[[email protected]]

Greetings all:

Should I replace the standard four colored headshell leads that came
with my turntable with better ones? How much does it matter?

This is my first time posting here, and I'd appreciate any help and/or
opinions!

Steve

[Serge Auckland]

wrote:
Greetings all:

Should I replace the standard four colored headshell leads that came
with my turntable with better ones? How much does it matter?

This is my first time posting here, and I'd appreciate any help and/or
opinions!

Steve

The material the wires are made of won't make any difference,nor will
the thickness, given the tiny currents produced by a cartridge. What
could make a difference is if the terminals are not gold-plated, then
corrosion could affect the signal, so changing to wires with gold-plated
terminals could be more reliable. If you already have gold-plated
terminals, then I'd leave well enough alone, as any changes risk
accidentally damaging the stylus.

S.

[Laurence Payne]

On 1 Feb 2007 01:35:03 -0800, wrote:

Should I replace the standard four colored headshell leads that came
with my turntable with better ones? How much does it matter?

I doubt you can get better ones. You can certainly get more expensive
ones :-)

[Laurence Payne]

On Thu, 01 Feb 2007 11:38:01 +0000, Serge Auckland
wrote:

The material the wires are made of won't make any difference,nor will
the thickness, given the tiny currents produced by a cartridge. What
could make a difference is if the terminals are not gold-plated, then
corrosion could affect the signal, so changing to wires with gold-plated
terminals could be more reliable. If you already have gold-plated
terminals, then I'd leave well enough alone, as any changes risk
accidentally damaging the stylus.

Or you could just slide the connectors off and on a few times once a
year or so. Cheaper, and just as effective :-)

[Serge Auckland]

Laurence Payne wrote:
On Thu, 01 Feb 2007 11:38:01 +0000, Serge Auckland
wrote:

The material the wires are made of won't make any difference,nor will
the thickness, given the tiny currents produced by a cartridge. What
could make a difference is if the terminals are not gold-plated, then
corrosion could affect the signal, so changing to wires with gold-plated
terminals could be more reliable. If you already have gold-plated
terminals, then I'd leave well enough alone, as any changes risk
accidentally damaging the stylus.

Or you could just slide the connectors off and on a few times once a
year or so. Cheaper, and just as effective :-)

Yes you could, but any fiddling with a cartridge risks damage, so, for
me, a one-time modest expenditure is worth it if I then don't have to
touch the cartridge. Maybe I'm just clumsy, but I often end up breaking
off the silly little tags on cartridge cables in pulling them off.

S.

[Laurence Payne]

On Thu, 01 Feb 2007 12:09:59 +0000, Serge Auckland
wrote:

Or you could just slide the connectors off and on a few times once a
year or so. Cheaper, and just as effective :-)

Yes you could, but any fiddling with a cartridge risks damage, so, for
me, a one-time modest expenditure is worth it if I then don't have to
touch the cartridge. Maybe I'm just clumsy, but I often end up breaking
off the silly little tags on cartridge cables in pulling them off.


I'd have much more sympathy with audiophiles if they enjoyed fiddling,
tweaking and maintaining half as much as they enjoyed spending money
:-)

[Arny Krueger]

wrote in message
oups.com
Greetings all:

Should I replace the standard four colored headshell
leads that came with my turntable with better ones?

Only if your existing leads are damaged or otherwise intermittant.

How much does it matter?

Connectors and connections are the least reliable part of just about just
any electronic system. But, once a reasonably good connection is made,
further enhancements don't have any audible benefits.

[Serge Auckland]

Laurence Payne wrote:
On Thu, 01 Feb 2007 12:09:59 +0000, Serge Auckland
wrote:

Or you could just slide the connectors off and on a few times once a
year or so. Cheaper, and just as effective :-)
Yes you could, but any fiddling with a cartridge risks damage, so, for
me, a one-time modest expenditure is worth it if I then don't have to
touch the cartridge. Maybe I'm just clumsy, but I often end up breaking
off the silly little tags on cartridge cables in pulling them off.


I'd have much more sympathy with audiophiles if they enjoyed fiddling,
tweaking and maintaining half as much as they enjoyed spending money
:-)
Indeed, and even more if they actually enjoyed listening to music rather
than the hi-fi.

S.

