Not a bad cartridge for us numbskulls stuck with 47k either.
The biggest surprise was at the end of long break in periods,the rather smooth Precept 220/550ml and the bright, bass boomy At 150ml do sound very close. Amazing to say the least.
I have not heard the Precept 440lc, but I did purchase cheap 220xe stylus. Raul, would you think the ruby/ line contact would come close to the beryllium/ line contact. |
There are those who are satisfy with the 'second best'. Anyway in the context of the price difference. What about AT 150 MLX in comparison with AT 150 ANV? Something like Precept 220 versus 440? |
I only mention the Precept and AT150anv being good at 47k for those reading who do not have, for whatever reason, the ability to change from 47k. Raul and others have long applauded the virtues of 100k, and who am I to disagree.
I personally, when I upgrade to a better Shindo pre, do not want to have to say it is modified. If I thought I would be keeping this Preamp I already would have modified it to 100k. I will have to at least for a while, as I save my pennies, accept "second best".
Life is a series of compromises. I have had to accept" second best" in many areas. Hope your day is good, |
Dear Acman3: The Precept 440LC and AT150ANV comparison showed that the Precept beryllium/LC is comparable to the ruby/sapphire/ML. The main difference was that the LC tracking habilities are way superior to that showed by the ANV ML one. So both kind of cantilevers fitted with the same LC stylus could be to shows similar performance in the same carrtidge motor/suspension.
Regards and enjoy the music, R. |
Dear Nandric: I agree, many times we have ( for different reasons. ) to accept the " second and even third best ".
Btw, I heard at least three times the 150MLX and I can tell you that is not the " second best " against the ANV.
I know you are a patience person an sooner or latter you will have on hand that Precept 400LC.
Regards and enjoy the music, R. |
Raul, Is the LC stylus on the Precept 440 a proprietary Audio Technica design item therefor not available thru other re-tippers? I ask because I have a 220 stylus housing in need of a new cantilever and stylus and I am thinking about sending it off to Axel for a beryllium/LC replacement. I did get in on the buying frenzy for the 550ML and I must admit, the 220 body with the 550ML stylus is something that just must be experienced. It draws you in and makes you just listen. Great and unexpected find. Much thanks! Regards, Don |
Poem. By Henry Gibson.
Go placidly Amid the noise and waste. And remember what comfort there may be In owning good headphones. Avoid quiet and passive recordings Unless you are in need of sleep.
Rotate your cartridges.
Speak glowingly of audiophiles wealthier than yourself And heed well their advice, Even though they be turkeys. Know what to kiss..... and when to put your personal preferences on the shelf!
Consider that one sub never gives bass weight But that two.........do. When listening, put your cell phone's ring on mute. Be comforted that in the face of all distortion And despite the changing fortunes of Wall Street, Your hearing continues to deteriorate.
Know your effective mass. Gracefully surrender the disco of youth And let not the dust of time Get in your grooves. For a good time play CDs; Take heart amid the deepening audio expense. And reflect that when your cart's suspension fails Life was somewhat worse in Donner's Pass.
Therefore, make peace with your rig--- Whatever it may lack And however you've contrived it to be, Woody thunderer or shrieking analytical attack. Having corrected all wow, flutter, hiss And even with capacitor renewal, And your ICs, upgraded in anticipation of bliss. Perfect 18-45khz is a fantasy, Laughing behind your back.
---
A Veyron would be nice.
A week with the Denon HA-1000 started with grain in the mids. Day one, three sides was all I could tolerate. Revisited again on day three, the hfs vanished. It got worse, definitely prefer CD. Not sure wether to put Dover's "S" in front of "crap" or to follow up with "$". It's no great concern.
Don/Raul: AT provided a "Universal" stylus for the AT-15/20 carts. A Shibata on beryllium and designated AT-20U. (IIRC, this needs to be confirmed).
IMHO, best thread in audio. Carry on.
Peace, |
Grbluen2
"Wouldn't it be great if the moderators simply redacted any post(s) that didn't meet their unusually high standards. I feel like I'm in freakin' China."
I feel your pain! Sometimes it gets hard to follow the conversations when there are 10 various posts between question and answer of one topic. Regards Don |
Timeltel - You should be able to convince someone to pay an extraordinary sum of money for the HA-1000. The value proposition would be - "For the princely sum of $1000 someone will learn never to invest in old solid state gear. The future savings from not repeating this foolhardiness will save $1000's - providing a very handsome return on the initial investment." Failing that, for a small donation I could write a glowing review of the HA1000 and post it on the forum, prior to you listing it on ebay. Of course if you were Ivor T you would argue it is the best head amp in the world, you just haven't found the right cartridge yet. |
Dear griffithds: I think so. LC stylus is more a genre than a specific shape that does not change, there are LC variations and the LC in the 440 cartridge is a vintage one and I don't think that any re-tipper has it.
