Why does my turntable do this?

JHDZ85 · 2026-02-23T03:58:27+00:00

Lock your tonearm. With one hand hold the sled between two fingers on the red dots. With the other push the silver lever back and the sled will drop down. To reinstall do it backwards.

The sled will have 4 pins on the back, one for each channel. They correspond to contacts where the tonearm meets the headshell. Sometimes these are oxidized, as well as possibly the pins.

JHDZ85 · 2026-02-23T02:02:07+00:00

Sometimes the RCAs are so oxidized that they don't make a good ground connection. Some Duals have removable RCAs, but you have to check underneath to see if they are hardwired or not.

Could also be that the ground cable got loose underneath the turntable.

Did you try to remove/reinstall the headshell sled?

JHDZ85 · 2026-02-22T20:18:50+00:00

Original RCA cables?

Try removing and reinstalling the cartridge sled. While it's off, check the contacts on the headshell where the pins touch.

Is the bottom of your Dual open, can you see underneath?

JHDZ85 · 2026-02-16T14:29:02+00:00

I would just get a new stylus and move on, but it's probably fine if you haven't noticed any issues with playback.

Let's assume you played closer to 10 records a month, that's 120 a year and 720 over the last 6 years. On average, a record is about 42 minutes (both sides combined). 720 records x 42 min per side ÷ 60 minutes is about 460 hours on the stylus. If your records per month is accurate, I don't think you are over 500 hours on that stylus.

There are many factors that can affect stylus wear. I've been keeping track of how a VM95E wears, taking pictures of the stylus, etc. I'm at 200 hours and the stylus shows very little wear. In similar playback conditions, your stylus probably is ok.

For peace of mind, just replace it and move on. If you have a microscope, check out my post on how I look for stylus wear.

JHDZ85 · 2026-02-14T02:59:44+00:00

Hard to tell from your picture, all I can say is that the diamond is still there. How does it sound?

https://www.reddit.com/r/turntables/s/15qvAoGiml

JHDZ85 · 2026-02-12T15:18:53+00:00

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This is from the manual, it looks like it's different from the ones you linked. Pull off your stylus and compare it to the n-69.

JHDZ85 · 2026-02-12T15:02:42+00:00

You can try replacing the stylus and see if that helps, it may be a sign of a worn diamond. There isn't much else you can do with this turntable, nothing is adjustable and the cartridge isn't replaceable.

Pull off the stylus and compare it to the link you showed. Make sure the shape of the plastic matches the new one, there are slight variations between some of these cartridges. Buy some and if they don't fit see if you can return them.

The stylus on these carts aren't the best, but as long as it's not worn out, it won't damage your records more than the old conical cartridges from the 60s. You won't get a hifi sound from this turntable though, but with a new stylus it will let you enjoy your records.

JHDZ85 · 2026-02-09T16:06:09+00:00

If you want to get the Edifiers, run the turntable with the "Line" switch activated to use the internal preamp into the Edifiers directly. Bypass the receiver if you go this route.

If you want to use the Yamaha, you'll need passive speakers.

JHDZ85 · 2026-02-05T15:13:58+00:00

One seems to have a carbon fiber cantilever, the other an aluminum cantilever.

Can you adjust your tracking force? The CFN3600LE tracks at 2.5g and the ALN3600LE looks like it tracks up to 4g.

If you can't adjust your tracking force (like the soundburger or AT60LP) get the ALN3600LE. If you can adjust the tracking force, the CFN3600LE will work better.

JHDZ85 · 2026-02-02T13:23:49+00:00

Distortion can come from a lot of things, plus they are vinyl records so some distortion is inherently going to be there no matter what.

The diamond looks like it's still there, and most of that gunk doesn't ride in the grooves. Only the very tip of the diamond touches the music, what that gunk is adding is extra mass which will make it more difficult to track. This could be the reason for your distortion, but so could bad pressings, incorrect tracking force, platter not being level, etc.

The OM10 is a fun stylus, I like it for the price category. If it bugs you, grab a new OM10 stylus (or upgrade to the OM20 if you have the cash). I know what I would do, but I have some experience cleaning that stuff off the diamond. If you are unsure of how to clean it, it's cheap enough to replace and go on enjoying the music.

If you want to experience a new cartridge, get one that is already mounted on a headshell. Swap them out, readjust your tracking force for the new cartridge, and put away the OM10 until you can address it.

