Doug, your answer dissapoints me. How can you recommend a cartridge that uses a 16.5u round stylus? That will destroy anyone's record collection--unless they are 1950's hard mono records. Maybe for a high end kiddie phonograph a radial tip would work... At the very least a stylus tip should be elliptical. At the very least. |
It's not theory--it's simple physics: P = F/S. The better the stylus, the larger the contact area, the deeper it will go into the record groove. From eliptical, to hiper eliptical, to Shibata (Audio Tecnica), Stereohedron (Stanton) and Fritz Geiger (Ortofon) shapes. Come on, those cartridges were designed for radio stations back in the early 60's and the records back then (thick hard and mostly mono). There's someone in eBay who had the nerve to advertise the Pickering XV-15 as an audiophile product because it had been used in Swedish radio! I *do* have one of those--it was in my Father's fully automatic Garrard rim drive. One of the first things I learned when I started audio (I was 14, 1977) was to use the best tip shape I could afford. That's why I still have VG++ albums from that era, in spite of drugs, rock and roll and my Tecnics DD. Doug, stylus shape is so important that the cartridge I use is a DJ cartridge to which Kevin (KAB Electroacoustics) grafts a NOS Stereohedron stylus. Trackabilitty and musicality are excellent, along with the midrange of a $1500 MC. My Ortofon X5 MC has become the spare cartridge... One's record collection would do a LOT better with a Shure M97. For real. *** *** |
Given equal improper alignment, other stylus profiles are more likely to do much greater damage.True, I am very careful when I set up the Fritz Geiger stylus. Could become a flying knife down in the grooves. Trackability must also be factored in the wear equation, and that's a forgotten term amongst vinylphiles! Very few cartridges nowadays have excellent tracking, especially most of the 'audiophile' MC's. Mistracking with a spherical tip is very destructive. Please remember. I remember when someone well respected here got into vinyl and brought over a Goldring cartridge for me to set it up. He had had arguments with me for me stating my opinion without his asking, so this time I just listened. The TT was a cheap ($30), s-shaped tonearm, 80's model. He had bought the cartridge because it was TWL's pick (what a riot!). OK, I installed it. I knew it would become a flying knife... First, between the mid-late 60's and at least the 1980's virtually all records where cut using a tracing simulator in the lathe, which pre-distorts the signal to compensate the distortion of the spherical stylus. Playing them with any other stylus shape will not cancel the pre-distortion. Even without pre-distortion on the LP spherical stylii are much less sensitive to issues of VTA/SRA and misalignment, which leads us to the next point. You know, this is a first for me. I suspected those 60's & 70's records sounded funny. Thorsten does make a case, indeed. My whole approach to basing my digital rig on a belt drive transport and making it sound as close to vinyl as possible also makes a case, too. So does the KAB modded 1200. All I would have to do is switch the stylus on the KAB modded Groovemaster when playing older records. Yes, I would be using a spherical DJ stylus, my friends! KAB sells three versions of the Ortofon Concorde, the top model having a Fritz Geiger stylus. I've been to Kevin's house and heard his setup. All that have dealt with him know his analog knowledge is way up there--and he's a 60's guy, believe me. Unfortunately this time, he has a strict policy of not posting in audio forums. Turntable/Phono Stage: Acoustic Solid 'Solid One' - German Mass Turntable, three Arm/Cartridge combo's mounted, custom LCR equalised Phonostage with E810F & D3aSo, I see Thorsten's point. He uses three arms (bet not all three cartridges have a spherical stylus). The KAB modded 1200 makes even more $en$e as time goes on... And so, I've learned something new today. If my record collection is older, a spherical will most likely give good results. However, the cartridge must be an excellent tracker. Got to choose the moving magnet great trackers, Stanton 881S, Shure V15 V, Ortofon Concorde, Stanton Trackmaster. *** |
Larry, tell your friend that for a Denon 103 (or 103R) on a Rega, Twl's HIFI mod is an absolute must.Trackability, my dearest Doug, trackability. Let's start playing those MC's on the Shure test records. I have the III, IV and V records. Wish I had purchased a V15 V and other classics before they were discontinued... *** |
Actually, Doug, there are several issues at once here, besides breaking in (an unavoidable process). Record wear, trackability, stylus shape, the inadequacies of the analog medium and the cash outlay necessary for making low output MC's (and other low output designs, like some moving iron cartridges). Something good should come out of this. I recently found an Audio Tecnica AT-15S cartridge I was given by my father's friend who introduced me to high end when I was 14 years old. Also found a Shure V15 III he sold me for $30. I wonder if this $400 MM AT cartridge is essentially the same: http://www.needledoctor.com/s.nl/it.A/id.3822/.f?sc=7&category=578 Perhaps John N. can shed some light... *** |
Thanks for your help, John. My father's friend was a freak when it came to spending cartridges. I think he went astray when he jumped on the low output MC wagon and sold his Technics SP-10 for a SOTA vacuum. Earlier this year he admitted to me switching to the SOTA was a mistake. The cartridge he gave me is an AT-15S. I found a supplier of NOS Audio Technica stylus and they have the AT-S15 replacements. As for the conical/distortion cancelling issue, I will give it a shot. Got this Pickering XSV/3000 body on eBay and will buy a NOS eliptical stylus from KAB. I never liked the idea of using my Shibata/Fritz Geiger tips with 60's records anyway. If this works out, then I can have KAB prepare an eliptical or conical stylus for my modded Groovemaster. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=006&item=160006556787&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWN%3AIT&rd=1 I think it's time for a new thread... *** |
