I agree, a good decision. Good luck! |
The Linn is one heck of a learning cartridge. Also, gives you an idea of the variety to expect. |
Consider the Nottingham Analogue offerings, particularly the Dais and the Deco. They favour the Trans-Fi Terminator air bearing tonearm, which is itself a tremendous value.
I use a near-Dais standard NA TT with a Terminator TA for mono, with a Miyajima Zero cartridge. It's the best you can do south of an air bearing TT. Which I also have.
IMO. |
Koetsu - I have the least expensive diamond cantilever cartridge. It is phenomenal: clarity without edge. I've never heard a cartridge close to it.
On another thread, a connoisseur of Koetsu cartridges opined that the diamond cantilever option was the most important feature, much more important than the stone body (of which he has several).
After two hours' playing, the K just sings, can't seem to play a sour note. IMO. YMMV. |
You are too kind, @whart . No-one needs to be told how very much the same applies to you.
OP, whart has also posted extensively about ultrasonic record cleaning, of which I too am an exponent. Last year I had a photomicrograph taken of my Koetsu, which revealed that the stylus was almost new after 1000 hours. I attribute this to ultrasonic cleaning and heroic rinsing with distilled water. Since rebuilding my Koetsu will cost upwards of $5000, the ultrasonic cleaning system has already paid for itself.
Just something to consider now that you are getting into vinyl in a serious way. |
Grunge is mainly on old records - the diamond dust comes from styli now dead.
But I clean NEW records as well. Opinion is divided on whether or not new records can be contaminated with mold-release compound or some other liquid residue, but with a $10K cartridge I take no chances. No record is allowed to look at the Koetsu before it is cleaned.
Allow me to add my congratulations on your new turntable. A fine unit which you will enjoy for many years - and IMO, that's money well spent. |
uwiiks, you have some fabulous equipment there, so just a word of caution. The magnets in your cartridge are very powerful. Do not let anything which is magnetic get anywhere near them. No watch straps, no coins, only tools - and even then, not too close and only when carefully controlled.
Don't ask me how I know. Good luck!
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Agreed Whart. This sniping is in bad taste. |
Raul, you say the the OP will tire of his cartridge long before it wears out. I'm not so sure.
He is using a Miyajima cartridge, probably better than the one which I own, which is the Zero (a mono offering). I can say unequivocally that the Zero is in the same league as the DC Koetsu; lacking the ultimate refinement, but then one does expect to get SOMETHING for an extra $10K. So my experience with Miyajima is very positive.
I think it likely that the OP will continue to enjoy his Miyajima for decades to come - maybe not as his primary cartridge, but as an enjoyable alternative nevertheless. Decades. I do not think that you are being rational in this, and that is before we even consider the sonic benefits.
Further, there are the sonic benefits of US - not subtle to my ears, much greater than the difference between the Koetsu and Miyajima. I say, "Take care of your equipment and it will take care of you." |
@uwiikz, @lalitk
About record cleaning, the machine @lalitk recommended looks like a variant on the VPI 16.5. Much better than nothing, but not consistent with your investment in vinyl front end, IMO. I had one of the VPI machines - after cleaning with the VPI, my ultrasonic system removed as much grunge again. Difference in sound was even greater. Some unlistenably noisy records became pristine, high M-, if you can believe it.
The issue with record grunge is that even a tiny amount is unacceptable, since an analysis indicated equal portions of grease, diamond dust, and household dust (don't have the reference). That is just about an ideal industrial grinding compound, ready and able to re-shape your expensive, precision stylus into a blob. Using the VPI alone, one of my styli was utterly destroyed after about 1500 hours, vs almost new after 1000.
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Recommended equipment. I use an Elmasonic P60H, sold by Fisher, a prominent laboratory equipment supplier. This endorsement is important, because if lab equipment doesn't meet spec (specification), there is hell to pay, exacted by the biggest heavyweights. So you can trust Elma (a German company) equipment not to run overpower and ruin things nor underpower and not clean things. In my unit, Quality Control is superb.
That's the tank. To rotate the records in the US bath, I use an assembly made by Vinyl Stack, a U.S. company. Quality is very high, comparable to Elma. A well thought out product which is easy to use. Even further, they will work with you to give you exactly what you need. I use one assembly with the Elmasonic to clean, another assembly to rinse.
