Vinyl Heaven 7 - More About Cartridges + Cartridge Alignment and Overhang Adjustments

Correctly Setting Phono Cartridge 'Overhang' - The Key To Optimum Playback Performance

As a long time vinylphile, I've taken a long time interest in the practical aspects of optimised vinyl playback, specifically, the correct position of the stylus in the groove whilst actually playing a record. The whole subject can be, well actually it is rather complex but in this article we will concentrate on 'overhang' or the actual position of the cartridge in the headshell. This is important for minimal playback distortion. Getting it right makes a very audible difference to the ultimate playback quality with implications on so- called 'inner groove distortion', record wear and other related playback issues.

I am aware that there are quite a few different means of setting optimum overhang commercially available, however I recommend the use of a simple 'two point gauge' or cardboard protractor. In the end, setting overhang is a 'fiddly' process and sadly it is easy to get it wrong even when one thinks it is right! Indeed in my own case it took me the better part of twenty years before I properly 'worked it out'!

I visit the popular online vinyl forums often and I've come to the firm opinion that incorrect overhang adjustment is the reason for most of the tracking 'issues' reported. My 'two point' gauges follow the 'Baerwald' alignment which results in the lowest tracking error across the whole disc. There are other 'alignments' as well but the results I've obtained using Baerwald alignment on three different turntables and tonearm/ cartridge combinations has been first class. The two point cardboard gauges are often supplied with cartridges as an aid to cartridge set-up. I use the gauges made by Ortofon and Shure and were supplied with their respective cartridges. They both conform to 'Baerwald' alignment.

I recommend reading this excellent article as an introduction to the practical use of the 'two point' gauge. http://www.theanalogdept.com/2_pt_align.htm In my time visiting the various vinyl websites I've been able to assist a number of listeners to vinyl with optimum overhang set-up. As I alluded to earlier, it is easy to get it wrong despite thinking that it is 'right'. I was rather saddened a while back by reading an otherwise excellent online review of a particular phono cartridge that I completely agreed with, but sadly the tutorial section on setting up overhang was largely in error, in my opinion. The really important thing about using the 'two point' gauge is to get the cartidge body properly 'parallel' and 'centred' within the series of parallel lines at each stylus reference point as each null point. The idea of properly 'centreing' the cartridge is the really important part of the process and is completely missed by most instructions I've seen regarding the use of a typical 'two point' gauge, apart from the article I've mentioned earlier. When using the 'two point' gauge, extreme care needs to be taken to avoid damage to the stylus from 'accidents'. It is best to place to gauge on top of an old unwanted record to get as close as possible to actual playing conditions, and of course the platter needs to be stationary and the platter manually rotated slightly in order to allow the stylus to sit at each reference point at the inner and outer 'null points'.

It is probably best to 'loosely' position the cartridge in the middlle of the headshell for initial evaluation and then move the cartridge slightly forward or backward in the headshell until optimum overhang is found as confirmed by proper centreing and parallel cartridge positions on the gauge. To properly judge cartridge position it is important to sight the cartridge from directly in front of the cartridge to avoid parallax error. As my close view eyesight is poor, I find it necessary to use one of those helmet magnifiers that make the job much easier! I also use the same helmet magnifier for my electronic project assembly work for the same reasons (seeing properly with close up work).
In my experience if the position of the cartridge looks correct as viewed 'by eye', that is close enough! I have read others state that optimal position requires even greater positional accuracy but my listening observations do not agree. Certainly if overhang is set up as I've just described one can be assured of excellent playback perfornance. All of my three turntables are set up in the way described and tracking performance is excellent with each right across the disc! 'Inner groove distortion' is a total non- issue!

Apart from 'overhang' other parameters need to be set up properly such as correct tracking weight (a proper stylus gauge is highly recommended, as the often suggested method of calibration to 'float' the tonearm at zero grams, is notoriously unreliable speaking from personal experience! Bias compensation or 'anti-skating' also needs to be set, but in general terms correct 'overhang' is the most important parameter that needs to be correctly set-up.

Happy record playing!

Felix Scerri (vk4fuq)
Queensland, Australia.
15/2/09.

From an 'Ugly Duckling to an Elegant Swan' - The Shure M97xE

Phono cartridges are a very important part of any phono playback system and particular models are either loved or hated by passioinate vinyl people. The Shure M97xE is one of those cartridges with the ability to polarise opinion. Some people love that cartridge and some, well......hate that cartridge. I find myself in the possibly unique position of being in both camps at various times! At the present time I have three M97xE's (all operational) and I've come to regard that cartridge very highly, however that wasn't always the case!

My first M97xE was purchased around 2004 and I was initially quite impressed by it, however within a short time I became a little disatisfied with it, as a dull almost mediocre sounding cartridge. Over the years I've slowly realised that the M97xE is one of those cartridges that 'demands' optimal set up. If this is done one is rewarded with superb performance, if not the results are indeed mediocre! I actually owe a debt of gratitude to the M97xE for teaching me a number of important lessons such as mastering the mysteries of optimal 'overhang' set up and optimised electrical loading.

The dynamic stabiliser 'brush' on the M97xE serves a highly important purpose in dampening cartridge / tonearm resonances not to mention 'cleaning' duties, but it is important to remember that the stylus tracking weight needs to be increased by .5g when the stabiliser is in use. This was my first mistake with the M97xE. It took me quite a while to work out why the stylus would go skating across the record for no apparent reason. The reason was, of course, too light a tracking weight!