[Richard Crowley]

wrote ...
Should I replace the standard four colored headshell
leads that came with my turntable with better ones?

Anyone trying to sell you "better" headshell wires is either
out to take your money or hopelessly deluded. Run away
as fast as possible. These are the people your mother
warned you about.

How much does it matter?

Any "improvement" will only be in your imagination.
We have to convince ourselves that things that cost
more somehow sound better or we feel like fools. There
is a multi-million dollar industry selling "magic" things
like cables, etc.

This is my first time posting here, and I'd appreciate
any help and/or opinions!

As others have observed, the connections (the terminals
that slip onto the cartridge pins) *might* be a source of
distortion and/or intermittent performance due to corrosion,
but this is so unlikely that it is not worth worrying about
unless it happens.

You will get FAR more benefit from acquiring good speakers
and placing them properly in a room with good acoustics.

[GregS]

In article .com, wrote:
Greetings all:

Should I replace the standard four colored headshell leads that came
with my turntable with better ones? How much does it matter?

This is my first time posting here, and I'd appreciate any help and/or
opinions!

Why, and what are they now? I would not mind if someone pointed me to
the wire itself in long lengths. Using wire thats not soft, can cause the
leads to resonate, a very bad thing. The standard American wire manufacturers,
like Belden, and Alpha, all quit making phono lead wires some time ago. I can
get wire from Cooner, but its not cheap.

Your probably talking about cartridge leads that are allready made up with
push on connectors, made from crimped push on connectors, oh my!

There is sure a lot to considered when actually using these things.

greg

[John Phillips]

On 2007-02-01, Richard Crowley wrote:
wrote ...
Should I replace the standard four colored headshell
leads that came with my turntable with better ones?
...
As others have observed, the connections (the terminals
that slip onto the cartridge pins) *might* be a source of
distortion and/or intermittent performance due to corrosion,
but this is so unlikely that it is not worth worrying about
unless it happens.

I believe this is correct. My friends at a local radio research lab
tell me that for their RF cables, which have to handle +47 dBm (50 Watts)
carriers and produce less than -120 dBm passive intermodulation products
(that's -167 dBc) the most important consideration is the connector,
not the cable.

You apparently need a large corrosion-free contact area and you need
to avoid ferromagnetic materials like nickel. I guess the same should
apply to good audio connections and connectors.

--
John Phillips

[Laurence Payne]

On 01 Feb 2007 16:31:38 GMT, John Phillips
wrote:

You apparently need a large corrosion-free contact area and you need
to avoid ferromagnetic materials like nickel. I guess the same should
apply to good audio connections and connectors.

It's not uncommon for manufacturers who peddle magic cables to find a
parameter that matters in rf or other non-audio applications and
pretend it makes a vital difference to a domestic hi-fi lead :-)

[Arny Krueger]

"John Phillips" wrote
in message
On 2007-02-01, Richard Crowley wrote:
wrote ...
Should I replace the standard four colored headshell
leads that came with my turntable with better ones?
...
As others have observed, the connections (the terminals
that slip onto the cartridge pins) *might* be a source of
distortion and/or intermittent performance due to
corrosion, but this is so unlikely that it is not worth
worrying about unless it happens.

I believe this is correct. My friends at a local radio
research lab tell me that for their RF cables, which have
to handle +47 dBm (50 Watts) carriers and produce less
than -120 dBm passive intermodulation products (that's
-167 dBc) the most important consideration is the
connector, not the cable.

Been true in the 50 years I've been flogging electronics.

You apparently need a large corrosion-free contact area
and you need to avoid ferromagnetic materials like nickel.

Use of nickel could only be an issue when serious power is involved, like
the application you mentioned.

I guess the same should apply to good audio connections and
connectors.

High power RF introduces some constraints that aren't relevant to line-level
audio.

[Arny Krueger]

"Laurence Payne" lpayne1NOSPAM@dslDOTpipexDOTcom wrote in
message
On 01 Feb 2007 16:31:38 GMT, John Phillips
wrote:

You apparently need a large corrosion-free contact area
and you need to avoid ferromagnetic materials like
nickel. I guess the same should apply to good audio
connections and connectors.

It's not uncommon for manufacturers who peddle magic
cables to find a parameter that matters in rf or other
non-audio applications and pretend it makes a vital
difference to a domestic hi-fi lead :-)

Agreed.

