Dear friends: Well, the Timeltel " pressure " asking to try one of my Acutex cartridges give me the opportunity to heard the humble LPM 315III STR model that I never try/test it before.
What a fantastic and so unique cartridge. This MM/MI analog source alternative is IMHO an endless experience of great " gem " discoveries. This sole fact is a high pleasure that help to be in the continue audio learning.
In my case discoveries like the Acutex experiences is so exciting/stimulating because this tell me that the quest of audio heaven is worth our each one efforts.
I never imagine that in my " stock " of cartridges I could have a cartridge that can/could surpass the greatness of the Technics EPC-P100C MK4 and this Acutex did/do it.
This is my new " The Best " ( Nandric, no problem to add: " The Best " I heard. ) and with a solid 10++ level in the cartridge quality performance ladder, just amazing!!!
You can read and see the Acutex in the cartridge review here:
http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?ranlg&1272832599
Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul. |
Dear friends: For not " hurt " any one and not wake up " bad feelings " how if instead to name the Acutex 315III STR " The Best " I call it just: " The One ", seems and sounds fine.
Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul. |
Dear Tpreaves: Music is no matters of taste: it's just music.
I'm speaking of music. It seems to me that you can't understand what I posted in the Acutex review because you did not yet " live " that kind of music quality level performance, that's all.
I hope you can have it in your audio near future, there is no doubt that for you will be IMHO a " revelation " too.
Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul. |
Tpreavesa: Yes is a matter of taste but only which kind of music you like: jazz over rock or classic.
Anyway, maybe you don't read all this thread where I discuss some kind of habilities that some persons that made/has training on purpose to discern between : good, bad or excellent in a universal way. May be you are not trained about and that's why is difficult to understand my means.
Anyway, thank you for your contribution and if you can try to find that Acutex and then come back to share your experiences.
Regards and enjoy the music,
>Raul. |
Dear Downunder: If you don't like it any more then send to me, I take it at once.
Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul. |
Dear Lewm: Fruitless?, IMHO the long/short time cartridge test is only different people capacity with different training and maybe different needs/targets and certainly not fruitless if you have the characteristics I'm talking about.
Anyway that fruitless that you are refering till today give over 2.1K posts on " that " thread where at least my posts were " fruitless " cartridge test but almost all the people that try those short time test recomendations agree with the cartridge performance when they test in their different audio systems.
Btw, your two months by cartridge that works so well for you just can't works for me: 100+ cartridges needs more than 17 years following your method ( that I'm not against it or argue against it. ) and that's with out returning to comparisons with cartridges already tested, if not then you could need around 20 years!!!!!
Different/same targets different ways to achieve it.
Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul. |
Dear Siniy123: Democracy is the name in this kind of forum. I agree on almost all you posted.
Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul. |
Dear Lewm: So your " fruitles " that in my dictionary is a synonym of " useless " then is not exactly " useless ", fine.
+++++ " But you certainly have changed your mind quite a bit over the course of those 2000+ posts " +++++ ( more than two years I have to say. ), in that time I learn and this learning makes things change " quite a bit " and in the other side I have adapt me to different circumstances over the time, that not always is an easy task.
+++++ " "greatness of the cartridge will be evident from few first hours". I could not agree more, and its shortcomings will be evident only after a longer audition and careful comparison to some in-house standard, IMO. " +++++
I can say " evident from few first minutes " as its shortcomings.
This statement has foundation: standards to compare it ( like you point out ), depending of the effectivity and capacity of those standards to make a " value/measure " and your own skills, experience and training through the use of those standards you can achieve/know the cartridge or any audio item performance level with true confidence on what you find.
I'm " tired " to say that I have that kind of training and standards to do that in " fast track " way. I have 8-9 different LP tracks to make the 90% of that job: how many time take me to hear and discern trhough those tracks, that I know in deep like I know my hands, after cartridge set up/settle down? hours?, normally I can do it in less than a hour but not always this depends on the cartridge performance level. With the Acutex I really take hours because I was not perfectly sure if its performance level was/is at the same Technics P100C.
Using always the same your own standards/Lp tracks/tools is a must for audio item/system evaluation that facilitate this evaluation tests.
