If you've enjoyed the harmonic depth, complexity and subtlety of cartridges like the Transfiguration Orpheus, you'll find the Strain Gauge a very different experience. I second Stringreen's advice, listen to one before committing.
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Vintage carts? I'm not sure. But I'll keep things in mind, thanks for the suggestion. Very tempted by neutral, dynamic sound that Straingauge promises which should augment my neutral, dynamic tt/arm combo I'm so impressed with at the monent.
Can one have 'too much' neutrality ie is it better to 'sugar the pill' with a more romantic cart?
Eg I know a fair few Grand Prix Monaco dd tt owners have offset the neutrality of the deck with the sweeter sounding Triplanar tonearm. |
The Astatic vs the Strain Gauge. One costs a few hundred bucks, and the other will cost several thousand bucks. So there's that to think about. If you are disappointed in the Astatic, you would lose maybe $100 on the re-sale; maybe less. |
Hi James, your input invaluable. I have to say I love the Zu modded Denon 103 because it is neutral but has great warmth as well. I'm just unsure it is giving me as good tonality and dimensionality as some thing a little more exotic.
My main concern with the Straingauge is that it's attributes are already demonstrated by the tt/arm combo I have, and this in total may be "too much of a good thing". I know a lot of audiophiles with very neutral tt/arm sounds often choose a slightly sweeter cart to even the sound out. But in the case of my Salvation tt/Terminator arm, the sound although neutral and incisive is very warm in the best sense (ie accurate as well) and a fast neutral cart may synergise v. well.
Can you specify the rest of your equipment? |
I have the Soundsmith SG-200 and I like it. While I don't think I am qualified to review it, in general I would say that my experience agrees with Michael Fremers -- which I would paraphrase as follows.
Less "romantic" than many moving magnet/moving coil cartridges but without their frequency response anomalies (e.g., rising top end). Very fast, clean sound; kind of like the differences between McIntosh tube amps (fast, clean) and other tube amps that are very good but which are "warmer" and not as neutral. The strain gauge has many of the advantages of the best digital sources but without the almost inevitable digital artifacts.
I really like the strain gauge and will keep it in my system for a long time to come.
Regards, James |
Dear Spiritofmusic: I respect every single advise you already received but I can see that you realy cares about music because you are asking for neutrality and this characteristic is a main target to achieve on music reproduction along natural tone balance and accuracy.
I already heard almost all the cartridges named here ( including de SG. ) and IMHO many of them are far away from what you are asking for.
One cartridge that meets your targets and that IMHO is a great performer is the vintage Astatic MF-200 that you could get asking to this person that has some samples on sale:
usedhifi@mail2lawrence.com
Well, the Astatic is an alternative for you.
Regards and enjoy the music,
R. |
Spiritofmusic, to be honest I haven't played the Garrott for some time because the results I'm getting with the SS/103R have been so impressive.
If fact I haven't even heard the Garrott with the Cary phono - which is something I really should do.
I can say that with my previous Plinius M14 phono stage I preferred the 103R to the Garrott, in most ways, and over a wide selection of music. Both cartridges have a special quality of musical engagement and expression.
That said, I think the SS/103R is on a different level. |
Spiritofmusic, Regarding the carts. I sold my Acutex 420 STR to Vic the producer of the 'Terminator'; the linear tonearm. After listening to this cart for only 10 min. he
wrote to me asking if I can provide more. He then bought my second 420, the 412 and the M 312. Frogman was also very impressed with the 420 (see 'Eminent Technology
ET-2' thread; 05-03-12). Many members bought those Acutex
carts in Italy some time ago. So it seems to me you will have no difficulyy to get one.
Regards, |
Br3098, Tobes and Stringreen, thanks for your responses. Tobes, I see that you're running a Garrott P77 alongside your Soundsmith retipped 103. The Garrott is the very cart my tt designer is recommending I get to replace the Zu 103, run thru a Ray Samuels Nighthawk F117 phono stage. Any comments? |
you must listen to the straign guage beofre purtchaseing. It sounds very different and you must be prepared for the differences. |
If you like your Zu 103, why not go the next step and get a Soundsmith OCL retip.
I've been using an SS retipped 103R in a Midas aluminium body for some time now and the jump in realism and transparency over the stock conical tip is amazing. The cartridge retains the involvement and superior pace and timing of the 103R.
While I'm sure the SG is excellent, every time i listen to my SS/103R it engages and thrills me and I wonder why I'd want to pay more. The musical bargain of our times IMO. |
I have not tested one on my system, but I did spend a few hours listening to a SG-400 system at a friend's home. My initial reaction was thin and cool, but prior to the SG we were listening to a Grado Statement 1.
After my ears adjusted, my considered reaction was that the Strain Gauge system was very tonally neutral and natural sounding. I could see where is might be considered cool and thin if not paired to the right system, but all in all I would probably opt for more neutrality in the analog front end.
I will say that the SG was noticeably more quick and lively than the Grado (no surprise), and sounded great with all the musical genres we played it on. If I were looking to make a significant change in my analog front end I would certainly consider the SG system; assuming that it worked well with the overall tonality of my system (or that I was willing to change my amp/preamp to suit). |