Nickel-free and skin effect immediately coming to mind.

[jakdedert]

Serge Auckland wrote:
Laurence Payne wrote:
On Thu, 01 Feb 2007 11:38:01 +0000, Serge Auckland
wrote:

The material the wires are made of won't make any difference,nor will
the thickness, given the tiny currents produced by a cartridge. What
could make a difference is if the terminals are not gold-plated, then
corrosion could affect the signal, so changing to wires with
gold-plated terminals could be more reliable. If you already have
gold-plated terminals, then I'd leave well enough alone, as any
changes risk accidentally damaging the stylus.

Or you could just slide the connectors off and on a few times once a
year or so. Cheaper, and just as effective :-)

Yes you could, but any fiddling with a cartridge risks damage, so, for
me, a one-time modest expenditure is worth it if I then don't have to
touch the cartridge. Maybe I'm just clumsy, but I often end up breaking
off the silly little tags on cartridge cables in pulling them off.

S.

Replacing the leads is a much more delicate operation than simply
manipulating them occasionally. If you don't have the skill to simply
tweak them, how are you going to replace them?

If you're willing to pay someone the requisite shop minimum of
$35-75/hour to do so--plus the price of presumably 'audiophool'
replacements--you won't get much advice here (that you will accept) anyway.

Go ahead and replace them if it will make you feel better. I'm sure
you'll notice a big improvement...but I doubt that there will be any.

jak

[[email protected]]

Thanks for all your opinions!

I asked about this because I'm experiencing some problems with the
right channel while playing LPs. Especially with quiet music, or when
there isn't much going on in the right side, the sound sometimes gets
significantly distorted or just drops out on that channel. I've tried
a number of things, including getting my receiver checked out,
fiddling with the anti-skating, and I can't figure it out. I've also
recently realigned the cartridge.

(So I guess what I'm saying is: any other possibilities I might be
looking over?)

Steve



On Feb 1, 8:39 am, "Richard Crowley" wrote:
wrote ...

Should I replace the standard four colored headshell
leads that came with my turntable with better ones?

Anyone trying to sell you "better" headshell wires is either
out to take your money or hopelessly deluded. Run away
as fast as possible. These are the people your mother
warned you about.

How much does it matter?

Any "improvement" will only be in your imagination.
We have to convince ourselves that things that cost
more somehow sound better or we feel like fools. There
is a multi-million dollar industry selling "magic" things
like cables, etc.

This is my first time posting here, and I'd appreciate
any help and/or opinions!

As others have observed, the connections (the terminals
that slip onto the cartridge pins) *might* be a source of
distortion and/or intermittent performance due to corrosion,
but this is so unlikely that it is not worth worrying about
unless it happens.

You will get FAR more benefit from acquiring good speakers
and placing them properly in a room with good acoustics.

[GregS]

In article .com, wrote:
Thanks for all your opinions!

I asked about this because I'm experiencing some problems with the
right channel while playing LPs. Especially with quiet music, or when
there isn't much going on in the right side, the sound sometimes gets
significantly distorted or just drops out on that channel. I've tried
a number of things, including getting my receiver checked out,
fiddling with the anti-skating, and I can't figure it out. I've also
recently realigned the cartridge.

(So I guess what I'm saying is: any other possibilities I might be
looking over?)

Any connection. I see, or hear this problem on RCA connections.
Sometimes an internal connection inside the turntable might cause this.
Even a preamp or receiver will do this because of its switches, or relays.
When it starts to cut out , a large signal can bring it back in, or
distorted.

Removable headshells is a major problem in this area.
Even after cleaning contacts, it sometimes hard to get them going. Sometimes
saliva will work the best.

greg






On Feb 1, 8:39 am, "Richard Crowley" wrote:
wrote ...

Should I replace the standard four colored headshell
leads that came with my turntable with better ones?

Anyone trying to sell you "better" headshell wires is either
out to take your money or hopelessly deluded. Run away
as fast as possible. These are the people your mother
warned you about.

How much does it matter?

Any "improvement" will only be in your imagination.
We have to convince ourselves that things that cost
more somehow sound better or we feel like fools. There
is a multi-million dollar industry selling "magic" things
like cables, etc.

This is my first time posting here, and I'd appreciate
any help and/or opinions!

