Fantastic Service by Mehran Farahmand of Sora Sound

[J.R. Boisclair]

I am fine with the suggestion if it actually results in superior sonics, and I just don't mean in comparing at one's place before or after shim. I actually mean if the people where you hear the best analog are using it compared to those who aren't. If the shim resulted in such great improvements Ron's analog should theoretically sound amazing, will wait for more videos.

I would be wasting my time and my reputation if a clearly audible improvement didn't regularly and obviously obtain from the analysis and use of the angular corrections. I encourage people to listen to their cartridge set up in "normal" fashion and then according to WAM instructions so they can appreciate what they are getting.

Look, we can study and theorize all we like but if the audible improvement is not obvious and/or repeatable, then I am wasting everyone's time, including mine. I can't *guarantee* our service will offer an audible improvement because I know know how far off your cartridge is from optimal given a level headshell, but if I know what cartridge you have I can get a statistical probability behind the likelihood. Watch my videos and you will hear how far off cartridges are on average. It is not small.

For your interest, both the most "perfect" cartridge and the very worst (based upon our analysis parameters) came from the same manufacturer.

 

[J.R. Boisclair]

Hmmm... I see both Ortofon and Audio Technica provide plenty of parameters for their cartridges including Vertical Tracking Angle (A-T) and Tracking Angle (Ortofon). These were specific numbers and not a range.

Yes, and there are many others they don't specify. If you download the design drawings for an Orbray stylus/cantilever assembly you will see several more. I don't consider this an issue that cartridge manufacturers don't specify all parameters publicly. We know what many of them are because we know who they are buying from (though they can always specify custom alignments) but what doesn't change is how records are cut. That is our reference.

I am all in favor of higher quality of implementation in the cartridge 'industry'. I also speculate that the precision required to get certain parameters more 'correct' -- such as the alignment of the stylus on the cantilever (mitgating zenith error) -- drives up cost. It may not be possible to achieve a level of precision for a cartridge to fall within J.R.'s range of acceptability.

As mentioned in the post I made just above, they aren't "my" targets. We just did the work of determining what they should be based upon how records are cut.

Are these published? I admire J.R.'s continuation of the work of Wally Malewicz, his research into cartridge-groove interaction, and his support of the vinyl hobby. I hope he continues with the success of his business. He is the only person I know about who actively talks about doing this work in detail. Happily there are competitor tool makers, eg. AnalogMajik and Dieter Brakemeier among others. J.R. I consider an expert, but not the sole authority on how to get good sound from a cartridge.

Amen for that. I need to be kept honest, but this is why I have three engineers who are much smarter than me supporting my work and holding me accountable

As long as there is sufficient 'audiophile nervosa' among buyers of expensive five-figure cartridges, the cartridge analysis business will do well.

I haven't come to a conclusion and can't quite put my finger on it, but there is something that bothers me about the example set by your scenario. Someone buys a cartridge then sends it to Wally Tools for their analysis at additional cost. J.R. does his thing and returns a report on the cartridge. If the cartridge fails to meet his guidelines, the buyer returns (or attempts to return) the cartridge to the dealer or distributor with J.R.'s report on 'defects' (whatever you want to call it).

As mentioned in my last post, 1 of 8 cartridges don't meet manufacturer (or their vendor) specs. I have yet to have one manufacturer or distributor not honor a repair/replacement/refund. They do not have the tools and skills (for the most part) to inspect such things as zenith error so they frequently do not know they are being sold bad parts from their vendors.

 

[J.R. Boisclair]

Buy a machine built cartridge like an Audio Technica and most of that variability will disappear.

While AT is certainly better than most of their peers with respect to alignment and build consistency, they are not without their challenges. VTA is the most abused parameter on even their most expensive cartridges. I have even seen the VERY expensive integral diamond Orbray stylus/cantilever assembly with out of spec zenith error due to the two contact edges (left/right) not even being collinear with each other. It happens, but cartridge manufacturers are not inspecting for such things because the market isn't aware nor are they asking about it. That is why we are doing what we are doing.

And, YES, the corrections are very audible as obvious performance improvement

By the way, for as many cartridges as my customers have returned/repaired/replaced as a result of WAM Engineering reporting on them, VERY few were returned due to VTA being out of whack. It is such a widespread abuse in this industry that i generally advise my clients not to make a claim and instead use the corrective shim to get it improved as much as possible.

Ron's cartridge was particularly bad.

 

[morricab]

While AT is certainly better than most of their peers with respect to alignment and build consistency, they are not without their challenges. VTA is the most abused parameter on even their most expensive cartridges. I have even seen the VERY expensive integral diamond Orbray stylus/cantilever assembly with out of spec zenith error due to the two contact edges (left/right) not even being collinear with each other. It happens, but cartridge manufacturers are not inspecting for such things because the market isn't aware nor are they asking about it. That is why we are doing what we are doing.

