Back in the day when I still played records my last setup was a VPI TNT 3 with a Graham 1.5 arm. My two favorite cartridges were a Van Den Hul Frog, and a Benz Ruby.
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Maybe happened from the start (i donāt really remember). I didnāt gave much attention to vinyl because i could not achieve the sound quality i was hoping for. Lately start trying again for a better setup and noticed your thread about loud cracks that made me pay close attention to what i was assuming as vinyl loud scratches. Playing some songs again and again i realized that clicks were not caused by scratches but from something elseā¦
I currently use the capacitive plug solution. Try it to see what you think, it is easy to try and does no harm.
Hi,
I might give it a go before I take it back to my dealer but it wouldnāt answer the question why it worked ok for 18 months before the loud cracks started. Thanks for the input though, itās helping to build a case to take to my dealer ā¦
Steve
I am no expert on the workings of a cartridge but I expect that they can fail just like most things. So I think you have been unlucky.
As I mentioned way back in this thread, some 30 years ago my system had identical symptoms. It is quite different from the clicks, pops and other interferences that one can experience. Nothing quite matches the āsending shivers down the spineā and not knowing if when or why it might occur. So fortunately for the vinyl community it seems a rare situation.
Ironically mine was an AT cartridge (OC5) which the dealer sorted without fuss. I later ran an AT OC9 for many years, now happily run an XX2 which is much better, even though the OC9 was good.
I hope that your dealer and DV will work out a solution for you, once you are able to access their services. I would hope that they will not be too strict on the warranty situation.
Fingers crossed Ravvie.
I do hope the young age of the cart along with the difficulties the Covid situation brought will result in a positive outcome. But I have to admit to leaning towards āglass half emptyā in such matters.
@charnik your comments have really got me thinking, particularly those about radio interference and clicks from light switches.
Iāve just tried listening to the phono input with nothing playing (as I did when trying to diagnose the problem) and while I canāt hear anything in that regard I did hear a small thud when I turned the light off. Nothing when turning the light on, but a definite thud on turning it off. I couldnāt discern it with music playing but it was definitely there. Never noticed this before. Would adding capacitance stop this @Richard.Dane?
Thanks again.
Edit
I should add that this doesnāt occur on the CD input.
It might do.
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It stopped it for me, 4.7nF maximum value needed in my situation. What is interesting -as i continue trying things- is that lower values like 1nF or no plug (220pF) work some days but not every dayā¦
I wonder if different interconnect cables (turntable to superline) can have an effect on these issues.
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Iāve listened to 20 odd LPās with the AT-OC9 and 30 odd using an XX-2 borrowed from a good mate without issue so my XX-2 is now heading to base to be evaluated.
My dealer, as always, has been nothing other than helpful and understanding and the warranty on the cart is not an issue as he explained to the distributor the problem occurred within the warranty period but the cart was not identified as the problem until some other components had been serviced or replaced and theyāve accepted that.
Sadly though Iām still listening and waiting for it to happen. Guess itās going to take a while to regain my confidence ā¦
Steve
I know what you mean about waiting for it to happen. But it seems that things are looking up for you, so Iām sure the confidence will return once the dealer and distributor have sorted your cartridge.
Great news 50 LPās and no cracks. the confidence thing is awful it has taken the fun out of our passion, my super 20s are still leading me on a merry dance so I will follow your lead and take some steps to replace them, just not enjoying the music and canāt relax. keep us posted.
I feel your pain. Fingers crossed you get things sorted soon.
The confidence thing is weird - 2 different carts with no issue must mean the XX-2 is to blame, yet I still canāt relax.
How often do you face this cracks?
Phono reproduction is highly sensitive to earthing issues and electrical discharges with changing humidity, but can be resoved with solving those earthing issues. The platter bearing should e.g. always be earthed, the tonearm tube also. Did you alredy check this?
Yes, amongst other things Iāve checked all the earthing.
After many months itās looking like the cartridge is faulty so itās heading back to Dynavector for investigation. It may turn out to be an issue with grounding inside the cart.
Ok, understood what has been checked so far. Grounding issues with pickups imho can be (more or less) counted down on two directions:
If therewould be a grounding issue related to the windings or the generator, then you would also have massive hum. In this respect, I would then rather go for a contact problem between the housing and the headshell or between the generator and the housing. However and before sending in the cartridge, I would first clean the contact surface between the headshell and cartridge and reinstall and re-adjust the cartridge.
Second it can also be connected to the phono cable. So I assume to check it also before sending in the cartridge.
I have tried a different tonearm cable and the cartridge has also been refit several times including two attempts at putting a thin copper gasket between arm and cartridge. Also some of the arms anodised finish was scratched off to try and encourage better contact between arm and cartridge.
The fact that two other cartridges have been fit and have run without issue certainly points the finger somewhat.
Sorry, IĀ“ve forgotten to mention that MC cartridges follow a ground free design and they are symmetrical systems.
Iām a bit late on this thread. Iāve been running a ART9 with my Xerxes X/Tabrizi now for just over a year and Iām very pleased with it. When it expires I think thereās every chance that Iāll just get another through the audio-technica replacement offer. Iāve had an oc7, an oc9 and a Shiraz with my the Xerxes/tabrizi and whilst its difficult to offer direct comparison as much has changed in other parts of my system over time, including the turntable psu, it sounds better to me now than ever before. I think itās a wonderful cartridge and a bit of a bargain. I would definitely recommend an audition.
The ART9 is one of the carts Iād shortlisted as a replacement but it now looks likely mine will be rebuilt under warranty. The other two being the Hana ML and the Ortofon Cadenza Bronze.
I like the AT-OC9 and would enjoy itās big brother Iām sure.
How was the Shiraz by the way. It seems a big step down to the ART9 on paper. Touraj reckoned a properly set up Shiraz was as good as anything.
The Shiraz was a great cartridge, it was a huge step up from the oc9 and had a long life. My dealer gave me a great deal on it at the time when I upgraded my Xerxes to a Xerxes X - few hundred Ā£s rather than todayās big money. Great cartridge though it was, with having the ART9 I donāt miss it at all.