Now, the option that Acman3 ( I think ) is looking for: ruby/LC could be even a very good option through SS. Is hard to say which is the best option. The ruby one seems tempting.
Regards and enjoy the music, R. |
Dear Raul, You was the first to question the assumed improvements in the carts technology by discovery of many 'old carts' (Ortofon MC 2000,Dyna 17 d,etc.) which are still exceptional. My own experience while on much smaller skale is similar. I was very suprised with FR-7, Krell MC 100 (aka Miyabi Standard) and very recently the Kiseki Goldspot. Compared with Benz LP S (MR=micro ridge) and Magic Diamond I would say that the later are only marginaly better while I am not sure if this finding is caused by my psychology or my ears. That is to say that because of the price difference I desperately WANT them to sound better. Otherwise I should confess to myself to be stupid. Anyway I wonder in this context about this obssesion with cantilevers and styli. They should be improved in those 30 years of 'development' I would think. But two of the mentioned old carts (FR-7 and Miyabi) still have aluminum cantilevers. So I think that our findings contradict our assumptions. BTW regarding the 'exotic' ruby or sapphire cantilevers I remember J.Carr's statement that he does not like how they sound (his post about cantilevers).
Regards, |
Nandric - I think you are right. The different cantilevers have different characteristics in terms of stiffness, natural dampening and resonance. I suspect that putting ruby cantilevers for example in a cartridge that hasn't been designed for it is courting disaster, at best a lucky dip. |
I am also in theory, agree with Nandric and Dover, but if the cartridge was made for beryllium, ruby (MAY?) be the next best available material. I have heard the Precept 220xe which is an aluminum cantilever with epiliptical stylus, but did not finish breaking it in. To me it was edgy in the highs, but maybe, with a little more breakin and setup, it would be good. Others have commented that it was very good.
There is only one way to find out, but if I was a betting man, the safe money would be on, not quite as good, although the retipper might make it sound glorious. |
Dear nandric: +++++ " regarding the 'exotic' ruby or sapphire cantilevers I remember J.Carr's statement that he does not like how they sound ... " +++++
yes I remember but he failed to tell us if that " does not like " was because a personal preference or by technical reasons or because the material is difficult to get.
Regards and enjoy the music, R. |
Dear Dover: ++++ " I suspect that putting ruby cantilevers for example in a cartridge that hasn't been designed for it is courting disaster ... " +++++
in theory with top cartridges the voicing designer and the design it self fulfil what are the designer targets, he choosed the cartriudge build materials according with those targets to achieve.
So, if we change any single part of that cartridge ( cantilever, stylus shape and the like. ) we are changing those targets and what we are hearing through those cartridge changes is different.
So in theory I agree with you but not in that " courting disaster " because what is involved in a cartridge building is not an exact science ( well it is in theory but not when we listen it. ), those resonances coming from everywhere put away the cartridge design to that exact science as mathematics is.
All our each one experiences tell us that that theory does not works in real life because we already have success through those cantilever/stylus changes. Could be that those changes fulfil better each one priorities. Many Agoner's here not only make changes trhough re-tippers source but even swap thye whole cantilever/stylus part with great results.
I think in audio it is not said it the last word in almost no single subject, we have to test to try to go a head to discover not only " changes " but how good is our hobby.
regards and enjoy the music, R. |
N.: Do you think that J.Carr or any other regarded cartridge designer can't builds a Lyra Atlas with ruby cantilever that performs as it performs in the original design?, IMHO he can do it, he can tame the cartridge performance in anyway he wants ( I think' ).
R. |
Dear Grbluen2: I think that almost of all us were or are " suffering " that moderator episode. I think too that the problem is not the Agon moderation post/thread policies but that Agon has not enough employees working as moderators and that's why the delay. Patience is all I can recomend.
regards and enjoy the music, R. |
Hi Raul, perhaps your 150ANV needs more hrs to realize the potential compared to the 440LC, which you've had longer. ATs in general seem to need long break-in. Most TOTL ATs are excellent trackers. I wonder if this is the complete picture.
Hi Nandric, I suspect J Carr's statement is based on his experience with ruby, possibly sapphire cantilevers, and their viability with his designs. So what? Even if it pertains to ruby in general, it's just one persons opinion. Didn't Raul say that there was no need to spend Atlas, Goldfinger, Anna money, they are inferior to a nearly 40 yr old AT? There's nothing new in cart design, only possible refinements. Look at the Grace F9 ruby, isn't the generator the same as without ruby? Unfortunately that example won't necessarily hold true for other designs. We've been through this before and there is no one right answer for cantilever material. Cantilevers not only resonate differently, they wiggle and flex differently when the tip is deflected off a groove wall. It's those wiggles that excite the generator that produces the electrical signal.
