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Rega Apheta 2 Higher frequency issue

CliffB

pfm Member
Hi,

I have been running a Rega RP10 with Apheta 2 for about 9 months. It is just the kind of record player I love and presents exactly what is on the recording with a tight, accurate and musical sound and impressive soundstage. The rest of the system is a Rega Aura phono stage, MF Nu-Vista 600 and PMC 25.24 speakers, connected up with EWA cabling.

I listen to a mix of music types; rock, blues, jazz, electronic etc and for the most part have not significant noticed sound quality issues with it.

However, there are a number of records, usually those with sustained upper mids like female vocals, loud piano or strings/classical, where the higher frequencies can break up, causing a fuzzy, fizzing distortion that is not pleasant. I have actually sent a few records back thinking they were at fault. Occasionally on some other recordings, uppers can sound little less refined than the rest of the frequency range but mostly seem fine.

The distortion has most often appeared in the right channel but today appeared in the left on a new record!

I know some passages can be challenging in dynamics and really good masterings/pressings often are (that is why we buy them). I have some Analogue Productions discs which fall into this category and they sound amazing. I would have thought a cartridge at this level should be able to cope with dynamic highs and upper mids just fine. It has a reputation for being a good tracker I believe.

With other music like rock, with sharp percussion, it seems to cope just fine, being crisp and clear, hence my delay in doing anything with it, as it is just on some recordings.

I have experimented with various VTF settings within the broad 1.75-2g that Rega recommends. I have found that the distortion reduces a little if I increase the VTF, but doing so kills the dynamics and makes the bass bloated, with no significant benefit. I have found the sweet spot to be about 1.8g. Anything over this just sounds progressively more dull and this seems to be the consensus from what I have researched on the web. With this cartridge it is easy to see when the coil and magnet assemblies are aligned, due to the design, and this coincides with around 1.8g on my example.

The cartridge has been fitted by Rega from new with their 3-point fixing system. Wires are all tight. The stylus is cleaned after each session and I measure VTF using an electronic scale that goes to 2 decimal places. I have experimented with bias and use a setting slightly less that the VTF value. The cartridge has around 140 hours and has not been damaged by accident.

My question to any other users out there or to Rega if anyone can chime in is;

Does this issue indicate my cartridge has a fault of some kind that warrants investigation, repair or replacement, or has the cartridge found its limits on these particular pressings? I feel tempted to send it in as I am not satisfied all is OK.

Thanks in anticipation,

Cliff
 
I don't know how applicable it is in your case, but I have found on nearly all rega arms from rb300 through to 1000, that if you start with the bias at about half the vtf and go from there.

Wot he said and try some different, non-electronic scales if poss.
 
I have not experienced what you have described with my cartridge. I did however find that my bias setting sounds best at about 1 and not the stated vtf of 1.76.
 
I have not experienced what you have described with my cartridge. I did however find that my bias setting sounds best at about 1 and not the stated vtf of 1.76.
I have experimented with bias and tried the HFN test record to minimise distortion and agree that bias is best set significantly lower than the VTF value
 
Sorry I couldn’t be more help, but I do have a Norah Jones album by Analogue Productions that I bought when I had my Rp6/ Exact cartridge that sounded great but when I play it on the Rp10 there is distortion in a few spots at high frequencies- I just chalked it up as not having set up the Rp6 properly and that I damaged the album because I haven’t heard it since.
Hope everything works out.
 
One thing I've learned is a clean stylus is absolutely essential and that those gel stylus cleaners don't cut it, though I'm not assuming you're using one. I find using a liquid stylus cleaner with a densely packed, stiff bristled brush for at least three strokes back to front is necessary once with every record I play. Here in the states I've used Last stylus cleaner for about four years on my Rega Exact and lately on my recently acquired Apheta 2 and found it safe and effective.
 
I was driven nuts by a similar issue with my London Ref, it turned out to be a very stubborn piece of gunk almost welded to the stylus.
 
I know this is an old thread, but I have the same issue as @CliffB with the highs on certain lps. I've tried tinkering with VTF, bias, settings on my Aria pre, cleaning my stylus, etc. and none of them do the trick. Any updates?
 
Also check the azimuth. Almost every turntable I have checked has been out and it makes a big difference. Especially with a fine stylus profile.
 
Frankly, I've hardly ever experienced this on a good quality turntable system, let alone on multiple records. Points to an issue with the TT/Arm/Cartridge. Have you tried these records on a different turntable (friend/colleague)?
 
One thing I've learned is a clean stylus is absolutely essential and that those gel stylus cleaners don't cut it, though I'm not assuming you're using one. I find using a liquid stylus cleaner with a densely packed, stiff bristled brush for at least three strokes back to front is necessary once with every record I play. Here in the states I've used Last stylus cleaner for about four years on my Rega Exact and lately on my recently acquired Apheta 2 and found it safe and effective.

I was driven nuts by a similar issue with my London Ref, it turned out to be a very stubborn piece of gunk almost welded to the stylus.

Advice spot on. This happened to me, drove me nuts too. In the end I took the cart off, looked at it using a magnifying glass and gave it a wet scrub. All good now.
 
Hi,

to me, it sounds like your VTA needs adjusting by dropping the arm down (which you can’t do on a standard Rega setup) or a spacer between the arm and cartridge. Had the exact same issue when first fitted my Apheta 2 to a Technoarm, lowered the arm a little and it sorted it out.
 


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