If you want to compare specs then look at Victor X-1II JVC/Victor has established a new and dynamic relationship between the cartridge design and quality by investing the Pulse-Trian Analytical Method. The X-1 was the first product designed with new method, the X1-II is an improved version featured a wide range, clear definition and transparent tone quality. The X1-II faithfully reproduce silence, however transient, between notes and add tremendous presence to the reproduction of music. Because of the low-mass moving structure, the response is extended to 60kHz. 0.15mm Square Shibata Stylus: Shibata stylus shape of the JVC Victor X-1II cartridge distinguishes itself by having the necessary small contact surface at the horizontal level for playback of the ultra-high frequencies found on CD-4 quadraphonic records. At the vertical level, the special shape of the stylus gives a wider contact surface than is the case with either spherical or elliptical styli. Various cartridge manufacturers have been inspired by the Shibata shape and now produce very expensive cartridges with stylus shapes that give the same advantages as the Shibata. These have names such as bi-elliptical, pramanic, quadrahedral, hyperbolic, pathemax, and Fine Line. Although CD-4 and other quadraphonic systems never really caught on with consumers, they have helped to speed up the development of stylus types that improve playback of stereo records in the form of a more precise treble reproduction, lower distortion, and less record wear. Beryllium Cantilever: The cantilever is made of beryllium, a metal that is far lighter and stronger than widely-used aluminium or titanium. It has greater velocity of sound propagation, and it’s flat response extends into the super high frequency range. Density (gr/cm): 1.84 Beryllium / 2.69 Aluminum / 4.54 Titanium Young Modulus (kg/mm): 28,000 Beryllium / 7,400 Aluminum / 11,000 Titanium Velocity Of Sound Propagation (m/sec): 12,600 Beryllium / 6,420 Aluminum / 5,990 Titanium One Point Suspension: A very thin wire, mounted to the center-hold bushing, suspends the moving structure. Since this design clearly defines the fulcrum of the moving structure, intermodulation distortion is reduced. Samarium Cobalt Magnet: JVC Victor has used samarium cobalt for the magnet piece, a material that has low specific gravity and high energy product. Thanks to this new alloy formation, the moving structure is lightweight, and offers improving tracking ability and stable output. Laminated Core Pole Pieces: Pole pieces are made of laminated core permalloy. This superior construction leads to improved frequency response. Loss of information in the super high frequencies, often experienced with high-impedance MM-type cartridges, is AVOIDED! Pulse-Train Analytical Method: A JVC-developed method used for measuring and analyzing the hitherto unmeasurable group-delay and phase characteristics of a transducer (speaker, cartridge, etc.) with the assistance of a specially-cut record containing pulsive signals, coupled with a computer data processing system. This new analytical method is largely responsible for the exceptional tonal performance of the X1II as it has helped JVC find ways to cope with transient distortion and group delay distortion. It showed that a cartridge should be lightweight, which in turn has led to the use of a shortened cantilever made of superlight beryllium and a one point suspension in the X1II. Specifications Victor X1II: Type: moving magnet Stylus: (DT-X2) 0.15mm Shibata diamond tip. Frequency response: 10 to 60,000Hz Tracking Force: 1,5g (+/- 0,2g) Dynamic Compliance (@100Hz): 12cu Output: more 3.0mV (1kHz, 5cm/sec) Channel balance: less than 1.0dB Channel separation: more than 25dB Impedance: 2.2 kOhms (1kHz) Load: 47 to 100 kohms Weight: 7.5g |
