Tír Na HiFi

A clear summary of key cartridge set up factors from the Listening Suite.

https://www.thelisteningsuite.ie/the-st ... 15a89a68f3

That's brilliant! Very easy to understand too.

cybot wrote: ↑Thu Oct 15, 2020 12:23 pm That's brilliant! Very easy to understand too.

Agreed! But still no mention of properly matching the cartridge to the tonearm, which is hugely important, but almost forgotten these days!

Plunkfra
Speak to Daniel Mooney Hifi Hospital in Kells
Cheers
Alan

Another very simple explanation - MC vs MM
https://www.thelisteningsuite.ie/the-ca ... 15a89a68f3

Hi guys, just a quick question, can anyone lend me a protractor for cartridge alignment for a day, or I can bring down my TT for a quick check up?
Thanks.

Jumping on an old thread here. I need recommendations for someone good to set a tonearm & cartridge up. I have an early Rega planar 3 (1st batch they shipped with RB300 arm), cartridge is Stilton Bodied Nagaoka MP11. Recently sound quality and tracking dropped off badly and I realized that the locknut on the spindle clamping the arm to the board had backed off so tonearm is wobbling and has moved. The whole thing needs re-aligning and setting up. Looking for someone that can do this.

I can provide you with some general suggestions on how to find a reputable professional to assist you.

Search for local audio equipment stores or hi-fi specialty shops: These types of establishments often have experienced staff or may be able to recommend a technician who can assist you with tonearm setup and alignment.

Reach out to audio enthusiasts and communities: Look for online forums, social media groups, or websites dedicated to turntables and hi-fi audio. Engaging with these communities can provide valuable insights and recommendations from people who have faced similar issues.

Check with Rega authorized dealers: Contacting an authorized Rega dealer in your area may lead you to someone who is familiar with Rega turntables and can provide setup services or recommend a reliable technician.

Online directories: Some websites or directories specialize in listing audio equipment service providers. You can search for these directories and filter by location to find technicians or stores that offer turntable setup services.

I was trying to find the same, asked cloney audio and hifi hut, they said they can do it, but in the end decided to do it on my own to learn (mostly because I don't think they'll spend more than 15-30min on it, and think thats not enough).
Some pointers:
- compliance of cartridge and tonearm, my guess thats ok since you already own the cartridge
- google whats the best protractor to use with planar 3. Find PDF, and print it (make sure you don't scale it up/down when printing. Some downloads: https://www.vinylengine.com/cartridge-a ... tors.shtml. I asked on Steve Hoffman forum whats the best for my tonearm)
- get some basic alignment tool from amazon (VTA, scale, printed protractor you already have)
- read and follow some tutorials (few i used: http://www.vacuumstate.com/fileupload/GuruSetUp.pdf, https://fromvinyltoplastic.com/cartridg ... roduction/), there are plenty of them, even on Youtube
- use phone to take photo, you can zoom in and check if its aligned correctly
- some patience, it lots of retries to get it aligned correctly.
- use good quality/pressing record to check the sound, specially in inner/outer grooves, does it distort, whats the balance, how's the bass and highs

So my advice is to take few hours, read some tutorials and then just do it by yourself, its an useful knowledge to have!
Also, I tried to align cartridge i got with my TT (2nd hand), never quite sounded well, thought its my alignment skillz, but turned out its just a worn out stylus. Purchased new cartridge, aligned it myself in few hours, and sounds much awesome!

armstrongracer wrote: ↑Mon Feb 20, 2023 7:38 pm Jumping on an old thread here. I need recommendations for someone good to set a tonearm & cartridge up. I have an early Rega planar 3 (1st batch they shipped with RB300 arm), cartridge is Stilton Bodied Nagaoka MP11. Recently sound quality and tracking dropped off badly and I realized that the locknut on the spindle clamping the arm to the board had backed off so tonearm is wobbling and has moved. The whole thing needs re-aligning and setting up. Looking for someone that can do this.

Maybe it is a late reply, but for the problem with the tonearm you can contact the hifi hospital (http://thehifihospital.com/). Daniel is a super skilled person and he will be able to fix it. And if you decide for this solution I would ask him also to aligning the cartridge: I am sure he can show you how to do it and next time you can repeat all the steps yourself.

Best