Markus, I advise you to take some time with any new equipment (in this case new tubes and a new cartridge) before waxing so poetic about the improvement to sound quality. We are all prone to conflate “different “ with “better”. It’s also a good idea to do an ABA comparison. Which means that, after listening for an extended period to the new, reinstall the original gear and see whether you are still blown away by the new. None of us is free of subconscious listener bias.
Cartridges with that musical coherence - having heard it, I need to learn more
Once you hear "better", you can't un-hear it. Oh, what a slippery slope it is to hear better gear. Ask me how I know.
Ok. First - I recently rolled new tubes into my phono stage. Vintage Amperex JAN 7308s. Also tried the white-label PQ 7308s. Holy smokes. Sounds like I've got a whole new phono stage. So that's what everybody's been talking about. Holy cow. I get it.
Enough. I'll get right to the point. I just borrowed (and soon expect to buy) a friends Shelter 901 cartridge. It's an original Mk I, so it's really old. But it's been sitting unused for many years. Initially I was very skeptical - wouldn't the suspension have dried out? Maybe it would collapse on the record surface when I played it. Wouldn't sound very good.
The 901 replaced my Dynavector 17D3 on my lowly Jelco 750L/Garrard 401. Holy... uh... where do I start? The Dynavector has been very good. But the Shelter makes sense of what's going on in the recording on a whole 'nother level. Finally, I can hear the musical sense of *why* the musicians are doing what they are doing. All of a sudden I *get* what reviewers and others have been talking about for years. Until I heard it I *thought* I understood it, but now I really get it. It's not "musicality" at the expense of detail. The fine detail is there. But it's revealed in a way that I've never heard before from *any* vinyl playback system.
And I suppose, like other characteristics, this coherence thing also exists on higher and higher levels with better and better cartridges. That should probably read "more and more expensive cartridges".
So my question is to those of you who've trod this path before me. Especially those of you who've used the Shelter 901. Given the unknown hours on the specimen I'm using I'm wanting to learn about other cartridges that possess this quality of coherence. In your experience, what other cartridges do this?
Ok. First - I recently rolled new tubes into my phono stage. Vintage Amperex JAN 7308s. Also tried the white-label PQ 7308s. Holy smokes. Sounds like I've got a whole new phono stage. So that's what everybody's been talking about. Holy cow. I get it.
Enough. I'll get right to the point. I just borrowed (and soon expect to buy) a friends Shelter 901 cartridge. It's an original Mk I, so it's really old. But it's been sitting unused for many years. Initially I was very skeptical - wouldn't the suspension have dried out? Maybe it would collapse on the record surface when I played it. Wouldn't sound very good.
The 901 replaced my Dynavector 17D3 on my lowly Jelco 750L/Garrard 401. Holy... uh... where do I start? The Dynavector has been very good. But the Shelter makes sense of what's going on in the recording on a whole 'nother level. Finally, I can hear the musical sense of *why* the musicians are doing what they are doing. All of a sudden I *get* what reviewers and others have been talking about for years. Until I heard it I *thought* I understood it, but now I really get it. It's not "musicality" at the expense of detail. The fine detail is there. But it's revealed in a way that I've never heard before from *any* vinyl playback system.
And I suppose, like other characteristics, this coherence thing also exists on higher and higher levels with better and better cartridges. That should probably read "more and more expensive cartridges".
So my question is to those of you who've trod this path before me. Especially those of you who've used the Shelter 901. Given the unknown hours on the specimen I'm using I'm wanting to learn about other cartridges that possess this quality of coherence. In your experience, what other cartridges do this?
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Surprised no one has mentioned Miyajima. My Miyajima Premium has an incredible coherency. It is a mono cart though. I can confirm that Miyajima stereo carts are excellent, but almost every reviewer praised Shilabe or Kansui. In my old thread another (cheaper) Miyajima has been mentioned. |
@chakster , What is a "hard" aluminum cantilever. @mijostyn From the Fidelity-Research FR-7 manual: ■ Special aluminum alloy cantilever. This is a straight cantilever which has been optimally TERMALLY HARDENED (ceramic treated) for high corrosion resistance special aluminum alloy to minimize the moment of inertia and deflection during high speed exercise. |
While cartridges are important, their tracking ability, tonal balance, naturalness, dynamics, pitch definition etc. all can be hugely affected by the choice of tonearm (and phono stage, and setup). Due to the above, I recommend to @markusthenaimnut that the next item that he considers is a somewhat better tonearm that doesn't break the bank, such as a Jelco TK-850L. As it continues to use universal headshells and 5-pin cables, it will not be any more difficult to use than the SA-750L. But it is closer to Lofgren A geometry, has a better bearing design, will reduce surface noise, and is a more capable performer that will do a better job of bringing out what each cartridge has to offer. hth, jonathan PS. For less money, another good-performance-for-moderate-cost 12-inch tonearm could be a vintage Sony PUA-1600L (assuming it is in good condition - especially the plastic and rubber components). Prices have gradually increased, but they seem to currently go for ¥50,000~¥75,000 on Yahoo Auction JP. |