Are we to go by objective specifications, or a subjective judges recommendations? You be the judge? While it's for certain we can not personally review all the cartridges we would like to, I have discovered something that works for me; I place a lot of validity in the reviewers judgment who uses music that I like; which is jazz, with emphasis on the vocals. If the reviewer uses music that you couldn't pay me to listen to, he has less credibility. The bottom line is; I'm in this game to satisfy one person, and one person only. Here are objective specifications you can compare. I have no idea how they compare in regard to rank with each other; you and others can be the judge of that. The TRX-2 cantilever is a precision-made sapphire tube. Due to its excellent hardness and rigidity resonance is reduced to practically zero. The stylus tip is a nude diamond, featuring low mass and large contact area (ADC Vital III type PH LineContact 0.32 x 1.57 mil) for lower record wear. This is a wire suspension system to define the fulcrum and provide extended frequency response and low distortion at low tracking force. Specification of the ADC TRX-2 IM cartridge: Stylus type: nude PH line contact (vital III) Cantilever: sapphire tube Output voltage: 3mV Channel balance: within 0.5dB Channel separation (1kHz): more than 30dB Frequency response (+/-1.5dB): 20 to 30,000Hz Compliance: 40cu Impedance (1kHz): 3.0 kOhm DC Resistance: 960 Ohm Tracking force: 1.2g (+/- 0.2g) Load resistance: 47K ohms (Capacitance 275pF) Weight: 6.5g The ADC 26 is one of the finest in a renowned line of cartridges, designed and built by the world's foremost quality pickup manufacturer. Using the unique induced magnet principle, it combines minute stylus tip mass and high compliance, resulting in unparalleled performance. Specifications Output: 4mv at 55 cms/sec recorded velocity Tracking force: 0.7g Frequency response: 10Hz to 24kHz +- 2dB Stylus: Elliptical contact Vertical tracking angle: 15 degrees Recommended load impedance: 47,000 ohms nominal The Master2 and Reference2 models use a five piece OTL cantilever technology achieving an additional 5% tip mass reduction over the Platinum2 and Sonata2 models. The coils are wound with ultra-high purity long crystal (UHPLC) oxygen free copper wire. The Master2 model is mounted with Grado's specially designed nude elliptical diamond, and the Reference1 model uses Grado's true ellipsoid design diamond. These cartridges are individually calibrated. Reference V2 OUTPUT: 4.8mV @ 5 CMV (45) CONTROLLED FREQUENCY RESPONSE: 10-60 KHZ CHANNEL SEPARATION: AVERAGE 40 DB - 10-30 KHZ LOAD: 47,000 OHMS INDUCTANCE: 40 mh RESISTANCE: 600 OHMS NON SENSITIVE TO CAPACITIVE LOAD CHASSIS MASS: 10 GRAMS TRACKING FORCE: 1.5 - 1.9 GRAMS |
Dear @wrm57 : I own it, nothing to " die for ", good an that's all. Thanks, Raul. I think I'll mount it soon and see how it fares against my Grace F-14 with a SoundSmith OCL, which I like quite a bit. Bill |
Dear @dhcod : That Audio Note is better that what people could think and part as the same cartridge " family " like the very good Reson or Goldring and I can’t remember which other one. Same " family " but with different quality performance because each company ask for some especial cartridge characteristics. " stop listening with your wallet ", I think is rigth. Normally as more expensive is a cartridge in a manufacturer line as better quality performance has it. The problem is the stratosferic high prices the MC cartridges have today but when even at those prices there are gentlemans that pay for the the trend will continue: higher and higher with out true foundation of real quality performance levels that can in true justify those " crazy " high dollars.Reson is very good too, I owned. R. |
I have received my Induced Magnet ADC high-compliance cartridge not so long ago. This is New Old Stock of the ADC TRX-2, but i have not tried it yet :) I hope it’s much better than ADC Astrion which i had NOS, but didn’t liked. I just put together some facts about ADC and thair lastest TRX series. I’m sure someone will find it interesting. Audio innovator Peter Pritchard founded ADC (Audio Dynamics Corporation) in USA in the early 1960’s. Since that day the ADC was a manufacturer of very high performances magnetic phono cartridges. ADC pickups were notable for their extremely high compliance and low tracking forces. They were all based on his "induced magnet" principle, which derived from the older GE variable-reluctance cartridges that had been game-changers for affordable magnetic phono pick-ups in the 1950s. GE’s patent, filed May 2, 1960, acknowledges Peter Ernest Pritchard as the inventor. Later, a very successful speaker line produced locally in New Milford. ADC also made lighweight tonearms. Mr.Pritchard sold ADC in the late 1970s and began producing the successful Sonus line of phono pickups. However, the ADC (Audio Dynamics Corporation) under a new ownership continued making High-End cartridges. To develop ADC sound the company hired Nakansuka San