South Africa ?! Oh man, I have always wanted to live there. But you are right, not in this time period. However, you are where all things Homo Sapiens began, ancient place.
What is it in MM that can give me goose-bumps? 🤔
Neither the best resolution CD or MC will give me goose-bumps.
Changing to e.g. my AT 440ML will do, will emotionaly move me, has emotional *impact* with every note played.
CD and even MC seems to resonate with my intellect, my MMs with my emotions.
It seems somehow contradictory, but so it is.
Anyone else has these experiences?
Michélle 🇿🇦
Changing to e.g. my AT 440ML will do, will emotionaly move me, has emotional *impact* with every note played.
CD and even MC seems to resonate with my intellect, my MMs with my emotions.
It seems somehow contradictory, but so it is.
Anyone else has these experiences?
Michélle 🇿🇦
68 responses Add your response
@chakster what do you think about xsv3000 Pickering?or v15 I already have Stanton 780 and epc 205 ciiL and akg pm25 on the way. I for one... also haven't been very impressed with expensive Mc. yes more detail. but not really what turntable should sound like. I think phono should really sound like master tapes I listen to heaps of them what's the recommendation for high compliance tonearm.? Victor ua 77 any good? |
@anthonya @chakster what do you think about xsv3000 Pickering? or v15 I already have Stanton 780 and epc 205 ciiL and akg pm25 on the way... In 1977 the XSV/3000 was Pickering’s first cartridge with the Stereohedron diamond. It was a totally new stylus shape at that time: "This new cartridge makes possible a wider, more open, fines sound - because it maximizes stereo tracing capabilities with the slightest, lightest touch a record ever had. It increases record life because force is spread over a greater contact area. And that means the least record wear achievable in these times (with a stereo cartridge)." In 1979 Pickering introduced an improved version called XSV/4000 and it was in production line until 1993. The XSV/4000 is much better than earlier XSV/3000 mainly because of the lower tip mass and higher compliance, wider frequency response. Then Pickering introduced even better next model (XSV/5000) with Stereohedron mk II stylus tip, and low impedance models such as XLZ/4500 and XLZ/7500 but it’s another story. The Stereohedron tip design is the result of long research in extended frequency response for tracing of high frequency modulations. Like its cousin, the Quadrahedral, the STEREOHEDRON stylus is shaped to provide an enlarged area of record groove contact, while providing the ability to accurately trace the high frequency, the level modulations found on today’s records, thus, the Stereohedron stylus provides superior performance which low stylus wear and low record wear for your stereo records. As far as i know, chronologically, Pickering XUV/4500Q with Quadrahedron stylus for CD-4 records was the predecessor of the Stereohedron series. The first Stereohedron series was the XSV/3000 model. Reading an old review I noticed that Stereohedron was preferable over Quadrahedron for stereo records. In other words even XSV/3000 was better than XUV/4500Q and XSV/4000 is better than XSV/3000. The Stereohedron has a large bearing surface which is distributed over a large portion of the modulated groove, and at the stated optimum tracking force of 1.2 grams, the actual force per unit area is, of course, much less and should significantly contribute to the longevity of recordings. A cartridge is only a link between the cold, lifeless excursion of the record groove and live, rich sound coming from the speakers. Your entire sound system will perform only as good as your cartridge does! Pickering cartridges manufactured at Pickering & Company, INC (Sunnyside Boulevard, Plainview, N.Y. 11803). Mr. Pickering was one of the founders of the Audio Engineering Society in 1948, was George Szell’s recording consultant, researched violin acoustics and constructed more than fifty vioins and violas and was active in the Violin Society of America. He also worked on ultrasound eye imaging with the technique’s inventor. After the war ended in 1945, Pickering met Mr. Stanton - an engineer who said he could sell all of the pickups he could build. So with some friends he went into business in Oceanside, Long Island and sure enough as many as he could build were quickly sold at first only to radio stations. But by 1947 the demand from high-fidelity fanatics was strong enough for what’s now called a ‘cartridge’ and Pickering & Company was formed to meet the new hobby’s demands. Mr. Stanton invented the interchangeable needle grips Pickering used. By the 1960 Stanton purchased Pickering & Company. He later established Stanton Magnetics Inc in 1961, and soon invented his legendary Stereohedron stylus tip in the 70’s. He was the chairman and president of both Pickering & Co and Stanton Magnetics Inc, designed some amazing cartridges until 1998, then Mr.Stanton sold both companies... Denon DA-401 is great tonearm for high compliance cartridges. If you’re looking for Victor then check UA-7045 If you want Stanton then look for 881, 980 or 981 , make sure the stylus is genuine Stereohedron first or mk2 version. |