And, YES, the corrections are very audible as obvious performance improvement

By the way, for as many cartridges as my customers have returned/repaired/replaced as a result of WAM Engineering reporting on them, VERY few were returned due to VTA being out of whack. It is such a widespread abuse in this industry that i generally advise my clients not to make a claim and instead use the corrective shim to get it improved as much as possible.

Ron's cartridge was particularly bad.

Bad how? Setup or cartridge itself ?

 

[J.R. Boisclair]

Bad how? Setup or cartridge itself ?

The insertion of the cantilever into the body was just too high of an angle relative to record surface so the VTA (and SRA, FWIW) were way off. This is NOT unique to ZYX. It is very common in the industry. One reason I like Umami (Hana) cartridges is that the body will allow up to 10 degrees of VTA/SRA correction.

So, I don't want you to think I am picking on ZYX. They are not unique in this characteristic.

 

[spiritofmusic]

J.R. just spent some phone time with me, appreciate the gesture and useful advice imparted.

 

[PeterA]

I am fine with the suggestion if it actually results in superior sonics, and I just don't mean in comparing at one's place before or after shim. I actually mean if the people where you hear the best analog are using it compared to those who aren't. If the shim resulted in such great improvements Ron's analog should theoretically sound amazing, will wait for more videos.

I would like to know how severe the SRA correction is for Ron’s opus one necessitating the recommendation of the brass shim. He said the cartridge was manufactured properly and yet there is this correction. I would also like to know if the cartridge could’ve been set up on the arm without the shim to sound just as good. Does the arm have the range of adjustments to make this possible without sonic penalties?

I understand that certain arms with certain types of bearings, and where the balances located and the pivot points suggest the best performance is when the arm tube is perfectly level. This would be the argument for the shim from what I understand. I may be mistaken.

I am all four standards that makes sense and can be met practically by the manufacturer and assemblers. It would be nice to set up a cartridge without the shim as long as it sounds just as good or better.

Ron now has a very good vinyl front end that is properly set up. on a good vinyl recording, his system videos should sound quite good

 

[bonzo75]

The insertion of the cantilever into the body was just too high of an angle relative to record surface so the VTA (and SRA, FWIW) were way off. This is NOT unique to ZYX. It is very common in the industry. One reason I like Umami (Hana) cartridges is that the body will allow up to 10 degrees of VTA/SRA correction.

So, I don't want you to think I am picking on ZYX. They are not unique in this characteristic.

What’s your experience with top wing red sparrow in terms of consistency to spec?

 

[gleeds]

JR is doing industry service by shedding light on stylus inconsistency. JR, you informed me that there are only a few stylus makers globally and that variation exists in virtually all of them.
Each cartridge manufacturer should have its standard of acceptability regarding what style it accepts or rejects. I know at WestminsterLab, where our transistors are made to tight tolerance and inspected by the shop to meet tolerance before insertion in an amplifier.

That said, I have been enjoying good analog sound for decades. Many of the arms I owned did not have VTA adjustment, and shims were the only option if one wanted to concern oneself with improving the sound. Keep up the great work, JR!

 

[tima]

Is it realistic for us to send expensive cartridge out for inspection after we buy them and then ask for returns or repairs if they do not meet some standard? This sounds like a real hassle.

As a general practice I think if you plan ahead of time to send a new cartridge for analysis and then return it if it fails the expert's acceptability tests, then you should tell the dealer before you buy. He may not want that hassle.

If I were interested in this ZYX cartridge that Ron is now selling, after reading this thread, I might be tempted to ask Ron to send it to J. R. for inspection and approval prior to my purchase.

That makes sense. Adopt the same conditions to purchase from him that he placed on his purchase from someone else.

 

[spiritofmusic]

J.R., do you have much experience of the Soundsmith Straingauge? Especially in relation to this discussion on the vagaries of artisanship and the finished article that ends up.in the system of the unassuming buyer.
As we discussed on the phone, my arm/cart setup is more "thereabouts" rather than "absolutely *there*". Which probably masks a multitude of cart anomalies, and the anomalies of my arm.
I run the SDS-5 stylus rather than the -6, the latter being a real pig to get absolutely right, and my travails prove I was right to stick with the -5 stylus and not to risk the -6.

 

[J.R. Boisclair]

@bonzo75 and @spiritofmusic , I am prepared to talk about specific cartridges and their issues (e.g., Ron’s and with his permission) but I don’t wish to talk about any brand generally unless it is to complement them on outstanding work across a broad range of samples seen in the lab.

The Straingauge and the TopWing are both great sounding cartridges.

 

[PeterA]

Ron's cartridge was particularly bad.

J. R., which of Ron’s cartridges are you describing? I see that his new Opus 1, which you set up and seen in a video, has a big shim for correction.

Is your goal to always have a level headshell and arm tube or can the correct SRA and VTA be achieved by just adjusting the arm? What are the trade-off between a level arm and head shell versus using a shim?

