What is the “World’s Best Cartridge”?
I believe that a cartridge and a speaker, by far, contribute the most to SQ.
The two transducers in a system.
I bit the bulllet and bought a Lyra Atlas SL for $13K for my Woodsong Garrard 301 with Triplanar SE arm. I use a full function Atma-Sphere MP-1 preamp. My $60K front end. It is certainly, by far, the best I have owned. I read so many comments exclaiming that Lyra as among the best. I had to wait 6 months to get it. But the improvement over my excellent $3K Mayijima Shilabi was spectacular-putting it mildly.
I recently heard a demo of much more pricy system using a $25K cartridge. Seemed to be the most expensive cartridge made. Don’t recall the name.
For sure, the amount of detail was something I never heard. To hear a timpani sound like the real thing was incredible. And so much more!
This got me thinking of what could be possible with a different kind of cartridge than a moving coil. That is, a moving iron.
I have heard so much about the late Decca London Reference. A MI and a very different take from a MC. Could it be better? The World’s Best? No longer made.
However Grado has been making MI cartridges for decades. Even though they hold the patent for the MC. Recently, Grado came out with their assault on “The World’s Best”. At least their best effort. At $12K the Epoch 3. I bought one and have been using it now for about two weeks replacing my Lyra. There is no question that the Atlas SL is a fabulous cartridge. But the Epoch is even better. Overall, it’s SQ is the closest to real I have heard. To begin, putting the stylus down on the run in grove there is dead silence. As well as the groves between cuts. This silence is indicative of the purity of the music content. Everything I have read about it is true. IME, the comment of one reviewer, “The World’s Best”, may be true.
now an 8 month wait for a DaVa, wait getting longer all the time. and as it’s sold direct it’s a steal at the price. best approach is to order one, then when it comes in, easy to sell it to those on the wait list, if it does not float your boat.....or you like something better. i find the DaVa the perfect compliment to my diamond tipped Etsuro Gold. |
Dear @richardkrebs : Good that you have a new cartridge that fulfill your priorities. Those priorities are mainly the ones that bias each one of us preferences to say: " this is the best cartridge I heard ". SS manufacturer is very good for marketing and in my opinion what you are listening has a direct relationship with the new cartridge body design that promotes lower internal resonances/vibrations/distortions but that that " fact " could be says that the cartridge stylus it's more time in contact with each groove I think it's not true till the manufacturer can prove it. Cartridge body shape is an important issue for any cartridge, we can see that importance not only with your cartridge but other cartridges as the A95, the Verissimo and others. The Colibri avoid that issue just several years ago with it's body-less design.
"" it tracks superbly . " again that's your bias because the cartridge compliance is 10cu that's almost " marginally " for grooves tracking.
As you and other side it's an almost impossible question to answer, there are to many paramerts involved in each cartridge that contributes to its quality performance and additional are our priorities.
Btw, " Front runners at the moment are Grado and DaVa...""
in good shape @terry9 , that Dava FR is around 6db out of a " decent " cartridge FR. The Hyperion is only 2db. Obviously that you have your own priorities and thta's what I'm saying.
R. |
@dover , I listened extensively to Soundsmith's Strain Gauge cartridge with records I know intimately. It has excellent transient response and a very vivid signature partially because it is too bright. It's tracking ability does not come close to that of the Hyperion. I decided not to get one. The Hyperion is a cartridge I could live with and may in time get one. The cartridges I own indicate what I think is best. The MSL Signature Platinum, The Lyra Atlas Lambda SL and the Ortofon MC Diamond. @osada22 , the DAVA is a poorly constructed, ill thought out, piece of junk. I would never let one get near my turntable. @rauliruegas's purpose is to warn people away from the DAVA and he is right. |
careful never to listen to a DaVa. you might then choke on those words, which could be fatal. don’t say i never warned you. btw; owned an Ortofon MC Diamond, along with a couple of MC Anna’s and A90’s. all fine cartridges not quite in the DaVa’s league. i sold my MC Anna and Clearaudio GFS, when i got my first standard Etsuro Gold and compared those three. the Etsuro Gold was another level in realism. but in the MC Anna price range it was a winner. a very fine cartridge. since the DaVa is sold direct without any middle men or distribution (so far), the value equation is remarkable.
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