Time for a new cartridge
My current cartridge which is a Van Den Hul DDTII Special MC is starting to lose it's zing. Details are not as sharp as they were and overall I think I'd like something fresh. My tt is a VPI Prime with the 10" JMW Memorial tonearm. My phono stage is a Musical Fidelity Nu Vista Vinyl. My amp is a McIntosh MA8950 integrated. My speakers are Sonus Faber Cremona M. I have 2 KEF R400B subs, which I think compliment the Cremona's. I've emailed VDH and they said they would do a re tip and get it back to where it was, but I'm thinking maybe it's time for a different sound. With the info I've provided I'd like some alternatives. My budget is around $2500.
Dear @drvynil01 @vynilshadow: The cartridge was designed at very precise market prce point as the manufacturer entry level model and that's why the Eq. uses op-amps instead of discrete design.You can't ask for more:
https://daviddenyerpr.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/hfn-oct-ds-audio-ds-e3_reprint.pdf R. |
I might be too late to this discussion. If not, however, I would like to draw your attention to the Miyaji MEMS cartridge by the Japanese designer H. Sawada (his company is called ARSound) of Hamamatsu. During my last trip to Japan in April, Mr. Sawada invited me to his home to listen to this remarkable cartridge. I liked it so much that I bought it on the spot. I have written about it on Audiogon here: https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/recommend-an-mc-cartridge/post?postid=2707495 here is the website of the US importer with more information: https://gestalthifi.com/arsound/ In short: if you are still undecided about your next cartridge, this might be your end game! I myself see it that way, listening to it every day and retrieving "new" musical information from my old records all the time: it's a revelation [and you don't need any phono stage or step-up transformer: the 250 mV output (!!) goes directly into the MM or DAC input of your preamp: as the transduction mechanism operates w/o translating stylus vibration into an electric signal and is amplitude-proportional, RIAA decoding by a phono stage is no longer needed for ground-shaking bass.] |
@reimarc that cart looks amazing, I really like the idea. How has it been working for you? There is no pricing on it, what does it retail for? You said, it goes right into a normal pre-amp input? So no phono stage at all? |
Dear @reimarc : " The sound pressure transmitted to the microphone by the shape of the sound pipe is equalized, and the test record is adjusted and aged so that the frequency response from 20Hz to 20KHz is almost flat.. " The signal is equalized to conform the inverse RIAA eq.. The cartridge is an amplitude transducer instead velocity one cartridges. Like the strain gauge and that’s why you can’t use through a phono stage just as the strain gauge design. Now is flat 20hz to 20khz and which is the response from: 12hz to 35khz and beyond these " figures "? because that frequency range came from the manufacturer/designer aand is weird that he does not measured or at least a comment about, only saying. I experienced 2-3 times with the SG by SSmith and well is a different kind of sound that was not exactly what I was looking for and maybe the MEMScould be.
" retrieving "new" musical information from my old records all the time..."
I wonder how many different eq.has the unit or if no matter what the response is always almost exactly to the inverse RIAA eq. ( flat ).
R. |