Two days ago with two friends of mine made a two different system evaluations where I carry with me only three of those 8-9 LP tracks.
Well in the first system with the first LP track ( Patricia Barber. I know in the PB track/Nardis even how many times she take air/breath through the track and even where/soundstage position those " breathe " happen. Btw, do you already heard and find the right number of those PB " breathes "?, in the Technics P100C review comes exactly what you have to hear, try it and see how good is your source. ) ) I detect in 10 seconds that something was not in shape with the performance of the tweeters. I explain my friends how I knew about and tell them that now hear/heard it again and then they heard it and the problem was fix it. Three minutes latter I discern on other different " problem " and in less than 40 minutes we all determine where the systems problems were and a process to try fix it.
Then we go to the other home audio system and in less than four minutes I was aware of atrouble in the low midbass/low bass that between other things were in detriment of the high frequency quality performance.
Why can I do that so fast? Am I really different from you?, certainly not what happen is that I have the right " tools " ( that right tools are the ones that you know and that you have it. ) and deep/long time training to do it, that's all.
Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul. |
Dear friends: I was thinking these last days ( again and again ) on the quality level performance in the Technics EPC-P100CMK4 and the Acutex 315III STR and what I was thinking is mainly where are similar and where different and the importance of those " where " and how ner/far are those differences and I'm asking me: hey could be the other way around? that people could like more the Technics trade-offs against the Acutex?
Both cartridges have so high quality performance level and are more similar than differents that here maybe was/is a little unnfair to put one cartridge over the other on quality performance level.
It is true that the Technics has not that " live energy " that the Acutex shows ( no cartridge I know has it. ) but it is true too that the Technics has other characteristics that the Acutex can't shows at same level.
Unfortunatelly I can't edit the Acutex review but through this post I want to make a correction ( My mistake, the Technics deserve that correction. ) in the quality performance level of the Acutex in the cartridge ladder level performance.
The Acutex 315III STR belongs at 10+ ( not 10++ like I posted. ) level sharing this position along the Technics EPC-P100CMK4: Honor to whom deserve Honor!!!!
Now we not only have one " The Best/The One " cartridge but two great analog source alternatives: one MM and one MI.
Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul. |
Dear Lewm: You already had and has to much time with the Azden and seems to me that you are less than satisfied with.
It is hard with out heard your cartridge sample what's going on because the Azden quality performance is first rate after 20 hours.
There are many factors that could affect its performance and mainly how the cartridge is surrounded to play ( your system. ) that I don't want to analyze this time.
What I want to put on the table is that due that these cartridges are really vintage ones ( 25-35+ years old. ) even if like the Azden are NOS items it is for sure that thre is differences between samples on the same model and maybe your sample is not right on specs against other Azden cartridges like mine or the other people that love it.
You own different tonearms and have wide experience on cartridge set up and fine tunning, my advise is that you try it not only in different headshells but different tonearms.
+++++ " But then I have to ask myself whether it was just fortuitous that there is a particular affinity between the Azden and those tracks that I like to use as standards, because on some less familiar material, the Azden does not always crush the competition. " +++++
different cartridges different distortions, maybe and just maybe you and the Azden are out of " synergy ".
Anyway, try to find the Acutex.
Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul. |
Dear Alexl7333: LPM 315 and 320 share same cartridge body/motor but not the 312.
regards and enjoy the music,
Raul. |
Dear No_regrest: The source is the net, you have to convert in a " hunting man " on MM/MI cartridges.
It is a patience work but the rewards are very often great ones.
Our time ( today ) IMHO is the best time to try to find and test these vintage and humble MM/MI cartridges. We can find it at " ridiculous " low prices and enjoy it with our current audio system that is a lot lot better than the one we owned 30-40 years ago that is the time where all those cartridges " belong ".
I really think that the people that already give ( and give him self ) an opportunity ( where no one has nothing to loose. ) to this analog source MM/MI alternative have the privilege a unique privilege to hear/heard a " new " audio experience with notable differences on the LOMC alternative.
Yes, IMHO this is the time and maybe never come back because this analog source alternative is not part of the AHEE.