Another question: cutterhead angles are not always the same, which I presume results in cutting angles on the finished not being the same. Are they close enough that one cartridge setting is optimal for all records or do you think optimal sonics could be achieved for adjusting SRA for each specific record? I understand that most people are not willing to do that and the only way to do that for the average hobbyist is by ear.

I appreciate your participation on this forum and wish you continued success in your business. I’m all for more consistent and proper cartridge manufacturing.

 

[spiritofmusic]

@bonzo75 and @spiritofmusic , I am prepared to talk about specific cartridges and their issues (e.g., Ron’s and with his permission) but I don’t wish to talk about any brand generally unless it is to complement them on outstanding work across a broad range of samples seen in the lab.

The Straingauge and the TopWing are both great sounding cartridges.

Appreciate your discretion.
I have seven spare Straingauge stylii sitting waiting for install in due course.

 

[J.R. Boisclair]

J. R., which of Ron’s cartridges are you describing? I see that his new Opus 1, which you set up and seen in a video, has a big shim for correction.

Probably >90% of all cartridges I analyze benefit from a corrective shim. If the angular correction required is less than 1 degree for SRA/VTA, I suggest the client achieves the prescribed angle using the WallyReference.

Is your goal to always have a level headshell and arm tube or can the correct SRA and VTA be achieved by just adjusting the arm? What are the trade-off between a level arm and head shell versus using a shim?

Goal is to START there. If you want to play with arm height from there, you MUST reset VTF with each arm height change. Few of my clients report they play with arm height following installation of an optimized cartridge. The trade-offs of having the arm off of level depend on the design characteristics of the arm itself. That is a much bigger discussion

Another question: cutterhead angles are not always the same, which I presume results in cutting angles on the finished not being the same. Are they close enough that one cartridge setting is optimal for all records or do you think optimal sonics could be achieved for adjusting SRA for each specific record? I understand that most people are not willing to do that and the only way to do that for the average hobbyist is by ear.

Watch my videos. Yes, there is variability in the cut but we know where most engineers aim for. The choice to select an optimal VTA & SRA simply becomes a statistical problem. No need to bring any "magic" into it since the degree to which engineers can miss the mean is equally distributed about that mean.

I appreciate your participation on this forum and wish you continued success in your business. I’m all for more consistent and proper cartridge manufacturing.

Thank you

 

[tima]

Thanks for the interesting information you are providing in this thread.

Probably >90% of all cartridges I analyze benefit from a corrective shim. If the angular correction required is less than 1 degree for SRA/VTA, I suggest the client achieves the prescribed angle using the WallyReference.

Wow -- that seems like alot. Although I'll speculate that most tonearms with adjustable VTA can adjust greater than 1° up or down from level.

It would be cool to listen to a with-shim vs without-shim demonstration -- and I understand you suggest your clients do this to understand what they are getting from your service. Would you consider making a video of a typical difference? Or do you have one already?

 

[J.R. Boisclair]

Thanks for the interesting information you are providing in this thread.



Wow -- that seems like alot. Although I'll speculate that most tonearms with adjustable VTA can adjust greater than 1° up or down from level.

Most tonearms are limited to +/-1.5 degrees.

It would be cool to listen to a with-shim vs without-shim demonstration -- and I understand you suggest your clients do this to understand what they are getting from your service. Would you consider making a video of a typical difference? Or do you have one already?

I have reel to reel that we use for A vs B testing but I now have a Tascam ADC and have had to use it for our research but our research is limited to recording tracks from our lacquer and not much else yet. I will eventually offer some A vs B music recordings but I have so many other things in the hopper that are drawing my attention and the lab is being kept very busy with cartridges coming through.

 

[mtemur]

It would be cool to listen to a with-shim vs without-shim demonstration -- and I understand you suggest your clients do this to understand what they are getting from your service

Using shims for correction is like a cure worse than the disease.

 

[tima]

Using shims for correction is like a cure worse than the disease.

Okay. They are not part of any my cartridge setups but if someone wants to use his analysis and shim services, I have no problem with that. I vaguely recall circa 1990s using a plastic shim that was flat on one side with 3 dimples on the other side with a Sumiko MMT arm. It's claim was either to enhance or reduce energy transfer between cartridge and headshell -- canna remember which. It was a pita, difficult to keep oriented correctly and I heard no difference. Some cartridges, I think Lyra may be one of them, are designed to couple flat across their length with the headshell. Without thinking too deeply about it, I suspect there are tradeoffs involved. I do use JR's improved Wally Reference tool to get the headshell parallel to the platter in two dimensions, just as I did the version that Wally himself innovated in the early 2000s.

JR says this:

I would be wasting my time and my reputation if a clearly audible improvement didn't regularly and obviously obtain from the analysis and use of the angular corrections.

I thought it would be interesting to find out if I could hear the difference between shim and shim-less and what that difference is.

 

[Hyperion]

Great brand partners is invaluable (we're trying our best to be one of them .

Kudos to Mehran & co.

/ Marcus