@chakster thank you for listing out. I always wondered what's the fuss. I'm one that agree with your thoughts on this had a friend for experiment with very expensive gear and Mc setup. tried a high end mm. it just blew his mind with 1/7 th of the cost. it's different but what matters it's music. it's way way easier to make music. Mc had always been very tough unless u get everything every thing right. it doesn't really deliver music wise if not done correctly . as I heard good Mc before. but mostly worse than digital audio. I always tease them, is this music or just excitable sound? why bother what happens in extreme frequency and there is more data in the 10k to 100hz region. of course good MM can go beyond that but doesn't over cook the frequency extreme Thus we also conclude this debate ourself |
I must admit that not every MC is bad and not every MM is good. I prefer some top vintage MM (NOS) because of the obvious difference in performance (and cost) compared to modern MC carts. I don’t like modern MM cartridges, most of them does not have that magic. Same about most of the modern tubes (vintage NOS always better). I like some vintage LOMC too, but they are definitely much more expensive than great vintage MM, and more expensive than some modern MC too. |
actually I heard also very good MC It's the 10k region to 100hz region that have the tendency to be bleached out, and noise vibration issue .. so unless we know what we are doing and take care of this . it generally won't sound better than MM. mm have worse speed. snap. extended sound. uninhibited and "detailed" poorly executed Mc. bleached. lack of room and body. hifi sounding. digital. lack of harmonics. in short good Mc can be very expensive to experiment. maybe my friend had spent over a million through 40 yrs of mc and still.... only somewhat accomplished so that's our conclusion the current mm setting way way more detailed overall if you add the middle frequency. 85 percent of slam and snap of Mc, but stage is way way huger, way better harmonic and insight . we all agree. its simply a more optimized setup |
Dear @anthonya : I owned the EPC205 and AKG P25 and are very good performers and if you want to go with Shure you have to look for the Ultra 400 or 500. Now about Pickering try to found out the 7500 or at least the 5000. The important subject in any cartridge is not its stylus tip shape but the design of the cartridge motor that's what mnakes the difference for the good or bad, repeat cartridge motor and the 5000/7500 shares the same motor that's different from the 3000/4000. The ADC 26/27 is a superlative IM cartridge, the best of the best vintage ones, and came with a plastic cartridge body, aluminum cantilever, ellipthical stylus tip and its output connector pins not even gold plated but what a performer and its extremely high quality comes from its cartridge motor. Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS, R. |
@anthonyaI have all of them (high output XSV/5000, low output XLZ/4500, XLZ/7500), fully original with Stereohedron styli, using Jico or any other fake styli on Stanton/Picekring makes no sense. Genuine Pickering/Stanton top models goes up in price in time and the reason is outstanding sound quality. My favorite Stanton is CS-100 WOS with Stereohedron mkII |
@chakster Hico made some many cheap styli just to let people buy something for their old cheap cartridges. JICO SAS is extremely expensive profile and not available for all cartridges. I think it’s better to invest in original design and to fidn a genuine stylus if the price difference between original and JIC SAS is not big. As far as I know SAS is not available for Stanton/Pickering. Look for original Stereohedron. BTW the price you have mentioned from someone else for XSV/5000 is a fair price in my opinion. If the XSV/3000 is something like $350 then each next upper model is +$200 at least (and there are XLZ4500, XSV/5000, XLZ/7500). |
Dear @anthonya : Due that the Stanton caNTILEVER/STYLUS HOLDER IS WAY RESONANT BECAUSE it don't rest in the cartridge body tight as shouldbe then the best Stanton ever is the 981 with a Pickering top original cantilever/stylus holder that even in its constructionis way more solid that the Stanton one and additional to that it rest tight inside the 981. No one Stanton/Pickering can beats it. I know that because I own the 981 and Pickering too and I tested in that way to see what happens and you know what: there is no return, outstanding quality performance levels. I posted this more than one time in the MM long thread. R. |
