Who needs a Diamond Cantilever...? 💍

Interesting discussion as always, Halcro. Re the “protuberance”:

It appears to me that the protuberance is intended to keep the cantilever from moving too far in the downward direction. Perhaps to avoid putting excessive stress on the suspension (?); particularly if the cartridge were set up with aggressive positive VTA or accidental dropping of the tonearm.

Beautiful looking (little) beast!

Very funny stuff. As someone for whom English is a second language, or third if I were to use Uberwaltz’ criteria, I would like to point out how this is yet another example of the irony in the currently pervasive ubersensitivity to political correctness matters. What I mean is that in all the time (years!) that Nandric’s “old members (have been) teasing each other” I don’t recall a single objection from the M “victim” to the supposed racist tease. I’m late to the party here, but in the hope that the thread can get back on track I would like to add a couple of thoughts to the muy intereresante....oops... very interesting comments already made.

First, I agree entirely with Dover’s excellent observations re the differences between the sound of the two Sony cartridges. I might describe the differences heard somewhat differently, but I think that we are hearing the same things. For instance, his observation of the superior “timing” of the 88D, I would describe as the standard 88 having comparatively wooly bass with a sense of uncontrolled overhang. This causes it to have inferior pitch definition and clarity of bass notes compared to the 88D. Good pitch definition and clarity are key aspects of good musical timing. A rather wordy description of what Dover later described succinctly as more “articulate”. In all, I agree with his observations re the 88D’s superior clarity and, most important for me, superior “harmonic completeness”; the timbre of instruments, saxophone and trumpet in particular, sound closer to real.

Apologies if I have missed commentary on this point, but I think that in the quest for determining what the absolute “best” cantilever material is, not enough has been made of the fact that the cantilever material that is best for one cartridge may not be the best choice for another cartridge that uses a different motor and a different housing; all which contribute to the overall sonic signature of the cartridge as determined by the designer’s goals. Different motors offer different levels of resolution and have certain general tonal signatures just as different cartridge housings have different sonic signatures due to their particular resonance characteristics. I am certainly no expert on phono cartridges and my experience with them is certainly very limited compared to the OP’s and many here, but looking at the Sony I see a cartridge with a rather large and boxy housing constructed largely of plastic. Just an observation not meant as a criticism; clearly it is a great cartridge. To my simplistic way of thinking it would be no surprise that a cartridge with a housing that APPEARS to be less rigid and possibly more resonant than one which is more compact and rigid would benefit from a diamond cantilever with its higher degree of rigidity. The same very rigid cantilever/stylus on a cartridge with a motor and/or housing which may have inherently leaner sonic characteristics may not be the best choice for a particular cartridge designer’s goals.

Congrats on your new cartridge, Halcro; would love to hear a comparison of the 88D and the Palladian playing acoustic (orchestral?) music. Thanks for another interesting thread.