Collaro Conquest Cartridge problem

Hello everyone My name is Scott Carson and I am new to this forum. I have purchased two Collaro Conquests and I am in the process of "trying" to service one of them now. I have many questions but here is the one most pressing: I have purchased a replacement cartridge for this changer and it sounds like crap. It is an Astatic 711D and it looks great. Everything hooks up well but the EQ is terrible. I know that Ceramic cartridges are not amazing quality but the sound absolutely stinks. I am plugging the turntable into a line level input on my Pioneer SX-1250. I could use some help with this. Is something wrong with the wiring or is it the way it is hooked up. If asked to describe the EQ when played I would have to say "Tinny" or "Lack of Bass Response or any Mid-Range." I have tried changing the tracking force and that does no good. PLEASE HELP!! One more thing also. Do all the Collaro Conquests from the late 50's have that muting feature for when the change cycle is running. Mine seems to not I was just wondering. Any help would be greatly appreciated. THANKS!!

Indeed ceramic cartridges never were "hifi".
You won't gain satisfaction if you have a good ear and enjoy full-bodied sound from records.

If you're going to play that turntable though a high quality system and not the original console it was made for, I'd upgrade to a budget magnetic cartridge.
The results are dramatic, easier on the records, more accurate sound, leading to a much more satisfying experience.

The Stanton/Pickering cartridges are a good choice and easily adapted to the Collaro.

Just my two cents, but you should run a turntable through phono inputs, not aux. You didn't say how your turntable is connected, other than a line-level input, but a phono input has that RIAA(?) curve thingy/equalization going on. --BB


Bobby Basham
Tucson,Arizona

The cartridge is ceramic. I thought it did not need a phono amp. Its output is .5V. Also I do not think it has to do with the RIAA curve because it has the same issue with 78's which were before the curve came into use. I thought of that yesterday at work. I think it may be my wiring I just need other input. THANKS everyone who has replied so far.

ksc35004 wrote:The cartridge is ceramic. I thought it did not need a phono amp. Its output is .5V. Also I do not think it has to do with the RIAA curve because it has the same issue with 78's which were before the curve came into use. I thought of that yesterday at work. I think it may be my wiring I just need other input. THANKS everyone who has replied so far.

And there's your problem.
Ceramic cartridges need a HIGH impedence input for correct response.
The normal "aux" or line level inputs on a receiver, while being .5v sensitivity are loaded down to perhaps 10-50k ohms.... WAY too low for a ceramic.
Thus the "tinny" sound.

Get a magnetic, use the dedicated RIAA phono inputs.

Several thoughts:

- Is one channel of the cartridge wired out of phase?

- If it is the old 3-wire connection, its the ground wire open?

- If it is like mine, there was an EQ network attached to the muting switch, to provide the RIAA curve from the original cartridge. I had to remove this network to use a different pickup.

- Could some kid have blown the woofers cranking it up?