Regards, Nandric: In publications contemporary to the TK7E/SU, Signet insists the cart should be paired with a low-mass arm; "We cannot recommend the cartridge being used with any other than---".
From several of the comments above, it seems matching the tonearm to the cart continues to be a relevant concern. An integrated headshell designed for use with a specific tonearm eliminates operator error. Set VTF, a hint of anti skating. Almost plug 'n play, the ultimate "P-mount".
For those of us who like our options, who imagine we're capable of learning from our mistakes, there are numerous carts of the 1/2" mount style to fiddle with. :)
Peace, |
Regards, Nandric: Relating to the AT20SS, Henry and I were in communication at the time, he and had both found the 20SS carts. Both of our carts were supplied with generic styli. There was little commendable about the performance. Based on the evidence on hand, Henry elected to sell his. I'm sure Raul is unaware of this.
The other mentioned carts: The TK-10 is 2.2mv output & not all phono stages have a MM section with a compatible input sensitivity. And the Acutex 420, a microphone masquerading as a cartridge.
If we are to touch on my (still) favorite cart, the TK7LCa, it is one of several capable of provide long-term listening without listener's fatigue. An instance of what it doesn't do wrong is more important (to me) than the very short list of it's faults. Using the provided criteria of evaluation, criticisms of the cart are few.
At a certain level of quality of construction I find any attempt to label a specific cart as "best" becomes less useful. Inductance, output, the manner in which self-resonance is dealt with, cantilever and stylus each contribute to a carts' voicing, then there's the tonearm and other downstream gear. I'm not disturbed if others choose to define response that falls outside of narrowly defined parameters as "distortion", which I remind myself is a scientific term relating to measurable phenomena. I prefer to think in terms of "character".
Music in our sometimes passionate observance is served on a platter. Chefs, mastering engineers, recipes and kitchens all have their individual characteristics. A gourmet will base his evaluation of a preparation exclusively on it's condition as it left the chef. Many of the recordings available to me don't meet those lofty five-star standards. A little "seasoning" will sometimes improve the presentation to this listener's audio palate.
Nikola, enjoy your "cart swapping" experience. Hopefully you'll find several that meet or exceed your expectations. Which is "Il Ultimo" is yours to select.
As to carts, I can state with absolute certainty that I don't like broccoli. Those who do are entitled to their opinion.
Peace, |
Regards, Halcro: Now I'm being advised by someone who eats---
CALAMARI?
Peace, |
Regards, Nandric: Nikola, apparently Henry holds you in such high esteem he wishes to spare you the frustration of finding the "E" and "Ea" styli are of different geometries.
If I remember correctly, the TK1Ea and TK3Ea were of lower inductance, 490 ohm. This may indicate, perhaps, a cantilever resonance with the .3 x .7 TKN3Ea stylus that the lower inductance moves out of the audible range. Boron, beryllium or "ruby" cantilevers also have this influence on audible resonance. The TK9/10 at 550 ohm, the TK7Ea/LCa at 580 ohm. Excepting the TK10ML, the TK7LCA provides the best specs in channel balance and separation, exceeding even that of our TK9LC. 33 dB separation/0.5dB balance as compared to 30dB/.75. For the TK10 ML, separation at 35dB, bal. within 0.5dB.
Apologies to Dgob for the previous thread drift but it might be observed that the TK1E (no "a") and the TK1Ea are both extremely "plasticy" carts. Plastic contributes to resonance and these carts may do best on a low mass arm where diminished rigidity permits the line transference of that resonance into the arm.
The TK3/5E & TK7E/SU, Signet states, were "listener tuned" to what we must remember were audio sensitivities which might be referred to as a "70's sound", more organic in their voicing. The relatively large cavities surrounding both the cart's generator and stylus grip have to be considered as, to some degree, contributing influences in the voicing of these examples.
Moving the discussion closer to previous topics, for the Acutex carts the Saturn V graphite integrated headshell is adjustable for both overhang and azimuth. Lacking Raul's immediate grasp of the subtle, I've not listened to it enough to be able to say more than it does make a difference in reducing the "microphony" of the Acutex carts.
Nikola, the Ortofon LH-8000 Japanese oak headshell dampens the intentionally(?) resonant qualities of the TK7E/SU without diminishing it's other attractive qualities. Henry has recently mentioned this headshell. As evidence of your great friendship, perhaps you might have more success in anticipating he'll send you the headshell (which you should appreciate in conjunction with your TK7E) rather than a stylus which for your application is incorrect?
Now, out of respect for Dgob shall we return to the discussion of, um, was it broccoli & pate?
Peace, |
Regards, Nandric: Audio Technica nomenclature is simple. Almost. In the instance of the TK(x) carts, the first production might be called "big-block" carts, they are most easily described as rectangular. This would include the TK7E (elliptical) and TK7SU (Shibata). Any revisions would have the added "a" after the designation, think "Mk 11". The TK(x)a carts are on the AT120 design, one that continues with the contemporary AT150MLX, 7V and 150ANV. If you go to: http://www.turntableneedles.com/AUDIO-TECHNICA_c_25165.html and scroll to near the bottom of the page, you'll find the styli for both the TK7LCa and just beneath it, the TKN22 for the earlier design. Click on the image & then hover the arrow over the pictured stylus & it'll rotate. A really useful feature. Pay attention to the "plug", the feature that inserts into the "socket" at the bottom of the generator. The early iterations have a round plug, the later design is rectangular. They are not cross compatible. Also, the bottom of the generator is angled, there are differences here, too. Other considerations can usually be overcome by a determined man wielding a hobby knife. If your cart looks like this: http://www.ebay.com/itm/AUDIO-TECHNICA-SIGNET-TK7LCA-CART-GENUINE-AUDIO-TECHNICA-SIGNET-TKN7EA-STYLUS-/160876230864?pt=US_Record_Player_Turntable_Parts&hash=item2574f878d0then you & Henry can resume negotiations. Peace, |
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Regards. GENTLEMEN: Cars. Listening now to "Heartbreak City", Rick Ocasek's song "Drive" (Who's gonna' take you home ton_-_ight". I know, not everyone's cup o' tea.
