*Note: The content of this article presumes you’ve already read my previous article entitled Turntable Set Up Guide Part 1. If you haven’t read that article yet I would strongly suggest you do.
I’d also recommend you read Turntable Set Up Guide Part 2 on dialing in tracking force or downforce.
The next thing you should do is learn how to raise and lower your tonearm, assuming your tonearm has that capability. Keep in mind that on most turntables you’ll need to loosen at least one mounting screw to do this, and that in some cases loosening the mounting screw will also loosen the base of the tonearm which can cause it to rotate, altering the angle of the tonearm to the platter.
Therefore find a way to mark the position of your tonearm assembly BEFORE loosening any mounting screws so that, if it DOES rotate from its current position, you can return it to its original position BEFORE you re-tighten the screws.
Every so often I get my system sounding as good as it’s ever sounded. It’s simultaneously rewarding and thrilling. Who knew it could sound THIS GOOD!
Then a few days or even weeks pass and a new listening session reveals something new and, unfortunately not always something good. These listening sessions can be disheartening. Here I thought I had it nailed and now this!
During the early years of my audiophile tenure, my reaction on these occasions would be to wonder what was “wrong” with my system. Did I need a new cartridge? Are my tubes too old? Maybe I need to upgrade my amplifier?
It took me years to realize that most of the time when this happens, when my system just doesn’t seem to sound the way it ought to, it is THE RECORD I’m playing, NOT my system!
Maybe the records you’re playing are the problem
I’m convinced that bad sounding records have been the cause of more than one unnecessary re-tube or cartridge replacement. Fortunately, if my system ever seems to be off its game, these days I have a reliable stable of vinyl champs to draw from. A few tracks played on a great sounding record will generally be enough to squash any doubts I have about the quality of playback my system is capable of.
But every once in a while, even my best sounding records don’t seem to be sounding their best. The good news is that when this happens, at least I know now the record isn’t the problem, and I can go about the business of fixing it.
Adjusting arm height can make a big difference
Unlike in the past when I’d jump to the conclusion that I needed to replace or upgrade a component, now I look at what adjustments in the system I can make. And more often than not, adjusting the arm height does the trick.
A slight increase or decrease in the height of the tonearm changes the VTA (Vertical Tracking Angle) just enough to alter the SRA (Stylus Raking Angle) to better suit the record and bring the music back to life!
How do I know if my arm height needs to be adjusted?
So what does it sound like when the VTA and SRA are off? Well, it’s a bit easier to answer the opposite question – what does it sound like with the VTA and SRA are set right? And one important answer to this question is that when these settings are optimal, the record will sound more “transparent.”
What does transparent sound SOUND like? Hopefully you already know the answer to that question, but just in case you don’t here’s my answer. More transparent sound is the sound of great top end resolution with an open, spacious soundstage and plenty of midrange definition.
Transparent sound is one of the qualities we audiophiles live for (or should be living for), because the more transparent a record sounds the closer we will feel to the performance. Transparency is the key to the special “you are there!” listening experience only analog can give us.
The key to bringing your records to life!
Transparency is also essential to listening to recorded music at or close to live volumes. If you’re someone who is NOT interested in listening to their music at live volumes, then save yourself some time and READ NO FURTHER!
If you’re content to listen to music at a polite volume that still allows for conversation during dinner and promotes healthy digestion, you are on the WRONG website.
Your listening volume matters A LOT!
But if you like to play your records LOUD, then you are in the right place! Because in order to play your records at a volume that lets you SEE INTO THE PERFORMANCE, you need records with a lot of transparency, AND you need to set your VTA right.
So what DOES it sound like when the VTA is NOT set right? One thing I’ve noticed is BRIGHTNESS in the upper midrange that discourages pushing the volume up. Vocals and horns in particular fail to resolve well, limiting overall transparency and along with that, any desire for higher volumes.
What does it sounds like when the arm is too low?
If I hear too much brightness on a record that I already know should NOT sound bright, what does that tell me about my arm height? Well, either the arm is too high or the arm is too low. Which is it?
My experience is that when the arm is too low you’ll get more brightness and less transparency. Therefore if you’re playing a record that you know is a winner and you’re having trouble getting up to thrill level volume because of brightness, then you should try raising the arm height just slightly and see if that helps.
What does it sound like if the arm is too high?
If brightness and lack of transparency are indicators of an arm that is too low, what does it sound like when the arm is too high? My experience is that when the arm is too high the sound becomes thinner, the midrange lacks body and the low end lacks heft and weight.
It’s also been my experience that on some records, this thinning out of the sound can also, at first, seem like a good thing. Thinner sound can also sound, in some case, more transparent. However this is transparency at the expense of weight and body, and we want both, not one or the other.
Take your time and use the RIGHT records!
It’s important when adjusting arm height, or anything else on our turntable for that matter, that we take our time and experiment with many records.
It’s also important that we use records that we feel confident are bona fide winners, such as those sold at Better Records. We want KNOW that we’re adjusting the arm height to bring out the BEST in our BEST sounding records. It’s important that we’re not just trying to put lipstick on a pig by expecting a change in arm height to make bad sounding record sound good.
That’s not to say that we shouldn’t be wiling to experiment with arm height on records that aren’t our best. I’ve found that I’ve gotten records that didn’t sound that great to sound better by adjusting the arm height.
But when we have the opportunity to sit down and really listen, when we have our ears and our brain dialed in and we’re clear about what we’re hearing, that’s when it’s important that we use one our best sounding records to do the fine tuning.
Enjoy it once it’s right!
If you reach a point where you’ve got your best sounding records to sound amazing, enjoy it! You’ll find that most of your records will sound better and you’ll have an absolute blast mining your collection and hearing familiar records with fresh ears. Just know that this may change again at some point, and when it does, try to understand why.
Until it isn’t…
The properties of your cartridge’s cantilever change over time. I’ve read a lot of conflicting views on whether components such as amps, speaker cables and interconnects do indeed have a “break in” period where they go from sounding just good to really good. Regardless of where you stand on this question of “break in” on components, you can be sure of this – your cartridge definitely has a break in period.
This is because the forces applied to the tiny but sturdy cantilever on your cartridge are IMMENSE for its size. Over time, the cantilever can only respond to these forces by growing slightly softer, causing it flex more when it sits on the record.
When the cantilever flexes it causes the SRA to change slightly and this will change the sound of the record it’s playing. How much the sound changes depends on the sensitivity of the cartridge and the tonearm, not to mention how revealing your system is as a whole.
The amount of flex the cantilever on your cartridge has will also change with temperature. When the weather is colder, the cantilever will not flex as much as when the weather is warm or very warm. The effect of temperature is small so it again depends a lot on every other component of your system as to whether temperature will cause an audible change in sound.
As an audiophile I’m always looking for ways, small or large, expensive or cheap, to get my systems to sound better. Two of the best and most affordable ways I’ve found to do this are to get better sounding records and to adjust my turntable to optimize my system’s ability to play those records.
As audiophile products go, these two ways to a better sounding system are not only relatively inexpensive, but also guaranteed to work every single time!