TT Cart question...

unc2701
unc2701 Posts: 3,587
edited April 2007 in 2 Channel Audio
Anybody ever had just one side (left/right) of a cartridge go out? My spare system that I have loaned to a friend has the left side of the TT completely dead, but I didn't have a spare cart to throw on there. It's got the twist on mount & I made sure everything was seated tight.

I told her just to buy a new cartridge, but now I'm having second thoughts since I've never seen one go completely out on just one side...


(before anyone asks- I debugged it down to the turntable, no it's not amp or cables- the cartridge is all in one type, so it's not wires to the headshell, etc)
Gallo Ref 3.1 : Bryston 4b SST : Musical fidelity CD Pre : VPI HW-19
Gallo Ref AV, Frankengallo Ref 3, LC60i : Bryston 9b SST : Meridian 565
Jordan JX92s : MF X-T100 : Xray v8
Backburner:Krell KAV-300i
Post edited by unc2701 on
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  • billbillw
    billbillw Posts: 6,765
    edited April 2007
    Did you swap the phono cables to see if the same channel stayed out or if it changed with the cable swap? I'm assuming you did since you said its not the amp. Could also be a bad wire in the tonearm. If you got a multi meter, check continuity between the heashell mount and the RCAs. If everythings continuous, then its for sure the cartridge.
    For rig details, see my profile. Nothing here anymore...
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  • unc2701
    unc2701 Posts: 3,587
    edited April 2007
    Yep, did the swap to make sure it really was no output from the one TT RCA.

    I'll just have to tell her to hold off on buying a new cart & get back over there with a spare. For what it's worth, the Multimeter test wouldn't work- it's this Stanton DJ turntable w/ a digital pitch shift that keeps the tone the same even when you slow the disc down, so everything goes through a A/D, then back to a D/A... There is a bypass on that function, but I'm not sure if it just turns off the pitch shift or really does bypass the whole digital section.

    Anyhow, if it's not the cart, I'll take it apart and test the continuity where the wires come out of the tone arm... Thanks for the suggestion there.
    Gallo Ref 3.1 : Bryston 4b SST : Musical fidelity CD Pre : VPI HW-19
    Gallo Ref AV, Frankengallo Ref 3, LC60i : Bryston 9b SST : Meridian 565
    Jordan JX92s : MF X-T100 : Xray v8
    Backburner:Krell KAV-300i
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  • billbillw
    billbillw Posts: 6,765
    edited April 2007
    unc2701 wrote: »
    Yep, did the swap to make sure it really was no output from the one TT RCA.

    I'll just have to tell her to hold off on buying a new cart & get back over there with a spare. For what it's worth, the Multimeter test wouldn't work- it's this Stanton DJ turntable w/ a digital pitch shift that keeps the tone the same even when you slow the disc down, so everything goes through a A/D, then back to a D/A... There is a bypass on that function, but I'm not sure if it just turns off the pitch shift or really does bypass the whole digital section.

    Anyhow, if it's not the cart, I'll take it apart and test the continuity where the wires come out of the tone arm... Thanks for the suggestion there.

    Oh jeeze. It could be anything then. Something on a circuit board, a fried IC, who knows. Good luck!
    For rig details, see my profile. Nothing here anymore...
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