I've recently purchased an older model turntable with a new Empire
2000E cartridge and stylus slapped on it, and I seem to be getting
lower-end distortion on most of my LP's whenever antiskate is set
below 3 or so, particularly at the beginning of a side, the first few
songs on the outer part of the record. It sounds really reverb-y, like
a tight warbling vibration, more or less intense at different pitches
at different points on a given record. I haven't made any mechanical
adjustments on my own yet, but I'm wondering simply what the problem
is, before I start taking things apart. Cheap cartridge? Misaligned
cartridge? Turntable not level? Tracking force seems about right at
1.5 or just under but why does antiskate need to be set so much
higher? I can't imagine this is good either for my stylus or my
records.

-Marcus