2. analog
  3. 140043-486

Hear my Cartridges....🎶

Many Forums have a 'Show your Turntables' Thread or 'Show your Cartridges' Thread but that's just 'eye-candy'.... These days, it's possible to see and HEAR your turntables/arms and cartridges via YouTube videos.
Peter Breuninger does it on his AV Showrooms Site and Michael Fremer does it with high-res digital files made from his analogue front ends.
Now Fremer claims that the 'sound' on his high-res digital files captures the complex, ephemeral nuances and differences that he hears directly from the analogue equipment in his room.
That may well be....when he plays it through the rest of his high-end setup 😎
But when I play his files through my humble iMac speakers or even worse.....my iPad speakers.....they sound no more convincing than the YouTube videos produced by Breuninger.
Of course YouTube videos struggle to capture 'soundstage' (side to side and front to back) and obviously can't reproduce the effects of the lowest octaves out of subwoofers.....but.....they can sometimes give a reasonably accurate IMPRESSION of the overall sound of a system.

With that in mind.....see if any of you can distinguish the differences between some of my vintage (and modern) cartridges.
VICTOR X1
This cartridge is the pinnacle of the Victor MM designs and has a Shibata stylus on a beryllium cantilever. Almost impossible to find these days with its original Victor stylus assembly but if you are lucky enough to do so.....be prepared to pay over US$1000.....🤪
VICTOR 4MD-X1
This cartridge is down the ladder from the X1 but still has a Shibata stylus (don't know if the cantilever is beryllium?)
This cartridge was designed for 4-Channel reproduction and so has a wide frequency response 10Hz-60KHz.
Easier to find than the X1 but a lot cheaper (I got this one for US$130).
AUDIO TECHNICA AT ML180 OCC
Top of the line MM cartridge from Audio Technica with Microline Stylus on Gold-Plated Boron Tube cantilever.
Expensive if you can find one....think US$1000.

I will be interested if people can hear any differences in these three vintage MM cartridges....
Then I might post some vintage MMs against vintage and MODERN LOMC cartridges.....🤗
halcro

Showing 9 responses by sdrsdrsdr

sdrsdrsdr
196 posts
 
@frogman 
I’ll read through tomorrow, you probably already stated this, but what arm did you use to compare these cartridges? Steve.
sdrsdrsdr
196 posts
 
@halcro 

I did listen with my computer speakers to some also. It just wasn’t good enough to make a judgement like others could. Yes, like many others I find myself with much time on my hands now.  Spent the last three three years building my new business and neglecting my hobby. Good to be back. Just hope it’s not too long. Lol.
About the  AT-ML180. I have an OFC version I got recently and was told it was beryllium. It’s not in original packaging and don’t know how to tell for sure. I had it inspected by SoundSmith and should have asked at the time. They did tell me it looked to have an estimated 150 hours usage with an expected 850 left. Nice to know. I got it from a guy named Ellie that some may know. Do you know how to tell if it is beryllium or boron?

Steve.
sdrsdrsdr
196 posts
 
It took awhile but I read the whole thing. Thanks for sharing. Im not setup to listen to this properly with headphones but appreciated everyone’s comments. And I must say, excellent writing. I’ve been following your crowd for years and just recently experiencing vintage mm cartridges. An nos Stanton 881s. Have acquired a couple others (top models) but haven't tried them yet.  @halcro 
A  question  about the AT-ML180/OCC. I always thought the OFC was the earlier version and was Beryllium. And the OCC was later and boron?
sdrsdrsdr
196 posts
 
@ 
@chakster 
I guess my AT-ML180 ofc may be Boron. It’s gold plated.

But if you look at the first and second comments Chakster made at the beginning of this. He says the occ comes with gold plated beryllium cantilever. And the ofc is gold plated boron pipe. According to him they are both gold plated. The ofc is the earlier version so I assumed it would be the beryllium and the occ being later would probably be boron. Wasn’t beryllium phased out in the years the occ was available?
sdrsdrsdr
196 posts
 
@halcro 
 I meant to put your name on my previous post too. Also, how did your AT-ML180 hold up in comparison to the  other cartridges compared? 
sdrsdrsdr
196 posts
 
@halcro 

i see you started out with comparing the AT-ML180. Sorry I don’t know why I missed that. And the discussion discussed what I asked. Thanks.
Steve.
sdrsdrsdr
196 posts
 
Palladian on Raven on my end sounds better than Victor. But I would probably  give the tonearm the more credit here. More full bodied and smooth. What do you think? You know your tables sound characteristics. Do the tables using the same tonearms have different presentations that we would  notice on our end.
sdrsdrsdr
196 posts
 
To me it sounds like the Glanz is the more smooth and natural sounding. And the Victor sounding a little more lite up but possibly edgier and less refined. But more lively too. The shure is in between the two. I’m guess the Glanz would be the one I’d prefer. But in your room it may sound quite different than what I’m hearing? 
sdrsdrsdr
196 posts
 
@rauliruegas 

I think I remember reading that you had owned both versions of Audio Technica AT-ML180, the boron and the beryllium. OFC and OCC. Do you recall how they differed  in sound?
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