Dear Rushton: Somebody in this forum post that the Magic cartridges comes from a Denon 103 design. Do you know something about?
Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul. |
Raul, please check your e-mail..... |
Raul, if you can e-mail me the picture, I will post it myself in exchange for keeping a copy (providing you with full credit, of course)! |
Dear 4yanx: I can do it. Please let me know ( by e-mail ) how I post that picture in this thread. I'm sorry but I'm not friendly with the computers. Tks.
Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul. |
Raul, sonic impressions aside, something that would be a stunning and exceedingly helpful contribution would be to post a picture of all of those cartridges in one or two frames, labelled with names (versions). While you assert that you are not rich, many of us could not even spring for one of the many cartridges you mention. An absolute smorgasboard of a picture of all would at least allow some drooling.... |
Nsgarch: No I don't. I only want to help you. I already send an e-mail to you because there is a " door " for an improvement. Sorry to disturb you.
Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul. |
Raul: No. No crossover. But that is a subject for a different thread. You could start one if you like. |
Dear Nsgarch: Please tell me if this is true: you are using a crossover between your preamp and main amp.
What do you tell me if I tell you that you can have the signal that goes between your preamp and the 23.5/speakers with out any electronic crossover?, : a huge and great improvement in the quality sound reproduction of your system.
If you are interested please e-mail me.
Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul. |
Hi Sirspeedy: No and I am not a rich man. What happen is that through my audio life I buy many audio items: of every kind ( including cartridges ), then I sold those audio/items that help me to buy the cartridges/tonearms and of course I have to invest some money to do that.
I really learn a lot with these all stuff and I'm still learning about.
Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul. |
I'm not indicating that the Temper-v I own is THE top tier performer in analog,these days,as seems to be the case everytime some folks upgrade to a new cartridge,but it is on a short list.However,what is beginning to be obvious to the "NOT TOO MANY" remaining,and loyal analog lovers,who have been at this for a long time,is the simple fact that the ENVELOPE has been pushed REALLY,REALLY far.This with the latest,and ALL superb tables/arms,and IMO UNBELIEVEABLY high performance cartridge designs currently available,to the "STILL LOYAL" crowd.I have no problem with digital,and own a fine player,for the newer music,but I can't remember a time when there were so many incredible analog designs available.
Thank God I have continued to collect LP's.I'll be reaping their rewards for a long time,God willing!! |
Dear Nsgarch: No I don't have many interchangeable headshells or arm wands, what I have are many tonearms. What is happen is that I have three TTs with 10 tonearms in my audio system.
Normally, I put on sale one or two cartidges ( that I can find/buy again in the near future ) when I need to buy some other audio item/cartridge, right now I don't need nothing, but I can think about: which one do you like?, Please send me an e-mail.
Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul. |
Rushton, you're right, it was the Clearaudio -- I remember we talked about the Transfigurations and I think he said he liked the Temper V but wasn't familiar with the Temper W. I know he's pretty impressed with the Magic Diamond though. |
Actually, immediately before the Magic Diamond he was using the Clearaudio Insider Reference. Good luck in your search.
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Thanks Rushton. Before the Magic Diamond, I believe Lloyd Walker was using the Transfiguration Temper W -- which is of course my other candidate (and at about half the price!)
Again, thanks for your impressions. |
Nsgarch, not in the same system so no truly valid comparisons to be drawn - each of these cartridges have differing overall sonic "flavors" and characteristics that tend to show across various systems, but I don't consider myself sufficiently familiar, or to have spent enough serious time with various of them in systems whose sound I know well, to comment about comparisons. What I have are impressions and quick judgements that work for me, but are not sufficient to support making comments on them here. If you're interested in considering the Magic Diamond, I'd encourage you to give Lloyd Walker a call and chat with him.
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Rushton,
Thanks for your comprehensive description of the MD. It's really the first one I've read. Apparently, you've been listening to it long enough to know what it really sound like; yet you didn't compare it with any "known" cartridges (like vdH, Koetsu, Allaerts, etc.) so I was wondering what you were listening to before you acquired the Magic Diamond? |
Nsgarch, I use the Magic Diamond cartridge, and I bought it from Lloyd Walker at his recommendation, and I use it on his turntable. I can't begin to make a ton of comparisons to other cartridges, but the Magic Diamond is very very good and well worth a top tier candidate consideration from anyone willing to consider this level of cost. Of course, I've also found over the years that Lloyd's sonic priorities and listening biases closely match my own.
