Dear @cleeds : Rigth you are.
R.
R.
Cartridge Opinions - Sorry
Yeah, another dumb "what's your opinion on these cartridges" thread. Back in the late 80's we had dealers where you could listen to the stuff.
So anyhow I have a Linn LP12 with Ittok arm and a 30 year old Audioquest B200L cartridge. I'm running it through the phono stage of a Jeff Rowland Coherence One into a Spectral DMA90 through a set of Kef R300's.
I prefer a little more laid back sound (err on the side of forgiving instead of fatiguing) but I like a lot of upper end detail, precise soundstaging, air, etc.
So far I'm considering an Ortofon Quintet S Black, Hana SL or a Benz wood - something at or below the $1k level.
I'd love to hear any opinions, suggestions, and experiences with those cartridges or others in the price range. I could possibly go higher if there is something out there that really shines for less than $1,500.
Thanks.
So anyhow I have a Linn LP12 with Ittok arm and a 30 year old Audioquest B200L cartridge. I'm running it through the phono stage of a Jeff Rowland Coherence One into a Spectral DMA90 through a set of Kef R300's.
I prefer a little more laid back sound (err on the side of forgiving instead of fatiguing) but I like a lot of upper end detail, precise soundstaging, air, etc.
So far I'm considering an Ortofon Quintet S Black, Hana SL or a Benz wood - something at or below the $1k level.
I'd love to hear any opinions, suggestions, and experiences with those cartridges or others in the price range. I could possibly go higher if there is something out there that really shines for less than $1,500.
Thanks.
Showing 44 responses by rauliruegas
Hi @kennyc : Always is time to learn, you posted: " degrees is measured vertically, while null points (zenith) is measured horizontal. Therefore, once vertical is set up, it should remain the same across the entire record surface. "" A pivoted arm is tangential to the grooves only at null points where I understand we can to set up in that groove the stylus tip at 90°. You said that after we make that set up " should remain " in all LP recordedd surface and my question is: how can remain when at the next and before the null points in all grooves the stylus tip is not any more exactly in the grooves but with and error ( tracking error. ) that impedes the stylus tip stays exactly at 90° in the grooves ? why distress about when of the hundreds of grooves we can achieve that in only 2 grooves. Of course that maybe I'm missing something/I'm wrong and you have the explanation about for I can understand your statement and all of us could learn something that it's way critical and important as you show it. Your answer appreciated. R. |
@mijostyn : Yes, I posted that because what you said about: " He builds each cartridge himself and has quite a lab. I suspect a lot of the performance comes from manual tweaking and testing. The more expensive the cartridge the more attention it gets, the better the performance. I suspect this is impractical to do on a mass assembly basis...""" eacg single tinny detail takes from him a lot of time to achieve those kind of quality level performance and numbers. R. |
Dear @lewm : and that tracking ability number ! . Those " incredible " specs that sounds " absurdly good " as you said comes in Jan site. Now, I never measured it and what I can say to you is exactly what I posted in those threads that are confirmed by other Allaerts owners in the forums. Now, Jan is not only very professional designer and manufacturer but very serious and honest on all what he does. The first hand experiences I ahve with both models in the tracking ability issue said that does not matters in which tonearm ( because I mounted in different tonearms. ) it tracks everything and in the 1812 not even the 26/27 can makes a better job. If you read in several of the wbt and here references on the cartridges confirm not only about TA but about that huge separation and those gentlemans not even mentioned cartridge specs as I did it here. I have to tell you that I bougth my MC2 Finish Gold with out knowing its specs but because what owners posted. Lewm, even M.Fremer was a little surprised about but not even at Stereophile they measured. The Allaerts quality performance levels makes that those specs go unimportant. Yes, I thought exactly like you when I knew the specs. Perhaps a gentleman like J.Carr could be who can confirm if those specs can be achieved but in case he remotely comes here and remotely could says that can be achieved then the first question to him will be why not in Lyra cartridges. R. |
