Dear Jmowbray: Thank you. Btw, Axel has sapphire that is similar to ruby but diferent color: that's all.
Regards and enjoy the music,
R.
Regards and enjoy the music,
R.
Who needs a MM cartridge type when we have MC?
Dear friends: I'm very happy to share with all of you the " new kid of the block ", the new " champion. GOLDRING G800A ( A by Axel. ). Extremely good and even better than the MF-200. If you remember I posted here that I was introduced to this unexpensive cartridge by Dominic ( England cartridge fixing source. ), with out his direct recomedation I never dream/imagine to " touch it because I not only think on Goldring but never heard about this model: thank you Dominic!!!. I bought it through ebay for no more than 40.00 and send to Axel directly from the seller. I ask Axel to fix it with a nude line contact in an aluminum cantilever. The cartridge is ugly for say the least and any one of you give a dime for it. I'm running at VTF 1.25grs and obviously with 100K impedance ( the specs on the G800 speaks on that load impedance. ). The first two hours on playback were a nightmare/terrible, the sound was so bad as the looks of the cartridge but after 10 hours the cartridge came to life let me seated and listening for seven hours in a row. I can say many things about the quality performance level of the G800 but suffice is to say that this is only the second cartridge ( the other is my LOMC reference cartrdige. ) and first MM/MI type that when you listen to the Telarc 1812 can distinguish perfectly any single sound from the recorded carillon evry single and specific sound from every single bell of the dozens that play at the same time. This kind of near perfection tracking performance is for me totally outstanding and a marvelous experience. Normaly you can hear those bells with out specific and palpable defirentation. Of course that track all the cannon shots with out trouble but more important with an un-know to me definition and palpability: what experiences!!!!! I just bought a second sample and now in the road to Axel for Axel's top re-tip because the Goldring cartridge motor deserve it! Here one for one of you: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/GOLDRING-G800-CARTRIDGE-78s-STYLUS-/251111622388?pt=Turntable_Parts_Accessories&hash=item3a776b46f4#ht_500wt_1282 Regards and enjoy the music, R. |
We have been overlooking the most important reason for Peters new option. I have a Grace F9e. The stylus is in very good, near mint shape. I would like to have a F9 Ruby. The only way to do this before the new Sound Smiths option, was to have the (e) stylus sent off to either Peter or Axel, have the stylus/cantiliver removed, discarded, and replaced by a ruby/sapphire cantiliver. Doesn't matter whether it was Axel or Peter doing the work. A perfectly good F9e stylus/cantiliver would have to be replaced! Now I can order a F9 Ruby from SS and keep my F9e for comparision or to sell. Regards, Don |
Dear Nikola, you sir (as they say here in the USA), are "on a roll"! Perhaps you have located a supply of my previously recommended "Bustelo" espresso roast bean, and are indulging in a bit too much brew. Although, and in spite of your previous references to an interest in the source of certain other stimulants, I suspect your boundless wit does not need any help. BTW: car·cass (kärks) n. 1. The dead body of an animal, especially one slaughtered for food. 2. The body of a human. 3. Remains from which the substance or character is gone: the carcass of a once glorious empire. 4. A framework or basic structure: the carcass of a burned-out building. [Middle English carcas, from Anglo-Norman carcais and Medieval Latin carcasium.] The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. carcass, carcase [ˈkɑːkəs] n 1. the dead body of an animal, esp one that has been slaughtered for food, with the head, limbs, and entrails removed 2. Informal, usually facetious or derogatory a person's body 3. the skeleton or framework of a structure 4. the remains of anything when its life or vitality is gone; shell [from Old French carcasse, of obscure origin] |
Raul, what you described is almost what Dominic told me before. Price of the cartridge did not interest me and more over that cartridge was very common with every Lenco sold in the UK. But there is a person in the same UK that I trust his eyes and he confirmed exactly the same thing. Just hope that the price of the cartridge will not go off the roof. Thanks again for the info. |