from Japan, now he’s the owner of ultra high-end brand ZYX. You may think that ZYX is this brave new phono cartridge manufacturer, but its founder and chief designer, Hisayoshi Nakatsuka, is far from being a newcomer. Nakatsuka San has been working for Namiki (there he managed the OEM cartridge business for several manufacturers), Accuphase, Adcom, Ortofon ... Back in the 70’s top of the line ADC TRX series was designed by Nakatsuka San (ZYX). Flagship models ADC TRX-2 with Sapphire cantilever and Vital II nude diamond is one of the best ADC cartridge designed under new ownership. The tri-pole Induced Magnetic System has a unique internal construction featuring a three-pole armature made of mu-metal. Its advantages include low-distortion tracing of stereo signals and consistently wide strereo separation across a wide frequency range. In its magnetic circuit a samarium cobalt magnet is used which, together with the 3-pole armature, forms an efficient induced magnet system. The tension wire, of special resin, helps define the fulcrum of the cantilever. In combination with a damper made of selected rubber, it provides the cartridge with higher compliance, better tracking and wider dynamic range. The cartridge body is fashioned from die-cast aluminum, and the stylus assembly is firmly fixed to the body by a screw so no part of the cartridge resonates or vibrates. This prevents sound coloration. The TRX-2 cantilever is a precision-made sapphire tube. Due to its excellent hardness and rigidity resonance is reduced to practically zero. The stylus tip is a nude diamond, featuring low mass and large contact area (ADC Vital III type PH LineContact 0.32 x 1.57 mil) for lower record wear. This is a wire suspension system to define the fulcrum and provide extended frequency response and low distortion at low tracking force. Specification of the ADC TRX-2 IM cartridge: Stylus type: nude PH line contact (vital III) Cantilever: sapphire tube Output voltage: 3mV Channel balance: within 0.5dB Channel separation (1kHz): more than 30dB Frequency response (+/-1.5dB): 20 to 30,000Hz Compliance: 40cu Impedance (1kHz): 3.0 kOhm DC Resistance: 960 Ohm Tracking force: 1.2g (+/- 0.2g) Load resistance: 47K ohms (Capacitance 275pF) Weight: 6.5g An old company address: BSR (USA) LTD. ADC Division Route 303 Blauvelt, N.Y. 10913. U.S.A. |
Dear @vortrex : Yes, that figure is correct. I tested in different arms not only mines but from the other gentlemans too. We don't have any problem for that regards. Through that long MM thread we had many many examples of very high compliance cartridges mounted on not medium but even very high mass tonearms with good performances, no trouble at all. R. |
Dear @dgarretson : IMHO the Etna needs a better tonearm and preferable no-knife bearing and certainly not an all metal headshell that's not a good " friend " for any cartridge. You own the Kuzma that's very well damped tonearm. In the other side tubes are not the best " friend " for any cartridge either. I know: all is relative as orpheus pointed out. R. |
Dear @orpheus10 : Well, in life all is relative and from that point of view what for you is " heaven " for other gentleman can be BS. I think that everything depends on the overall context/scenario where " things " happens, how are surrounded and that context involve objectivity/subjectivity that's relative to: knowledge levels, ignorance levels, experiences and everithing that has relationship with live MUSIC and audio reproduction in home systems. R. |
Dear friends: I always talk only with cartridges that I listened/lisent in my own system and some of them in other system too and all my cartridges mounted in different tonearms. I bougth over 150+ vintage cartridges ( with some of them 2-3 samples because the sellers said the cartridge was in good condition ( NOS or not. ) and just performed really bad. ) That Stanton 981 is very good performer and different than the 881 model. Question is : performs at specs? I own it and the 981 performs better with the same stylus but coming from its brother Pickering . 1K is not a very high price. The really best MM/MI cartridge ever is no one of the cartridges named here that are good but far away from it. I’m talking of the vintage ADC 26/27 that was tested/compared with everything the same systems against Etna SL, Goldfinger, XV-1s, Colibri, A-95, My SonicLab/Air Tight ( and this week end vs the Anna. ) and no one of these LOMC carrtridges outperformed it Was listened not only for me but for the cartridge owners in my system and their great systems. That is the one to own. Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS, R. |