@kennyc : good that you are near an expert on set up but till now you don't answer my questions to you: " How do you mantain exactly those 90 degrees ( which groove do you choice to make the alignment and why and where in the LP surface and with which LP. ? ) and 92 degress at each single groove ? "" or you are only trolling in the subject? R. |
Dear friends:
https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/jan-allaerts-cartridge-experience I posted that link because was posted in the WBT forum: https://www.whatsbestforum.com/threads/zyx-diamond-vs-jan-allaerts-mc-2-formula-one.23879/#post-468266 btw, @kennyc : you can see that lucy25 and jfrech posted in both forums. Btw too. In the Agon thread I made a mistake because the MC cartridge was invented by Grado not Ortofon and what I wanted to post in that thread is that was Ortofon the first whom put LOMC cartridges in sale till today. Kenny, in all interned audio forums exist some gentlemans with very high knowledge levels: AA, VE, WBT, AudioKarma, etc, etc and obviously in Agon ( one of those Agon audiophiles is M.Lavigne who post here and in wbt ) but as always the high amount of audiophilñes in those forums have not that so high knowledge levels and like to learn exactly as me. @mijostyn , maybe you can find out an Allaerts MC2 finish gold second hand. In those times jfrech puts in sale his sample and solded. R. |
Dear @kennyc : This comes from WBF, one of my posts and in this thread you can read that Myles is or was the senior editor in Positive Feedback magazyne: he is a professional reviewer : https://www.whatsbestforum.com/threads/counted-out-way-to-soon.34/page-2#post-14134 and the Administrator on this audio forum: https://www.audionirvana.org/forum/the-audio-vault/analog-playback/turntables/65787-i-said-i-would-never-buy-another-turntable-argh Rwegards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS, R. |
Dear @kennyc : Thank's for your interest on the set up. Only for your records I knew about that 92 way before MF posted and I was in WBF way before you can imagine it. As a fact MF already learned some alignment issues rigth from audiophiles. Yes, to much fatigue and useless for me because unfortunatelly I don't learned yet nothing new for any of your tedious posts. Enough. R. |
Dear friends all of you: I sended an email to J.Alaerts and VDH, I´m customer of both cartridge design true EXPERT manufacturers not new comers or rookies. I asked about cartridge importance against tonearm importance in an analog rig and this is what they answer me: ALLAERTS: From: J.Allaerts Date: jueves, 13 de agosto de 2020 09:19 a. m. For: rauliruegas@hotmail.com <rauliruegas@hotmail.com> Asunto: RE Allaerts ,
Hi Raul ,
I think that the cartridge is 500 % more important is as the arm , the arm is only the tool that must keep the cartridge on his position , no more no less , and also that is important that for my cartridges the masa from the arm can have 10 Gr , weight cartridges , if this is correct its only to adjust the arm correct and you can play , but for music and dynamic range and accurate , is the cartridge the most important piece , better , the cartridge is the source and first in line , so actually the MOST IMPORTANT PIECE from a High Tech installation , don’t let you involve with some other explanations , OK,
Best Regards
Jan. """ When I lended my Allaerts MC2 Finish Gold to M.Fremer for review was because I asked before to Stereophile why no Allaerts cartridge review and they told me that they asked for review sample two times but Allaerts always was and still is back ordered. Any gentleman that wants to buy a MC2 Formula 1 needs to send payment in advance ( around 20K. ) and wait 3-6 months to receive his cartridge. Allaerts does not needs advertazing or reviews, normally is back_ordered in the two top cartridge models. here you can read the specs of the Formula 1:
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS MC2 Formula One Casing Manually milled and drilled aluminium.Special prepare for Gold coated 100 µmm Cover0,3 mm thick, coated with 24 ct. gold foil. Color Gold colored finish 24 ct Kobalt. Terminals Soft iron, shaped by grinding and milling. Connector pins1,3 mm x 20 mm, 14 ct. solid gold pins. Screw bushes2.5 mm brass threaded bushes mounded into casing. Magnet Permanent. (Cat.: rare earth magnet) Samarium-CobaltPower : max. BH (Kj/m3°) 280 Coil2 mm x 2 mm, Teflon Type c 1005 + Coil windings20 micron gold handwinding wire +Stylus holderSolid Boron rod: 0,3 mm x 7 mm.Angle of stylus in holder: 0°. Stylus tipTIP FG-S High Tech diamond, highly polished finish.Rounded radius 4 micron. Shock absorptionHigh Tech Rubber, 120 SCHORTension wireSteel wire spring, code 1007 +. TECHNICAL DATA Coil impedance32 Ohm Load impedanc 845 Ohm Load capacity 150 pFStylus pressure1.8 grams, Max. tolerance 0,05 gram Output voltage150 µVMax. tracing capacity>400 µmm Channel separation >70 dB at 100 Hz >60 dB at 1 KHz >70 dB at 20 KH Frequency range 3 Hz to 150 KHzTotal THD %0.01 % Total unit weight11 grams (incl. socket screws) It’s estimated the stylus will last between 7,000-10,000 hours. """ Btw, Jan use Yorke analog rig, Simos builds only six units by year and only on custom order. Obviously that the Allaerts cartridge owner needs a really top SS Phonolinepreamp as is the level of CH or FM Acoustics and obviously too no single tubes down there ( this is absolutely out of question. ). The information by VDH: " After the cartridge, the arm is the next important item on a turntable. It is therefore important what material(s) and construction are applied. Any arm transmits the mechano-acoustical energy of the cartridge and is also a mechanical resonator itself. Both effects are unpleasant because both change the replay quality in their own specific way. " this is one model I own from VDH: https://www.vandenhul.com/product/the-colibri/ Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS, R. |
Dear @mijostyn : "
I hate to say this but that turntable system? is a mess. You need to clean that up. A record clamp that massive is not necessary with vacuum hold down. "" well that's your opinion ( I mean your first hand experiences with. ) because my first hand experiences with any vacuum hold down mechanism (including other than in my system. ) told me that almost any weigth/clamp a top makes a difference for the better because the vacuum can't stop the resonances developed between the LP surface and the stylus tip the feedback in between exist during playing and any clamp helps to change the frequency of those resonances and to lower its level and you can listen the differences there testing with and with out the clamp. R. |
Dear @tyray : "
Do you use any vacuum tube gear in your system? "" Not any more, I used full tube electronics for more than 10 years till I learned that the inherent limitations of tube alternative can´t honor the LP reproduction and not even the digital one. I'm a MUSIC lover not hardware lover. "" Are you an expert in all things turntable? "" Certainly not, each single day I try to follow learning and as a fact through this and other internet forums I do it. R. |
Dear @kennyc : All of us know that the builded cartridges on the cantilever/stylus tip atached are not 100% perfect and from several years now that microscpic video you mentioned was already see it. What you maybe don’t take in count is that the stylus tip in a pivoted tonearm even if it’s aligned " cartridge’s “stylus” to be “perfectly” parallel to the groove, “perfectly” perpendicular 90 degrees from the front, and 92 degrees from the side. "" the stylus tip can’t rides the groove modulations with precission due to the tracking error and only at null points can do it but even that and at microscopic levels the stylus tip always is jumping during the groove modulations tracking task. So what are you trying to share?, all what you posted is know but audiophiles. We have to align the cartridge with the higher accuracy levels we can and that’s all we can do it. In the other side the several any kind of distortions/noises/resonances developed trough the cartridge tracking inside the cartridge it self and along the ones developed by the tonearm and TT as the feedback from there