Hi,
I am new to Stereonet and am hoping for help with a problem I am having setting up my Clear audio Performance DC turntable which I have only recently purchased.
I have set up what I believe to be correct VTA - if anything the back of the tonearm is slightly higher than the cartridge by perhaps 1mm or so. I set up tracking force using a stylus gauge to the recommended 2.4 g for the Virtuoso 2 cartridge. The turntable comes with preset antiskating to this recommended tracking force. Unfortunately, the antiskating knob is very difficult to get to and has NO calibrations of any kind.
Anyway, with the recommended tracking force there was obvious and immediate distortion. So I rang a technician. Advice : the problem has to do with inadequate tracking force. He advised it is ok to increase tracking force to anything up to 3.5. I use Famous Blue Raincoat as my reference as i know this record well. I increase tracking force and it makes an appreciable difference to distortion. Finally at about 3 g the distortion I think is gone.
However, then i put on another record and the distortion is very clearly back. I have to increase tracking force to beyond acceptable limits - 3.6 to make it go away.
And so it goes on.
Any idea what is going on? Help would be most appreciated as this is driving me quite mad. It is a beautiful turntable and when i can actually get it to play it sounds really quite astounding.
Rob Castiglione