Gxleetw,
Like you, I listen almost exclusively to classical music. And while these observations may apply to nobody but me, I'll share them for what they're worth.
The moving-coil carts I have (Shelter 501 MkII and Benz Ace S (low output) are breathtaking in their transparency. It's like looking through a freshly cleaned window. Very appealing. I use both of them regularly. But on many discs (especially those with with heavy violin passages), I find the upper frequencies to be a bit less realistic than with my Grado Statement Sonata1 (0.5mv output).
I won't call the high-pitched violins shrill, harsh or strident, but there is a thin, insubstantial, "pinched" quality to them that I don't hear in the concert hall. My moving-iron Grado does a better job of capturing the woody, rosiny, rich character of the violins.
I probably wouldn't want to be without a good moving coil, but if I had to choose one type, it would be the Grado or something very much like it. As I said, for what it's worth.
-Bob
Like you, I listen almost exclusively to classical music. And while these observations may apply to nobody but me, I'll share them for what they're worth.
The moving-coil carts I have (Shelter 501 MkII and Benz Ace S (low output) are breathtaking in their transparency. It's like looking through a freshly cleaned window. Very appealing. I use both of them regularly. But on many discs (especially those with with heavy violin passages), I find the upper frequencies to be a bit less realistic than with my Grado Statement Sonata1 (0.5mv output).
I won't call the high-pitched violins shrill, harsh or strident, but there is a thin, insubstantial, "pinched" quality to them that I don't hear in the concert hall. My moving-iron Grado does a better job of capturing the woody, rosiny, rich character of the violins.
I probably wouldn't want to be without a good moving coil, but if I had to choose one type, it would be the Grado or something very much like it. As I said, for what it's worth.
-Bob