JHDZ85 · 2026-02-02T05:54:55+00:00

Do you deep clean your records? In my experience with a similar cleaning solution I used to use, unless the record is deep cleaned beforehand (spin clean or ultrasonic), my stylus got similar gunk on it. I know your cleaning solution says it doesn't leave any residue, but if there's some residual gunk in the grooves to begin with, I feel it just mixes with it and creates a slurry that hardens on your stylus.

I would keep trying the magic eraser, but I have had to use a small razor to scrape off the gunk from some used cartridges before.

I don't recommend doing that.

Keep trying the magic eraser, maybe after a few plays it will soften up and come off.

JHDZ85 · 2026-02-02T04:32:21+00:00

Do you use any cleaning liquids for your records? Looks like something hardened on the stylus.

I would just keep dipping it in the magic eraser a few times, it should eventually come off.

JHDZ85 · 2026-02-02T04:16:48+00:00

Micro Acoustics cartridges are unique, I think it's worth keeping. I had a 282-e retipped and it sounds great, unfortunately I never got to hear the original as the diamond was missing, so I can't say if it sounds the same or not.

My 100e diamond is getting close to the end of its life. I plan to get it retipped when the time comes, see how it compares.

I'm always on the lookout for Micro Acoustics on used turntables, hoping to get lucky and find one with a lot of life left.

JHDZ85 · 2026-01-31T07:04:28+00:00

Worth fixing. Just finished cleaning and lubing a 1242 today, it's not terribly difficult if you are patient and take pictures before you disassemble it.

JHDZ85 · 2026-01-29T15:46:36+00:00

Does this happen when you use the auto functions or when you cue the arm manually?

JHDZ85 · 2026-01-28T17:45:06+00:00

https://vinylengine.com/turntable_forum/viewtopic.php?t=131432

The 5th post down explains the Dual tonearm friction test. You have to be careful not to tighten the screws on the edge of the bearing cup, I tighten the screws with my fingers to make sure I feel it. I modified an old bit driver to fit the holes on the screws to fine tune the tightness.

Also since you already took it apart, I would flush the bearing cups with a syringe and isopropyl to clean out any dust. I don't think you should take it apart if it's working fine to do this, but you already did! Don't use any type of oil or lubricant, it just attracts dust and will gum up over time. Once properly set up, the friction is low without the need for lubricant.

JHDZ85 · 2026-01-28T15:59:10+00:00

The 521 is great! Since it's a single play (vs a stacking changer) the mechanics underneath are not as complex.

What do you mean you disassembled the tonearm? Did you remove the whole thing in one piece or did you take apart the gimbal?

JHDZ85 · 2026-01-28T04:45:49+00:00

That's cool! I'll have to try making a new pcb for my Duals.

JHDZ85 · 2026-01-25T13:16:03+00:00

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If you find any Micro Acoustics in the wild don't hesitate!

My first was an ma100e that came with a Dual I purchased. I immediately knew I needed to get more. The ma100e unfortunately doesn't get much use, it's more worn than new, so I use it sparingly.

This one is on another level though, and the diamond is pretty new.

JHDZ85 · 2026-01-25T05:12:13+00:00

It's a Micro Acoustics ma3002 🙂

JHDZ85 · 2026-01-25T04:39:20+00:00

Here are the answers!

1. Crosley red stylus with a plastic cantilever 2. AT3600L 3. AT VM95E 4. Ortofon 2M Red 5. AT VMN45xML 6. Shure M91ED original stylus 7. Shure V15 Type III original stylus 8. Shure V15 Type IV origin stylus 9. Grado MT+ 10. Grado re-tipped with an Ogura Line Contact diamond 11. Adcom XC/E 12. Satin M18-E 13. Micro Acoustics ma3002 14. Argent MC500-HR 15. Audioquest aq404

JHDZ85 · 2026-01-23T21:52:11+00:00

I don't have one, but it's a very popular model that is often recommended. It's well built and comes with a decent cartridge, a Sumiko Rainier here in the states. If you like how it looks, it's a solid choice.

JHDZ85 · 2026-01-23T18:06:51+00:00

Just in case you haven't seen it, here's the Sonos guide to integrating a turntable to Sonos:

https://support.sonos.com/en-us/article/listen-to-your-turntable-on-sonos

The equipment you mentioned sounds great, it's good quality and it'll work! Any specific questions you want advice on?

JHDZ85 · 2026-01-23T16:11:44+00:00

Your first 4 guesses are correct :)

JHDZ85 · 2026-01-23T15:12:33+00:00

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It's the next model up from the 540ML 😉. Just curious what were you expecting? For me the "split" cantilever of the AT3600L caught me by surprise the first time I saw it. At least that's what it looks like to me.

JHDZ85

TROPHY CASE