Removable headshells 101

Dear Henry, a few really good headshell ? O.k. let me suggest a few:
- if weight really matters and has to be really low: Orsonic AV-1.
- if weight should be low, but not that low: Orsonic AV-101 or Stability Titan
- if weight not that much issue: AT Technihard AT-LH18 (ONLY the "18" !!)
These three do represent technically the best I have found in 30 years. If a cartridge/tonearm sounds bad with any of these 4 headshells, it is not the headshell's fault.
The AT-LH18 is absurdly cheap compared with the competition - it is the clear "best buy" in headshell design (even it's standard wires and clips are good!).
Litz wires for headshell ? Ikeda or Nagaoka silver litz wire w/rhodium plated clips.
There are other headshells out there - much more expensive ones and cheaper ones. None of these 4 equipped with the wires mentioned will let you down.
Each will easily stand it's own against any other headshell for any other price tag.
They stood the test of time (30 to 12 years on the market) and have all 4 superb rigidity, very good energy transfer and are technically smart designs with a no-nonsense approach.
They are the right stuff if you want to know whats really in the cartridge and in the groove.
Cheers,
D.

Dear Raul, you know very well that there is no way on this earth that I could proof something so that you would agree wholeheartedly.
It is just plain not possible.
Just as I am unable to proof anything to you, - so are you vice versa.
So where is the problem ? It is always nothing else then a subjective statement. I in most cases I try to choose a point of view based on fairly neutral technical ground - you most of the time are rather on the side of subjective sonic reception.
I guess that both points of view have their merits.
I for one think, that if a cartridge needs a "good match", then the cartridge's body has problems.
I for one believe in audio components which do not require sonic matches.
If an audio component needs a certain sonic counterpart to produce neutral sound, then the designer of that specific component has not finished his design/job. In other words - I think it is a problem, if a certain given cartridge calls for a certain "sonic match" in a headshell to perform it's best.
The 4 headshells I have named above will rank in the top class of every survey which would analyze headshells regarding rigidity, lack of resonance and energy transfer ( can be measured...).
It is not just about MM/MI cartridges.
Give any of the later 3 headshells a try with serious LOMCs (MM and MI aren't the only cartridges out there ...;-) ...) and you'll see/hear what I mean. Here it is much more about energy transfer and much less about damping resonances of a cartridge's body.
However - I think the AV-1 may be very good even with the ADC and AT20ss.
Cheers,
D.

Dear Henry,
sure - the fixed mounting holes of the AT-LH18 aren't the smartest of ideas.
The firm circular grip of the actual headshell around the throat tube is however very good and extremely solid. And gives extremely versatile adaption to overhang.
Same solution I. Ikeda uses for his headshell and same I would use if I would fancy about designing a headshell.
It may not please you, but it does please the engineer even better than the solutions favored by Orsonic or Clearaudio - i.e. one screw tip.
So the only real drawback here is the fixed mounting hole indeed.
But the AT-LH18 is relatively inexpensive (around $55,-), comes with very good wires and tag clips and - dare I !! - one can widen the mounting holes of the cartridges body to adjust offset a bit.... ;-) .... just kidding ...
No - in fact, take the headshell - go to the next fine tooling workshop and have the fixed holes drilled open and modified to long slots - é voila !
The serious audiophile finds space for modifications in every component....;-) ....
Cheers,
D.

Dear Henry, it's not just the headshells ..... the headshell wires and tag clips are - due to extreme variations in contact pressure and material - contributing or distracting a lot to/from the sonic performance.
Here the signal is the most tiny one - unamplified and unequalized yet. Contact pressure and contact material is paramount.
So - we aren't just comparing headshells - we are comparing different headshells and in most if not all cases different tag clips and different headshell wires....
Cheers,
D.

Dear Raul, regarding headshell wires and clips: every once in a while we are in complete agreement ...;-) .....
Nice.
Cheers,
D.

Dear Nikola, ... touché ...;-) ....
Best,
D.

Dear Raul, indeed. Regarding the AT Technihard and the short platform (which 2 of the 3 indeed have) - that's why I recommended the AT-LH18 ONLY. This - the most massive of the three AT-Technihard headshells features are much longer mounting platform.
Cheers,
D.

Dear Raul, well - over the past 3 decades it were for me only those 4 headshells I mentioned which I used. After 20 years of Orsonic AVs and Clearaudio Stability (which is after all a copycat of the Orsonic) the Technihard 18 was the first headshell coming along in quite some time with a straight and mechanical excellent executed design and a very fair price.
However - I too would like to see rather long slots instead of threaded holes.
When I used MMs and MIs, they were mounted in my Air Tangent, ET 2, STAX-UA90 and Graham - sans headshell.
Cheers,
D.