Cleaning one or two records at a time gives best results; whether this is a matter of power per record or the distance between them I am not sure, although I suspect the latter. For cleaning chemistry I use 5% Fisher Versaclean in distilled water, 45C, 80KHz, 15 minutes. Then I rinse 4 times, dry, and put into new sleeves. @whart @antinn @rushton and others have made valuable comments on the subject. One user summarized the above, but his handle escapes me. |
I think I see what's going on.
Midway down the first page, the OP reports that the exact analogue front end that he fell in love with, the exact same demo unit, was suddenly offered at a price he could afford. He accepted.
Perhaps we came to different conclusions because we were using different information? |
@rauliruegas
Well, I think it's likely that the OP will continue to enjoy his exceptional cartridge long into the future. Why? Because I fell in love with the planar sound as soon as I heard it fifty years ago, and that hasn't changed. I wanted a Koetsu from the first time I heard one, 40 years ago. That hasn't changed either. I wanted a good belt drive from the first time I heard one of those, 20 years ago. Even that hasn't changed, despite lots of auditions. Linear tracking tonearm too. Maybe the OP has a similar mentality.
You don't agree, doubtless for similarly good reasons. Shall we agree to leave it there? You have your viewpoint, I have mine? |
@chakster , you really need to lighten up. And that paragraph about a $3K used machine outperforming the big Kuzma is a matter for medication. |
Cartridge: You might also consider Soundsmith. The owner gives talks and makes a lot of sense (Peter Ledermann). Some knowledgeable people speak very highly of his products. |
@best-groove, I absolutely do not agree. Further, I think that what you wrote is mean-spirited. When you audition and audition and fall in love with something, that's probably real. And now the OP has said that he's going to practice on an inexpensive cartridge - what could be more sensible than that? Hardly a matter for condescension. IMO. |
Cartridge: Disclaimer - I have no recent experience with inexpensive cartridges. But, you fell in love with Miyajima - do they sell an inexpensive one? I have heard and read good things about the Nagaoka line, it is or was the factory recommendation for a good line of turntables. What does your dealer say?
Don’t buy used!!! Except from your dealer or another trusted source. Not until you have more experience.
May I also suggest an inexpensive alignment protractor, and an inexpensive torque screwdriver? Even an experienced user can tighten one side of the cartridge much more than the other - at least, I have. But not with a torque screwdriver.
You don’t have to use the stuff right away, or even ever. Just having it around will help. Imagine using it, get a friend or dealer to show you how, eventually install a $50 cartridge several times. Use it on a record that you don’t value much. And if you never do use the setup equipment, so what? One of my audio friends with a higher end system (but not quite where you are) won’t even think about it. His friends do it for him, and gladly.
Good luck and good listening. |
Raul, I do not think that a newcomer to the hobby should have to worry about whether or not the cartridge he received is ’as advertised’. The OP is obviously not short of a few dollars, and he can afford to let others worry about that. It’s a cost-convenience tradeoff, with knowledge tipping the scale towards one side or the other. Personally, I would only go with a trusted source - but to date I have only bought new.
As for US cleaning, I clearly stated that I US all records, new, NOS, or used, because of contaminants which can be observed on some of them, even new in plastic. Further, after playing a record for a few years, I clean it again. Don’t get enough grunge off to detect it, but I don’t want to risk my stylus.
Obviously, you disagree. Fine. Enjoy. |
There is a current thread on US cleaning: Ultrasonic cleaning before and after.
If you have time and are interested. |
@uwiikz, looks like you did it all yourself.
You found the dealer, you found the bargain, you identified the cartridges. And made good decisions.
All you needed to know was, "In the light of experience, does this make sense?" The answer was overwhelmingly, "Yes." Well done you.
I would listen carefully to the Kansui at the dealer's and ask him to mount the Mandake while you watch him, make notes, and ask questions. Then choose the one you prefer - but err on the side of smooth - don't go for sizzle. Sizzle gets wearing, as you are doubtless aware. |
Nice to hear that the Kuzma sounds so good in your own home. That’s the critical test - when you can take your time to determine what you really like.
@cleeds is right, as long as your volume control can deliver as much volume as you want, and noiselessly, then it doesn’t matter where the control indicates. My own volume control on my DIY preamp, usually resides at 3 o’clock - sometimes 1, sometimes 5 - designed that way. I have enough gain for a low output MC, enough sensitivity for a MM. |
Sympathy. And good luck to you and yours. |