General differences can be described to different cantilever material, but it's only meaningful in context to a particular cart design. There are too many variables like amplitude response and damping, that necessitate specifics. Regards,
|
Dear Raul, I agree with you that J. Carr was not very specific or clear with his comment about the ruby (or sapphire)cantilever but I am convinced that he is a very capable and honest designer. It may however be the case that Ikedas aversion against ruby bearings was the cause. He is an admirer of Ikeda so who knows? On the other side Takeda san deed try all kinds of cantilevers to achive his 'dynamic wishes' and choose a short aluminum (alloy) cantilever for his purpose. This was also the case with Andreoli by his Magic diamond and other carts. So it seems to me that the choice of cantilever, etc. 'ingredients' by a disigner is a very serious business such that whatever retipper can't possible match. This may mean a totaly different cart after the retip process while our valution thereafter is everyone's wager. My own position is to retip whatever cart only when the stylus is weared out.
Regards, |
There's nothing new in cart design, only possible refinements====Nandric
Well let me inform you right now that there is a new moving coil cartridge coming out soon that involves a very radical design that nobody has ever thought about. Maybe by the end of the year, there may be a MI with another radical design and the entry level price will be around $1700.00 a piece. But one thing that I can say is that the moving coil will be a reality by summer of this year. Stay tuned. |
Dear Fleib: Maybe you are right. I'm using the ANV and the 550ML every single day, I will let other 50 hours and will make a fast sho-out again. It could not be a " surprise " that the ANV improves after more hours but I don't know where the cartridge performance could improves when is almost " perfect ". We will see.
regards and enenjoy the music, R. |
Dear friends: Just curiosity. I never imagine something like this, do you know how many views has this thread?: almost 4.5 million views !
regards and enjoy the music, R. |
Dear Raul, No wonder then that I got such good prices for the carts you recommended and I was able to buy and (re)sell. Keep good work up. On the other side I must give up the search for the Precept 440 ...
Regards, |
Dear Audpulse, The sign between 'refinements' and Nandric is new for me but I hope it does not equal the '=' sign. I have namely no idea what 'possible refinements' are so the possible ascription of this statement to me is pretty exaggerated. Anyway your 'radical news' is a mixed blessing for me. If you come up with this news only two months earlier; before I bought the Magic Diamond and Benz LP S my bank account would be surely 'blessed'.
Regards, |
Nandric If you come up with this news only two months earlier; before I bought the Magic Diamond and Benz LP S my bank account would be surely 'blessed'. You are in a very elite group Nikola. Can you tell me if those cartridges come with better operating instructions/manual than your typical $500 cartridge. Do the designers provide you with the info in the manual required to hear them at their best based on the way they designed them. Setup instructions ? Does the designer indicate what temperature and humidity is required in your room to hear them at their best ? What tonearm was used to achieve the results in their published manual? Sorry for all the questions. Am really curious to know what $$$$$ buys you here, for documentation, over a 70 euro 420. It comes with a cute little compact pamphlet. or does it all happen my magic ? Cheers |
sorry typo (my magic = by magic) coffee hasn't kicked in yet. |
Hi Audpulse, So far you've said nothing to contradict my statement, there's nothing new in cart design, only refinements. If this is something new, it should at least be interesting. I'm sure you've peaked our curiosity. Is this ground breaking good or a pre sales pitch? On the other hand, you've already said it's a MC. They've been around a long time, so it's a refinement or design variation? What's new? Regards, |
Dear Audpulse, How can a cartridge that describes itself as "MC" be totally innovative and unlike anything else we know about? An MC is an MC. I pose this question in order to trick you into telling us more about it, of course.
I think there was a time in audio history, probably prior to the hegemony of MC cartridges, when using a sapphire or ruby cantilever was a marketing ploy, as much as anything else. On the other hand, I rather like the ruby cantilever-ed cartridges that I have heard, and I think JCarr's statement was either disingenuous or a statement of his opinion, as Raul says, much as I may admire JCarr for his fund of knowledge and his willingness to enter into our discussions. It may also be the case that ruby/sapphire does not work so well with MC designs. I can't actually think of an MC with a ruby cantilever; there was one from Australia with sapphire, I think.
