How are you playing your precious MONO Vinyl?

lalitk OP

Are you concerned with aligning/calibrating an advanced stylus shape?

I cannot understand using a conical stylus UNLESS it is specifically for the very old wide grooves, the opposite of your intentions. 

Without a doubt, the lighter/stiffer boron cantilever, advanced microridge stylus shape (any shibata variation), lighter tracking force, refined LOMC technology of my VAS rebuilt AT33PTG/II Mono is my best sounding Mono cartridge. I expected some improvement over the elliptical, hopefully enough to justify the cost: if is far better. 

good/better/best bonded, nude, pure, the various grades of diamonds may wear differently, but I cannot imagine you hearing any difference among the same profile shape, amount of contact surface will definitely sound better, last longer, and if a favorite is repeatedly played, cause less wear to the grooves.

Steve and Ray (lunch near me today) test/compare their own and customer’s cartridges on the same familiar content, they have perhaps 5 various pressings of some, and get new copies frequently. They learn and listen for differences.

Usually Steve plays a cartridge for you when you pick it up, sometimes he sends it, and waits for the customer to tell him, he is as impressed as I am with the one I had him build. He wants to come hear it here sometime soon.

He mentioned a few wood body cartridges he has/has rebuilt/likes a great deal.

“Are you concerned with aligning/calibrating an advanced stylus shape”
@elliottbnewcombjr 

No, I have all the necessary tools and dealer support to ensure proper alignment and accuracy. I am still contemplating my options as far mono cartridges. I am still a month or two away from mono setup (all contingent upon completion of my Woodsong plinth and delivery to my door). 

 

lalitk OP

"filling it with 87-octane and calling it “close enough….LOL!" 

Hah! Now you and others will know more about me. After buying this 10 year old beauty and using recommended Premium for 7 months, I just filled the tank with the cheapest 87 I could find, it still runs like a Jack Rabbit. It’s the same to me, not close enough, the same.

V8, Twin Turbo, 445 HP, I admit I will NEVER experience that FULL power, or even close to it.

It’s not about the money, it’s about feeling like a sucker. 

The computer’s handle it, it is not an accumulated effect like lead deposits, different octane just alters when the explosion ideally occurs and the computer alters the timing for when that occurs (at all times with any octane grade’s explosion timing). Either the computer figures it out smoothly or it doesn’t. Either you notice a difference or you don’t. A good test is up a long hard hill, I’ve got 2 near me.

I gave my prior 2012 Volvo C70 Hardtop Convertible to my Granddaughter. My son asked me what grade fuel? I forgot what the manual says, I told him I only put 87 in in for 7 years, never better, it jumps without hesitation when you hit it.

My wife’s 2005 Thunderbird, every once in a while I have her put in a tank of Premium, the idea is, do you notice an improvement you forgot about? No, back to regular. A periodic re-assessment. I’ll do the same thing with the BMW.

My wife and her twin sister are on their annual trip to Florida.I mentioned my car now has 87, Just so happens, her twin sister filled the T’Bird with Premium while Donna was napping. They both said it seems identical to all the driving they did the past 2-1/2 weeks. Those 3 vehicles, 2005, 2012, 2015 all have anti-knock sensors that adjust the timing successfully. 

Maybe on a bench or track you could measure a difference, but driving around they all continue to get out of their own way aggressively.

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Based on past success, I filled it up!

Tempted but naturally anxious: Hedge your bet:

get near empty, put 1/4 tank of 87, drive it for a while, if you actually feel a loss of power, any knocking, then just fill it the rest of the way up with 93, and go back to 89 or 91, whatever you were doing.

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IMO, It’s a game of specmanship that I don’t want to get caught up in. 

If there’s a measurable difference in ultimate power the maker can publish, a difference I never use or need, never aware of, it’s not real for me.

Did I mention I'm a Left Handed Leo?

 

 

 

 

 

There is no one answer to this riddle.  VAS offers some great cartridges too.  My collection includes a matching pair of VAS Nova MC, one mono, one stereo, both aluminum cantilever with a 0.07 mil elliptical stylus.  The VAS mono is my preferred mono cartridge for classical.  As I said in a previous post the 2M Mono SE is my preferred mono overall, but I should clarify that preference is based on jazz recordings.  I listen to jazz 80-90% of the time.   

“It’s not about the money, it’s about feeling like a sucker. ”

@elliottbnewcombjr 

It’s all about the perspective under given conditions. You can buy a 10 year old used BMW and fill it up with cheapest gas and not feel like a sucker. 

Would you fill a brand new BMW as a first owner with cheapest gas….may be you will, maybe you won’t. That would be your prerogative. You and I both know, what is a recommended fuel rating for a BMW.

My comment about 87 Octane stems from ownership of Alpina B7 and M3 (purchased new)….would they run on 87 Octane, without a doubt. But a 91 or higher Octane ensures optimal performance and longevity of the engine.