Thanks, all, for sharing your thoughts. They've stimulated me to share a few more ideas about what I meant by the term "coherence". Probably you've all already got it, but here goes anywhere. I was listening to a first pressing of the Gary McFarland album, Point of Departure. It's a lovely album. The track Sandpiper, starts with some very nuanced percussion. Someone is tapping on a metal bell or cymbal. Then someone starts tapping on or shaking something else. I've listened to this track countless times. With the Shelter it was one of those all-of-a-sudden so that what's going on moments. It was like I'd never heard it before. It's "Ah, yes. So that's what they're doing and that's why they're doing it" kinds of moments. Where you get the impression that one musician has just nodded or signaled to another member of the group that it's time to do that thing they did during the rehearsal, you know - "When I do this, when I nod, you come in with that thing we worked out the other night when we were playing at such-and-such..." From the first moments of dropping the needle the overwhelming impression is one of "jeez, that instrument just sounds so beautiful". Doesn't matter what it is. First time I heard it my buddy and I were auditioning a Technics SP-10 Mk. 2 with Grace 560L he was considering. The album was a sonically undistinguished pressing of a jazz album by Sahib Shahib. Suddenly we're surrounded by this frickin' beauty. The tone of the tenor just sounds so... real, so live, so in the room. My words probably sound like cliches. But there you are. Right now I'm listening to a 7" 45 of the Blackbyrds, a somewhat sentimental instrumental of the tune All I Ask that captures the band in a mellow, reflective mood. This track doesn't seem to be on any of their albums, just the B-side of the single Flyin' High. Surface noise on this ancient pressing has dropped to near zero. Not sure who is playing the harmonica (and you wouldn't think a harmonica with strings could sound "right" on a soul/R&B tune but it's perfection.) Another case in point. I'm now listening to John Fahey, Volume 2 Death Chants, Breakdowns & Military Waltzes, the track Sunflower River Blues. Fahey's guitar tone and timbre are just so.... right. Geez. He sounds so human. Like I'm listening to him in a small cafe. Having heard this, I'm now kinda' spoiled. I'm now re-reading as many historic cartridge reviews by "trusted reviewers" (starting with the sorely-missed Art Dudley), seeking out references to this kind of "musicality". It's clear from all of your greatly appreciated comments that there are other cartridges out there that do this thing. And for your sharing I am very grateful. |
Coherence—super important. An often overlooked or under appreciated sonic parameter. The ART 9 I owned was very coherent—wish I never sold it. Couldn’t find anything as seamless top to bottom until I discovered the Charisma Signature One. Yes, much more expensive but super coherent and musically satisfying. |
Sold my Shelter 5000 a year ago. Sold my Koetsu Rosewood 2 years ago. Very fine cartridges. But neither cart outdid my 1970 ADC 10E MKIV with the nude elliptical R-25(1) stylus. It has an extremely low mass and short cantilever. Even though it’s not an exotic tip, it renders a sound with such speed and smoothness and immediency while being neutral and sublimely natural. The sound field is very wide, tall, and deep, and clearly defines the most subtle and nuanced sounds. But, it’s a light tracker, at 0.8 grams. Phenomenally great cart! I have 6 original NOS styli; none have suspension problems after 50+ years. |
I agree with the comments about Shelter providing excellent coherence. I have a Shelter 7000 which music just flows through. A wonderful mix of detail while also being a bit laid-back, particularly compared to my Lyra Kleos which is extremely dynamic, incisively quick and quite "hifi" sounding - not always what I’m looking for but definitely sometimes. These two carts provide me with a ying-yang duo of options. Hana carts are a fine middle ground but certainly don’t come close to approaching the coherence of Shelter. |
I’m wanting to learn about other cartridges that possess this quality of coherence. In your experience, what other cartridges do this? I have to mention FR-7f series, in my opinion they are very special cartridges, not necessary it should be FR-7fz which is the rarest and more expensive. The FR-7f is the best bang for the buck, stunning performer at decent price, Air Core Coil and sealed suspension (never fails). Heavy tonearm required! This is my working horse (two horses: "f" and "fz"). |
Yes, Shelter certainly does the coherence thing. I owned the earliest 701 model which was a great performer and I’m sure current models are too. What other cartridges do this you ask? In my opinion the Miyabi cartridges made by Takeda San reached the highest level of musical coherence and tonal beauty. Nothing comes close to that paragon. Sadly they are now part of audio history for over a decade, but every now and then previously owned samples are offered for sale. These would include cartridges by Mark Levinson, Cello, Red Rose and Krell, which were also made by Takeda San and are equal to the Miyabi branded models. There’s also the Fuuga, which is a concious attempt to bring the Miyabi sound back to life. A very good system according to all the reviews (haven't heard it myself), but very costly at 9k as is the norm these days for top MC cartridges . I’d say the Shelters are a much better value. |
Markus, this year I bought two NOS cartridges designed by Yasuo Ozawa (Shelter). Yasuo Ozawa joined Fidelity Research (FR) in 1982 and started his career as a phono cartridge designer. He participated in designing MC phono cartridges like MCX-3 (my NOS sample), MCX-5 and other products during his work at Fidelity-Research. In 1986 Yasuo Ozawa established his own brand (Shelter), he’s still making high-end phono cartridges in Japan. I was fascinated by Shelter and finally bought model 5000, here is mine. So I have modern Shelter and the predecessor of Shelter made by Ozawa-San for Fidelity-Research when he was younger. Excellent cartridges, as many amazing Japanese cartridges they are underrated in the USA in my opinion. Koetsu and Dynavector are more popular in America for some reason. Glad you like Shelter, suspension collapse is often a myth spread by re-tippers, many vintage NOS cartridges are better than new. Of course you have to know what you’re buying and who is your source is important. I have less vintage MC than vintage MM, but suspension is fine on all my vintage LOMC (including models from the 80s). Enjoy your Shelter! |
