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High output MC cartridges

I'm looking to replace my MI cartridge with a HOMC cartridge.
I've narrowed it down (price/output mV) to either the Dynavector 20x2 MC, or, the Sumiko Blackbird MC .
Before I take another plung .... I thought I'd run it by the AG community to see if anybody out there has experience comparing these two offerings?
thehorn

Showing 8 responses by thehorn

thehorn OP
111 posts
 
mijosty, I was just wondering what your qualifications are? Don’t get your dander up, no one’s trying to accost your sensibilities, it’s a question.

It’s like this, your average slob doesn’t even know there are MM and MC cartridges, let alone know "High Output MCs have a large coil structure to produce an output, leading to a high mass situation. Moving iron cartridge has perhaps the lowest moving mass of all resulting in instant transient response" .... Obviously you have insight on the subject of phono cartridges. I was just wondering how deep you go???

As for your Grado suggestion I’ll pass, Grado + Rega + Oracle = hum. I liked the Grado, minus the hum, but I liked my Grace F9 better.

So the reasons for a HOMC are several. One, MI on my system have hummed. Two, my tube pre-amp has a 47k Ohm RIAA phono stage, no go zone for LOMC’s. Now .... as for the Soundsmith Zephyr 2???

What do you know about the Soundsmith Zephyr II mijosty/anybody? (now the Zephyr III)/. BTW, why the Zephyr mijosty, and why not the Aida?
thehorn OP
111 posts
 
lewm - you’re a gent & a scholar (“the horn” asked for comparisons between the Blackbird and the Dynavector. He did not ask for opinions on HOMC cartridges").

Out of all the contributors who were good enough to add to this post [& I do sincerely thank you all], lewm, you were the only one who read my question correctly.

As I stated "I’ve narrowed it down (price/output mV)", [chakster] you’ve hit the nail on the head " there is only one reason people buy HOMC cartridges, the reason is the phono stage that can’t handle LOMC".
My Audion Premier 2.0 MM pre-amp does not have the gain for a L.O cartridge, that’s why I’m researching HOMC cartridges.

As for [mijostyn] I did compliment your knowledge, and was hoping you were a shop owner, cartridge rep, or someone in the trade. Shame you never learned the adage .... never assume, as you’ll only make ass out of - - - etc, etc. To quote you [" The Grado is not humming because of your system. It is humming because it does not like your turntable. Get one with a DC motor"]. My TT is an Oracle Dephi, which has a DC motor.

Again you assume " get yourself a little tube phonostage and do it right".

My AUDION Premier 2.0 Line Preamplifier / MM has a tube phonostage, and the thought of adding an external phono stage to what is one of the finest phono stages on the market, along with another set of interconnects is simply absurd.

Assumption #3, [It bothers me that you do not understand the relationship of mass to inertia]. Your talking to an engineer my priggish friend, and as for [ Are our high schools really failing our kids that badly]? I’m 59, and graduate school has been a good number of years ago, so wrong again. As a matter of fact the only thing you have got right is High Output MCs have to have a large coil structure, and for that I commend you.


[mijostyn], your Soundsmith Zephyr 2 suggestion was a good one, which lead me to further research the topic. I was intouch with My Kind of Music, in Toronto [super guys], and the owner was adamant that as good as the Zephyr III is, with my system, making the leap to the Adia is the prudent way to go. For the extra $500 U.S dollars the Adia is not an exercise in diminishing returns.

Unfortunatly with the exchange rate the way it is, out the door Soundsmith’s Adia is $3grand Canadian, but as the Chinese say "that’s the way the egg rolls.


Thx again for the input boys,

appreciated.
thehorn OP
111 posts
 
Thx uber,
Bill
thehorn OP
111 posts
 
Say [chakster],you really know how to leave a guy hanging.
[chakster] " some absolutely killer MM cartridges can be found for $500-800 NOS with best cantilevers and styli".
I found a a few other used MM + a Sure V15 mkIV (not sure about Sure’s) .  You?
Am interested in your opinion as just to what you’d classify as killer MM, & the best NOS cantilevers and styli are?
Thx for going the extra mile.
thehorn OP
111 posts
 
Hey [Uber],
thanks for the heads-up concerning Hifi Heaven.
Money’s money. I’ll try to keep ya posted.
Bill
thehorn OP
111 posts
 
Hey [chakster],
Be reseaching the Grace F-9 & the Sony XL-50.
How's the Sony XL-50 stack up against the F-9 Grace?

thehorn OP
111 posts
 
Thx [chakster],
thehorn OP
111 posts
 
@tyray .... thanks for the post.
Looking into the options you've suggested.
More to discover