I have owned the Empire 4000 D, and the Shure V 15 IV; the Shure had a brush in front of it that collected dust and it also helped in tracking warped records. I also heard Stanton and Pickering cartridges; they were all very good cartridges, but that was a long time ago. Currently, Grado is my favorite cartridge; this is after owning a number of other cartridges that were recommended by members here. Apparently we cherish different qualities in the music, or prefer different genres of music, (some cartridges are more conducive to one genre over another) those cartridges didn't float my boat, and Grado seems to float very few boats here. What I'm saying is, this is no one size fits all. I began with the Platinum wood body, moved up to the Sonata, and now I have the Master 2. According to the "Golden Age of Cartridges", me and Joe Grado both went backwards; me more so than him, because I paid my hard earned cash for his backward cartridges, and continue to do so. I'm sure that nearly 100% of the people who own current MM cartridges have owned or heard those "Golden Age" cartridges; after all there were no CD's, nothing but records, and we didn't use cactus needles; therefore we had to have cartridges. In regard to records, cartridges and TT's; we either advanced into the "high end", or sold our records and turntables. That's because back in this "Golden Age", those Golden Age cartridges and turntables didn't hold a candle to a good CD player; that's a fact that was supported by the actions of millions of people all over this Globe. I have no idea what happened to my old Gerard GT 55, and don't care. If I had sold my records, I wouldn't be having this conversation, but after so much noise was made about records, I investigated and discovered that if one was willing to pay the price for the trip to paradise, it could be had; therefore, that ton of vinyl I already owned had to be tested. Presently, I'm enjoying my new record collection (the newly discovered music on my old record collection). While I have purchased some new (old) records, whether or not I'll go "hog wild" remains to be seen; the records I seek are quite pricey. Enjoy the music. |
@jollytinker I always get stuck between my distrust for used cartridges, on the one hand, and the fact that NOS carts that have been sitting on a shelf for decades sound like a bad idea to me (dried up suspension rubber). There is something in between which is the best for you, it's a NOS cartridge checked by the seller whom you can trust. But personally i prefer NOS, they are highly collectible. I've had only 3 cartridges in 7 years with bad suspension and all of them weren't NOS. My personal experience with NOS is the best experience! |
I'd love to try a MM cart myself but I always get stuck between my distrust for used cartridges, on the one hand, and the fact that NOS carts that have been sitting on a shelf for decades sound like a bad idea to me (dried up suspension rubber). Any thoughts out there about how to cut the Gordian Knot on this? I'm open to the idea that MC cartridges made some advances but also brought some trade-offs with them, as most new technologies do. |
@vortrex If I was going to acquire one vintage MM to compare with the Audio Note IQ3, which would it be? It must be compatible with a Kuzma 4Point (13g) and be somewhat easy to find, preferably NOS. It can be a Victor X-1II, simply because it’s a mid compliance cartridge which is fine for Kuzma. Stanton, for example, is High Compliance and works best on lightmass tonearms in theory. |
There’s a nice NOS Stanton 981 HZ MkII on ebay at the moment. At $1K it’s a bit high-- but perhaps reasonable inflation above the $650 that I paid for an ebayed NOS 981 LZS about five years ago. The 981 LZS is quite close to my Lyra Etna, as compared side to side on two SME 3012Rs. That comparison is not entirely fair, as the Lyra has the advantage of an Arche headshell with upgraded silver wires... I also have a 4PT, but have not gotten around to mounting the Stanton on it. As mentioned above, for on-the-fly cartridge comparisons(and is there any other kind of comparison that is definitive?) it helps to have multiple arms and removable headshells. |
