You might consider the Grace Asakura One MC. Also, I saw a review about Grado’s highest level cartridge and reviewer said it’s the best sounding cartridge he’s ever heard. I believe it sells for around $30,000.00. I’ll take three!
Any Love for the Grace F10 L Moving Coil Cartridge
Just picked up one of these super rare cartridges and wondered if any of our members had ever owned one and if so could offer any feedback on what to expect.
I had convinced myself that I would not buy any more cartridges and had actually being selling some off to pay for a rebuild on one of my most valued cartridges. Unfortunately for me I have a weakness for those very rare vintage cartridges and I simply can't stop myself if one becomes available at the right price.
The model I have coming is the "L" version with hollow Boron cantilever (hollow boron is another weakness of mine). The specs are as follows.
Thanks.
I had convinced myself that I would not buy any more cartridges and had actually being selling some off to pay for a rebuild on one of my most valued cartridges. Unfortunately for me I have a weakness for those very rare vintage cartridges and I simply can't stop myself if one becomes available at the right price.
The model I have coming is the "L" version with hollow Boron cantilever (hollow boron is another weakness of mine). The specs are as follows.
- Frequency characteristics: 20~30,000Hz±2dB
- Output voltage: 0.75mV(5cm/sec, 1,000Hz, 45°)
- Impedance: 23Ω±10%(1,000Hz)
- Channel balance: within 0.5dB(1,000Hz)
- Crosstalk: below -25dB(1,000Hz)
- Stylus tip: 0.2×0.8mil Advanced Luminal Trace
- Stylus pressure: 1.8gr (±0.5gr)
- Compliance: 20×10-6cm/dyne
- Cantilever: Boron composite
Thanks.
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Yeah, i remember it was hard to resist not to buy Dynavector DV30A, it was the next one after Ultima, headshell integrated, proper design from 1978, my version was High Output. Your "C" has better cantilever and stylus. Good luck |
Chakster, I'm not suggesting there's something wrong with them. I'm well aware this characteristic very much depends on loading and the system as a whole, so I didn't make any value judgment based on that. But the description didn't wet my appetite either. Actually something else came along and I decided to give the Dyna Ultimo DV-30C a chance. I've always been curious about this one, as it was highly rated by AJ van den Hul back in the day when he was still an audio reviewer. Long time ago! Perhaps some other day I will give Grace a try. |
Strange, in my opinion Grace are high resolution cartridges, i can only judge their MC by the reference Asakura's Two (latest signature model of the Grace owner). Since the internal impedance of all Grace MC is high 23 Ohm - 47 Ohm (depends on the model) the cartridge is very sensitive to loading and it is primary effect the high frequency extension. A phono stage with optional loading is a must for Grace Moving Coil carts. Some people prefer darker sounding cartridges and it's nothing but a personal preferences. There is nothing wrong with Grace MC. |
Given its output voltage and its high-ish internal impedance/resistance, this seems to be what we now would call a "High Output" Moving Coil, meaning the coil is fairly hefty in order to generate such a healthy output voltage. I wonder how it compares to the various Grace MMs for SQ. Once again, I am surprised by the very existence of a cartridge. |
What is confusing me is a very rare MM stylus with number Gace L11 (i can't upload this image), but it is just like my L12, both designed for MM cartridges of course. There was an extremely rare F12 MM, but why the MM stylus called L11 if there was F11 MC cartridge? Around the same time Asakura Two was released, by mistake here it is called MC, but it's MM, both F11 and F12 styli looks exactly like Asakura's Two styli. So something went wrong with the numbers in Grace catalog :) It's really hard to understand the logic behind it. L11 stylus is MM, but F11 cartridge is MC BTW my favorite Grace MC is Asakura's One |
@ateal, I was wondering how you are getting along with the Grace. I have an angle on a NOS Grace F-11L, about which I haven’t been able to find any info. The only spec I could find is that the output level is supposedly 0.75 mV, the same as yours. This suggests there could be some sonic similarities between the two. Look forward to hear your assesment after break in. Thank you! |
30 hrs on it now and things are getting a little smoother in the higher frequencies. I think this this is going to take 50+ hours to fully break in. I am still using the FRT-4 SUT. I will switch back to the Audio Interface SUT once things settle down a little bit more. The one thing that amazes me with this cart is the expansive frequency range. From super deep bass to very fine high frequency resolution, it covers the entire audible frequency range. I have never heard any other cart like it. It digs everything out of the grooves, whether you want it or not. It’s like everything is in super high definition, which is not always a good thing, but if that’s what you like then this cartridge gives it in spades. Will update as I put more hours on it. |
Anyone familiar with this Grace HS-7 headshell with treated holes (about 15g, aluminum die cast) ? According to model number it was release after their famous Carbon Fiber HS-6 headshell. But the HS-7 is pretty rare and probably made for grace LOMC cartridges. |
I have put about 15 hrs on it so far and it is starting to mellow out, thank god. Sounding very very good and bass is getting deeper and HF less fatiguing. I needed to switch back to my Fidelity Research FRT 4 SUT as it is a little less revealing than the Audio Interface SUT. Maybe once it is broken in I can try the Audio Interface again. More to come. |
Well it arrived and looks like it has had very little use indeed. Cantilever and diamond are super clean under 300x magnification. I installed it on my Yamaha GT2000 using the Grace HS-6 headshell it came with, giving a total mass including tonearm, headshell and cartridge is a whopping 31g. Measuring the resonant frequency with the HIFI News record it comes in at around 6Hz which is not ideal but it plays great with no adverse effect. I set the tracking force to 2.0g which is slightly above the recommended 1.8g. I did this to help with break in. Very first impressions were that the detail resolution of the upper frequencies were incredible. So much HF information it was overwhelming. However the sound felt a little shut in and the bass wasn’t really apparent. I adjusted the SRA so the tonearm was just a tiny bit tail down and continued to play albums with lots of heavy bass to aid with break in. After a couple of hours the sound stage was widening and the bass was becoming stronger and deeper. After a few hours it is sounding very promising albeit a little strident in the higher frequencies. I think it needs much more break in as the cantilever seems very stiff. Will update after more of a break in. |
Looking at the specs of my signature Grace Asakura’s One MC, which is twice as much in price in the old catalogs, i see the same 1.8g tracking force recommended, but the compliance is 15 @100Hz, which is about 25cu if we convert it correctly to 10Hz. Yes, it’s very high compliance for LOMC. Another high compliance LOMC from my vaults is Ortofon MC2000 (compliance 20cu, recommended tracking force 1.5g). So they are close, great trackers! |
Thanks Chakster, that makes this one super high compliance with a converted figure of 36. That’s quite a bit higher than the Grace MM’s such as the F9 Ruby and Grace Level II. What I find odd though, is that the mid point VTF is quite heavy at 1.8g. Normally super high compliance carts have average VTF’s of 1 to 1.25g. |
I have the low compliance "P" version. I haven't listened to it in awhile. Will do so soon.
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