Lesson two: The M97xE is a beautiful 'tracker' (at 1.25g- 1.75g with the dynamic stabiliser in use), however cartridge 'overhang' needs to be set up correctly. I use the 'two point' Baerwald protractor as supplied by Shure with the cartridge using the approach I have worked out. http://www.mds975.co.uk/Content/vinyl07.html

With optimal overhang adjustment, the M97xE mounted on any good tonearm will track records like a true champion!

Lesson three: This part gets interesting as the frequency response of the cartridge is determined to a marked extent by the electrical load 'seen' by the cartridge. For many years 47 kilo-ohms has been the 'standard' resistive phono preamp impedance for moving magnets cartridges such as the M97xE. However I and various other observers have found that 47 k may not be optimum for many moving magnet cartridges including the M97xE. http://www.vinylengine.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=6674

I've actually found that 62 k is close to optimum for the M97xE, resulting in improved high frequency response and I have modified my DIY phono preamps (the excellent Elliott Sound Products P06 design) for 62 k.

Sadly this is essentially impossible to do with most commercially made phono preamps as resistors need to be physically changed in value, and the only other option is to ensure correct 'shunt' capacitance loading. Around 250 picofarads overall is optimal including tonearm wiring, interconnect cable and phono preamp input capacitance. This is important! If using 47 k then optimising the shunt loading capacitance makes a real difference to the ultimate high frequency response. If the load capacitance is either too low or too high (more likely) then the high frequency response will be rather rolled off and this is the main reason for the often reported 'dull' comments re the M97xE. Obtaining a good capacitance meter (and learning how to properly use it) is highly recommended as a means of optimising the shunt capacitance.

Even under optimal electrical loading, the M97xE is never a 'bright' cartridge, however I find it utterly smooth, non fatiguing and natural sounding, and I really like that! I have previously recommended the Ortofon 2M and earlier Super OM cartridge series and whilst they are fine cartridges I find the Super OM's a little fatiguing with long term listening. To my ears the M97xE is never fatiguing. Some may find the the M97xE a little too 'staid' and conservative, however I find it highly reminiscent of the real thing!

Felix Scerri (vk4fuq)
Queensland, Australia.
16/5/09.

Cartridge Loading Experiments:

In recent times, thanks to this very interesting thread at the Vinyl Engine website, my eyes have been opened to the possibilities afforded by altered resistive as well as capacitive loading to the frequency response of a typical moving magnet cartridge.
http://www.vinylengine.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=6674

Practically all moving magnet cartridges are specified for connection to the so called standard '47 k' input impedance, which is in most cases defined by a simple 47 k resistor in the phono preamp circuit. In many cases the load 'shunt' capacitance range is also specified for that particular cartridge, eg 200 to 400 picofarads. However the thread on the 'VE' shows very clearly that through circuit simulation that there are indeed ways and possibilities to improve the general frequency response, at least, of a given moving magnet cartridge.

I have two cartridges that have clearly benefited from this kind of 'treatment', the Shure M97xE And the Orfofon Super OM series. Both are pretty good cartridges, however the M97xE has a reputation for sounding a little 'dull' due to a fairly pronounced high frequency roll off. In the past, careful capacitive loading has been used to keep that high frequency roll off to acceptable levels. This 'VE' thread however, shows how altered resistive loading can be used to make the frequency response essentially 'flat'. There is still some ongoing debate about whether strict circuit 'simulation' gives accurate results in the 'real world', however my own evaluations prove conclusively and to my complete satisfaction that increasing the input resistance to 62 k works very well in this respect. My M97xE still sounds like an M97xE with that characteristic 'smooth' quality, but with a subjectively improved high frequency end that sounds natural without the slight 'dullness' of the standard version loaded into 47 k. The load resistor serves to dampen the resonant peak of the moving magnet cartridge between the coil inductance and shunt capacitance, and 'tweaking' this value has direct implications on the upper frequency response!

However, we now hit a snag! The load resistance in this case can only be altered to a higher value by physically changing it (a resistor) to a higher value. Sadly, in most cases this is impossible however it is easy for DIY builders of their own phono stages such as my beloved ESP P06 design to do, or perhaps even incorporate switching to allow different resistor values to be selected. That's another excellent reason to build a P06 phono stage! In my own situation, as I have several P06 units already made up I have altered the input resistance on one of them to 62 k and marked the unit for 'M97xE use only'.

The more or less opposite thing applies to the Ortofon Super OM series. Although an excellent cartridge into 47 k, it can sound a little too forward or bright on occasions. As a result, my tweaking has found that a slightly altered resistive value of 39 k works well, in just slightly taming down this 'forward' characteristic tendency of the Super OM cartridge into 47 k. Once again, I have modified one of my phono preamps to this value exclusively for use with the Super OM cartridge. In this case however as the new value is a smaller value, another resistor can be used in parallel with the existing 47 k to obtain this new value. Time to resort to your resistors in parallel formulas! In the end, ideally, moving magnet cartridges should be optimised for 47 k in any case however it would appear that some are not! Some are thankfully. My Ortofon 2M Red certainly sounds superb into 47 k! However with some moving magnet cartridges a little 'tweaking' is definitely required. It is certainly a fascinating area of investigation!

Felix Scerri, vk4fuq. 22/ 01/10.

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