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High Performance Moving Iron Cartridge Candidates?

I have decided to simplify my analog set up a bit. removed the fussy cartridges and SUT's, and am down to one external phono stage, and the internal one in my Trinov preamp. 

 

The Trinov preamp is MM only, and I don;t want to use a step up or headamp with it. So that means high output moving coil or a MM type cartridge. 

I read on these boards that a MI cartridge can have lower moving mass than a moving coil I would like to experiment. 

What are the viable candidates these days? I imagine most vintage ones do not have OEM styli available still. The Soundsmith ones are interesting, but get very spendy. This is meant to be a casual cartridge for me, but I will spend some money on it. Just not Air Tight or Koetsu money.  

What are other choices? Not typically fond of Grado I heard in the past. Otherwise I think Nagaoka is the only other one I know of?

neonknight

Showing 3 responses by elliottbnewcombjr

elliottbnewcombjr
5,790 posts
 

Yesterday I took 37 minutes to watch this video of Art Dudley of Stereophile visiting Peter Ledermann at Soundsmith’s Offices, I encourage you to remember to watch it when you can.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rd948px1230&t=2s

Questions asked here, concerns about Soundsmith mentioned here are answered. You see it is no Pop and two others operation, they will be around, the inventory you see throughout the 3 spaces toured is so far beyond what you see at the video tour of Excel, maker of Hana for instance. Not to criticise Excel, just to note the operation is far bigger than you might imagine.

elliottbnewcombjr
5,790 posts
 

search youtube for soundsmith, this from 4 years ago popped up, being retired, fresh cup of coffee, I watched and enjoyed the whole thing, over an hour

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ul0o7UEqtkA

of particular interest if you are short of time are:

46:30 Major advantage of Strain Gauge is seriously minimized Cantilever Jitter

51:30 Anti-Skate: set with blank side or dead wax area of VINYL (proper material for resistance on industry standard bottom of tip).

57:00 LOW output Strain Gauge cartridge versions are made for Marketing Reasons (not a reduced mass issue in strain gauge technology).

105: fix for arm with no anti-skate feature: shim up the upper left corner (assuming arm is upper right) until you get it right.

elliottbnewcombjr
5,790 posts
 

fixed coil explained here

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