Jfrech, The camera was just a Panasonic TZ7 (ZS3 in the US) point and shoot. I have no clues about photography...I take a bunch of shots and pick ones that look ok. The pic on my webpage is a pretty low res reduction. The unreduced crop I posted in the pictures thread elsewhere shows more detail (but less context): Ortofon A90 |
Having used the Jubilee for couple of years before acquiring the A90, I can say emphatically that the latter is on a completely different performance plane.
The Jubilee does share some of the same ease (tracking prowess?) and throws a pretty big stable soundstage while balancing neutrality and robustness well.
But the Jubilee does not have anything like the open window clarity of the A90. The A90 throws a wider deeper stage and has far more life and transient quickness. The top end of the A90 kills the Jubilee.
As others have said, the A90 is a real chameleon, it's sound can change dramatically from record to record and track to track (the Jubilee does this to a lesser extent). The field of depth is greatly expanded - records recorded distantly from the mics sound further back, upfront recordings further forward. But it's the clarity/transparency I can't get over. It's the first really expensive cartridge i've owned, so maybe this is par for the course, but it's made my (relatively modest) system sound much more transparent than I thought it could.
If you want hear back into the recording and be put in touch with the musicians, this is a great cartridge. |
Raul, it's not just an SPL change that I'm hearing (see above) - and we are talking about a very small change in level (I think the difference would actually be closer to 0.4dB with the A90's 4ohm generator). In any case, generally there is a tendency to prefer the louder option in A-B comparisons.
I enlisted the help of my 10yo daughter to change input resistance while I listened - it's definitely more than just a level change occurring in my system. I can't duplicate the same 'sound' by adjusting level at the 100ohms setting.
However I agree this may be just a synergy interaction with my particular equipment/setup, as always YMMV. |
Mikel, Just re-reading your comments on the SP10/Jubilee, specifically: OTOH the Technics/Reed allow the Jubilee to likely have more overall energy and particularly more bass slam. the Reed really has a 'jump' factor....." Are you saying the SP10/Reed/Jubilee beats the Garrard/Triplanar/A90 in energy and bass slam? If so, the mind boggles at how much better the SP10/Reed/A90 will sound, since the A90 displays significantly better bass tautness/density/speed and is far more lively than the Jubilee (at least in my TNT/Phantom II setup). |
Just a note regarding phono loading of the A90. I initially had this set at 100 ohms but have now lowered to 47ohms. The difference can be startling - Al Di Meola's 'Alien chase on Arabian Desert' sounds awesomely huge and full of impact and atmospherics at 47ohms. Put the loading back to 100ohms and the sound becomes slightly bigger, but somewhat looser, less defined atmosphere and positioning/shape of instruments, less impact and excitement. 100 ohms can 'goose up' some recordings that lack air and atmosphere but mostly sounds less correct to me. YMMV. Interestingly, Paul Seydor of TAS loads his Ortofon Windfeld (which uses essentially the same motor as the A90) at 40ohms. System Details |
Paul, will you be reviewing the A90 at some stage? I'd like to hear your impressions given your enthusiastic review of the Windfeld.
Agree that the 47ohm loading should help prevent any tendency for a rising top octave. In my setup, I think the A90 sounds more transparent at 47ohms - more controlled/sharper transients as well. I can more easily hear how instruments are positioned. I wonder if this has something to do with the (slight) loading of the generator. |
You are correct Raul, I was not adjusting the volume - but like I said this is a very slight volume change.
The details of the sound that I noted above remain consistent at the 47ohm setting - regardless of level - and are not available, to the same extent, at the 100ohm setting (regardless of level).
I do believe my system (phono amp?) may have some preference for lower phono loading of MC's - though the manufacturer of my phono, Plinius, suggest 47Kohms(!) as "a suitable all-round setting" for the M14. I used the Jubilee at 47ohms for a while, though with that cartridge it was less successful and sounded a bit too 'closed in' - so I reverted back to a more conventional 100ohms or even 470ohms.
I may be remembering this incorrectly, but I think it was Jonathan Carr who said some phono amps may prefer lower loading due to noise pickup at the phono input (Jonathan's own phono amp has a fixed high input resistance).