and from the LP surface into the cartridge and the fact that the stylus tip can’t pick up all the recorded information in those LP grooves makes that you can’t discern if what you are listening is because you have a " problem " with that 92 or that 90 degrees or because all those distorions developed during playing. There are and exist a lot of issues on what we are listening trhough our analog rig. In the other side the LP it self comes with several imperfections that add more trouble in our " perfect " alignments and each LP comes with different imperfections even in the same title. So what do you want to do with all those? to make an alignment correction at each single LP or even at each track on each LP? Maybe that could be your target but certainly not mine. Now, you said that if I don't understand then you can explain me, well I need an explanation ( I think you are talking of your first hand experiences . ): How do you mantain exactly those 90 degrees ( which groove do you choice to make the alignment and why and where in the LP surface and with which LP. ? ) and 92 degress at each single groove because I understand that the cartridge has a suspension/compliance mechanism and all those imperfections I talked about? R. |
Dear @kennyc : "" it appears you’re confusing cartridge cantilever with tonearm. " how is that, can you explain it? " Second, I’m referring to manufacturing inconsistencies whose point you appear to miss. "" Why?, as I said almost any one but new comers knows how to make the TT/LP/cartridge/set up on differents alignment parameters: P2S distance, off-set angle, overhang, VTF, VTA/SRA, Azymuth, cartridge loading, TT and tonearm leveled, tonearm mounting in TT, TT plattforms, TT mats, clamps and the like. You posted too: """ “optimum” cartridge setup by others is rare. When you think about a stylus in the groove, is a very minuscule stylus/diamond tilt audible? Absolutely! "" is " rare " for you and nothing else. "" What complicates setup is that less than perfect stylus to cantilever mating is common, and occasionally the cantilever is less than perfectly mounted. Most will align using the cartridge body which doesn’t address this less than perfect mating/mounting. """ today all but new comers knows that is not the cartridge body whom must aligned in the protractor. What is what you want to teach/show or share in this thread that no other true analog audiophile knows? Your answer appreciated. R. |
Dear @kennyc : "
I fail to understand the purpose of ranking components by value. I see often contentio.......... "" Well that's you because other of us think different. The first post about was: " The big deal you're going to find is that if the tonearm properly tracks the cartridge, then the choice of cartridge is far less important than people make it out. " followed by this other post from the same person: " I discovered that the arm is more important when "..... You said: "" I also surmise that few check the accuracy of stylus to cantilever mating. "" I posted in the first page: " Every audiophile knows the importance to match the cartridge/tonearm combination and to make an accurated geometry alignment. Now, we can have a great cartridge mounted in a great tonearm and even can't shows at its best if the TT/cartridge/tonearm overall alignment/geometry set up is not made it accurately " I can add that almost everyone knows that it's the cantilever/stylus the ones that be align in the protractor. These info comes from a tonearm manufacturer: """ Our Opinion on Component SignificanceComponentPerformance SignificanceTurntable 23% Tonearm 17% Cartridge5% Phono Stage 25% 15% Amplifiers 15%Speakers """ Your post about looks useless but is your opinion and I respect it. R. |
Dear @nandric : "
disputes about not relevant details. " Well certainly is not relevant to you but the subject ( " detail." ) to put the tonearm importance above the cartridge in LP analog rig is more relevant for some of us that what you can think. In this kind of " disputes "/discussions always are learning audio information shared for the people involved that helps any one to improve his audio knowledge levels and for me one forums target is this precisely: learn. Only an opinion. R. I |
