Tips for getting rid of sibilance

[aragorn723]

Hello, I have been running a Technics SL-1500c with the built in preamp and a London Maroon with mostly satisfactory results. The VTA and tracking force are both 1.6, could either of these be contributing to sibilance in the mids, which mostly shows up with vocals? I'm relatively new to turntable setup, so there might be something I missed..

Dave

 

[BrianJS]

Hello, I have been running a Technics SL-1500c with the built in preamp and a London Maroon with mostly satisfactory results. The VTA and tracking force are both 1.6, could either of these be contributing to sibilance in the mids, which mostly shows up with vocals? I'm relatively new to turntable setup, so there might be something I missed..

Dave

The London Maroon isn’t very sensitive to capacitance, so the built‑in preamp isn’t the main issue. Sibilance with a Decca almost always comes from setup. Your tracking force at 1.6 g is on the light side — Decca recommends closer to 1.8–2.0 g. Running too light will cause exactly the midrange/vocal sibilance you’re hearing.

I’d suggest two quick changes:

1. Increase tracking force to 1.8 g (or even 1.9 g if needed).
2. Raise the tonearm slightly — Deccas are very sensitive to VTA/SRA, and a low arm can exaggerate sibilance.

The SL‑1500C arm can work with a Decca, but it’s right on the edge of what the cartridge likes, so small adjustments matter a lot. These two changes usually clear up the issue.