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Path: utzoo!utcsstat!utcsrgv!peterr
From: peterr@utcsrgv.UUCP (Peter Rowley)
Newsgroups: net.audio
Subject: Good cartridges do not track well (?!)
Message-ID: <2327@utcsrgv.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 25-Sep-83 02:12:13 EDT
Article-I.D.: utcsrgv.2327
Posted: Sun Sep 25 02:12:13 1983
Date-Received: Sun, 25-Sep-83 02:35:32 EDT
Organization: CSRG, University of Toronto
Lines: 30

Recently, I've become displeased with the ability of my turntable to track
difficult passages.  Asking in stereo stores (probably a major mistake!) has
provided me with some interesting stories, if not hard facts, which I'd like
to ask the net about.

1.  A worn stylus tracks as well as an unworn one -- True or False?
    This was said to be true by someone at a store and false by someone else
    at the same store.

2.  A "good" cartridge doesn't track well -- True or False?
    Having just checked my stylus for wear with a microscope at a different
    store (a small white disk at the tip, which was said not to be severe;
    true?) I then explained to the salesperson about my tracking concerns.
    I was told that my turntable/cartridge (Dual 606, Ortofon ULM55e) was
    considered very good (true?) and when I asked if the Shure V-15 would
    be better, I was told that it would TRACK better but it wasn't as good
    a cartridge.  Being intimidated at this point, I neglected to ask what
    was meant by a "good" cartridge.  Do people out there understand this?
    It was implied that a cartridge that tracks well simply "plows through"
    the grooves.  Of course, I want a "good" (accurate?) cartridge (doesn't
    everyone?) but I don't want to hear distortion either.

3.  When one hears distortion, the record is being damaged -- True or False?

I'd like to be able to track the last 20 seconds or so of side one of Mike
Oldfield's "Crises" -- is this asking too much?

peter rowley,  University of Toronto Department of C.S., Ontario Canada M5S 1A4
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