I have to say that the MM/MI alternative is so good that even cartridge owners with system limitations on a better set up : load impedance/capacitance/direct connection on P-mount ones or samples with integrated headshell, etc. are enjoying it even that are not on optimum circumstances!!!
Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul. |
Dear Halcro: What I discern through that process is not only the obvious but more important what is not obvious even by you that are the ornwer system.
My method/process is the one that ( between other things and one way or the other ) permit that many people now are enjoying other analog source alternative like you with your great Empire 1000 ZE/x.
Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul. |
Dear Danwkw: I can't agree more with you on your post.
Btw, maybe could be interesting that you can test/try some time in the near future the MM/MI vintage analog source alternative, these humble items are so good that through them you can discover a new " audio world " that the AHEE had hidden for you.
Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul. |
Dear Halcro: Yes.
+++++ " I'm not sure exactly how you can 'nullify' the characteristics of the various speaker systems " +++++
examples: looking for system/item resolution I take the PB track and the first step is try to hear/heard how many Patricia breaths you can discern in the first three minutes of that track: here I don't care about speakers or my preferences, I only have to count.
In the same track ( somewhere ) I have to discern how the system/item perform when the battery/drum player hit ( several fast hitting. ) the big cymbal in the outer cymbal place/side: some items only can give you a shshshshsh sound when in other with better resolution you can hear the initial stick hit ( each one ) followed for the shshshshsh: again I don't care about preferences or the like, it has the resolution or not.
There is other part on that same cymbal where the player hits in the inside cymbal part where different items give you different resolution level.
In the Hotel California track between other things I use it for azymuth where I/you either don't care about preferences or system signature.
That's why is very difficult that a process of this kind can fail, certainly is not perfect but IMHO and due to my experience on it is 90%-95% secure.
You can " design " your own process and over the time with practice you can attain that same 90%-95% of confidence with.
Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul. |
Dear Halcro: When you start with this kind of process " things " could be frustrated till you learn the relationship of those track you choose and learn to discern what is happening but when you have the right practice ( this could be take it months or years depend on each person. I take months but the " refinement " in the process take me years. What am I saying with " process refinement "?, that I now achieve that 90%/95% of confidence ( no fails. )) you can make the whole precise process in less than a hour, sometimes more time that depend on the item/system performance.
This " fast track " process is the one that permit that I can test so many cartridges in a short time with IMHO :success or any other audio item or audio system even if I'm hearing it for the first time.
I hope that Downunder now could understand why the " cartridge of the week/month " like he say.
Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul. |
Dear Downunder: +++++ " I have had it on my P3 for a couple of months now - and it passes the long term satisfaction test easily, not just the short term WOW factor.
This is the only way to judge a cartridge, or any piece of equipment - not just a few hours or a day or so of joy. " +++++
certainly that was not " the only way to judge a cartridge " because through my " fast track " process I achieve and know in precise way what take you two months.
Different " roads " to get the same target. IMHO there is NO " the only way " in this matter.
Another " only ":
+++++ " It is the only MM cartridge I have heard that is truely world class. the others are just nice and a bit of fun to play with. " +++++
Well the Technics is so good tha's IMHO is almost impossible that could performs in poor way. There are many reasons why other cartridges you own does not performs as " world class " ones:
- wrong tonearm matching
- wrong cartridge set up
- wrong impedance/capacitance loads.
- no direct connection in a 4P-mount cartridge model.
- not fully broken.
- due to its aged: cartridge out of specs.
- does not makes synergy with your " ears ".
- even phono stages not up to the task.
- or maybe your syste$$$$ has no " world class " performance.
these and other factors has a definitive influence in any cartridge quality performance level.
I don't know for sure what is happenning on your system than with other MM/MI cartridges you can't achieve a better quality performance when many people with the same cartridges already did.
Maybe you have to try again and hard on the subject.
regards and enjoy the music,
Raul. |
Dear Lewm: Thank's to clarify about.
Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul. |
Dear friends: A new " The Best " member:
http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?ranlg&1275323834
highly recommended and not to dificult to find like the Technics or the Acutex " The Best " members.
Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul. |