Dear friends: Well, I can see that G800 gone: good for the buyer. In that same ebay site I just bought a new G820 that seems to me has a " little " different cartridge motor. How much " little " different?, we will see when I receive it after the Axel touch and compare it against my two G800s. Regards and enjoy the music, R. |
Dear Audpulse: I don't think so, almost no one other than Dominic knows the real G800 value. Good luck with yours. I will report on my second sample that will come improved over the one I reported and of course the report on the G820 that could be an option too, we will see. Regards and enjoy the music, R. |
Dear Raul, Because of you I feel like a king. They used to have a 'fore taster'(?) in order to avoid any attempt to introduce republican gevernment by means of poison. I myself like Axel very much but have no intention to make him rich because of my sympathy. I also like Lew, Halcro, Chris,Dan etc,.etc,. so while math. was my worst subject I somehow learned the art of addition and multiplication and am also aware of my own finacial situation. As you already know my quess was that you are co-owner of the Mexican oil industry or shareholder of some other kind of company so in this 'possible world' you can afford to make Axel reach. BTW I was in Essen (Germany) were the importer of some important stuff (to me) is situated so I ordered there a bottle of Sliwowitz for Axel which they posted to his address. I got his email 10 days later with just one sentence: 'thank you'. The mentioned days were (10) after he got the stuff. The poor German has no time for the most usual courtessy because of all the works he need to do for some Mexican. I 'of course' already own the G800 and was waiting for your 'fore teste' but because I know your character I decided to wait little bit longer to see the result with the beryllium + Gyger II outfit . Such is my character. Regards, |
Hi Raul, Thanks for the 'heads up' on the G800. I was able to locate and buy one right away for $36.00. It comes with a non original (aftermarket) stylus. Do you think that will affect the re-tip process? Should I be looking for a NOS stylus before sending it to Axel? Thanks again and I really am enjoying the music. John |
Regards, Raul: Some specs for the G800, from Turntableneedles.com: Stylus: .6mil Conical Bonded Diamond tip Cantilever: Alloy round tube Tracking Force: 1.5 - 3.5 grams Output Level: 5mV rms 5cm/sec. @ 1Khz Frequency Range: 20 - 20Khz Load Impedance: 47-100K ohm Channel Seperation: >20dB @ 1Khz Internal Inductance: 450mH Total weight w/needle:7grams That site also suggests there is a Tenorel cart that is a rebrand of the G800. Internal inductance is relatively low, with the appropriate stylus/cantilever hf response should reach into the regions attained by the several cartridges that are highly regarded in this thread. Described elsewhere as a "work horse" from the mid '70's, apparently an IM design. Having a plastic mount and MU metal shrouding for the coils, this cart would seem to be a good candidate for tweaking. Keeping in mind all the references to cantilever and cartridge self-resonances, and that the G-800 is mated to a plastic mount, isolation or integration to the headshell/arm should be a factor in performance. One might also consider the given tracking angle of 15*, this is a very vintage design, favorable comments concerning it's performance seem to confirm that N. Pickering, W. Stanton and P. Pritchard knew a thing or two. http://garrardmatters.freeforums.org/goldring-g800-t62.html Nikola---Beryllium/Gyger 11, either you're teasing us again or you're well ahead of the curve! Peace, |
Dear Professor, teasing my friends is my way to show my sympathy. Hugs betweeen man is not done at the Balkan. Regarding Beryllium/Gyger I am speculating about the possible impact of my botlle of Sliwowitz by Axel. But I will ask for the price- indication first because, as far as I know, the Germans are not sentimental. Regards, |
Apparently there were 3 versions of the G800, the 800E and the G800 Super E. http://www.saturn-sound.com/images%20-%20reviews/review%20-%20goldring%20g800%20super%20e%20-%20hi-fi%20news%20-%20may%201969%20-%20pt%201.jpg http://www.saturn-sound.com/images%20-%20reviews/review%20-%20goldring%20g800%20super%20e%20-%20hi-fi%20news%20-%20may%201969%20-%20pt%202.jpg Regards, |