Vortrex, If I was going to acquire one vintage MM to compare with the Audio Note IQ3, which would it be? It must be compatible with a Kuzma 4Point (13g) and be somewhat easy to find, preferably NOS. My standard recommendation for this question is:-
You can then mount a new Jico SAS stylus assembly in each of these and see if you agree with Chakster and me? They will both sound wonderful in your Kuzma 4Point.....ignore the ridiculous Arm/Cartridge Resonance formulas. What have you got to lose.....? |
I am sure that MC people will profoundly disagree. I am also sure that some of them tried many both MM and MC cartridges from all time periods. Yes they will disagree.......but no....almost none of them has compared vintage MMs with MCs using their current SOTA systems. For the last 20-30 years we have all been 'brainwashed' by the MC Lobby and all the 'serious' audiophiles have blindly moved onto the next 'great' and 'even more expensive' LOMC as they are introduced. Almost none of them (until recently) has even had turntables with multiple arms and very few of them (until recently) have had tonearms with interchangeable headshells to allow them to instantly compare cartridges side by side. This is now changing (if you read WTBF) where the uber-system owners have now accepted turntables with up to four arms....and most are changing to arms with interchangeable headshells. In any case.......Chakster's mission (if you dare to accept it)....is to tempt YOU yourself to obtain and listen to these vintage MM cartridges and make up your OWN mind! Why blindly follow Reviewers or rich audiophiles who can afford to spend $15,000 on a cartridge? |
Chakster, +1 Joe should have been proud of the XTC. It is a great cartridge. Halcro, +1 for the empire 4000 d/iii gold. In my system it has a little more precision than the XTC. That said, the XTC is probably closer to live music in that I don't hear instrument in precise locations at concerts. FWIW, I picked up a NOS ebony virtuoso for cheap money & although it's not completely broken in yet is showing true potential. It's closer to the empire in regard to presentation. I mounted it on a new headshell with silver wire, so I've still got about 40 hours before making a true comparison. |
I am sure that MC people will profoundly disagree. I am also sure that some of them tried many both MM and MC cartridges from all time periods. I am very neutral in this debate and couldn't care less about which ones are better or just different. But let's cut BS, anyone I have heard of who has truly high-end set up uses MCs. Certainly there might be many others I haven't heard of who prefer MMs, vintage or not. It is also hard just by reading posts to figure out who has'got good hearing and who has not. Hard but not always impossible. And no sales pitches, please. |
The "Chrisma" costs more than this highly regarded MC, and whoever buys it figures it's worth the price; what I'm saying, is that the market place determines the price, and how much a cartridge is worth. Chakster's point is that 'the market' has simply not HEARD the performance of the really great MM cartridges from 'The Golden Age of Analogue' and is only able to compare the 'current' MM cartridges to the 'current' MC cartridges. I have compared directly, on the same turntables with the same tonearms, cables, phonostages etc......many of the recent LOMC cartridges (VdH Grasshopper, Helikon, Titan i, Koetsu Urishi, ZYX UNIverse, XV-1s, Atlas) against not only the great MM cartridges from the 'Golden Age'.....but also the great LOMCs from the 'Golden Age' (Ortofon SPU-Ae Gold, Fidelity Research FR-7f, Sony XL-55 and XL-88, JMAS MIT-1) and I agree with Chakster. Not only are the great vintage MM cartridges better than the current ones, they are better than any of the recent $4000-$15000 LOMC cartridges I have heard.....and so are the great vintage LOMCs. To Chakster's list of great vintage MMs....I would add:-
Chakster's mission (and I admire him for it) is to point audiophiles to even better analogue sound than is available with the current 'overpriced' MC cartridges on the market. |
