Fair questions. It is true about the built in overhang checker...I have to fiddle with it to get it to stay up at the halfway point...even then I feel it is not very accurate. So I know what you mean that the cart is actually too low to get the built in to work as designed. For this reason, I use the built in for rough setting, then use about 3 different plastic, cardboard and paper protractors to check it. I have found the built in to be very useful for roughly setting the overhang.BrianovichIV wrote: ↑04 Feb 2019 13:54
First, how did you use the overhang checker? I can't seem to get it to work because it wiggles and it doesn't seem to rise high enough to get the arm over the latch? So I used a protractor but I want to make sure the overhang is right first.
Second, do you use your lateral balance weight? After some Googling last night, I decided to remove it, and then rebalance the arm and reset the VTF to 2 grams (recommended for the Vessel) and it seemed like my distortion issues magically disappeared. However it was getting late and I didn't do much listening to really verify it. So I could be wrong.
I have never really messed with the lateral balance weight. I thought that was used in conjunction with the anti-skate setting. Regardless, mine is set as it describes in the manual (we are talking about the Pioneer PL-12D right?). Seems to work well for me.
I listened to ALOT of records this weekend. I really enjoy my current setup. Even went and bought some "new" old records. UFO, Rush, Alan Parsons and Marty Balin (love his voice). I say all that because I haven't felt I was missing anything with the alignment I have. I will eventually get one of those test discs, so I can verify some stuff, but right now everything sounds great. Could my cartridge be off by 1/2 millimeter? Sure. Could I play with my tracking force some and possibly improve things? Maybe. But those gains I believe would be very small, and given no way to verify the results (with a test disc, not just my ears), I have delayed trying to mess with it.
What preamp are you using? I contemplated the Vessel before I sprung for the MP-150. I have no regrets about my choice.