According to the user manual included by my specimen (G 800) there are 4 versions of the 800 series : 800, 800 H, 800E and 800 S/E. They differ qua styli and output. The first two have spherical , the other elliptical styli. Only 800 and 800 super have the same output: 4mV. 800 H: 8mV; 800 S/E: 4 mV. BTW I am informed by Raul that 'pickupnaald.nl' does not accept paypal so I hope that not everyone has my email address... Regards, |
"It comes with a non original (aftermarket) stylus. Do you think that will affect the re-tip process?" "Dear Jbthree: IMHO you need an original stylus." I asked this question awhile back but did not get a response. Raul, what is your opinion as to why a aftermarket stylus housing isn't recommended to be fitted with a new cantilever and stylus. |
Dear Ecir38: I'm not totally sure. I had that experience only one and what I heard with a re-tipped after market stylus was not very good. Because of that I already asked to Axel and I'm waiting for his answer that I will share here. As a fact, I bought my second sample thinking that the stylus was original and was not but " a good after market " said the seller and that's why I just bought an original from the dutch people that I linked here ( thank's Nandric. ). Regards and enjoy the music, R. |
Dear Ecir, the answer may be connected with, uh, your 'carcas' . But in the sense as 'explicated' by Frogaman's dictionaries. Say the 'carcas' of a building. The cantilever is fitted in a tube, the tube is glued(?)in a plastic frame while the actual stylus is bonded or pressure fitted in the cantilever. So no wonder the great Guine (logician, mathematician and phylosopher) wrote about the 'inscrutability of reference'. Ie 'here is the name and there (in the 'rality') is the object to which the name refer' will not do. This is obvioulsy the case with the name 'stylus'. It must be also obvious that the 'carcas' of the original stylus is a different 'animal' than the imitation carcas from some other producer. So the logic seems to advice: if you want the real improvement by Axel than you should post the real carcas to him even with an broken cantilever and/or ,uh, stylus. Regards, |
Dear friends: I live this thread, better yet I love the people here. There is no single subject no single question coming from everywhere where almost all of you have always a precise answer to help any one!!!! always are willing to give that help. For my part I only can say: THANK YOU, ALWAYS APPRECIATED. Regards and enjoy the music, R. |
Dear Raul, I hope that your 'live' is Mexican for 'love'. I was scared to death because in Serbian English 'live' means to emigrate to some better place. But I got your meaning from the context. However not all subjects are disolved . I am still wrestling with Ecir's 'carcas' while Frogman was no help at all with all those different meanings for the same expression. Regards, |
Grado experts? I recently picked up an assortment of gear from a friend who is moving. Included in that are two Grado cartridges I know nothing or little about. First, an 8MX. I have some memory of the 8M being a good performer among less expensive cartridges for its time. But I've not heard of an 8MX. The other is an XTZ which I know nothing about. The package indicates $700 which would have been fairly expensive for a MI back in the '80s or whenever it was new. I realize auditions for both will be in order but due to my project list that may be awhile. The cantilevers appear straight on both but the fellow could not estimate hours of play for either one. In the mean time, comments from anyone with experience with either of these will be appreciated. |
Hi Pryso, Did you happen to get those Grado's from Jerry? I know he liked them. Concidering your so busy I would be happy to demo either of them for you especially the XTC! (I won't be holding my breath though)Ha Ha! They are both great Grado's. I have been looking for an XTC for quite some time now. They just don't turn up for sale. Enjoy! Regards, Don |
Tim, The XTZ is the "super" version of the TLZ. It was TOTL back in the 80s. Grado introduced it to stimulate sales after the TLZ had been on the market for quite a while. I always was curious about the XTZ myself. The TLZ was a great cartridge and one of my own all-time favorites. I still have that very same TLZ, but last time I tried it, it seemed to have lost its kernel of goodness. I have learned a lot since then about alignment in my Dynavector DV505 tonearm, so I really should give it another go. The main problem seemed to be that the suspension had stiffened up. $700 seems about right for the initial retail price of the XTZ; the TLZ was between $500 and $600. So you may have a real gem there. |
