How hard is it to install a new cartridge?
nspindel
Posts: 5,343
I'm having some thoughts about trying out a different cartridge in my turntable. I have a Shure MX97e, which has been great to get me off the ground. But I'm thinking of trying something different, perhaps a Grado. Just how complicated is it to properly configure the cartridge. Is this something I can do myself if I've never done before? Or do I need a pro to do it for me?
Good music, a good source, and good power can make SDA's sing. Tubes make them dance.
Post edited by nspindel on
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I'm as amatuer as they come and I changed the cart on my Pro-ject Debut iii turntable. Actually changed to the Shure you are getting away from. Very thin wires so you have to be pretty delicate, but I didn't think it was too difficult of a job.Things work out best for those who make the best of the way things work out.-John Wooden
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The Shure is a great cartridge, just looking sto step up the food chain a bit!Good music, a good source, and good power can make SDA's sing. Tubes make them dance.
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It is not to bad as long as you are prepared and armed with the knowledge on how to do it. You will need a well lit work area, tweezers, an alignment template, patience, patience and more patience.
I probably went overboard but since I was installin a $1k+ cart I used a best tractor made for my TT, USB microscope, digital scales and fozgometer.
It was worth it.Speakers: SDA-1C (most all the goodies)
Preamp: Joule Electra LA-150 MKII SE
Amp: Wright WPA 50-50 EAT KT88s
Analog: Marantz TT-15S1 MBS Glider SL| Wright WPP100C Amperex BB 6er5 and 7316 & WPM-100 SUT
Digital: Mac mini 2.3GHz dual-core i5 8g RAM 1.5 TB HDD Music Server Amarra (memory play) - USB - W4S DAC 2
Cables: Mits S3 IC and Spk cables| PS Audio PCs -
Sounds like I should get someone to do it for me!Good music, a good source, and good power can make SDA's sing. Tubes make them dance.
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It is not to bad as long as you are prepared and armed with the knowledge on how to do it. You will need a well lit work area, tweezers, an alignment template, patience, patience and more patience.
I probably went overboard but since I was installin a $1k+ cart I used a best tractor made for my TT, USB microscope, digital scales and fozgometer.
It was worth it.
That sounds to much like surgery... -
You can do it yourself. Like PSOLVSK said, its delicate at times. Go to Vinyl Engine (I believe is the sight) and there's some stuff on cart alignment. You can plug in some dimensions for your turntable and arm and it will provide you an alignment template that you can print off on hard stock and put on your platter to help align the cart once mounted on the arm. If you want a more expensive alignment method, you can google the subject and find one that costs $75 and is made for your specific equipment. You have to deal with very small wires in the back of the cart, but you can use tweezers to slide them off and on. The color coding is obvious. You will have to balance the tonearm and your instruction manual will outline that, its usually very simple. You may have to change the vertical tracking angle and also should be explained in your manual. Give it a shot. Google around and there's alot of info on it. Make sure you put the guard down covering the stylus while installing. You don't want to break that off.
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I recently installed an Ortofon 2M Blue on my new VPI Traveler; this involved the following 3 adjustments (after the cart was mounted):
VTA - Vertical Tracking Angle, on my Traveler this is set by raising or lowering the tonearm so that it is parallel to a record on the platter, use an index card bent in half long ways setting on the record to eyeball this.
Cartridge Overhang - once your done with VTA use an alignment protractor (Google is your friend here) to get the stylus in the right spot and to also make sure it is square and not riding sideways.
VTF - Vertical Tracking Force, this depends on your table, some require you to zero the weight (arm floating level) then dial up the tracking weight, my Traveler came with a scale.2-Channel System
Analog: VPI Traveler TT, Audio Technica 150MLX, Pro-Ject Tube Box DS
CD Player: Jolida JD-100 Preamp: Cambridge 840E Amp: Odyssey Kismet Stereo
Spkrs: Tyler Acoustics Linbrook Signature Systems -
It's tedius, however not overly difficult. A good tracking weight scale and a MFSL geo-disc are your friends.
Also make sure to check to make sure the cart you want is compatible with your tonearm.DKG999
HT System: LSi9, LSiCx2, LSiFX, LSi7, SVS 20-39 PC+, B&K 507.s2 AVR, B&K Ref 125.2, Tripplite LCR-2400, Cambridge 650BD, Signal Cable PC/SC, BJC IC, Samsung 55" LED
Music System: Magnepan 1.6QR, SVS SB12+, ARC pre, Parasound HCA1500 vertically bi-amped, Jolida CDP, Pro-Ject RM5.1SE TT, Pro-Ject TubeBox SE phono pre, SBT, PS Audio DLIII DAC -
Damn shame you can't get Dan to fly out and hook/tweak your whole rig up top to bottom. He's a pro.
Tedious. -
I'm having some thoughts about trying out a different cartridge in my turntable. I have a Shure MX97e, which has been great to get me off the ground. But I'm thinking of trying something different, perhaps a Grado. Just how complicated is it to properly configure the cartridge. Is this something I can do myself if I've never done before? Or do I need a pro to do it for me?
Of utmost importance, you need to have a hangover.....no wait, it's hungover....no, wait, its......overhang, yeah, overhang!:cheesygrin:
Overhang is the amount the stylus extends past the center of spindle. However not all arms will extend over center of spindle so you gotta use a protractor. Once upon a time, some manufacturers with removable headshells actually had a mark where to align the stylus for proper overhang. Or contained a plastic gauge to set it.
Good luck!Salk SoundScape 8's * Audio Research Reference 3 * Bottlehead Eros Phono * Park's Audio Budgie SUT * Krell KSA-250 * Harmonic Technology Pro 9+ * Signature Series Sonore Music Server w/Deux PS * Roon * Gustard R26 DAC / Singxer SU-6 DDC * Heavy Plinth Lenco L75 Idler Drive * AA MG-1 Linear Air Bearing Arm * AT33PTG/II & Denon 103R * Richard Gray 600S * NHT B-12d subs * GIK Acoustic Treatments * Sennheiser HD650 * -
I second the geo disc and a good shure tracking weight scale ($50 and $30 respecively ) and then you will have the tools for the future. also some small needlenose pliers and patience. not hard to do.
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What Grado cart do you plan to go with Neil?
IIRC, some of those cart leads were pretty fragile on that arm. If you wanted to, you would not need to do a full rewire on that tone arm. Just the half that holds the head shell and that would give you fresh wires and clips to the cart.
