2. analog
  3. 1275613117

What MC for $1,000-$2,000?

Well, call me surprised when my Quatro Signature II woods didn't like my new DENON 103-R. It ate it alive and spit it out like so much wood from a wood chiper.

The bass was decent, with nice punch. But from there it wasn't so good. Weak imaging (on Vandersteen Quatro's!), midrange was cloudy and had no depth at all. Cat Stevens sounded like cardboard. He sings from down in his chest, but the DENON comes across FLAT as AM radio. The highs were depressed in dynamics and extension. No amount of stylus rake angle (some call this VTA, but it isn't) or stylus pressure ETC changed the basic sonic signature. I had a 103D model that sounded good on my Dhalquist DQ-10's with morror imaged KEF tweeter mods and dual DQ-1W subs, so I went with what I thought I knew. I know NOTHING!

I re installed my thirty year old Accuphase AC-2 and WOW, is that a nice cartridge or what, compared to the Denon 103R on Quatros. EVERYTHING just opened up. Bass was tight and lost the too warm sound, the mids were precise and stood in space with tons of air and ambience (strings are stunning). The highes are fast and open. In short, this was a good cart. It seems to have a left channel acting up so I need to consider a replacement. No matter where I set the AC-2, it was simply worlds away from the 103R.

The problem with the Quatro's, is that they are so good at what they do for the price that you seem to really, really, need to spend on a pick-up that can match their abilities. Way more than I expected! The DENON 103R is not a bad cartridge at all, it just limits what the Quatros can do, and the AC-2 let me know that in spades that performance is being left on the table, rats. Sure, it would be nice to change cartridges until I can't hear a change anymore, and KNOW that the speakers are now the limiting source, but I can't do that. Its hard to audition a cartridge at all.

So what are you guys and gals using with high definition speakers? I looked at a Dynavector KARATE 17DS that seems like a possibility. Worse, is that I have no real reference for WHERE the AC-2 stands in general timber to what's out there. It sure is good sounding on the Quatro's, that's for sure. The AC-2 isn't "warm" but past that I'd say it was tight and fast, with an extremely open mid on up. What's available that matches that description?

This can get plenty frustration, as the cartridge is probably, I say definitely, every bit as important as your speakers, but with almost no real way to audution them.

I use;
Sim Audio LP-5.3 MC/MM pre amp
Ariston RD-IIs Turn Table
SME series III tone arm
McCormack DNA-225 amp
McCormack MAP-1 pre amp
Quatro Signature II woods
OPPO BDP-83SE CD unit.
rower30

Showing 2 responses by t_bone

t_bone
1,182 posts
 
First, the AC-2 is quite a decent cartridge (and usually costs more used than a 103R does new). Second, pbnaudio pointed out that the 103R may take some settling in (a lot of people say that about that cart).

As to changing your cart until you KNOW the speakers are limiting improvement, if you spent $1000 on a used cartridge which was really great, you might find that other links in the chain before your speakers were limiting things far more than your speakers were.
t_bone
1,182 posts
 
Rower30,
As others have stated, the compliance mismatch between effective weight of the arm and the Denon103R, the fact that the Denon 103R was not broken in and the AC-2 was broken in would make a big difference, and the fact that the AC-2 was probably a better cart in the first place, all contribute to the result you got.

However, as a few others have stated, and as I tried to state 'diplomatically' in my first response, a semi-decent cart will take you a LONG way. Audiofeil has it right - a great table/arm+ halfway decent cart will sound better than the world's best cart on a not-so-good table/arm setup. If it doesn't, then you know you have other problems in the system.

This is not so much a baby and bathwater situation as it is a situation of asking "who would you rather have in your living room? Audiofeil in a really expensive diamond-studded bikini? or Miranda Kerr in a bikini covered with mud?"

Disclosure: I have never seen Audiofeil in any kind of bikini but I know how I'd answer anyway.
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