Btw, @mijostyn : that guess what? came because the Allaerts was mounted in the SME series models that you and your expert tonearm friend degraded in the tonearm/other thread. Here from my virtual system: https://ucarecdn.audiogon.com/82eb629a-abc2-4fab-881a-7dcd95a12dbc/-/autorotate/yes/ There were mounted: the Colibri, Koetsu RSP, Ortofon MC 7500 and the Allaerts in great tonearms,. R. |
Dear @mijostyn : he did not but I do. Here you can read the M.Fremer review with the Allaerts cartridge I lended to him for that review: https://www.stereophile.com/phonocartridges/507allaerts/index.html and guess what? here is mounted in my SME IV and in " nude body " fashion did it by my self: https://systems.audiogon.com/systems/3080#&gid=1&pid=6 now I own the F1 as you can read in my system information. R. |
Dear @tyray : That was a second post to him. Look in any internet forum you can be interested any one can post his opinion and in my first post to him that's what I did it but then he was angry because I posted my opinion and he claim to me that he did not asked to me. So, I posted my answer to him that at the end every word is true even if seems as a bulling that in reality was niot the intention. R. |
Dear @atmasphere : " its a tricky arm to get the adjustments right. " why is that?, I can’t remember to have any single trouble to set up many of the cartridges I owned with. " that something was off with the Benz; it could simply be that it had a compliance value that in tandem with its weight and the resulting mechanical resonance, it simply was not going to be able to strut its stuff where the Koetsu did.."" Way wrong. Almost any of the Benz Micro are spot on with the MMT inside the ideal frequency resonance range and the Koetsu is out of that ideal range ! ! !. R. |
Dear @unreceivedogma : I love those Abbe Lane and Jean Luc exquisite LPs and the Monroe picture just Wow ! and the ones here are something to own and listen it: https://www.theaudioatticvinylsundays.com/albums Congratulations !. Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS, R. |
@daveyf : In that specific regards it's and is what his posts showed. It does not matters that he is a " long standding manufacturer " that has no truly relationship with the subject here. He can be an expert in what he manufacture and this is not under discussion. Btw, " Are you such an 'expert' in analog reproduction .. "". I never said that and the subject issue here is about the importance in tonearm and cartridge and nothing more. I gave many facts that are the foundation of my non-expert opinion and your and his arguments showed nothing about. Which the problem, no one is expert in all and each audio subjects and certainly you and he are not in the thread issue. Again, at least what you showed here but he showed too in other thread about tonearms too. The people that like to speak a lot like him will tend a higher probability to make mistakes and he is talking and talking. His last post is an example of those. R. |
Dear @unreceivedogma : You are rigth about. Problem is that that gentleman is really a " roockie " in that specific issue but he think as his followers is an expert and is far away from there., like it or not all of them unfortunatelly are wrong. They have to learn as you learned and as many other audiophiles do it each single day, my self including. Of course that with your Premier MMT tonearm you can make all the adjustment need it for any cartridge. That’s even today a very good tonearm design builded by Jelco under Sumiko specs and characteristics and quality level required by. Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS, R. |
Dear @cd318 : That K9 was manufactured by AT. Btw, easy and with no risk at all you can fix any removable stylus cartridge using a good scotch tape like. The tension of the tape will help that resonances down there change its frequency hopping out of the range are disturbing more. Don't use that drop of glue. Btw, I did it many many years ago with one of my ADC Astrion and when I wanted to change the stylus that was a little " trouble " or even if you want to put on sale the cartridge. R. |
Dear @atmasphere : "
Some arms simply will not allow you to set the cartridge up correctly. That seems to be a fault of the arm. So this comment belies Raul's argument.
