Fluance TT Stopped Playing on Right Channel

scubalab

My main 2-channel rig saw VERY little use as it was temporarily residing in our master bedroom. I’ve had the RT85 for about 4-5 years now. I probably have less than 300 hours total on it. It has worked flawlessly every time I’ve used it. A few weeks ago, I put a record on and there was no sound out of the right channel. I immediately assumed a speaker cable came loose. Nope - I tightened them for good measure and checked all connections. Still no sound from right speaker.

I tried all of the following isolation techniques:

- Swapped in new RCAs
- Switched L/R RCAs
- Bypassed the Phono Pre
- Tried a different input on the integrated
- Tried different records
- Tried a different turntable

After all that, it is definitely the turntable. (The sound followed the RCA connection at the TT.) There is no sound output from the right RCA output on the TT. I assumed maybe a solder failed on the right RCA. Opened it up yesterday and all looked good.

I’m going to try cleaning the stylus, resetting the tracking force and anti-skate, and realigning the cartridge. I don’t think that will fix it…

Do RCA connectors go bad? I never touched them - basically connected it, maybe swapped cables once or twice in it’s time with me. Worked fine for years. It had been a couple months since I used it the last time it worked fine. I’m at a loss…

Any ideas?

scubalab

Also - I cleaned the contacts on the head shell, checked all wire connections in the cartridge, and reconnected it tightly.

Emlyn

My guess would have been the cartridge may need to be set up again. Is it the Ortofon 2M?

scubalab

Yes, Blue. The one that came with it.

I’ll try cleaning the stylus. My scale had dead batteries, so waiting to get new ones tomorrow to check tracking force. Will re-align it too.

scubalab

I just tried a different head shell. Worked fine! So it is something with the head shell or cartridge.



The Audio Technica on the Marantz head shell worked fine.

Ortofon on the Fluance head shell still no sound from the right channel. Rechecking connections now.




Stylus looks OK…

scubalab

Connections are good (pulled, reconnected and checked continuity from the cartridge to the contacts on the head shell). Pulled the cartridge and reset. Still no sound from right speaker. Must be the stylus or cartridge…

Will realign and adjust tracking force tomorrow, but not confident that will fix it.

msg

I've had something similar happen before. It turned out to be the headshell contacts. I sprayed a little Deoxit on the headshell contacts, depressed them a few times, dabbed excess. Whatever it was, it completed the connection after this.

jdjohn

You can check the coils of the cartridge.

bcwsrt

Wonder what Ortofon would have to say about that?

scubalab

I really appreciate all the feedback folks! I've still not resolved this. I've tried everything including most recently cleaning all the headshell contacts again, re-setting the tracking force, aligning, and cleaning the stylus. Everything is perfect (1.8g tracking, perfect alignment). I called Fluance and they recommended trying a new headshell. I highly doubt that will fix it, but $19 vs. $239 for a new cartridge might be a better starting point.

I just called Ortofon... Although they were very nice, there's nothing they can do since it's well beyond their 1-year warranty. They seem to think it's got to be something failed in the cartridge.

John - how does one check the coils of a cartridge? I did a quick google search and all I found was how to test your cartridge with a multimeter. A lot of folks were saying to NOT do this as it can 'burn out the coils'.

I think I'm SOL. Might have to cave and buy a new cartridge. The bright side is that if I stick with the 2m Blue, I'll have a spare stylus...

Any other last suggestions before I do that?

Emlyn

Just out of curiosity, how do you normally clean the stylus?

Ortofon recommends a dry brush only with a very gentle back to front motion and say don't use an Onzow product or something similar to that at all.

It's possible for a phono cartridge to go bad after a few hundred hours use even with the most gentle treatment.

scubalab

Emlyn - I don't regularly clean the stylus, but when I do, it's gently with a dry brush. I guess anything is possible as far as durability with such fine/sensitive workings inside the cartridge. It's just disappointing to find cheap cartridges that are 40-50 years old and probably more abused going strong, and a newer one (a bit more expensive too) not last that long.

Plus, the more I've thought about it, the less time I think I actually had on it. It's very possible that I have less than 50 hours on it! I really did not have much of an opportunity to listen since it was in our master bedroom. Not out of the ordinary to go many months without turning that system on. I'd say on average, maybe an hour or two of vinyl listening every couple months.

It's also strange that the cartridge can't be purchased separately (less the stylus). The whole cartridge (with a Blue stylus) is $239 and the stylus alone is $204... I guess in the grand scheme of things, it's not that much!

Emlyn

It's kind of remarkable that Fluance can sell the RT85 with the 2M Blue cartridge included at $499 total or the RT84 at $459.

Definitely true about longevity for some cartridges. I've had a Goldring HO moving coil in operation for more than 20 years off and on.

bcwsrt

I definitely wouldn’t be happy if the same thing happened to my 2M Black.

If you had someone nearby that could swap a stylus with you, that might be interesting. I think Red, Blue and Silver are all interchangeable.

Emlyn

The Nagaoka MP-110 is another flavor cartridge, but much less expensive than the 2M Blue, that Fluance mounts for the RT85n version that retails for the same price as the RT85.

stevep

scubalab wrote: »

IHow does one check the coils of a cartridge? I did a quick google search and all I found was how to test your cartridge with a multimeter. A lot of folks were saying to NOT do this as it can 'burn out the coils'.

I guess that depends on the voltage your meter uses to measure the resistance but with a 1.3kOhm DC resistance I can't see one doing any damage with a modern quality multimeter to a moving magnet cartridge. Red and Green for Right channel, White and Blue for the Left channel.

