cartridge/stylus/tonearm sensitivity

[Finyl Vinyl]

About 10 days ago I bought the newer pressings of Rattle and Hum and Wish You Were here. While Floyd has been played to death on tape and CD, I wanted to ensure that I have a great experience listening to it on LP. I went through the process of checking the balance of the arm again and found that the bias weight pulley slightly off.

A few seconds later it was at the recommended 90* angle and when I dropped the needle, I thought that I could discern the "hollowness" of the tonearm. Like a vehicle travelling through a tunnel. The sound itself from the speakers was more open and sweeter. As though something was holding it back and then, boom. It was like listening to an entirely different and superior set up.

Question: Has anyone else experienced this and if so does the simple act of placing the bias pulley in a different position have such an obvious effect? And then should it be attributed to the cartridge / stylus / tonearm or a combination of all three

 

[stevieboy]

Finyl,

The one thing that comes to mind is that with your lighter arm, bias setting makes more of a difference and is more noticeable. Heavier arms in general and longer ones it doesn't so much, in fact some heavy 12" arms do away with bias adjustment altogether. I have noticed more of a difference in bias setting with my Project 9" arm, the SME 12" not so much of a difference.

Regards

 

[jls001]

On my 3009 S1, I put the bias weight at all odd angles (to accomodate the lateral weight tweaks) and I don't feel a difference (I wasn't actively trying to hear a difference). Of course the S1 is a heavier arm than your's. Now that you mentioned it, I will listen carefully when the 3009 goes back to the 124.