" No, it not belies my comment due what you posted: " seems to be a fault of the arm " and I can add: a " fault " of the tonearm manufacture or maybe it's not because all depends of the designer priorities. For Rega rigidity is a must to have over any other characteristic and that main priority is showed in the manufacturer design: http://www.rega.co.uk/rb2000.html I remember the first DaVinci Grandezza design with the same Rega priority that after customers and comments over the internet they decided to haVE AZYMUTH AND LATTER ON REMOVABLE HEADSHELL FACILITIES. "" You will not get the minimum distortion out of any cartridge if the arm is unable to track the cartridge properly. "" so what, that's a problem with that tonearm so buy a different tonearm that can fulfill your/cartridge needs. Now, all those does not means in any single way that tonearm is more important than the cartridge because it's not. Please do it a favor and don't try to win this dialogue because that's not the issue, please only think about. That's all. Any tonearm manufacturer has its own priorities and certainly does not has to even yours or the priorities of any audiophile. Normaly almost all tonearms fulfill the cartridge needs but some of we audiophiles have some specific needs. Example: removable headshell tonearm design because this permit to change the " color " of the cartridge sound. Magnesium headshells are different that wood headshells or blended material headshells and we don't know with which builded material that cartridge performs best till we try it with. If the tonearm has not removable headshell then some way or the other our cartridges are " married " with the tonearm signature that could go fine with 1-2 cartridges but certainly not with all. Anyway, cartridge is at the top, no matters what. @tyray +1 with out doubt. R. |
Dear @daveyf : I respect your opinion but I disagree with because if we really analise what happens in LP alternative makes no sense to me ( my opinion. ) to put tonearm over the cartridge in critical importance/priority. You mentioned Technics or Jelco tonearms that in reality are very good tonearms, problem with belongs to the mediocrity quality level of its internal wires that’s makes a paramount difference in any tonearm but we can’t ask for more for the entry level price those tonearms have. You can mount a Lyra Delos in a stock Jelco tonearm and will performs ok and if you change it for a Lyra Kleos you will listen better quality sound levels and if you go with the Etna then the quality level of what you are listening goes even higher and all those happens in that same entry level tonearm. Who makes the differences down there. The tonearm? certainly not but each one cartridge. Take Ortofon manufacturer that offers 27 diferent cartridge models at diferent price levels: 27 . I named 21 diferent tonearm manufacturers and maybe exist other 4-5 that I did not remember: 21 tonearm builders. Well, each one of those 27 Ortofon cartridges performs at a diferent quality levels and it does not matters in which tonearm you mount it you will listen those differences. Why can you listen those differences?, because each cartridge is designed with singular characteristics of: type of magnets, coils, coil wire, suspension, different cartridge body materials or blend materials, cartridge body shapes, specs, cantilever build materials/length and shapes, stylus shapes, some models cantilever/stylus are hand selected and the cartridge hand calibrated, comes with different tracking abilities, obviously cartridge motor is not the same, different VTF, different electrical " numbers ", etc, etc. The cartridge is the responsable to pick up the MUSIC recorded in the LP ( not the tonearm. Tonearm is hold it. ) and what we are listening is what the cartridge and its critical tracking abilities are picking-up. As better the cartridge and as better its cartridge abilities as more MUSIC information and less distortion we are listening. If we want a diferent quality level performance of what we are listening this we can solve it changing the cartridge. Btw, do you own one cartridge and 6 tonearms or the other way around? Think on this. Of course that if the tonearm has premium internal wire the cartridge signal information will improve it. Tonearm is a slave of the LP and a slave of the cartridge as is the TT or the phono stage. Nothing can be more important than the transducer and overall what this means. I’m not saying that tonearm is not important because it’s but cartridge is a little more critical and important than the tonearm. So for me you and atmasphere are wrong in this specific subject. Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS, R. |
