Not at all @wrm57. The Signature Platinum is a very easy going cartridge. It is very detailed but never edgy. I do not think there is ever too much detail if the cartridge is neutral. It is easy to give a false sense of detail by jacking the high end but that is not the case here. The Gold is said to be warmer. I would think with all that Mac equipment you are already warm enough! I have not had a Gold in my system so I can not comment directly. I can tell you that the Signature Platinum is an easier going cartridge than either the Lyra Atlas Lambda SL or the Ortofon MC Diamond and it benefits from a much higher output than either. My goal has always been neutrality. I want what is in that groove, no more and no less.
My Sonic Lab Platinum v Gold Signature
Has anyone compared them? I’m tempted by the Platinum but a little concerned it might edge into hyper-detail, which is not my happy place. The Gold reputedly has more body, but I’m wondering whether this comes at the expense of hard-won things like nuance and dynamics.
From what I can tell the main, perhaps only, design differences are cantilever and body material. The Platinum features a boron cantilever and titanium body; the Gold sports Duralumin, a form of aluminum, for both. Myself, I’ve never heard an aluminum cantilever that didn’t color or soften the sound somewhat, but then I’ve never heard one on a top flight cartridge like the MSL. Both have a DCR of 1.4 ohm and an output of 0.5mV.
The tonearm is a Graham Phantom Supreme; the phonostage is an Allnic H3000, probably via its 13x SUT. Based on MSL’s recommendation, the ideal load impedance is around 3-400 ohms (surprising for such low DCR), so this ratio should get me pretty close to what either one needs. Turntable is an Artisan Fidelity SP10R. Music is mostly jazz.
I'm especially interested in direct comparisons, but I also welcome experiences with either cartridge, and thoughts on how they might mesh with my arm and 'table.
Thanks in advance.
Showing 3 responses by mijostyn
@pindac , I almost purchased a Hayabusa but elected not to after looking at it under the microscope. The level of care in construction is not up to any MSL cartridge or the Verismo which I have not seen but I suspect is every bit as good as the MC Diamond which I have. This says nothing about the way the Hayabusa sounds. I can not say as I never mounted it. |
@pindac , The Anna is no longer available. It's replacement is called the MC Diamond, a fine cartridge but I am not sure it is a significant improvement on the Verismo. Both are very low output. You have to make sure your phono stage is up to it. I own the MC Diamond and frankly, with my phono stage, I prefer the MSL and the Lyra Atlas Lambda SL. This is only because of the signal to noise ratio and not the sonic imprint. |