Azimuth adjustment on Ikeda 407

[PeterA]

Gavin, can you use a magnifying glass to see if the stylus is still there? Does the cantilever look straight and does in look normal when resting on an LP - the vta angle?

Marc, those are quite some catastrophes. I only snagged a cantilever with a shirt sleeve once. These vdHs are particularly susceptible given how nude the cantilever is, and when mounted in an open headshell, like the SME V, it is even worse, especially in a long arm that reaches the edge of the plinth.

All cartridges should have stylus guards, IMO.

 

[infinitely baffled]

I'm wondering if perhaps the combination of vdH high profile stylus,
and Private InfinityBaffled are not a match made in heaven

 

[infinitely baffled]

Gavin, can you use a magnifying glass to see if the stylus is still there? Does the cantilever look straight and does in look normal when resting on an LP - the vta angle?

Marc, those are quite some catastrophes. I only snagged a cantilever with a shirt sleeve once. These vdHs are particularly susceptible given how nude the cantilever is, and when mounted in an open headshell, like the SME V, it is even worse, especially in a long arm that reaches the edge of the plinth.

All cartridges should have stylus guards, IMO.

Agreed x 1000
Everything that i can discern looks fine, but as you say, without magnification i really can't tell whether the diamond tip is still present. But i can't think of any other reason that the needle would just fail to find the groove, without having made an intentional major change since last playing records on Tuesday

Gavin, we've all been there. I once invited a classical musician audiophile and p/t critic over. As I lined up an lp turned to talk to him, my sleeve caught my LT air armwand causing it to carreer across the lp, demolishing the cantilever. Demo over, £1k cart blitzed, embarrassment factor at Ten.

And then the time I fell on my tube monoblock, shattering a pair of 1000°C 211s, somehow escaping not burning myself badly in the process.

Marc, that actually made me feel better. Cheers squire

 

[spiritofmusic]

Well, despite being a glass half empty person, I ended up half full on these two occasions.
Decking that Zu Denon 103 cart brought fwds my Straingauge purchase.
And crushing my power amp aborted my purchase of the Nat totr Magnetostat preamp, which in the end was a blessing.
And critically, I can thank the audiophile gods I didn't get seriously injured. Bare flesh on two 6" high 1000°C 211s is never a mix to recommend.
Hopefully you'll get a silver lining to yr story.

 

[infinitely baffled]

An update:
Your post was prophetic

Tempted not to share how i caused more damage to my Grenaille wood example by incorrectly securing the cartridge in the box using the bolts that are designed tohold the spirit level, not the cartridge, and then mailing it to Holland

Moving swiftly on to the silver lining
I've traded both my Colobri for a Grand Cru.
Not just any, its the only African Grenaille wood one in existence. AJ found a final AGW body and built me a Grand Cru on it, he posts it on Monday, i just heard, it's made my week and I'm doing a happy dance

 

[infinitely baffled]

Just arrived

 

[PeterA]

Just arrived

Congratulations. Look forward to your listening impressions and if you could possibly post an image of the African Grenaille wood body.

 

[howiebrou]

Just arrived

Congrats. So is the Grand Cru going on your 301 statement and Ikeda 407?

 

[infinitely baffled]

Congrats. So is the Grand Cru going on your 301 statement and Ikeda 407?

Yes Howie, it is.
I had a bit of a mad dash yesterday trying to close on a Schroeder CB 1L, whose lighter effective mass is a better match than the heavyweight Ikeda.
But once it arrived i couldn't help myself...the lightweight African Black Wood Yamamoto headshell on the Ikeda will have to do for now

 

[infinitely baffled]

Congratulations. Look forward to your listening impressions and if you could possibly post an image of the African Grenaille wood body.

Certainly, I'll proudly do that in a bit, once I've exercised the dogs?
Initial impressions echo yours, Peter. Tremendously natural sounding, even though I've only put an hour and a half on it so far. No undue emphasis, top or bottom. A greater sense of depth to the soundstage, vocals located with a new precision.

And a quite extraordinary emotional connection to the music....I've just been almost reduced to tears by U2's 'Cedars of Lebanon'....sat here with a lump in my throat

 

[infinitely baffled]

Crikey, that's much more difficult than anticipated.
To my eyes there's a rich lustre from the Stradivarius lacquer, but I'm buggered if i can pick that up in a photo

 

[infinitely baffled]

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