Dear @daveyf : You an atmasphere are taking wrong arguments to prove tonearm is more important that obviously it's not. Let me explain. You can mount a great cartridge in a good tonearm and even that the combination can sounds bad. Things are not so easy as you stated. poor tonearms? well really poor tonearms almost does not exist, at least the gimball ones. Even Rega is a good tonearm and has not VTA adjustment. Cartridge per sé develops distortions coming from the tracking extremely hard task and those distortions are added by the ones developed by the TT/tonearm feedback and transmitted through the cartridge body that develops its own distortions. But the grooves tracked signal must pass through the cartridge coils/wire and through the output terminals and over there are developed distortions too. So obviously that cartridge develops distortions because the archaic LP overall medium. Even that it's the cartridge whom makes the tracking to pick up the the information of the recorded groove modulations. A good tonearm can't help much more to that task because only can hold the cartridge and adds more distortions generated through all the tonearm construction parts and there is no perfect tonearm when almost all are not really well damped to put at minimum the tonearm generated distortions and generated feedback distortions ( vibrations, resonances, etc, etc. ) Now, we can have a great cartridge mounted in a great tonearm and even can't shows at its best if the TT/cartridge/tonearm overall alignment/geometry set up is not made it accurately. Other than Rega all today tonearms comes with AZ, VTA/SRA, etc, etc, facilities. Many times a cartridge sounds better in a not so great tonearm than in a great one because it's better matched to that tonearm characteristic of its developed distortions. Cartridge is like speakers, is a transducer and this facts makes these two system links the more system important links. Please let me know a today " poor " tonearm of the " ton " you stated. I can mention today good tonearms: SME, Reed, Durand, SAT, VPI ( gimball. ), Triplanar, Jelco, Rega ( you can add an inexpensive after market dedicated VTA mechanism. ), Ortofon, DaVinci, Pluto, Cobra, Dynavector, Audio Note, Brinkmann, Thales, Schroeder, Linn, Townshend, Kuzma etc. Which is a bad tonearm? You can be sure that any cartridge performs different mounted in any of those tonearms due that each tonearm develops different distortion ( every kind. ) levels but that cartridge develops the sound that we listen trhough the speakers. After the LP cartridge is the " source " and yes can't works with out a tonearm but can't works with out a TT too or with out a phono stage. Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS, R. |
Dear @clearthinker : Absolutely wrong. I'm only other audiophile with different ignorance levels than other gentlemans and I know not one but several Agoners with way higher knowledge audio levels than me. I can see that you have high knowledge level and probably better than me. Good. In the other side no one in audio knows everything about everything in all thousands of audio subjects. Certainly not me. R. |
@atmasphere : "
blanket statement..." Really? What's blanket is your knowledge levels in this specific tonearm and as you follow posting about as you show and confirm it. Certainly you are way far away to be a tonearm expert, not me either but I have better and higher knowledge levels and for very good reasons. R. |
@atmasphere : it " dance " at microscopic grooves tracking levels, no matters what. magnets can't stabilize the unipivot designs, the tracking friction movements/forces are extremely high. @millercarbon Origen Live designs are really good. This link is a learning one for every one: https://www.originlive.com/hi-fi/tonearm/renown-tonearm/ R. |
Dear @atmasphere : "
I used to have a Graham 2.2. I tried using a Grado wood body cartridge in that arm and encountered something called the 'Grado dance' although this is not something that is a particular fault of Grados (which are a great cartridge) or for that matter the arm.
This was simply because the arm mass in tandem with the suspension of the cartridge.........." Any one that owns an unipivoted tonearm design has very low knowledge levels on the tonearm/cartridge overall issue and you are not an exception to that. Good that you are improving about. All unipivots no matters mass cartridge always " dance/jump " inside the grooves generating higher tracking distortion levels than non-unipivot tonearm designs. Not only Triplanar but any gimball tonearm design handled that problem in better way but can't avoid it completely even if the resonance frequency between the tonearm and cartridge is in the 8hz/10hz-12hz " ideal " range and exist only one posibility to put that groove jumping out of the " equation " or at least at minimum. Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS, R. |
Dear @klooker : You own very good electronics that I know very well too. Your system deserves the best cartridge you can buy and obviously you deserve it too. You don’t will have problems for future cartridge service with any of the cartridges I linked and probably before 1K-1.5K hours you will up gradedd the cartridge you buy today. If you can go with the Windfeld pull the triger with. This is a cartridge that beats LOMC cartridges in the 5K dollars and competes with the big boys in the 10+K. The Ittok can handle it. Don't go with the cartridge mediocrity/average level/range. R. |