Who knows, it may be taming the HF peak, generator damping or noise pickup....or something else...in the end it's what works best to the individuals ears I suppose. |
Hi Axel, yes it does seem that 'correct' loading is a very system dependent thing.
I know what you are saying regarding the 'sat on, compressed or over-tight' type sound. The Jubilee tended that way when loaded at 47ohms - though in some ways it sounded more correct. The A90 is a totally different animal and sounds very dynamic and alive at 47ohms (in my system). In fact after listening for a while at 47ohms it's hard to go back to the 100 ohm setting that I was very much enjoying previously.
There is nothing obnoxious going on at higher loadings, the Plinius phono is quite refined on top and my Harbeth speakers tend to the 'polite' side - so you'd think the extra 'air' at the higher loadings would be my preference. However with 47ohms the superior solidity and shape to performers and instruments, the transiernt certitude and greater soundspace awareness makes this an obvious winner for me. It sounds more natural and less overblown 'Hi-Fi'.
Clearly cartridge loading is something that can't be translated from system to system. If nothing else, this little discourse should encourage both A90 and Windfeld users to experiment with their loading.
Cheers, Tobes |
"The production capacity for A 90 is limited as the Single Laser Mould is a very special process. The structures for A90 are produced by a Danish research Insitute, Teknologisk Institut Aarhus, their capacity is limited at the machine is one of 3 in all Europe.
They use it mostly for research purposes but we are a partner for them in their research for using this process for manufacturing " I wonder how high the A90 would have been priced if it was being marketed by one of the more 'esoteric' cartridge manufacturers? This cartridge was still a stretch for me, but it sounds stellar and uniquely transparent IME. Thank goodness Ortofon didn't decide to put an inflated 'exclusive' sticker price on the A90 - otherwise I would have been denied access to this type of performance. |
12-24-09: Lewm
Do you guys think that the 47-ohm load would also be optimal for the MC7500, given the familial relationship among the MC7500, Windfield, and MCA90 cartridges? I like the MC7500 at 100 ohms very much. If I would critique it I would say that it is slightly "dry" sounding, gives lots of inner detail but maybe not so much in the way of "goosebumps". On the other hand, I came to it from years of listening to my Koetsu Urushi, so you could say I had been conditioned to a different sound that is anything but "dry". Anything is possible but, going by the specifications, the MC7500 doesn't appear that similar to the Windfield/A90. The MC7500 has very low output of 0.13mv and a 6ohm DCR (compared to 0.3mV and 4ohms). Clearly it has different electrical properties. However since phono input loading *may* have more to do with damping the ultrasonic resonance peak (per Jcarr) - and how the phono amp deals (or doesn't) with this peak - it may be worth a try. FWIW, there seems to be no consensus on loading for the Windfeld. A search here on Audiogon shows some people swear by 500-1Kohms - others say load below 100ohms. Unfortunately there appears to be no specific 'right' value that can be applied across all systems - but I think we already covered that above. |
04-18-10: Tbg
Apparently, Ortofon is going to have to stick with the maximum of 500 A90s. It is some limitation in the manufacturing process. I thought the A90 was a limited edition of 400? The Selective Laser Melting (SLM) manufacturing process shouldn't impose any limitation - apart from access to an SLM machine. But I'd expect availability to be on the increase as this is an emerging technology. |
Shane, I have my A90 pretty close to horizontal...perhaps just a touch up at the rear going by the Phantom's mircopoise bubble level (but well within the centre guide lines).
The cartridge still sounds good if VTA is a bit off, but you don't get that same image 'pop' and presence - nor the bass snap - that you get when it's right.
If you do mount the A90 in your Phantom (on the Raven) I have a tip. Try some Caig Pro-gold on the Phantoms cartridge clips, arm wand pins, DIN and RCA connections. I hadn't done this since purchasing the Phantom and I was amazed at the obvious improvement in both image palpability and fine textural detail - leading to even greater musical involvement and flow.
I don't recall ever hearing such an obvious improvement when treating with Pro-Gold on previous occasions. These are no doubt critical connections, but I think the A90's great clarity and performance potential makes the treatment very worthwhile. |