If it's likely dead how much more damage might you do checking?

msg

Emlyn wrote: »

The Nagaoka MP-110 is another flavor cartridge, but much less expensive than the 2M Blue, that Fluance mounts for the RT85n version that retails for the same price as the RT85.

I had this Nagaoka on my list to check out at one point for the "affordable carts" curiosities. Can't remember now, but I thought it was pretty well received, generally?

Here's the lineup

Clipdat

NAGAOKA me, ASAP

jdjohn

stevep wrote: »

scubalab wrote: »

IHow does one check the coils of a cartridge? I did a quick google search and all I found was how to test your cartridge with a multimeter. A lot of folks were saying to NOT do this as it can 'burn out the coils'.

I guess that depends on the voltage your meter uses to measure the resistance but with a 1.3kOhm DC resistance I can't see one doing any damage with a modern quality multimeter to a moving magnet cartridge. Red and Green for Right channel, White and Blue for the Left channel.

If it's likely dead how much more damage might you do checking?

I've tested dozens of cartridges with no problems or damage done...both MM and MC. I use a digital multi-meter (DMM), which is considered safe. I did read that with some old, analog multimeters - the kind with a needle and dial gauge - there could be a problem with some of those. I don't recall exactly why.

Most MM carts will measure between 500 and 1,500 ohms. MC carts measure much lower, from single digit ohms up to a few hundred. Low-output MC (LOMC) measure lower, and high-output (HOMC) measure higher.

Of course if you get -0-, it means a coil wire is broken, and you have a dead channel. MM carts only VERY rarely go bad like this, but it does happen. MC carts, with the coils attached to the cantilever, are more prone to damage since the cantilever can easily be traumatized, resulting in a coil wire breaking. The coil wire is thinner than hair, so quite fragile.

Emlyn

Pretty cool recent video from Ortofon showing how MM and MC cartridges are constructed and work...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apYTxqIHIHQ

jdjohn

I found an eBay seller who sells just the 2M body for $60 here: https://www.ebay.com/itm/124139837649?hash=item1ce74f98d1:g:AqcAAOSwdHNehjTS&amdata=enc:AQAHAAAA4P9PIGnb4/AJaJmfh2nr7m397aqvdtXgk7Y0oUEsmszQc/Fkqw90CGNPLgtQyAD69+Y96YH7dzrwKa2ihXfa1D75E4/DRPrCG1uEnNqFXvyKxOwubpqxsjsRwCF29ci8Kxrkzso6TRC+6rGkmt5Hlq8lIVPWtJU8nmYZ3rEwkxTjuiWb0bOSBazrmxfS6FMN4aPCV9qkNmPZ15FrPWJRZNHToiNAaH7Hqgo6ZK+Ydgrzn1P5pqRBkTkcLq/wD9eBKEeUF57kdY8olGQxCfVtOq1Qw6MnuIGhS4CNgdu/nPfh|tkp:Bk9SR5jOq4rlYQ They've sold 146 of them so far, and have an overall 99.7% positive rating. I didn't see any negative comments about those cartridge bodies.

Seeing that you also have an Audio Technica MM cart, it tells me you prefer a brighter, more analytical sound. The Nagaoka carts referenced above will have a warmer sound, so keep that in mind as you consider your options.

rebelsoul

Did you try and pull the blue part on cartridge that pulls off to change stylus and reinsert?

msg

Emlyn wrote: »

Pretty cool recent video from Ortofon showing how MM and MC cartridges are constructed and work...

woh! check out the size of that cart!

stevep

That's what they are like before they wash them.

txcoastal1

stevep wrote: »

That's what they are like before they wash them.

Or put them on the Polk forum...keep the cart on the Polk forum long enough and it will eventually fit your TT

scubalab

Been a crazy couple days, and I’m just catching up on the replies. Thanks again for all the tips and advice.

I will try checking the coils. At this point, it’s got to be the cartridge, so yeah, what’s the harm in testing if it already doesn’t work right.

As for the AT cartridge, that is the one from my daughter’s turntable. I misspoke - it’s a Kenwood, not a Marantz. I actually like a warmer sound and did have a Rega turntable for a bit. It had the Nagoaka MP-110 on it. I did really like that cartridge, so will likely go with that one if I replace outright. Scott @msg you should definitely give it a try. Great bang for the buck, and I have seen nothing but praise from others about it.

John, thanks for the eBay seller link for the cartridge body. I may go that route if the coils on mine are in fact bad.

scubalab

rebelsoul wrote: »

Did you try and pull the blue part on cartridge that pulls off to change stylus and reinsert?

Yep - I did this several times. No change…

scubalab

Just checked the cartridge. Problem found…

With my meter set to 2k ohm, I got the following:

Blue/white - 1.145
Red/green - 1. No movement.

Looks like the red/green is open. That must be the right channel I guess…

Emlyn

Yep. That's right positive and right ground.

I've occasionally wondered if Ortofon's manufacturer puts the same quality into the runs of cartridges they ship out to other companies for inclusion on their turntables. My guess is there is no difference but the price of a $499 turntable with a $240 cartridge on it raises my eyebrows a little.

stangman67

Product is the same. The turntable manufacturers buy in mass amounts and therefore the cost is much closer to manufacturer cost. That 240 dollar cartridge did not cost near 240 dollars for Fluance, because of the bulk manufacturers buy in

scubalab

Got a new cartridge over the weekend. Back in business! Hopefully this one isn't a lemon too...