As others have observed, the connections (the terminals
that slip onto the cartridge pins) *might* be a source of
distortion and/or intermittent performance due to corrosion,
but this is so unlikely that it is not worth worrying about
unless it happens.

You will get FAR more benefit from acquiring good speakers
and placing them properly in a room with good acoustics.

[[email protected]]

Thanks. I'm bringing it in to a local guy here in Berkeley to get it
tuned tomorrow and I'll ask him to check the RCA connectors and
perhaps the internal connections. By the way, it's a Harmon Kardon
T55C with a cheap/old Stanton cartridge. I'll ask them to look at the
latter also.
Steve



On Feb 1, 12:30 pm, (GregS) wrote:
In article .com, wrote:
Thanks for all your opinions!

I asked about this because I'm experiencing some problems with the
right channel while playing LPs. Especially with quiet music, or when
there isn't much going on in the right side, the sound sometimes gets
significantly distorted or just drops out on that channel. I've tried
a number of things, including getting my receiver checked out,
fiddling with the anti-skating, and I can't figure it out. I've also
recently realigned the cartridge.

(So I guess what I'm saying is: any other possibilities I might be
looking over?)

Any connection. I see, or hear this problem on RCA connections.
Sometimes an internal connection inside the turntable might cause this.
Even a preamp or receiver will do this because of its switches, or relays.
When it starts to cut out , a large signal can bring it back in, or
distorted.

Removable headshells is a major problem in this area.
Even after cleaning contacts, it sometimes hard to get them going. Sometimes
saliva will work the best.

greg

[Mark D. Zacharias]

wrote:
Greetings all:

Should I replace the standard four colored headshell leads that came
with my turntable with better ones? How much does it matter?

This is my first time posting here, and I'd appreciate any help and/or
opinions!

Steve

If you can find better ones, fine. Just don't try soldering to the cartridge
pins. This will usually ruin the cartridge.

Mark Z.

[Michael L. Squires]

In article .com,
wrote:
Thanks for all your opinions!

I asked about this because I'm experiencing some problems with the
right channel while playing LPs. Especially with quiet music, or when
there isn't much going on in the right side, the sound sometimes gets
significantly distorted or just drops out on that channel. I've tried
a number of things, including getting my receiver checked out,
fiddling with the anti-skating, and I can't figure it out. I've also
recently realigned the cartridge.

(So I guess what I'm saying is: any other possibilities I might be
looking over?)


I'd first try switching the cables coming from the turntable to the preamp.
If the sound changes sides then you know it's the turntable, if not it's
the receiver.

If the problem is in the turntable then I'd redo the cartridge alignment,
tracing force, and anti-skate adjustments. I would also look for signs
that the tone arm is binding (one common problem with systems have that
automatic shut-off is for the shut-off mechanism to start binding.

Problens with cartridges tend to appear at the inner grooves where the
velocity is less, and often occur at 33 1/3 RPM.

It is also time to look at the stylus to make sure it's not damaged or
badly worn.

My guess is that you have a problem with the receiver, since I have similar
problems with my NAD 7400 receiver.

When you are setting up the turntable remember that a little too much tracking
force is a lot less damaging that too little.

Mike Squires

[Barry Mann]

Depending on your dexterity and instrumentation, turntable/cartridge
diagnosis is relatively straight forward.

The problem is in the headshell, at the connection between the
headshell and the arm, or in the turntable and signal leads.

For removable headshells, I'll pull the headshell, connect the
turntable for play (at VERY LOW VOLUME) and touch the, now exposed,
bare terminals on the arm with a metal rod. There are four contacts,
two are ground and two are not. When you touch the ungrounded terminals
there should be a pronounced hum in the speakers (you did turn down the
volume?). If one channel hums when you touch and the other doesn't,
there is a bad connection between that point and the amplifier.

Typically, the bad connection is a break in the center wire at the
amplifier end of the signal cable near the strain relief. Some
turntables have vulnerable points inside. In very unfortunate cases
there will be a problem inside the arm. If you go inside the turntable,
take care not to damage the hair thin wires from inside the tonearm.

At this point you have divided the problem in half (in terms of time
that you'll spend fixing things). If the problem is in the turntable or
wiring, go there.