The Magic Diamond manages to punch all of my sonic priority buttons for listening to classical music (chamber, vocal and large orchestral) and other acoustic music. It also does good justice to the occasional LP side of hard rock that gets played here from time-to-time.
To my ear, the Magic Diamond delivers a superb balancing of resolution, detail, soundstaging and musical naturalness that I find immensely satisfying; it is very neutral without being analytical and it never editorializes. Listening with the Magic Diamond also lets you hear every nuance of what's going on in the recording, and you can clearly hear and follow all the complex musical and vocal lines without blurring, without finessing, it's all simply "there" in the best possible sense.
The Magic Diamond also happens to be a great match to the Walker Audio Proscenium turntable's tonearm where it finds it's home in my system. Other than the turntable, Lloyd's audio system and mine are pretty different one-from-the-other, but we both find great value in what the Magic Diamond does well, and I'm yet to find any negatives in it after many hundreds of hours of playing time.
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Raul!!WHEW,did you close a movie deal,or maybe develope a new reality based TV series,in order to afford(even if used)that stable of thoroughbreds?? |
Raul,
Thanks for the list. That's very impressive. I'd say about $120,000 alone just for the installed and stand-by cartridges. You must have many interchangeable head shells or arm wands? Do you ever have an interest to sell any of your cartridges? |
Hi again: This is my current cartridges list:
Installed: Accuphase AC-2, Dynavector XV-1, Goldbug Brier, Ortofon MC 7500, Allaerts MC2 Finish Gold, Van denHul Colibri, Koetsu RSP, Shelter 90X, Ikeda 9REX and Transfiguration W.
Stand by: Audioquest 7000-Fe5, Ortofon MC 2000, Sao Win SMC-10, Supex SDX 2200R, Fidelity Research MC-702, Victor MC-1000, Highphonic MC-A6, Denon DL 1000, Denon S1, Denon 103, Audio Technica At-1000, Audiotechnica AT-37E, Audio technica ATML-180 OCC, Dynavector >Karat 23R, Empire EDR.9, ADC Astrion, Stanton 981 LZS, AKG P 25MD, Micro Acoustics 630 and Fulton.
Others in last 6 months: Clearaudio Insider Gold, Clearaudio Discovery, Sumiko Celebration, Benz Micro LP, Benz Micro Ruby 2, Lira Helikon, Lira Titan, Van denHul Frog, Audio technica At 2000, Audio Technica ART-1.
All the installed cartridges are really good ones and some of the stand by cartridges ( status ) are very good ones too.
Usually I hear the Allaerts, Colibri and XV-1. No, the ZYX do not come close to these ones ( I never own ZYX but I hear it ).
Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul. |
Raul, I'm just curious. Would you mind posting a list of all the cartridges you currently own and which ones you listen to the most?
Thanks |
Hi: All the Temper's are great cartridges and looking at your audio system the W will be a very good match and an improvement over the Frog.
The Dynavector XV-1 could be a great improvemente in the quality sound reproduction of your very fine audio system.
+++++ " I know everything there is to know about ZYX's. " +++++
The ZYX cartridges are a good ones too, but I think that the W or the XV-1 have better balance and neutrality all over the frecuency spectrum, they are more delicated and are near to the " truth " than the ZYX.
+++++ "I don't think you can go wrong with many of the top choices. " +++++ I agree with Sirspeedy.
Now, if you have the money, you can go for the excellent Allaerts MC2 Finish: this cartridge makes a real " difference " in the music/sound reproduction.
++++ "Lloyd Walker's current favorite.)" ++++
Mr. Walker is an extraordinary TT/audio designer ( that it is in the audio business ), but remember that he have a brain and two ears like anyone and his music bias and frecuency response of his ears like his audio system is different from yours or anyone else.
Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul. |
I own a Temper-v(low output),as does a friend.Usually,the lower output designs are superior in low level resolution.Only if you have enough gain in your phonostage.
Take a look at the latest issue of Hi-Fi News and Record Review,for a full review!!The results found are what I hear,but,there is a TON of REALLY GREAT cartridges on the market today!!Who knows which is best?I don't think you can go wrong with many of the top choices. |
I would also like to hear about the new Temp W and what phonostage works well. Raul recently posted that the bass was near perfect and the presentation was neutral. |
