fisher 400 and my Klipschorns. A sweet combination.
It is fun. Ran out today and spent hours going through LP racks. Talking to store owners and just taking it all in.Just be aware that a new stylus can make a record sound better, but the scratchiness you describe is not likely to be affected much by the that new stylus in a positive way. In fact, it might even sound worse since the new stylus should be picking up more information from the groove, including the "scratches" since these are physical defects (damage, caused by another object imparting a scratch in the vinyl) and will be there forever. Once it's scratched, that's it.....you will continue to hear that scratch.
So, just don't think that a new stylus will get rid of the noise you're hearing because it is highly unlikely the stylus that is causing it. It could very well, however, be in part dirt that has collected in the grooves and for that to be remedied I can think of no better method than ultrasonic cleaning. Anything stuck in the grooves that can be cleaned out is likely to improve the playback by reducing noise. I'd say your idea about getting a newer, conceivably better condition record and playing that to see/hear the difference is a very good one as it will tell you something about record condition as it relates to sound quality on your table. I trust you're starting to have some real fun here
That is very similar. Not identical but clearly both machines are from the same family.And for the record My CEC BA 600 has a very similar, if not identical, anti-skate mechanism. View attachment 3823623View attachment 3823624
Make
a note of the visible groove on the lower arm where the weight sits and the grub screw on the weight for repositioning it.
Please refer to this thread for details.