I have an Ohmmeter. At this point I'll measure resistance at the
headshell contacts. A healthy magnetic cartridge should measure about
1000 Ohms, depending on its accuracy and the cartridge. Anything in the
600 - 2000 Ohm range is probably OK as long as both channels are
similar. (if one channel is 600 and the other is 800, don't worry --
worry if the other channel is 2000)

If you don't have an Ohmmeter and you have enough dexterity to swap
channels at the back of the cartridge, this is a good test too. If the
problem moves after the swap, the problem is with the cartridge, if
not, the wires and headshell contacts are the answer.

I've seen lots of trouble with the headshell-to-arm contacts. Usually I
can see the problem, which is usually oxidation. I'll use an ink
eraser, followed by a solvent such as denatured alcohol to clean the
contacts. Clean contacts should be bright and shinny. Many of these
contacts are silver plated and become covered with a black oxide. After
you've removed the black oxide, stop cleaning. The silver coating is
very thin and if you remove that too, that's bad. Cleaning these
contacts requires some dexterity too.

-----------------------------------------------------------
spam:
wordgame:123(abc):14 9 20 5 2 9 18 4 at 22 15 9 3 5 14 5 20 dot 3 15
13 (Barry Mann)
[sorry about the puzzle, spammers are ruining my mailbox]
-----------------------------------------------------------

[jakdedert]

Barry Mann wrote:
Depending on your dexterity and instrumentation, turntable/cartridge
diagnosis is relatively straight forward.

The problem is in the headshell, at the connection between the
headshell and the arm, or in the turntable and signal leads.

For removable headshells, I'll pull the headshell, connect the
turntable for play (at VERY LOW VOLUME) and touch the, now exposed,
bare terminals on the arm with a metal rod. There are four contacts,
two are ground and two are not. When you touch the ungrounded terminals
there should be a pronounced hum in the speakers (you did turn down the
volume?). If one channel hums when you touch and the other doesn't,
there is a bad connection between that point and the amplifier.

Typically, the bad connection is a break in the center wire at the
amplifier end of the signal cable near the strain relief. Some
turntables have vulnerable points inside. In very unfortunate cases
there will be a problem inside the arm. If you go inside the turntable,
take care not to damage the hair thin wires from inside the tonearm.

At this point you have divided the problem in half (in terms of time
that you'll spend fixing things). If the problem is in the turntable or
wiring, go there.

I have an Ohmmeter. At this point I'll measure resistance at the
headshell contacts. A healthy magnetic cartridge should measure about
1000 Ohms, depending on its accuracy and the cartridge. Anything in the
600 - 2000 Ohm range is probably OK as long as both channels are
similar. (if one channel is 600 and the other is 800, don't worry --
worry if the other channel is 2000)

If you don't have an Ohmmeter and you have enough dexterity to swap
channels at the back of the cartridge, this is a good test too. If the
problem moves after the swap, the problem is with the cartridge, if
not, the wires and headshell contacts are the answer.

I've seen lots of trouble with the headshell-to-arm contacts. Usually I
can see the problem, which is usually oxidation. I'll use an ink
eraser, followed by a solvent such as denatured alcohol to clean the
contacts. Clean contacts should be bright and shinny. Many of these
contacts are silver plated and become covered with a black oxide. After
you've removed the black oxide, stop cleaning. The silver coating is
very thin and if you remove that too, that's bad. Cleaning these
contacts requires some dexterity too.

-----------------------------------------------------------
spam:
wordgame:123(abc):14 9 20 5 2 9 18 4 at 22 15 9 3 5 14 5 20 dot 3 15
13 (Barry Mann)
[sorry about the puzzle, spammers are ruining my mailbox]
-----------------------------------------------------------

Good synopsis. I'd add that locking surgical tweezers (hemostats?) are
extremely helpful for removing wires from the back of cartridge with no
damage. Grab them on the flat part where the wire is attached.

jak

jakk

[Barry Mann]

In SPUxh.884$%e3.214@bigfe9, on 02/06/07
at 12:00 AM, jakdedert said:

Barry Mann wrote:
Depending on your dexterity [ ... ]

Good synopsis. I'd add that locking surgical tweezers (hemostats?)
are extremely helpful for removing wires from the back of cartridge
with no damage. Grab them on the flat part where the wire is
attached.

jak

Good point about where to grab -- It's not a good idea to tug directly
on the wire.

Tools are fascinating.

