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-- Fix for damaged carts?

Posted by dark_Omens on Aug-09-2011 02:24:

Fix for damaged carts?

I have Shure M44G cartridges. One morning I fire up my turntables, and only one channel is coming from one of them. I ran a bunch of tests, switching out parts between my turntables, testing connections with a multimeter, and even tried ordering a new stylus. The only part I couldn't test very well was the actual cartridge, and I concluded that this must be where the fault lay. Used a friends carts (also M44G), and everything functioned as it should. One channel sounds to be out - almost sounds like one of the channels isn't grounded properly (get the buzzing you'd get if you don't have the turntable grounded, but only in one channel). Obviously I have checked all of the small wires connecting the cart to the headshell. In fact, switching these small wires (left channel to right) resulted in the opposite channel being out (exactly what you'd expect if the problem lay within the cartridge itself). Anyone had a problem like this before? If so, were you able to find a fix?

To make the situation stranger, my other cart started doing the same thing about a month later. To be fair, I have had them for, oh, 5 or 6 years with heavy use, but I feel like a cartridge shouldn't fail that soon.

Thanks in advance.

Posted by PivotTechno on Aug-11-2011 16:23:

Have you tried cleaning the contacts, both those on the cart and in the tonearm?

Posted by A.B on Aug-13-2011 12:24:

Pain in the arse when this happens.
Do as instructed below and you'll be sorted!

Posted by dark_Omens on Aug-13-2011 23:31:

Thanks, gents! It worked for one of the carts. The other, even after cleaning and checking all connections still has the same problem. Well, at least you helped me save $80.