Does this look right?

Ade, that looks very wrong. It will damage your records - especially since you are using a regular tonearm.

Sorry.

Dev

Ade,

It looks like the stylus tip may have become detached from the body of the cartridge - I had a Rega Elys cartridge with the stylus tip 'hanging' just like in your picture. The dealer said it had been irreversibly damaged and so I had to get it replaced.

Regards,

JonR

There is nothing wrong with the "stylus tip". The cantilever is either bent or shifted in its mounting. This could have been caused by long term use with really excessive anti-skate settings, but I suspect trauma.
The odd thing is the apparent asymmetry of the cantilever exit hole, which is wrong, but I can't explain it.

Thanks for the quick replies.
If it has been damaged I have no idea how it happened. It does work and seems to sound fine, but I will obviously have to replace it as if it's misaligned it's going to wear the vinyl.
The Ortofon was always a temporary measure anyway, as my Troika was worn out, although it's served me well.

I will now have to find a new cartridge for my LP12/Ittock LVII/Prefix 'S'.
A couple of dealers have suggested the Dynavectors in the past, a '20X' and a '17D2' I think.
Are these all they're cracked up to be as I've never heard one.
Any other suggestions welcome in similar price range.

Cheers
Ade

17d2 is a seriously good cart

The 17D2 is excellent. It also has such a small cantilever that you need never worry whether its bent since you won't be able to see it. I was rather underwhelmed by the 20X though.

quote:

---

Originally posted by Rockingdoc:
There is nothing wrong with the "stylus tip". The cantilever is either bent or shifted in its mounting.

---

Sorry, Rockingdoc - I meant the cantilever. Please excuse me talking complete bollocks.

JonR

quote:

---

Originally posted by Ade Archer:
A couple of dealers have suggested the Dynavectors in the past, a '20X' and a '17D2' I think.
Are these all they're cracked up to be as I've never heard one.
Cheers
Ade

---

Actually Ade, you have heard a DV20x
That's what's in my LP12 you listened to last week!
Regards, Martin.

Computers are supposed to work on 1's and 0's - in other words "Yes" or "No" - why does mine frequently say "Maybe"?......

I once had a troika that looked like that. It sounded fine so I kept using it for about 6 months or so.

The 17D2 is excellent IMO (especially into a P75 )

Steve B

I had my Troika refurbished recently, and much prefer it to the Ortofon Rohmann in my other LP12. Could you get your Troika fixed?

Who me?

It was many years ago. The bent troika was eventually exchanged for a new one.

I've got an old Karma in a cupboard somewhere.

Steve B

quote:

---

This could have been caused by long term use with really excessive anti-skate settings, but I suspect trauma.

---

Excessive antiskate would cause this to be bent the other way (towards the centre). This I think will have been caused by Trauma.

The cantelever does look straight (as far as you can tell), but at the very least the cartridge alignment will now be out as you need to set your cartridge up relative to the cantilever (not the cartridge body, though you would usually expect these to be parallel). If you re-set you cartridge it MAY not damage your LP's, As to the sound quality, who knows??

quote:

---

Actually Ade, you have heard a DV20x
That's what's in my LP12 you listened to last week!
Regards, Martin.

---

Thanks Martin.
Right, at least I have a point of reference now, and your DV20X sounded great.
I think I may wait a short while and try to stretch to the 17D2.

quote:

---

I had my Troika refurbished recently, and much prefer it to the Ortofon Rohmann in my other LP12. Could you get your Troika fixed?

---

I have considered this a number of times, but like the idea of getting a brand new cartridge to match my 'S' Prefix, and the Dynavectors seem to get such praise. I am also 'between' dealers and want to buy and have it installed by an established Naim/Linn dealer whose advice I can trust. My previous dealer stopped selling Naim a couple of years back, and I've had no real dealer/customer relationship with any other dealer for a few years.
My recent purchase of NBLs was from a dealer 160 miles away, so it would be impractical to use them.

The problem of having no dealer has been bought home to me recently as a result of problems I was having with my LP12 producing a slight hum through the speakers when I touched the arm, and picking up some RFI. I had fitted a 2nd hand Prefix, and a local dealer's attitude seemed to be 'That's what happens when you buy second hand.'
Naim directed me towards a dealer they felt would be able to help. I took my LP12 40 miles to him, and it performed faultlessly. I re-installed it in my system, and the hum and RFI returned, so it is difficult to tell where the problem lies. I sent the Prefix to Naim for update, and upon re-installation the problem was still there. The dealer sent me a check list to try to pin down and eliminate the problem, but it still exists.
After several phone calls I could tell the dealer was a bit fed up with it all. It was going to cost me at least £160 to get him to come and look at it, with no guarantee of an answer.

I am going to take this purchase of a new cartridge as an opportunity to have a dealer give the deck a once over to ensure once and for all that everything is in order, and take it from there.
I couldn't say that there is a noticeable deterioration in sound quality, but it's annoying to know its there.

Ade