Dear Nikola, I, like you (I think) appreciate good natured banter and word play, even if it occasionally borders on the provocative; we are all big boys after all. I don't understand why you still search for the meaning of the word carcass. The meaning is there to be found in the definitions that I contributed; even taking the issue of context into account. There is no great mystery here. Put simply, the word carcass connotes a dead body; entirely applicable to a "dead" cartridge, wether that death be from an electrical failure or a broken cantilever/stylus. I do find your insistence on misspelling it (carcas) to be indicative of your reluctance to accept it's meaning. |
The Grado XTZ was intended to be a more refined sounding version of the TLZ. I owned both (as well as the 8MZ) years ago. Both are fine cartridges, but while the XTZ was indeed a bit more refined sounding, it was also more polite sounding. The TLZ was noticeably more alive and dynamic sounding while sounding a bit brighter and very slightly unrefined by comparison. In my system at that time the TLZ was a better choice. Output for both was 1.5 mv vs 5 mv for the 8 series. If memory serves, the only difference between the TLZ and XTZ was a better dampened cantilever for the XTZ which, contrary to the "rigidity at all costs" school of thought, was comprised of different sections of tube of different diameters to create the taper of the tube. Again, if memory serves, the XTZ's cantilever was made up of three different sections vs the TLZ's two. Both had excellent sound staging, fine generous bass, and very natural timbre (especially the XTZ). |
Pryso, that XTZ is quite a find. Having owned an 8MZ, MCZ and lastly my favorite the TLZ you will be on the receiving end of quite a bit of enjoyment once set up correctly. One caveat, as you may already know. Beware the Grado hum, incorrect ground loop connections can cause any of these to hum like a bhudist monk on the sabath. You may also want to ensure there is adequate packing/dampening (the black stuff) in the coils that can be seen when you remove the stylus. By all means do not remove the packing/dampening it is not gunk and meant to be in there. Grado can actually re-pack or used to be able to re-pack your cart if need be. |
Dear Frogman, What I like to 'provoke' are comments like Ecir's about Frege and my anxious feelings provoked by the word 'carcas'. As Lew put it: I prefer comments which are informative and witty. But both kinds presuppose the use of language in a peculiar way. Wittgenstein invented his 'language games' to characterise the actual use. I missed your humor in your earlier post, you missed my with 'carcas'. In the actual use the connotations and 'emotive meaning' by individual persons are more important then the 'definitions' in a vocabulary. BTW the Dutch one about the Dutch has more then 4000 pages. So if one like to quote from there ... Regards, |
Cheers everyone I am trying to locate some Acutex 420str’s for fellow music lovers for some comparison listening. If you have one, two, or three of these cracker jack box cartridges please let me know. Bcpguy (@) bell (.) net Remove parentheses when replying. I know there are at least 70 of them floating around from the Italian seller alone. Thx. Chris |
Thanks to all who commented on the Grado XTZ. Now I'll need to move it up in the lineup for auditioning. ;^) But what about the 8MX, given it was a lesser cartridge? I did hear an 8M years ago when they were current but can't say I remember any specifics. Was there any sonic difference with the MX version? |
Dear Chris, 'for some comparison listening'? Do you want to borrow some? But after the listening comparison they will become 'second hand' or 'used' as is the usual qualification on ebay. I have one for rent but you will be better off If you buy one. Your reference to the Italian source is probable meant to reduce the price? But how about this comparison: if I had bought gold instead of shares 6 years ago...? BTW If they are 'floating around' the only thing you need to do is to catch some. Regards, |
