Help with cartridge/headshell swap

[tek]

Hi guys

I recently purchased a new headshell online for pretty cheap, as I felt my old one wasn't doing too well.. was an old chor bazaar one and i think it wasn't working properly. So I ordered it and it reached today. I am using an Ortofon 2M red, so i removed it from the old headshell and screwed it onto the new one and connected the wires. I then put it in the tonearm, balanced it, set the alignment using the protractor and it was ready to go. However, when the cueing lever is fully up (raised), the stylus is still very close to the record. If i only lower the cueing arm less than half it still touches the record. Earlier it would have space of a good 1/2 inch or so between the stylus and record when the cueing lever was raised. Do I need to adjust the height of the tonearm? Is it ok if it's left like this? I've never touched the tonearm height before and I am not sure what to do! Is it bad for the record to play it this way.

Any help would be appreciated.

Cheers
Tek

 

[G401fan]

Hi Tek,

Your old headshell probably had its surface plane a bit (say half cm) higher than the bayonet section that plugs into the arm tube, and it's likely that the new one is almost in the same plane, like the headshell of the SME 3009. That is what is bringing the cartridge body lower than before.

It's a dicey setup, as you could damage the cantilever of your cartridge during cueing, no matter how careful you are. Been there meself, and done that.

The previous headshell design is better, not just from the safely angle, but also because it brings the stylus tip, when settled on an LP, closer in the horizontal plane to the main pivot of the arm bearing. The ideal setting is for both to be in the exact same plane (which provides for optimal tracking, when you look at the physics of it), but most tonearms do not achieve that, tho some are closer than others. So my advice is to return to the original headshell, or to buy a substitute that has a similar design.

regards,

 

[entsurgeon]

eggzactly wch tt and wch tonearm are we talking about here ?

 

[tek]

The TT is a JVC QL-7. Not sure what the tonearm is, but must be the one that came stock with the model.

 

[sachu888]

The TT is a JVC QL-7. Not sure what the tonearm is, but must be the one that came stock with the model.

You can download instruction manual from here:
JVC QL-7 Owners Manual, Service Manual, Schematics, Free Download | Vinyl Engine

Tonearm height adjustment is mentioned in the manual.

Regards,

Sachin

 

[tek]

Hey Sachu

Thanks for the link. I checked out the manual and it said the overhang should be 8mm. I then saw in the manual how to adjust the tonearm height and I set it, and now it looks and sounds like it should! Thanks again.

@ G401fan - does this solve the issue? No need to change the headshell back to the old one?

 

[sachu888]

Hey Sachu

Thanks for the link. I checked out the manual and it said the overhang should be 8mm. I then saw in the manual how to adjust the tonearm height and I set it, and now it looks and sounds like it should! Thanks again.

@ G401fan - does this solve the issue? No need to change the headshell back to the old one?

Hi Tek,

Enjoy,you have got a nice table.

Regards,

Sachin

 

[G401fan]

Hi Tek,

Problem solved as far as cartridge height is concerned.

If its sounds fine, and solves the problem of your previous (faulty?) headshell, then don't bother to change anything. The plane issue I spoke of earlier applies to most tonearms, and most people live with it as long as there's no serious mistracking.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Cheers!