Genera Impressions and requested troubleshooting
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Category: DIY AUDIO
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Topic: Genera Impressions and requested troubleshooting
Posted By: 33oneThird
Subject: Genera Impressions and requested troubleshooting
Date Posted: 07 Feb 2014 at 10:40pm
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I listen to a wide spectrum of genres, I can bounce from Monk to Radiohead, Holst to Tribe Called Quest. I've found that some albums are almost unlistenable due to high frequencies being over exaggerated. For example, I can listen to a Jazz trio with a drummer playing brushes and there is a great balance, space and clarity in the sound stage. But when I switch to a rock album with smash and crash cymbals, the highs are overpowering and unbearable at moderate volume. I have referenced the same problem on three different systems with similar results. A cheap sony bookself system, a Cambridge Audio powered conventional Silk dome tweeter towers, and a Marantz powered Magnepan rig. My TT is a Marantz TT15-s, All leads are >1m and of medium quality. The cart is a Clear Audio Virtuoso Wood with the following specs: Moving-magnet phono cartridge. Stylus profile: Not specified. Frequency range: 20Hz-20kHz. Output voltage (1kHz, 5cm/s): 3.6mV. Channel separation (1kHz): >30dB. Channel balance (1kHz): <0.2dB. Trackability: >90µm. Recommended tracking force: 2.0-2.5gm. Electrical impedance (1kHz): 660 ohms. Coil inductivity: 0.42mH. Load resistance 47k ohms. Load capacitance: 100pF. Cantilever: aluminum. Now I understand the Genera has a load capacitance of 220pF. Would this mismatch cause such exaggerated high freq's? Looking for input on how best to trouble shoot and tame my high end. Thanks in advance, Greg |
Replies:
Posted By: Graham Slee
Date Posted: 07 Feb 2014 at 11:49pm
Greg, there are those who claim a 220pf load can do that, but take it from me, they're good at making things up and over egging. So forget that. Assuming you've built the project correctly then just leave it powered up for a few days. ------------- That none should be able to park up and enjoy the view without a smartphone and the knowledge in how to use apps |
33oneThird wrote:Posted By: BAK
Date Posted: 08 Feb 2014 at 12:44am
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The sound will progressively improve from fantastic to transparent and awe inspiring.
Bruce ------------- Bruce AT-14SA, Pickering XV-15, Hana EL, Technics SL-1600MK2, Lautus, Majestic DAC, Technics SH-8055 spectrum analyzer, Eminence Beta8A custom cabs; Proprius & Reflex M or C, Enjoy Life your way! |
Posted By: 33oneThird
Date Posted: 08 Feb 2014 at 2:18am
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I must check again that I have all the resistors in the right spot. I've triple checked however now I need to check again. Please forgive my ignorance with this question, but is there a polarity that needs to be observed with resistors? Does the tolance indicator need to be always on a certain side of the signal path? Could it be that I am hearing the result of poorly mastered albums? Thank you for the assistance Graham and Bruce. |
Posted By: Graham Slee
Date Posted: 08 Feb 2014 at 2:58am
No polarity on resistors. Often they are inserted reading left to right or top to bottom for easy inspection in production. Obviously that only works for a board held a certain way round. There are definitely some badly mastered or pressed albums, as well as some badly assembled cartridge/stylus assemblies... I gave up on a certain well received cartridge recently because one channel resonated. However, the Genera design is an easy listen normally. If an album is faulty it will be more noticeable when the Genera is newly built. After a number of days use most albums will sound more than acceptable. New components take time to settle, and that's why I mentioned leaving it on (all the time). Magnetic cartridges (all of them) are a flawed concept because of their rising output versus frequency. The standard ways of equalising the signal are a combination of rising response correction with RIAA tonal correction. The usual thing is to use high accuracy (but veiled sounding) capacitors, which correct for that and sound great from cold - but eventually the sound becomes fatiguing. The capacitors in the parts kit are fast pulse capacitors, which take time to settle, but once that's done the sound quality stays put. The day the piezo cartridge makes a come back will not be a day too soon! I have an old light tracker from the 70s and every record I own sounds much better - but the sound stage isn't as good because development ended right there. ------------- That none should be able to park up and enjoy the view without a smartphone and the knowledge in how to use apps |