After perusing the manual again, I found a "Quick Start" guide in the box that had a few discrepancies in regards to describing how to attach the counterweight on the back of the tonearm. So this time I followed the Quick Start guide, and realized that I had put the counterweight and gauge on backwards, which is the reason it wasn't working right...kinda makes me feel like an idiot =/ Anyway, I got it working fine now. Although I am still troubled by the fact that the cartridge requires so much tracking force (as stated in the specifications for 3.5g) - I think it is probably designed for more of a DJ application, but should I be worried that using this for casual listening will diminish the lifespan of my records?