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shame on you.  Joe Grado isn't gone a week and you're talking smack about his products.

 

Yes sad that, I've always been a big fan of Joe's products (using one now). It's usually user error with them though not problems with the carts.

 

Keep the table. I have never heard about surface noise issues with the Bias 2, but I don't follow Rega closely so take that for what it's worth.

 

What have your records been played on before? And is it all your records?

 

I've never heard of excessive surface noise with any Rega cart so that either sounds like alignment which is unlikely on a Rega table or possibly the fact that it's going deeper in the groove or running on the groove edges.

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Hi Allen, I had previously been using an AT LP120 before the Rega P3 upgrade. And it is all records. I'm not sure what cart was in it when I first got it but it was just a cheap temporary one for about a month until the Bias 2 came in. I'll try to find a good protractor to check the alignment on the cart, any suggestions of which to use? Pretty sure when he set it up for me he used a Shure protractor, so I'm not sure what geometry method that would be. 

 

Would you also be able to help me with tonearm balancing, just to rule that out? At 0 antiskate I was at 1.8g of tracking force according to my digital scale, and then I'm setting the anti-skate to about 1.75g. Sorry if these are dumb questions, I'm just starting to take the set up of my equipment more serious and getting fascinated with everything involved. I've always been a tinkerer type, just never with my music apparently, and reading you guys talking back and forth and providing people like me with advice is almost literature porn. So fascinating, and I can't thank all of you enough for the knowledge transfer you volunteer. 

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Don't worry about the old cart and table it doesn’t sound like it was in use long enough to be a factor

 

The tracking force is within limits (Rega say 1.75) and that anti skate value is fine and you can play about with it as some say half the tracking force and some say the same but either way it's shouldn't have that much effect on the amount of surface noise.

 

As to a protractor it's personal choice usually but I always go with a 2 point one like the Stevenson which is incidentally the one Rega use

 

It sounds like it was properly aligned but it's worth a check as is tracking force and anti skate but it really only leaves age/wear or a very dirty stylus.

 

You can have a good look at the stylus tip to see if there is a build up of crud there and also see how low it's running as the cantilever suspension could be worn but apart from that I'm a bit stumped to be honest and as I say its not a complaint I've heard before for any of the Rega carts, it could just be that you just have some noisy records and the Rega is just giving you all the information both good and bad.

 

I have a Super Bias here that I use occasionally and I've always found it to be very good for what it is.

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I'll check the alignment to a Stevenson to see how I line up, along with making sure my stylus is clean. I did try the magic eraser the other night thinking it could be stylus, but I need to get a magnifying glass to give it a good look and see. But you're probably right; just some noisy records that the rega is giving me both good and bad, and I'm just not used to hearing all this information yet. 

 

Thanks again Allen and everyone else. I've got a few things to try and clean up my sound, and in the mean time I'll just keep lurking and learning from you all. And if I try everything and still have "issues" I'll be back and asking about suggestions for a new preamp or upgrade for my integrated amp and start again there!

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  • 2 weeks later...

I've been searching the internet for awhile and haven't exactly found a definitive answer, but how does one know when it's truly time for a new cartridge? I've been afraid of spinning recently because most of what I have been has been skipping/not playing right. I thought it could be a calibration issue but I'm almost positive I've had my Ortofon Red for well over a year now.

 

Any help is appreciated, thank you!

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Think I'll do that soon. The recalibration did work though, interestingly enough. My copy of American Nervoso didn't make it past Dead For A Minute last time I played it; and I made it all the way through this time after recalibrating. Sounds really great too. When I have the funds I'll grab a scale. Thanks for the help guys!

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Hey guys I was looking to get a new cart for my Technics 1210. I've heard great things about the Ortofon 2M Blue. I just noticed it's for sale on needledoctor for $236 which seems like a pretty damn good deal.

 

http://www.needledoctor.com/Ortofon-2M-Blue-Phono-Cartridge

 

Opinions? Anybody know why the price is so low?

 

Edit: Nevermind on price. But still any thoughts? New to the audiophile side of vinyl (DJ'd with my turntables originally). Right now I have Shure MM4-7 but want to upgrade. These are about my max price range.

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Hey guys I was looking to get a new cart for my Technics 1210. I've heard great things about the Ortofon 2M Blue. I just noticed it's for sale on needledoctor for $236 which seems like a pretty damn good deal.

 

http://www.needledoctor.com/Ortofon-2M-Blue-Phono-Cartridge

 

Opinions? Anybody know why the price is so low?

 

 

Cheaper at Music Direct: http://www.musicdirect.com/p-5346-ortofon-2m-blue-mm-phono-cartridge.aspx($225)

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hey guys.

 

I'm happy with my cartridge, but I don't like the headshell much. It's very bulky and unattractive, which throws me off because the turntable is such a looker. So, I went and looked at headshells on Needle Doctor and found that with only a few exceptions, it looks like each headshell has a specific cartridge it should be mated with - or at least some "ideal" cartridge(s).

 

I'm using a Pickering XV-15. Will it be a problem if I buy a nice, lighter (and prettier) Ortofon or Technics headshell? Or should I not even bother?

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Standard 1/2" fit headshells should take pretty much all cartridges designed to fit into a 1/2" headshell so I'm not sure where you're getting the idea that specific carts go in specific headshells?

 

The only time that's not true is if you have a particularly light or heavy one of either going with the opposite of the other but that's pretty unlikely.

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Standard 1/2" fit headshells should take pretty much all cartridges designed to fit into a 1/2" headshell so I'm not sure where you're getting the idea that specific carts go in specific headshells?

 

The only time that's not true is if you have a particularly light or heavy one of either going with the opposite of the other but that's pretty unlikely.

I misread the product page over at Needle Doctor - I thought that the model names for each headshell listed corresponded with a cartridge from the same manufacturer. It made sense at the time... ha ha.

 

Ignore that, you have a Philips 212 which doesn't use a standard headshell so I'm afraid you're stuck with the one you have.

Alrighty. Well, that's okay. Thanks for your help!

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since we are on the 212 talk.  what are some good carts that would work well with this unit?  i plan on getting a new turntable in the future but would like to switch the cartridge now and experiment a bit.  I have only had one cart (pretty sure its the stanton 500EE?? looking at photos) and would like to try my ear to something else. 

 

budget would be in the 100 to 200 range.

 

or is it pointless to pair a better cart with this table???

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