To some extent it's the tools that you are familiar with.

I've never been a fan of hemostats. I have them and I know that many
use them for just about everything, but I don't like them. Typically,
they grab too hard (when locked) and damage the surface. Further, they
are the wrong angle for my fine control and I can't release them
without moving the tip (but practice could cure this). For grab and
hold, they are OK if I don't care about the surface, but I always do
care.

Electricians hate to solder, they'll do just about anything to avoid
it. I always have an iron close by.

Mechanics use screwdrivers, wrenches and hose clamps.

Welders can't fix anything any other way.

I worked with a guy who used double back masking tape for everything --
even in vacuum chambers (not a great idea).

I use a multitude of different screwdrivers, some of them custom
ground. Anyone who works with me must get used to the idea of using the
correct screwdriver. (both the screws and the screwdrivers last many
times longer if you match them correctly.)

-----------------------------------------------------------
spam:
wordgame:123(abc):14 9 20 5 2 9 18 4 at 22 15 9 3 5 14 5 20 dot 3 15
13 (Barry Mann)
[sorry about the puzzle, spammers are ruining my mailbox]
-----------------------------------------------------------

[Don Pearce]

On Tue, 06 Feb 2007 07:08:34 GMT, (Barry Mann) wrote:

In SPUxh.884$%e3.214@bigfe9, on 02/06/07
at 12:00 AM, jakdedert said:

Barry Mann wrote:
Depending on your dexterity [ ... ]

Good synopsis. I'd add that locking surgical tweezers (hemostats?)
are extremely helpful for removing wires from the back of cartridge
with no damage. Grab them on the flat part where the wire is
attached.

jak

Good point about where to grab -- It's not a good idea to tug directly
on the wire.

Tools are fascinating.

To some extent it's the tools that you are familiar with.

I've never been a fan of hemostats. I have them and I know that many
use them for just about everything, but I don't like them. Typically,
they grab too hard (when locked) and damage the surface. Further, they
are the wrong angle for my fine control and I can't release them
without moving the tip (but practice could cure this). For grab and
hold, they are OK if I don't care about the surface, but I always do
care.

Electricians hate to solder, they'll do just about anything to avoid
it. I always have an iron close by.

Mechanics use screwdrivers, wrenches and hose clamps.

Welders can't fix anything any other way.

I worked with a guy who used double back masking tape for everything --
even in vacuum chambers (not a great idea).

I use a multitude of different screwdrivers, some of them custom
ground. Anyone who works with me must get used to the idea of using the
correct screwdriver. (both the screws and the screwdrivers last many
times longer if you match them correctly.)


I think the saying you are looking for is "To a man with a hammer,
everything looks like a nail".

d

--
Pearce Consulting
http://www.pearce.uk.com

[jakdedert]

Barry Mann wrote:
In SPUxh.884$%e3.214@bigfe9, on 02/06/07
at 12:00 AM, jakdedert said:

Barry Mann wrote:
Depending on your dexterity [ ... ]

Good synopsis. I'd add that locking surgical tweezers (hemostats?)
are extremely helpful for removing wires from the back of cartridge
with no damage. Grab them on the flat part where the wire is
attached.

jak

Good point about where to grab -- It's not a good idea to tug directly
on the wire.

Nor is it good to squeeze the part which covers the pin. The harder you
squeeze, the 'stucker' it gets.

Tools are fascinating.

To some extent it's the tools that you are familiar with.

To be sure...both counts.

I've never been a fan of hemostats. I have them and I know that many
use them for just about everything, but I don't like them. Typically,
they grab too hard (when locked) and damage the surface. Further, they
are the wrong angle for my fine control and I can't release them
without moving the tip (but practice could cure this). For grab and
hold, they are OK if I don't care about the surface, but I always do
care.

I don't use them for everything, but for most delicate
holding/manipulating tasks, they're superior to pliers because one can
manipulate without having to simultaneously apply pressure. Angle is
only an issue if you don't have an assortment. They come in various
from straight to almost 90 degrees.

The 'release' can be an issue which indeed takes practice. As far as
the surface, there are various jaw styles from smooth to toothed. They
are designed to grasp living tissue, after all.


jak
Electricians hate to solder, they'll do just about anything to avoid
it. I always have an iron close by.

Mechanics use screwdrivers, wrenches and hose clamps.

