Hesitant to upgrade my phono cartridge


I’ve been running the SL for about four years now and really love it. I’m starting to experience some sibilance and my gut tells me it’s time for a new cartridge. I really want to go up to the ML but I’m a little hesitant because my speakers (B&W 805 d3’s) can lean a bit bright with some recordings. I’ve read that the ML is a tad brighter than the SL and I definitely don’t want to add any additional leanness to my system. I could stretch for the Umami Red but would prefer not to at this point in time. So do I just go with another SL or roll the dice with the ML? Does anyone have experience with going from the Hana SL to the ML with Bowers and Wilkins diamond tweeters? Or with a system that leans on the bright side? 

 

The rest of my system: 

 

Clearaudio Ovation w/ Magnify tonearm

Herron Audio VTPH-2A Phono Preamp

Rogue Audio Cronus Magnum II integrated - tubes rolled from stock JJs to Gold Lion 12AX7 and 12AU7s with a Brimer 12AU7 in the center position. 

Speakers are B&W 805d3 stand mounts with a pair of REL S/510 subs.

Kimber Kable speaker, power cables and interconnects. 

 

Thanks!

paulgardner

Showing 3 responses by paulgardner

@tooblue the SL stands for Shibata Low output. I have checked the tracking force. It’s at 2g, which it where the manufacture recommends. I can definitely raise the arm a tiny amount. I just might try that. Thanks. 

@tooblue the cart has roughly 1500 hours maybe a touch more. I had the cart mounted by a local shop when I had the arm replaced due to ignorance on my part when I broke the azimuth adjustment tension wire. I have not adjusted anything since then. I’m not opposed to doing some adjustments myself but I’ll need to figure out how to adjust the two dials on the Magnify tonearm (if that’s even what I should do to troubleshoot) 

@audphile1 the Herron VTPH-2A uses loading plugs which I do not use. Keith Herron encouraged me to not use the loading plugs if possible. I believe he called it “infinite loading” when using this phono stage without the loading plugs.