While watching the tonearm float gently above the mild warp there's a modest amount of contemplation going on, relating to carts, cars, suspensions and engines.
A car doesn't choose the road traveled, neither does a cart care where the signal originates. Be it road or groove related, cars or tonearms bounce/compress, horizontal excursions exert their influences, treads and pavement, suspensions and coils interact (unless it's an electrect condenser generator, but you get the idea?).
Engines. Two motors, two 2-seaters I'm extremely familiar with. A first generation Mazda RX-7 with an 1146 CC (70 Cu. Inch) 105hp Wankel rotary, the other a Nissan V-6. The "Datsun" has more than twice the displacement and nearly three times the horsepower, yet the little RX can equal it's performance.
OK, so now where is this going?
Dgob (hi, Dg!) brings up this consideration: The "state of the cartridges that you tested or the overall synergy that you managed to obtain with your system" obviously has an influence on the listeners' impressions. Wether car or cart, compression and extension need be appropriately matched to the mass-related load applied in operation, otherwise a less than critically damped system will introduce unwanted excursion. Neither car nor cart care but their might be unwanted outcomes associated with mechanical mismatches or operator error.
Suggested reading, starting w/page 9:
(url)http://www.bostonaudiosociety.org/pdf/bass/BASS-03-04-7501b.pdf(/url)
The FR-66 isn't mentioned---
Engines. The rotary delivers constant acceleration, easily and without an apparent peak in Hp/torque. In the driver's position, acceleration is smooth and constant. For the high compression V-6, torque at low RPMs gives way to increasing Hp at a measured 4600 RPMs, the initial impression is of immediate response. None-the-less, either offers comparable performance. The Mazda with its' skinny donut sized 13" tires, light, agile and constant. The other, fat 18" tires, aggressive (comparatively) and instantaneously responsive.
So, IMHO, it goes with carts. IM/MI/MF carts are the low mass, refined and smooth performers. MMs the more operator involving, engaging and immediate. I'll not debate stereo-typification.
There still remains the requirement to maintain a proper balance of mass, suspension and mechanical damping for optimal (critical) performance. There's little need for anyone to experience "Heartbreak City" because of varying preferences.
So make sure your carts and cars are properly aligned, suspensions are appropriately matched for their load, keep your styli in the groove and may the rubber always meet the road.
Great thread!
Peace, |
P.S.: Those who are more scientifically oriented than I might enjoy the math from Cornell University professor and aerospace engineer Leigh Phoenix, offered on the last several pages of the publication.
Again, peace, |
Regards, Griffithds: Took an Autumn tour through your former Illinois stomping grounds several weeks ago. Cave-In-Rock, the locus of the deadly 18th century river pirates
(url)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cave-In-Rock,_Illinois(/url)
and through the Shawnee Hills/National Forest. Beautiful country.
Pardon the thread wander, back on topic:
There is an on-line archive of the Boston Audio Society "Speaker" publications from the early '70s through '05, seminal works by many recognizable contributors. Most of the information is still relevant, find it here:
(url)http://www.bostonaudiosociety.org/bas_speaker.htm(/url)
Peace, |
Regards, Halcro: Agreed, Henry, although I do believe you are teasing me! However there are other means of damping a tonearm. Fluid damping is effective when there is a mismatch of cartridge compliance and tonearm mass, evident in "scrubbing" of the stylus in the groove and sometimes of the entire TA. Woofer pumping may also occur. It also serves to dampen vibration. Filling the TA tube with the material of your choice, wrapping with heat shrink tubing, anodizing, or strategic placement of neoprene washers or Blue Tack are thought by some to also be effective means of dealing with vibrational feedback. Alternate materials such as wood or carbon fiber used in construction of the arm tube are other options.
Both of my Technics EPA arms incorporate a vibration absorbing mass in the counterweight (Technics has an impressive name for the mechanism, it escapes me at this moment) which is positioned magnetically. Compared to my several other TAs, I consider the EPA-250 well damped.
Damp or dump- Raul mentioned vibration in the tonearm, it would seem beneficial to either dampen these vibrations or provide a line transference path capable of dumping those disturbances elsewhere. Afraid I view our hobby as a veritable carnival of resonances, critically damping or redirecting those disturbances to a vibrational sink goes with the territory.
It might be remembered that resonances can be either constructive or destructive. I'd speculate that this, relative to the cartridge used, contributes or detracts from the synergistic qualities Dgob referred to in a previous post.
In the past I'd posted on vibration in an anchored beam. That a tonearm is pivoted at one end and only partially constrained by the stylus at the distal end adds complications, usually manifested as untreated border resonances, vibration induced ringing or overshoot due to lingering resonance. Given a day or so to reassemble data and references, I'll give a better answer. Should anyone else care to contribute, please do. It will, I'm afraid, take longer to sooth Nikola!
Peace, |
