Glanz moving magnet cartridges

Dgob, are your G5 & G7 MMs? What cantilevers does each use? Do the bodies look like the Astatic MF series? Have you tried interchanging styli?

The Astatic 100/200/300 as well as the Glanz MFG series are all Moving Flux. Hence the MF model designation.

Allow me share a few things I do know about these carts. All of the MF series from both Astatic and Glanz were made in Japan by the Mitachi Corporation. I can also say for sure that the Astatic/Glanz MF generators are not all the same. Well on the outside they are but the MF200/300 put out 4.2mv. The MF100 and all of the MFG Glanz 31/51/61/71, series put out 3.5mv. Interestingly, the G7 is rated at 4.2mv on the Vinylengine database. I wonder if that is true?

The MFG51E Glanz is not a MF200 or even a MF300. The sound is quite different on each. They should because they have different output and have different styli. The cantilever on the MFG51E I have also has a much different aluminum cantilever than any other MF units. It uses a very large taper. Looks heavy to me. My MFG51E is on the bottom of the totem pole sonically of all the MF/MI carts I have heard. The MFG31E/L is much closer to the MF200. It uses the same color stylus holder as well as the same cantilever. All three have different styli. MF200 is a nude Shibata. The MFG31E has a nude elliptical and the MFG31L has a nude line contact. The MFG31E/L both sound close to the MF200. The MF300 is good but I would use it for target practice after hearing the MF200 or MFG31E/L.

Yes Nandric, I know of the MFG 61

Nandric, I answered your question. Knowing lawyers as I do, I would never put forth anything more than what was asked from them. In fact most lawyers would never ask a question for which they did not already know the answer.
I hate to assume anything.

Now that you tell me of your intentions, I will gladly give you more information on the MFG 61. If you have not done so already. BUY IT! According to the info sheet included with the MFG 61, Glanz says

"MFG 61, as the most prestige model among Glanz MF cartridges..."

Obviously, the MFG 61 is the top of the line, even above the MFG 70/71 models.
There is no 61L model as Dgob was assuming.

A question for you Nandric, what is your favorite lawyer joke?

Cheers

Sorry for the delayed response guys but I have been in a terrible sad state since Nandric reminded me that I have no friends, only turntables to keep me company. I now wonder if my dog likes me...I thought she did but, who knows.

One thing is for sure, the MFG 61 is designed to be the top MF cart and the MFG 51E is the cart with training wheels. The MFG 31 series are the mid level carts. I will say a MFG 31L will embarrass some of the flavors of the week from the other thread. It is quite good. The 51E's cantilever reminds me of Hillary Clinton's cankles. That is thick! Dgob found a statement that said the MFG 61 has a hollow boron cantilever. Maybe some do but mine has solid boron cantilever with the end ground to an angle parallel to the LP surface. The stylus body is maroon/dark red in color. Body is silver. I have had mine for some time and it was new in the box with the original paperwork. It is a wonderful sounding cart. Maybe someday I can compare it to a G7. That would be interesting don't you think?

Bummer about the MFG 61 box Nandric.

That could be a country & western song. The difference between C&W and blues songs? Blues tend to make you feel better, C&W will drive you to drink.

Now to get this back on track, compared the MFG 31E to the 31L the last two nights. Have to say the 31E does not have the detail or the speed of the 31L but it does have a seduction to the music that will make most listeners smile.
As nice as both 31'a are, the 61 is in another league.

Nandric, sounds like you have the makings of another country & westren song.

Same results here Nandric. The MF200 and 31L are very close sonically and both sound very good. The 51E is not even close, at least with the stock cantilever/stylus. A good candidate for a retip I suppose. Without doing a direct comparison, I have to say the MF 61 is the best sounding MM/MI/MF cart I own.
Just a great balance of dynamics, tonality, texture, detail and sparkle up top.
I have heard better bass from a few other carts but not by much.

Nandric,

I did not take the time to swap stili between bodies. All of the 3.5mv Mitachi generators most likely sound the same or very close but to be sure, I will experiment later. I think I have six different bodies between Astatic and Glanz. Could prove interesting.