Regards, CT0517: Sounds like an interesting shivaree (just for you, Nikola, derived from the French, Stltrains already knows). The "Italian" does have an offering for both the 312 & 412 carts, as well as the 415 which I still cannot bring myself to enjoy. Although they lack the transient "snap" and near merciless capture of detail of the 420, the 312 and 412 are sonically more akin to the warmer 320, which most agree is a worthy cart. All demonstrate exemplary separation and a deep/wide soundstage. Coincidentally, another 'goner and I were just exchanging emails concerning the potential improvement (YMMV) of the flimsy little LPM carts through isolation devices. Having several of the 400 series bodies, next project is to fashion a wood mount for one. Hopefully this will help to clean up the midrange glare that prevents my ease of listening to the 415 stylus. When is your cart klatch scheduled? IIRC you're stuck way out in the Canadian bush & shipping time-frame is never dependable to Canada, three days to Oz but three weeks to our neighbor nation, go figure! ;^) BTW, for those of an adventurous nature this Acutex cousin is being bid on for another couple of days, no association with the seller & etc: NEW OLD STOCK: MANUFACTURED C.1985 WITH A LIST PRICE OF $120.00 THE YM-P50 E WAS A HIGH END CARTRIDGE. IT INCLUDES A BLUE AN-P50 E 0.3 X 0.7 ELLIPTICAL DIAMOND STYLUS. CARTRIDGE WEIGHT IS 5.9 GRAMS AND TRACKS AT 1.25 GRAMS PLUS OR MINUS .25 GRAMS THIS CARTRIDGE AND STYLUS WAS A SIGNIFICANT UPGRADE FROM AZDEN'S ENTRY LEVEL YM-P20E. Seek (ebay) & ye shall find--- Peace, |
To my knowledge Frogman was the first who discovered the synergy between the linear tonearm(s) and Acutex 420. He was also the first to say something really positive about this cart. Some Briton called Vic bought my Acutex 420 which I listed on ebay.com for $200. Only two days after he received the cart he wrote to me asking if I owned some more Acutex carts. He was in particular interested in 420 which he wanted for his friend. He then bought my second 420 and the M312. His friend also wrote to me after he got his 420 and told me that Vic is the producer of the linear tonearm called 'Terminator'. I have no idea how long Frogman needed for his discovery but this Vic needed just two days. However Vic wrote to me very recently that he is probable more impressed with the M 312. But the fact that he already ruined the stylus from 420 may have something to do with his, say, 'reorientation'. This is anyway an very interesting coincidence I would think. Regards, |
Nandric, Plaudits for the use of linear arms and high compliance MM's should go to Harvey Rosenberg of New York Audio Labs who demonstrated at an audio show about 30 years ago the following system - Linn Sondek, Eminent Technology ET2 air bearing arm, Shure V15 with NYAL preamp, NYAL OTL power amp directly driving a pair of Stax electrostatic panels ( no interface transformers required ). In theory the matching of a high lateral mass linear arm with a high compliance cartridge shouldn't work, but it can. A few of the Absolute Sounds staff members started running Grado's with ET2's. I myself ran a Sota Star/ET2 ( modded, stripped, lightened )/Shure V15V about 20 years ago for a while. The addition of electromagnetic damping to control lateral movement on eccentric records improved the sound considerably. |
Dear Dover, Halcro made the same error with his Copernicus reference. In science every single scientist is desperate to be the first to discovere something. I our hobby however this honour is for the guy from whom we learned something for the first time. Besides I like Frogamn while I never heard about this Rosenberg. The only one I know was the guy who risk his own life to show that he can fly. Regards, |
Hi Nikola Sorry for the confusion, this is for buying only. BTW If they are 'floating around' the only thing you need to do is to catch some. A few have floated to me already from others. Thanks to those that responded. Hi Timeltel – our little Shivaree – lol – not in the Canadian bush but the Audiogon one. We are in the pre-planning stages. Agreeing on LPs. Would like your/others input on lp suggestions on the thread ? Enjoying music while we dial in our tonearms/cartridge. It helps to have the same cartridge. Reason for my earlier request. You can read about it here. http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?eanlg&1325551242&openflup&154&4#154 Cheers |
