Defender wrote: ↑2020-12-09 11:47
I have some questions with respect to mounting a Krystal MC to an Ekos SE/1
I know there is less room for doing something wrong with the 3 screw mount but does the Krystal need to be pushed in one or the other direction to have the perfect geometry in case no protractor available?
I have two types of headshell screws a longer one which is about 8mm long and a shorter one which is about 5mm long - when measuring those the 3 long ones are 1.41g in total the shorter ones are 1.14g in total that is 0.27g difference (for all three screws). I know it shouldn’t make a difference as thats compensated for with adjusting the tracking force. Or does it make a difference with respect to the resonance frequency?
Ron The Mon stated he is using Aluminium Headshell screws - is the advantage coming from the lower weight or from the material? Does anyone tried longer or shorter headshell screws or aluminium screws with Krystal and Ekos SE/1?
Defender,
Please;
DO NOT USE ALUMINUM SCREWS ON YOUR KRYSTAL.
There are two reports here of aluminum screws used with threaded inserts and ruined the inserts. Stripping an aluminum screw into tapped aluminum is also bad. It is difficult to measure and match the
exact thread pitch of such a small screw or insert. Regardless of metal used, the screw should easily travel in and out of an insert (or nut) with
no resistance. In addition, it is very easy to over-torque an aluminum screw into a stronger metal, also causing damage.
Were your two screws (8mm & 5mm) supplied with your Krystal? If so, use them. My opinion is you have an expensive new product with a warranty. I wouldn't do anything to violate a manufacturer's guarantee.
However, all other aspects being equal, a lighter screw
always yields better performance. When I was using a Klyde, I used the Rega "Cartridge Torque Wrench" and a digital scale. I experimented with several near identical weight and length stainless steel screws. Different types sounded "different" but shorter, lighter screws
always sounded better. I then trimmed two screws flush to the nut and
voila!, that was best.
To shorten screws, lightly tighten a screw in your cartridge and use a Sharpie marker to color excess threads. After removing screw, put two nuts on it and cut with a screw cutter. Buff the end with a fine-wire wheel while the screw is in a vice. Final buff with a Dremel cloth pad. Those two steps are cosmetic. The final step is as you remove the nuts, they will "clean" the threads. Do not use a wire wheel on the threads as this will reduce material, compromising strength.
The reason for the improvement is you are improving the tonearm, not the cartridge. Using source-first logic, a better tonearm result is preferred to improved cartridge. This is also why using "alternative", "better", cartridge alignment protractors worsen the music. The lesser the cartridge overhang, the better the tune. It always amazes me that most "audiophiles" love specifications, but out of context with other specifications. The search for the perfect alignment at the expense of worse effective mass. I say listen, and use what sounds more musical.
Go right now and pick up a hammer. Hold it with your arm extended horizontally. Move the hammer in a figure-eight motion as quickly as you can. Then invert the hammer, holding it by the head. Do the same exercise. The hammer has not been reduced in weight yet is much easier to move. This is what's happening in a tonearm as it is rebalanced and equal tracking force reapplied. It is my opinion this is why less bias is required in lighter cartridges and tonearms, and tonearms with lower bearing friction.
The big brother to the Krystal is the Kandid. One feature of the Kandid is a plastic yoke screw; "
Linn has also kept the weight of the cartridge down by using a plastic front yoke screw rather than metal. As well as allowing the counterweight to be moved closer to the bearing point which gives a quicker reaction to changes in the vinyl, using a plastic screw eliminates any magnetic interference to the delicate coils in the cartridge."
It is not just that the Kandid is 1.3 grams lighter than the Krystal, but all the weight reduced is at the furthest extremity of the arm and cartridge.
Lastly, the torque used in a Krystal that is the most musical would probably strip or break off the head of an aluminum screw. It would be a good experiment to compare aluminum screws at a less musical torque to stainless steel torqued best. There is a large weight difference in the case of a Krystal as it has three screws. Which factor results in better musical reproduction?
Ron The Mon
Needle-Freak