Stanton made so many cartridges for mass market, but i am talking about high-end models like Walter O. Stanton Signature CS-100 WOS (Sapphire coated cantilever and Stereohedron tip) or 980/981 series only. Walter Stanton believed to his dying day that NO moving coil cartridge could ever be any good. He even made super low output MM like MC! Stanton’s 980 LZS cartridge to be used in stereo systems which have high gain, low impedance MC inputs or use external head amps with inputs impedance of 100 Ohms or higher. Since the output of the 980 LZS cartridhe is .06 mv /cm/sec, 20 dB minimum of additional gain is required to step up the voltage to the level of the conventional MM cartridge. The 980 LZS features extremely low dynamic tip mass (resulting in rise time of 100 micro sec.), high compliance (30cu), replaceable stylus assembly designed with samarium cobalt magnet ans Stereohedron stylus tip. Read this interesting article first. Price for the brand new modern cartridges means nothing, just marketing. You can put $400 Pickering XSV-3000 or Stanton 881s mkII against any super expensive modern MC and then we will see what you like the most, despite the price difference in 10 times. Many of us has stuff to compare (vintage mm cartridges vs. modern mm or mc). P.S. Grado also made many cheap cartridges for mass market (nothing special), except some amazing top of the line models like Joseph Grado Signature XTZ, which i have and like a lot. I have not tried new wooned body Grados, but i have the one which was top of the line in the 80s (XTZ) handmade by the founder of the Grado himself (Joseph Grado, not John Grado who's his son). Joseph was proud about XTZ series. |
Chakster, I recall seeing Stanton and Pickering on Jukeboxes in the days of old. Yes they were very good, but I don't recall seeing anybody sitting in front of a Jukebox trying to dial in a sound stage. I get a 3D holographic sound stage with my Grado Master 2 cartridge. I don't recall anyone even mentioning "sound stage" in the "Golden Age" as you refer to it. I have discovered cartridges to be highly competitive in regard to price; meaning that if the Clearaudio doesn't offer $2000 worth of sound, it won't last. While different brands have different "house sounds", people who buy them feel they have something worth the price they paid for them. The "Chrisma" costs more than this highly regarded MC, and whoever buys it figures it's worth the price; what I'm saying, is that the market place determines the price, and how much a cartridge is worth. lyra Argo stereo MC phono cartridge. Medium output (0.5 mV), aluminum alloy body with boron cantilever. $1,500.00 |
Modern MM cartridges for $2000 indicates how much modern manufacturers (ClearAudio) would like to earn on the sales by using cartridge generator made by Audio-Technica. In fact, for a brand new MM, $2k is ridiculous price as the MM cartridges always were much cheaper than MC. And it should be cheaper, it’s different technology. Only in this crazy world where LOMC cost up to $15k the $2k MM looks cheaper, lol . It would be nice to explain in details which vintage MM/MI were beaten by that modern MM $2k cartridges ? I want to know the reference in MM category for the users of modern MM stuff. My reference is Audio-Technica AT-ML180, Stanton SC-100 WOS, Glanz MFG-61, Victor X-1II, Grace LEVEL II BR/MR and Pioneer PC-1000 mkII. In my opinion these cartridges are unbeatable by any modern MM and much more reasonable priced on the used market. All these are highly competitive with $5k modern LOMC. in my opinion. Again, in my opinion the real gems are on the vintage market. |
My question was exploratory, I have no intention to replace the Goldring for as long as I hear improvements in sound whenever I make changes somewhere else in the chain. Until the time comes to replace the stylus. Then I might try different cartridge and I might not. The entire system must be in balance and tuned to one's liking. Besides, higher resolution cartridge will require better phono stage which in turn must blend in well with the rest. Before choosing the Goldring I was thinking about Grado reference but decided to go with the former mostly because Nottingham cartridges, no longer made I understand, were customized Goldring, but also because Goldring 1042 seemed popular in the UK. I also read that Grado can be foggy. I like Grado headphone sound, but yes it is somewhat foggy. My turntable is on a warmer side, so are the speakers. I think, the Goldring fits right in, it is too on the warm side of neutral but not much and is quite dynamic and engaging, like Nottingham Spacedeck turntable. |
