AMG Teatro MC Cartridge 0.4mV

Stylus Guard

The Teatro uses a specially designed stylus guard machined from solid aluminum billet. It can be removed by gripping the stylus guard from both sides and lightly pulling downward when the cartridge is mounted in the tonearm. It is easily reattached by fitting the rounded front over the front of the cartridge, aligning the sides and the rubber o-rings, and gently pushing upwards. Please use caution when attaching or detaching the stylus guard to make sure it is properly aligned as not to damage the cantilever/stylus assembly. Your Teatro has the stylus guard attached in its packaging.

We recommend that the stylus guard be in place when handling the cartridge prior to mounting, mounting it to the tonearm, or when transporting the turntable (following instructions from your turntable/tonearm manufacturer). It is not necessary or recommended to attach the stylus guard between record plays, though you may wish to attach the guard after a listening session to protect your Teatro from unwanted disturbances.

Mounting the Teatro to Your Tonearm

Remove the Teatro from its packaging with the stylus guard attached using the supplied flat-head screwdriver. The screws used to mount the cartridge to the packaging are too short for most tonearm headshells, so longer screws are provided. The provided nylon washers are not compatible with AMG tonearms. You can use the nylon washers if they work with your tonearm headshell. AMG has supplied four additional sets of screws, two sets of flat-head (8mm and 14mm length) and two sets hex head (8mm and 14mm length). The 8mm length is ideal for the AMG tonearms. Choose the correct length for your headshell (enough thread for good attachment but not having any of the mounting screw protrude through the cartridge body). Use either the supplied flat-head screwdriver or obtain a 2mm hex wrench for the hex screws. When first mounting to the tonearm headshell, position the screws midway in the headshell slots and tighten the screws just enough to prevent the Teatro from easily moving. Make sure the tonearm counterweight is adjusted so the arm "floats" freely when the stylus guard is removed.

Connecting Leads

Use a pair of tweezers or needle-nose pliers to gently attach the correct leads to the appropriate pins on the rear of the Teatro. Use caution as you do not want to compress the cartridge clips on the end of the leads or break the clips or leads.

Teatro Setup

Tracking Force: With the tonearm floating freely and the stylus guard removed, adjust your tonearm's counterweight toward its pivot to apply some downward force. Certain tonearms may use a dial to apply tracking force. If this is the case, adjust the dial to 2.0 grams. Make sure your tonearm's anti-skate is defeated or at its minimum position. The tonearm should be at a neutral or level horizontal height (VTA). Use a high-quality mechanical or electronic stylus force gauge to set/check the tracking force to 2.0 grams (+/- 0.2gr). Make sure the gauge is non-magnetic and the weighing platform is a similar height to a 180-gram record on your turntable platter.

Cartridge Alignment: Use a high-quality alignment gauge to properly set overhang and offset. The pivot-to-spindle length of the AMG 9W1 is 223mm, the 9W2 is 211mm and the 12J2 is 291.4mm. Check with you tonearm manufacturer for your tonearm pivot-to-spindle length. Double-check your tracking force after making this adjustment.

Anti-Skate: Begin with your tonearm's anti-skate at its minimal setting. On the AMG tonearms, the anti-skate magneto should be at its lowest position. The Teatro's dynamic compliance of 18 requires little anti-skate. After completing azimuth and VTA, you can further adjust anti-skate by ear to check for the most relaxed presentation and lowest inner groove distortion. Excessive anti-skate force can stress the cartridge suspension and is not recommended. Additionally, it is advisable to re-check anti-skate after the Teatro's 20–hour break-in period.

Azimuth: This is a critical parameter for the best stereo reproduction. Visually inspect the cartridge body when the Teatro is lowered on an 180-gram stationary record so it is parallel to the record when viewed from the front. You can also observe the reflection of the cartridge body on the record. We recommend using the Musical Surroundings Fozgometer Azimuth Range Meter with the Analogue Productions Ultimate Test Record for best results.

VTA (Vertical Tracking Angle): Start with the tonearm at a neutral or level, horizontal position. On the AMG tonearms, the bubble should be centered with the Teatro lowered on an 180-gram LP. Using a familiar record with simple instrumentation, slightly adjust the tonearm height for best focus and tonal balance. Re-check your VTA after 5 hours of cartridge break-in (approximately 15 record sides) and again after 20 hours (approximately 60 record sides).

Loading: The Teatro has an internal coil resistance of 12O (ohms). Using the 10 times rule, the minimum recommended loading is 120O. The optimal loading range is between 120 and 500O. If you prefer, you can use a load as high as 47kO.

Break-In & Warm-Up

Your Teatro will require a minimum of 20 hours of play time (approximately 60 record sides) to break-in. You should notice a more relaxed presentation. It is good idea to check your setup after break-in.

Stylus Cleaning

A clean stylus, free of dust and debris results in better sound quality as well as longer cartridge and record life. Use the supplied stylus brush to remove dust, always brush in a back-to-front motion. You may also use a high-quality liquid stylus cleaner, using caution to avoid getting any liquid inside the cartridge body.

Demagnetization

A moving-coil cartridge can recover clarity if demagnetized every 30-days. This improvement becomes even more noticeable as your cartridge ages. Use only the Aesthetix ABCD-2 Cartridge Demagnetizer.

Technical Specifications