I got the turntable, but they forgot to ship the remote

del44

Got my new to me tt setup finally. Ha, I had forgotton how much effort it takes to play the vinyl. But man, I sure did miss it. Too bad the dustcover is shot. I have albums that are 30+ years old, and I bought them new. Shows my age. Anyways, I'm using a Dynavector Karat 17D mc cartridge. I have to turn the volume knob on my MF A5 pre to about the 1 or 2 o'clock position to get what I think is reference sound. I was wondering if I need to go to a mm cartridge or a higher voltage mc cartridge. I'm not complaning, because my system sounds like never before. I may have a few questions for the tt gurus. Like why do I need a protractor and is my vtf ok.:o I did take a few pics. Just disregard the big hole in the cover.
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TroyD

Looks good!

I'm not sure what the output on the cartridge is. I'm guessing that your MF has just a MM phono stage and you have a low(er) output MC cart. You can do a couple of different things (I wouldn't replace the cart, it's a good one)....a whole new phono stage or a step up transformer into your existing phono stage.

BDT

cmy330go

I also would recommend leaving the cartridge as is. Your best be would be to team it up with a better phono stage.

A protractor takes the guess work out of properly mounting and aligning a cartridge. Very minor adjustments can make very noticeable differences in sound. You most certainly want to be sure your VTF is properly set. There are many reasonably priced tracking force gauges on the market. Even the basic $20 Shure does a respectable job. Once you get it set in the right range you will likely find that minute adjustments will help you tune in the sound to your liking.

Enjoy! You've got a great setup there.

del44

TroyD wrote: »

I'm not sure what the output on the cartridge is. I'm guessing that your MF has just a MM phono stage and you have a low(er) output MC cart. You can do a couple of different things (I wouldn't replace the cart, it's a good one)....a whole new phono stage or a step up transformer into your existing phono stage.

BDT

My pre has mm/mc option. It plays loud enough, I'm just not sure if it's good to have the volume turned up so high. I guess it shouldn't matter though.

cmy330go

del44 wrote: »

My pre has mm/mc option. It plays loud enough, I'm just not sure if it's good to have the volume turned up so high. I guess it shouldn't matter though.

The only concern with having the volume that high is accidentally switching back to another source and forgetting to turn it down a first.

Just be careful.

wizzy

Nothing wrong with that hole in the dust cover ... let's air go in and out so you don't get any back pressure and the turntable's piston moves in and out freely.

Oh, is anyone looking for a new bridge?

Seriously, glad you got something for the old records.

del44

cmy330go wrote: »

The only concern with having the volume that high is accidentally switching back to another source and forgetting to turn it down a first.

Just be careful.

I know, I've thought about that.

wizzy wrote: »

Nothing wrong with that hole in the dust cover ... let's air go in and out so you don't get any back pressure and the turntable's piston moves in and out freely.

Oh, is anyone looking for a new bridge?

Seriously, glad you got something for the old records.

Well, hopefully that will get fixed. Just sent 9 pics to ups for evaluation. At least the parts are still available.

Man, after unboxing the vinyl, I may have some that are worth a few bucks. I have a Beatles "Magical Mystery Tour" album. After looking on ebay I couldn't find one that matches it exactly.

engtaz

Congrats on the TT.

engtaz

billbillw

Nice TT. Looks almost identical to my VPI, expect your plinth is glossy and mine is matte black. Your wood looks better than mine too. Of course, my dustcover is in one piece .
Same tonearm, same platter though. Once you get that thing dialed in right, you shouldn't have to fuss with it for a long time. The VPIs don't need frequent adjustments like those floating Linns, Oracles, and other finicky tables.

Fireman32

Congrats on the VPI there great tables.

del44

billbillw wrote: »

Of course, my dustcover is in one piece .
QUOTE]

Ouch!:D


Thanks for the kudos guys. A quick question. Aside from the tag on the rear, how can you tell the difference between the MK ll, 3, and lV? Mine is supposed to be mkll but the box it came in says its an mk3 or JR. BTW, the tag on the back doesn't state wheather it's a ll or 3. Any thoughts? Could it be the JR?

cubdog

Great looking table! Congratulations.

cubdog

billbillw

Keep an eye out at Audiogon for used dustcovers. That's where I got mine. Yes, mine was destroyed in shipping, so it had to be replaced.

Yours is definitely a Mk3 based on what I can see.

I'm not sure if there is a mk1 or just plain HW-19, but the difference between Jr, Mk2, Mk3, Mk4 is in the plinth, platter, and the bearing mostly. The Jr has the clear acrylic platter and a one piece MDF plinth. The MK2 added the black acrylic/lead ringed platter along with a better designed plinth that was bolted to a steel subframe and had a removable armboard. The Mk3 differences are mostly cosmetic and in the bearing. The Mk3 bearing is a little different, and the plinth is shiny black (along with the motor cover). The wood frame is improved too.

In reality, there is not a big acoustic difference between the mk2 and mk3, if any.

The Mk4 is a big upgrade from the mk2/3. It has the thicker/heavier platter from the TNT series along with the inverted bearing design. The Mk4 ususally has the Stand alone motor (SAMA) as well as the thicker armboard.

Of course, many people upgrade their lower models piece by piece, so in the used market, you can find just about any combination of frame, plinth, platter and bearing.

Mine is a mk2 frame/plinth/platter, but I have a mk3 bearing and motor, because I replaced them.

del44 wrote:

billbillw wrote:

Of course, my dustcover is in one piece .

Ouch!:D


Thanks for the kudos guys. A quick question. Aside from the tag on the rear, how can you tell the difference between the MK ll, 3, and lV? Mine is supposed to be mkll but the box it came in says its an mk3 or JR. BTW, the tag on the back doesn't state wheather it's a ll or 3. Any thoughts? Could it be the JR?

del44

Thanks for the info. I thought about going with a taller dustcover, but with my limited space on that shelf, I don't think that will work. Plus, I'll have to see if ups is going to cover it.