Fourwnds, sometime you have to go against the wind; such is the case with Grado and this forum. "More and more though I’m less interested in scratching that curiosity itch, maybe I’n gettin closer to finding my sound, or tired of blowing money, I don’t know." Fourwnds, I would say all of the above. Although I would try a lot of things if it began raining money in my listening room, I don't expect that to happen. On the serious side, I'm just enjoying my record collection immensely without thinking about anything other than how good the music sounds, and that's what I say to you; Enjoy the music. |
orpheus105,655 posts 10-27-2018 1:20pm Hmmmm...interesting thing about that 6 Moons review. The author says this: "Cartridge man Leonard Gregory doesn’t consider the Rega arms to be suitable for the Music Maker. In general, I suspect it’s happiest with a really good unipivot ....." Hadcock is a unipivot. Both the latter version of the arm and MM cart are developed Len Gregory (the CartridgeMan) and they are commonly paired together and considered a very synergistic match. The 6 Moons reviewer used the Hadcock in his almost over-the-top praise of the MM cart. I own the Hadcock 242 arm and listened extensively with the MM cart. Quite contrary to the above and popular wisdom (that the springy MM cart does best with light unipivots) I MUCH prefer it on my Rega and OL arms. Maybe I’m just a fan of fixed bearing over unipivot? Or maybe I just didn’t nail the setup with the Hadcock? I doubt it’s the latter since I futzed with it quite a bit , encouraged by all the positive reports on the pairing. But I could never achieve the sublime synergy I so often read about. Like in many things audio......go figya! |
Been running a Grado Statement v2 as of late and I just love it. Traded in an older Grado Ref. v1( started out way back with a Sonata) and it was only 1k for new one. I’m glad to see new v2 Grados get a mention here. I’ve often wondered if I was just fooling myself about Grados in general and why the generally dismissive tone about them except for the more ubiquitous thumbs up for vintage Grado sig or whatever. Anyway a grand is a lot of money still and I’m not saying it’s the best, but I really like mine and one day I’ll try something else I’m sure. More and more though I’m less interested in scratching that curiosity itch, maybe I’n gettin closer to finding my sound, or tired of blowing money, I don’t know. |
The purpose of this forum is to enable each person to get the best bang for their buck. It has taken me many years to discover the cartridge for me "that I could afford". This is a long story that I won't try to shorten. Way back when Corey Greenberg at Stereophile was my go to reviewer, I bought everything he recommended that I needed. I still have 3 preamps he recommended that are working. Naturally I bought the cartridge he recommended, and he recommended it wholeheartedly. I found this cartridge to be hard and lifeless. It seemed everyone on this forum liked that particular cartridge except me; that's when I began the long discovery process. First and foremost, some objective search for "the best" of anything is a foolish search; if such a thing existed, you couldn't afford it, and if you could, you would have one of your "underlings" find it for you. Yes! There is a best cartridge in your price range; it is the best cartridge for you, and you will have to make the expensive process of elimination and discovery. I have my complete record collection on an "external hard drive"; consequently I can review records all day long without leaving my listening chair. After upgrading to my present cartridge, I noticed a remarkable change in the music; each record seemed to reveal the essence of the musicians intentions. That caused me to decide to re-record my entire collection, and since then, I have a perpetual smile on my face. It's not easy being a "musiophile/ audiophile" with complete emphasis on the music. |
I would have to go thru possibly dozens of vintage cartridges to determine which one I like most with Nottingham table/arm. It is such a pain to change cartridges in that arm because the wires are so thin. Besides, I would have to have them all at the same time. Stating that any particular vintage cartridge would sound better in any set-up for any taste is not quite right. Chakster, which vintage cartridge would you recommend for me if you are familiar with Nottingham ? $400 or $1000 no difference if it's worth it. |