The MF-61 has its own booklet that mentions no other Glanz products. As I posted a while back, all it says is that "MFG-61, as the most prestige model among Glanz cartridges...". My sample came new in the box. Under close inspection I am sure it had never been mounted or used. The cantilever is boron but it is much smaller in diameter than the boron cantilever supplied these days by Ogura. I would guess 30% smaller. I bought it off eBay many years ago before I had read the MM thread on A'gon. I had been studying cartridge designs and moving flux and moving iron seemed to be the best design, in theory at least so I was buying cheap samples to try. It came from Peru or Portugal I think. I did see one listed a few years ago. I wish I would have bought it but at the time, I had not yet tried the MFG-61 and had no idea how special it is. Silly me.

Sorry Nandric but I am sure you will be fine as there will always be another "must have" to hunt down.

I did buy the Glanz MFG-11T off eBay the other day. Had not seen one of those for sale until then. It has a Titanium cantilever so it can't be all bad. Hope it is as good as the MF-200. Will give my impressions later.

Good day citizen Nandric,
Thank you for your most generous offer but why would I want your G5 when I have the amazing MFG61? New in the original box so no need for a second box, but again, thanks.
Seriously though, I would enjoy doing a comparison and will keep looking for a G5/7. The things you describe hearing from your G5 could easily describe what I hear from the six one. I do own the majority of the "flavor of the week" MM carts so I have some fine carts with which to compare. I also have the Lyra Atlas, Olympos and several other very special MC carts. The six one is indeed special in the best possible way.

Dearest Nandric, As Booker T sang, Time is Tight and as I get older, it becomes more and more valuable but it is worth every minute I spend reading your cerebral thoughts.

Are you OK Nandric? I am concerned you may have had a stroke or suffered a severe head injury. Your offer of trading your G5 for one of my SP10 plinths is so crazy generous I am concerned for your health. I could never take advantage of you like that, I would never be able to live with myself. Besides, I have my own G5.

Hi Dover, so glad to hear you are hearing what the '61 can do for your rig. I think mine continued to smooth out on top and deliver more vocal textures and bigger, tighter bass for around 20-25 hours.

I wish everyone could hear this, especially Nandric. Seriously, I wish there could be a way to build this cartridge again. Alas, that seems doubtful.

Congrats Dover! Will Nandric now believe me?

Your description of the MFG 61's sound are very close to what I hear. I have used it in several different modern tonearms but have yet to try with any of my vintage arms.

When I read it sounded slow to you, I was confused but you shortly changed that to "very quick" and then I felt better. Your description of it sounding more like a MC is right on. I also prefer MC carts to MM carts but the '61
is my exception. One of my friends call the '61 "the magic cart". I think he nailed it.

Hello Nandric,

So glad you have not forgot me!

Harold, I wish I knew the answer to your question about the MFG-610LX vs the MF-61. Since I have zero knowledge of the 610LX, I can't help. I can tell you the MFG-61's owner manual calls the stylus a "specially designs PH stylus". The owner's manual also states "MFG-61, as the most prestige Glanz MF cartridge". Not sure if it is a Line Contact or not but the 61's stylus is the smallest stylus I have owned. I do have a USB microscope and it looks like a LC but smaller than any other I have seen. The 61 also has a boron cantilever.

Bonne chance

Greetings ladies & gentlemen...you too Nandric :)

Joking aside, hope all are well.

Had an hour to kill so I just re-read all nine pages of this thread.

Kinda fun. The "distortions" responses were tedious but otherwise fun.

While some of my preferences have changed over the life of this thread, most remain. The biggest change for me is a switch from all tubes to all SS. Never thought that would happen.

I remain solidly in the LOMC camp but the MFG 61 and a handfull of other vintage carts still have my highest respect. Vintage tonearms as well. Have to shake my head sometimes after hearing how different one cartridge can sound from another, yet still enjoy the music.

I see dgob enjoys the Acutex 420STR. I've been a big fan for over a decade. After hearing one properly run-in, I bought 23 more of them. That was 11-12 years ago. That's how much I think of them. Outstanding performer, especially for the money. It takes a LONG time for the 420 to open up so if you find one, don't give up on it. It'll reward you.

To improve the 420 further, I glue the stylus housing to the body. I use a small amount of cyanoacrylate glue(super glue). This makes a significant improvment. All long nose Acutex carts can benefit. I also remove the stylus guard. YMMV