Welders can't fix anything any other way.

I worked with a guy who used double back masking tape for everything --
even in vacuum chambers (not a great idea).

I use a multitude of different screwdrivers, some of them custom
ground. Anyone who works with me must get used to the idea of using the
correct screwdriver. (both the screws and the screwdrivers last many
times longer if you match them correctly.)

-----------------------------------------------------------
spam:
wordgame:123(abc):14 9 20 5 2 9 18 4 at 22 15 9 3 5 14 5 20 dot 3 15
13 (Barry Mann)
[sorry about the puzzle, spammers are ruining my mailbox]
-----------------------------------------------------------

[wb]

Don Pearce wrote:
On Tue, 06 Feb 2007 07:08:34 GMT, (Barry Mann) wrote:

In SPUxh.884$%e3.214@bigfe9, on 02/06/07
at 12:00 AM, jakdedert said:

Barry Mann wrote:
Depending on your dexterity [ ... ]
Good synopsis. I'd add that locking surgical tweezers (hemostats?)
are extremely helpful for removing wires from the back of cartridge
with no damage. Grab them on the flat part where the wire is
attached.
jak
Good point about where to grab -- It's not a good idea to tug directly
on the wire.

Tools are fascinating.

To some extent it's the tools that you are familiar with.

I've never been a fan of hemostats. I have them and I know that many
use them for just about everything, but I don't like them. Typically,
they grab too hard (when locked) and damage the surface. Further, they
are the wrong angle for my fine control and I can't release them
without moving the tip (but practice could cure this). For grab and
hold, they are OK if I don't care about the surface, but I always do
care.

Electricians hate to solder, they'll do just about anything to avoid
it. I always have an iron close by.

Mechanics use screwdrivers, wrenches and hose clamps.

Welders can't fix anything any other way.

I worked with a guy who used double back masking tape for everything --
even in vacuum chambers (not a great idea).

I use a multitude of different screwdrivers, some of them custom
ground. Anyone who works with me must get used to the idea of using the
correct screwdriver. (both the screws and the screwdrivers last many
times longer if you match them correctly.)


I think the saying you are looking for is "To a man with a hammer,
everything looks like a nail".

d


How 'bout: "Every tool is a hammer except a screwdriver, it's a chisel"

[jakdedert]

GregS wrote:
In article .com, wrote:
Thanks for all your opinions!

I asked about this because I'm experiencing some problems with the
right channel while playing LPs. Especially with quiet music, or when
there isn't much going on in the right side, the sound sometimes gets
significantly distorted or just drops out on that channel. I've tried
a number of things, including getting my receiver checked out,
fiddling with the anti-skating, and I can't figure it out. I've also
recently realigned the cartridge.

(So I guess what I'm saying is: any other possibilities I might be
looking over?)

Any connection. I see, or hear this problem on RCA connections.
Sometimes an internal connection inside the turntable might cause this.
Even a preamp or receiver will do this because of its switches, or relays.
When it starts to cut out , a large signal can bring it back in, or
distorted.

Removable headshells is a major problem in this area.
Even after cleaning contacts, it sometimes hard to get them going. Sometimes
saliva will work the best.

greg

Headshell contacts would be my first guess, but there's also the mute
switch, which kicks in when the arm lifts on semi-autos. Some TT's have
RCA connections on the inside where the cable connects. Twisting every
RCA cable will often correct such problems.

jak





On Feb 1, 8:39 am, "Richard Crowley" wrote:
wrote ...

Should I replace the standard four colored headshell
leads that came with my turntable with better ones?
Anyone trying to sell you "better" headshell wires is either
out to take your money or hopelessly deluded. Run away
as fast as possible. These are the people your mother
warned you about.

How much does it matter?
Any "improvement" will only be in your imagination.
We have to convince ourselves that things that cost
more somehow sound better or we feel like fools. There
is a multi-million dollar industry selling "magic" things
like cables, etc.

This is my first time posting here, and I'd appreciate
any help and/or opinions!
As others have observed, the connections (the terminals
that slip onto the cartridge pins) *might* be a source of
distortion and/or intermittent performance due to corrosion,
but this is so unlikely that it is not worth worrying about
unless it happens.

You will get FAR more benefit from acquiring good speakers
and placing them properly in a room with good acoustics.