Dear Nikola and Dover, after 20+ years using and enjoying the ET2, and more cartridges than I can remember, it did not take very long to hear that there was something special happening with the Acutex 420 STR mounted in that arm. My impressions of this were pretty immediate; no more than one LP side. Not that everything was perfect by any means as there was also present a roughness and dynamic "tightness" to the upper frequencies that, had they not mitigated with breakin would have been a "deal breaker". As way of background, I should point out that the area of playback that I am always most sensitive to is the area of microdynamics; that which gives music it's natural sense of rhythm, feeling, groove, whatever one wants to call it. To my ears some components sanitize the music dynamically so that those very fine rhythmic gradations are reduced and the music sounds bland, or they impart an unnatural or "too tight" sense of the rhythm. Of course, the relationship between perceived dynamics and tonality is an interesting one, and one can't entirely seperate the two, as one always affects the perception of the other. Still, I can live with tonal problems much more easily than rhythmic ones. The synergy between the ET and the Acutex was immediately apparent to me, but I did not at first attribute that to the ET being a linear tracker. I have mounted cartridges of every persuasion on the ET (all manner of low compliance MC's, Grado's, Shure, Empire, and even two Decca's) and I must say that the best technical (tracking) results were with low compliance MC's. I have gotten excellent results with some MM's as well; particularly the Acutex. The Empire 4000D is also very good, but not as naturally dynamic and direct. It wasn't until later that based on other users' (Chris, Nandric's buyer Vic, Dgarretson) equally positive results with the Acutex in their ET or other linear trackers that a pattern began to emerge. |
Dear Frogman, the other 'pattern' is that there is no 'pattern' in MM carts. I mean the so called MM technology: MI, MM, MF or whatever. There is no way to deduce from there anything about the performance of the individual cart. That is the same as stating that the technology is irrelevant and only the results count. Ie when uncorrelated persons come to the same conclusion independent from each other we must have some objective fact. 'Objective fact' is the same as a statement which is true. Those are my logical 'investigations' but I have no idea how to explain the performance of some cart without reference to some technological aspects. This enigma is for our Professor to explain? Regards, |
Dear Nandric, I agree that it is difficult "how to explain the performance of some cart without reference to some technological aspects". However, I personally am comfortable with and accept the fact (for me) that there is much about these interactions/synergies that we don't understand (yet?). Some claim that we can fully explain aural observations by looking at technical parameters like compliance, mass, etc. I don't buy it; I've been proven wrong too many times. Besides, and maybe it's the romantic in me, but I like the mystery of it all. My ears are the final arbiter. |
Dear Frogman, I have two systems. One in my living room with Kuzma Stabi Reference , Triplanar VII/ Benz Ruby 3s, the Reed 2 A with Krell KC 100 (Miyabi Standard), Basis Exclusive phono, Emitter II Exclusive amp.and Usher BE-20. In my bed-room system I have SP 10 mk II with Lustre 801 and 4 headshells each one preadjusted with 'some cart'. Well in both systems one cart sound better than the other. I use my bed-room system to test the carts (like a lab) such that those which pass the test are promoted to the main system. To my mind there is no need to construct or invent coplexity for its own sake. Anyway not for the carts. The carts which sound exceptional in my bed room system also sound exceptional in my main system. There is no mistery by MC or MM carts according to my experience. Regards, |
Tubed1, I don't think Buddhists observe any "sabbath". Thus, I think the monks hum every day, just like a miswired Grado. I was interested to read that others like and admire the TLZ as much as I once did. I must give it another try. Here is a case though where an aftermarket cantilever will NOT give the same result as that sectioned cantilever unique to the Grado's. And maybe not as good, either. I think Grado called it a "transmission line" cartridge, back in the day. I was a big aficionado of TL woofers and found their use of the term rather silly. |