Dear @luisma31 : As I already told you you just don't understand about and that's why you posted a wrong question because loading of a cartridge is not because its output level but because its internal electric characteristics and the phono stage ones. It does not matters who whom addresses your question. Your knowledge levels are extremely low. I don't care if you are friend of him that does not changes your wrong question and your comment " all the rigth answers " where exist no answer in the post. R. |
Dear @atmasphere : """
but still I was unprepared for what happened next. And that was that the Grado was perfectly able to easily track anything I threw at it. This was a bit of a surprise as a $35.00 cartridge shouldn't have been able to do that according to my beliefs at the time. """ You was surprised due that in those times you really was a roockie on cartridges and not because your tonearm. So, you " learned " but your assumpiton was and still is wrong. Take a look to what with this same Grado cartridge owners posted in AudioReview forum and all of them with inexpensive tonearms ( analog rigs. ), no high end with any of them ( but totally way entry level items. ) and the same Grado Green performed as you " discovered " ! ! ! ! ! ? ? ? : "" [Nov 05, 2015]AudioladAudioPhile In 2015 the Green is improved, with my Denon DB300F table (internally grounded), Vincent PHO-8 preamp, and there is no hum. I've used this for several years after tiring of the Audio Technica 440MLa and its piercing out of proportion highs. I highly recommend this for those who want audiophile quality, at a company set price of $95. Remember about these cartridges because you can go all the way to the best prestige stylus without replacing the [Oct 05, 2010]abcxyzAudio Enthusiast I picked up this Grado to use on my Rega P3 turntable but it hummed too much due to the internal grounding that the RB250 tonearm has did not match at all with this Grado. Conversely, with it on my Technics Q3, it grounds to the phono preamp and that eliminated any hum from the Grado and left me with and outstanding soundstage and natural sounding. With the right turntable, this cartridge makes my music sound so open, warm, and detailed! It replaced the AT95SE cartridge that I was using on my Technics Q3 that is tipped more to the treble side of things. This is for the Green , picked it up in the spring on a whim at a local retail store . First off it sounded good but hummed on my table , not real bad but I could notice it . I tried a few headshells and wires still had the hum . Switched it over to my Thorens 160 and hardly any hum at all ? I was taken by the sound , really smooth and musical . It has replaced a V15 IV with new stylus , just so much more engaging , can listen for hours . Bought this to replace the Audio Technica cartridge and stylus that came with my Teac P595 belt-drive turntable that I bought from J&R Au """ I hope that can help you. Yes, tonearm is important but TT too and phono stage and speakers and cables, and..., and,,,, etc. etc. That is not the issue graded priorities are. Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS, R |
Dear @atmasphere : "
the choice of cartridge is far less important than people make it ou..."" Since when?. Everything the same the cartridge self quality level performance is an makes a difference. All those cartridges I posted are diferent even that all are very good designs but performs " different ". Different cartridges in same tonearm performs different and what we listen is different too. You can take an " universal perfect " tonearm and not two different cartridge models will sounds the same. Every audiophile knows the importance to match the cartridge/tonearm combination and to make an accurated geometry alignment. Vintage and today gimball pivoted tonearms are well designed with bearings and build materials beyond reproach of anything. We can take vintage ones as: Lustre GST-801 or Technics EPA 100 or any Grace gimball design that after 30 years are still working really fine or today tonearms as SME V or Kuzma 4point or Triplanar and the like. Where exist a serious problem with tonearms is in the unipivot designs. Anyway, after the LP the cartridge is the king and the tonearm is an slave of the cartridge an obviously an important item too. R. |
Dear @klooker : Here some nice alternatives, very good cartridges coming from well regarded manufacturers. https://www.audiogon.com/listings/lisa407f-shelter-901-mkiii-cartridges https://www.audiogon.com/listings/lisa3463-zyx-ultimate-100-over-40-off-cartridges https://www.audiogon.com/listings/lisa3g30-dynavector-dv-xx2-mkii-brand-new-cartridges https://www.audiogon.com/listings/lisa3g2d-ortofon-cadenza-bronze-new-cartridges https://www.audiogon.com/listings/lisa2caf-ortofon-windfeld-brand-new-cartridges Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS, R. |