Glanz moving magnet cartridges

That should have read: 'over egg an omelette'.

Sorry Nandric,

He has not charged me yet as the gift was unsolicited. I will speak to him soon thought to sort that out.

As always...

Hi Nandric,

If we're (hopefully) done with discussing the Acutex, how are things going with your G5.

I'm still loving mine although I have been listening to it with the line contact stylus of my G7 on it rather than its own original elliptical stylus (which is still in need of a visit to Axel). I do prefer it's performance with its own stylus though.

As always...

Hi Nandric,

I am genuinely thrilled that the thread helped and that we share this joyous tool and the wondrous music that it helps to unleash. Good luck with the Benz and happy listening.

As always...

Hi Nandric,

I'm still hoping to hear the 71 L and, as you point out, it's performance specifications are nearly those of the G5 and G7. Our distinct systems do seem to allow agreement on the quality of specific cartridges and that's also interesting.

I've been tied up in trying to design and build a plinth for my SP10 and so have not been listening to as much vinyl as I would normally. Still, I hope to be back with deck shortly and to unleash the Glanz and company.

As always...

Hi Nandric,

Fortunately, the extended family and available professions means a cost free (well at least as far as labour costs are concerned) project here - except the cost of patience! It's great fun and I'm becoming increasingly aware of the constraints under which TT design and (more specifically) plinth design staggers. We'll get there soon enough but are looking at a couple of design challenges for which the known prior approaches seem inadequate.

Thinking caps are truly on.

As always...

Halcro,

"Dgob began this Thread by focusing on the G5 integral headshell model and continued with his enthusiasm….eventually including the G7, also an integral headshell design.
I found the G5 to be a pleasant but unremarkable cartridge….very dependent on tonearm matching."

Thanks for your feedback and impressions. I would (as I have) recommend that you try the G5 or G7 in an Audiocraft AC3300 LB. My delight arose from that setting and - obviously - my experience is very different to the one you seem to have endured. I have recently had the opportunity to compare my Glanz to a new Audio Technica AT150 ANV (which I picked up for an obscenely low price) and my assessment of the former remains undoubtedly positive: so my 'enthusiasm' goes on unabated. Maybe I am looking for a degree of fidelity that differs to your target or our systems reveal different virtues.

Large world/many views, so it's great to hear that you are still enjoying your DIY Signet and some other samples. I hope they continue to bring you happiness.

As always...

Halcro,

Sorry, I have very little time these days and so did not correctly read all of your latest post:

"I was able to pick up some slight differences in the three models with my preference going to the MFG-51L over the MFG-31L. The MFG-71L strangely enough…..was my least favourite….although I stress again the differences were subtle in the extreme."

I am not certain about the state of the cartridges that you tested or the overall synergy that you managed to obtain with your system. However, honestly, this is as far away from the experience with the two cartridges that you note me referencing (the G5 and G7), as to be unr3ecognisable. In fact, these cartridges are so distinct in performance and (obviously) design that they could easily give the impression that they were designed by two distinct companies. If your G5 is in complete working order, I can only suggest you persevere until you have managed to get the best out of it. I have no financial or personal gain in this but I am certain that your referenced "big hitters" will have a high class neighbour once you move it into the correct environment. As for bass control on the G5 - compare it to the AT150 ANV or the magnificent Technics 100Mk4 and let me know what you think!

If you can, persevere

As always...

Dover,

Congratulations. I still believe the Glanz cartridges are at the very top table of high end sound. I am still to hear the MFG-61 but expect nothing less than excellence and hope more become available to spread the joy.

Happy listening

As always...

Hi Folks, just a quick update:

I've been testing the Audio Technica AT150 ANV cartridge and been really impressed by it's performance (midrange in particular). Having given it a couple of months devoted listening this impression improved with the matching of it to a suitably light armwand and experimenting for perfect alignment. A lovely cartridge.

However, over the past ten days I have been A/B comparing it against my Glanz G7 and comparing both of these against the same tracks heard on my Marantz CDP. In order of performance (concerning frequency extension, imaging, dynamic range, timbre and tonal accuracy and overall realism) here is the order of their relative performances:

1. G7
2. Marantz CDP
3. AT150 ANV.

As with most explorations, I have really gained from the time spent with the ANV and it has helped confirm just how great a cartridge the Glanz is. You do of course need to match it to a tonearm whose perfect overhang is precisely 50mm from the tonearm/universal headshell collar. Good fortune afforded me the Audio Craft AC3300 LB arm, with which the Glanz G5 and G7 truly sing. Joyous and even more highly recommended!

As always...

Just to highlight two more criteria that I believe distinguished the G7:

1. It's superior ability to resolve complex passages while displaying all instruments and acoustic nuances accurately and
2. It phenomenal detail retrieval abilities (only approached by the Axel transformed Acutex 420STR and Technics 100Mk4), which links to the above.

Therein lay key reasons

As always...

Hi All,

 

And congratulations to the successful buyer of the G7. Pleased to hear that you are enjoying it as much as I anticipated. Apologies for not being able to match you to your Audiogon name.

Hi All,

on a point of correction, I recently acquired a second (and slightly damaged) stylus for my Acutex 420 STR. I sent it off for the same revamp as Axel had made and discussed this with his successor (Franz-Josef Schulte) and it transpires that the optimisation carried out by Axel was the nude shibata on an aluminium cantilever. 

I am about to receive the adapted stylus with the same adaptation from Franz. This should not only provide me with the joy that Axel's work did, but also afford me an opportunity to determine whether Franz is maintaining the impeccable standards set by Axel. Fingers crossed.

 

As always...

Frogman,

Will do, definitely. I've been using mine on the original Moerch DP6 red point, but have just ordered a DP6 mk2 for its return. Very much looking forward to partnering them up and seeing what I get.

 

As always...

Hi Frogman,

I've got the cartridge back but am awaiting arrival of my Moerch DP6 MK2. Apparently, my tonearm has now been produced and is going through testing. And so it is expected to be with me next week.

Will report back once set up and fully auditioned.

As always...

Hi Raul,

Thanks for the suggestion. However, after reviewing discussions with Axel and holding lengthy discussions with Franz, the nude shibata on aluminium cantilever were felt to be optimum resonance and performance combination for my given cartridge (the Acutex 420 STR). So I've repeated that exercise to genuine joy.

I'm not dismissing the possibility that your suggestion of the shibata and boron combination is not valid. It is just that I have no experience in hearing this combination on said cartridge. However, if you can give me more details about how these perform, I will consider taking that option for one of my styli. If you want you can do this off line by email.

BTW, great to speak again on Agon.

As always...

Hi All,

Just to let you know, that I am sitting down a little less confused today. I recently bought the Accoustical-Systems Smartractor (a very recommended buy) and it turns out that the Glanz G5 in the Audiocraft 3300 with s armwand is precise on the Uni-Din scale. My state of perplexity  regarding the Loefgren A/ Baerwald DIN; Loegren B/Baerwald IEC; Loegren B  DIn and Loegren B IEC has (as you can see across this thread) caused me so much confusion, 

I wondered why none of these scales matched and why other test devices that were designed around these scales also saw  problems AND YET the music coming from the cartridge/tonearm combination was just so stunning! Well, it turns out that the scales were not measuring what was being asked of them. Some might say that this proves that the best equipment for making audiophile decisions remains our own (with time, 'trained') ears!!

 

While I'm on it, I now need to update my list of cartridges. I have just managed to get hold of a Denon DL-1000A MC cartridge, after decades of waiting!!!

It was the cartridge that Jonathan Carr recommended to me back in the day as the most accurate cartridge he knew of. Whilst he felt the the Highphonic MC-D15 was the most beautiful sounding, he had this Denon as hands down the most accurate. That opinion seemed to be confirmed in John  Gilbert's review for Gramophone in November 1983.

I can hardly wait for it to arrive. Excited!!

As always...

 

Hi Lewm,

 

You could try Franz-Josef Schulte (the heir to Axel). His email address is: FJS info@tonabnehmerservice.de and he does a range of cartridge types and makes. As you can see above, he mended my Acutex 420 STR and is currently refreshing my Highphonic MC-D15.

Good luck

Hi chakster,

 

I now use three key cartridges:

my Highphonics MC D15 (to offer mellow beauty with MC dynamics);

my Acutex 420 STR (with the boron cantilever and nude shibata tip)

my Glanz G5.

 

 

 

I should also make note of my undying gratitude and admiration for Axel, who passed away last year. His help and personal advice to myself and many on this forum was kindly given and greatly appreciated.

The world of high fidelity has lost a champion. RIP Axel

Hi xactaudio,

 

Yes, of all the high end cartridges that I ever sent to Axel Schurholz, the only one whose performance that he enthusiastically described as "perfect" was the Acutex 420 STR with a nude shibata tip and boron cantilever. I agree with his (and your assessments). A marvellous cartridge in every way.

 

 

Hi chakster (11.12.2021 @ 9:31pm),

The Highphonics was actually recommended to me by Jonathan Carr, who described it as the most beautiful cartridge he knew at the time. It does however need a powerful phono preamp to drive its 0.129 mV output.

 

Jonathan would probably be the best bet for more detail. However, there are suggestions here: J Carr is the man to give information on this question. - bkearns - Vinyl Asylum (audioasylum.com).

As always...

The Glanz G7 and spare M7 replacement stylus are for sale on eBay GB.