I wonder why no one has brought up the cactus needle cantilever espoused by Sound Smith. Has anyone heard one of those? Is there a diamond on the end of the cactus needle or does the end of the cactus needle do the actual tracking? (I could look this up but too lazy.) If the latter, the idea is VERY appealing; no concerns are glued vs press-fitted styli, energy transfer, etc. |
Hi Lew, It's interesting to imagine what a completely new type of moving coil could be. Seems like there could be a lot of different magnet configurations, but you have coils connected directly, or indirectly depending how you look at it, to the cantilever. Wouldn't it be interesting if there were no magnets and generating electricity was supplied on demand by the preamp or some kind of regulated battery supply via an extra wire or two?
Dynavector made a couple of MCs with ruby cantilevers, the 23R and the Karat Ruby.
I think a diamond needle is used with a cactus cantilever. A cactus needle might be good for old 78s. In the real old days they used steel needles or sharpened nails, in a pinch. Regards, |
I have no intention whatever to defend J. Carr but in the mentioned thread and responding to my direct question :'why the boron cantilever?' he expressis verbis stated the reasons why he prefers the boron cantilevers. From there one can deduce the rest about other kinds. BTW I have read in some other forum that he designed a special stylus for his Atlas. This controversial Andreoli also claims to have designed his own stylus for his Magic Diamond and other models. So in order to be able to remember all the shapes we will need to write them all in a separate booklet for the sake of reference.There is nothing so confusing as shapes. Think of what shapes are prefered in different cultures... |
Thanks, Fleib. Had forgotten about the Dynavectors. The Karat Ruby is a very nice cartridge in fact. And I believe the 23R was a flavor of one week of this thread or one of those old unobtainium Dynavectors was at any rate.
You're thinking of a "field coil" type cartridge. Way cool idea. I think it was done once or twice.
Nandric, From Rubens to Kate Upton is not such a leap in terms of shape. |
Dear Lew, I am familiar with Rubens paintings but had no idea who Kate Upton was so I checked the lady on the net. To my mind to understand the difference in shape one need to know the meat prices for the commons in Rubens time. Not to mention the countries with cold climate. The Americans get their shapes from the Magazines like we deed in our youth from the Absolute Sound.
Regards, |
Dear Lewm: Additional to Dynavector the AT-37 by AT was a ruby cantilever design as the Sao Win SMC-10 too and remember that there are several vintage LOMC using diamond cantilever that's not far away from the ruby one.
Cantilever preferences are only that cantilever preferences by designers to fulfil his targets. I'm convinced that with any cantilever build material can get the same results through the cartridge overall design.
Regards and enjoy the music, R. |
Dear Raul, Those are very strange assumptions and consequently conclusions. Why should Takeda san experiment with different cantilevers first if he could reach 'the same result' with whatever cantilever? I don't belive his Miyaby would sound 'the same' with, say, a ruby cantilever. Why should J. Carr prefer boron cantilevers above the other kinds? To my mind you overlooked the difference between 'one man company' and the huge one. The later will try all kinds of cantilevers and then see afterward which one sells better. This 'method' I don't see by Van den Hul, Lukatschek ( Benz), Allearts, Lyra, Koetsu, etc. There is btw an obvious dominance of boron cantilevers by the more expensive carts. The ruby or sapphire cantilevers and/or bearings are pretty cheap at present. Those are not precious stones. From your deduction it follows that those designers have no idea what they are involved with. I think you should think your bold statements over.
Regards, |
Heaps of Ruby/diamond/Sapphire/Boron cantilevered cartridges available in the 80's, probably more than today. Sumiko Talisman Boron, Sumiko Talisman Sapphire sold in the 1000's/Kiseki Sapphire/Zenn Ruby/Dynavector Ruby & Diamond to name a few. Cartridge types - Stax electret condensor using fets, Toshiba - fet cartridge, also remember listening to Peter Suchy's Clearaudio with the built in phono stage at the headshell in the late 80's. Then there's the Audionote IO with the DC powered electromagnet's. Strain guage - yep dozens of those
Not much new really over the past 30 years.. |
Dear Nandric: I agree with Fleib: the J.Carr is one person opinion, yes a very well regarded person but that's what works for him as for other designers the diamond or aluminum or whatever.
The main subject is the cartridge whole design, as important as is the cantilever or the stylus shape both are only parts involved in the cartridge design. Moving/playing with all parts the designer can tame/change the cartridge performance almost as he want it or as you want it. This is not rocket science as you could think and I say " as you could think " because this is not the first time you post about, you already did it several times and I assume you were convinced ever with the arguments of other persons than JC or Andreoli. Tha's is your privilege and nothing wrong with that.
I can tell you that I love emerald as cantilever build material, why not?
Regards and enjoy the music, R. |
Maybe by the end of the year, there may be a MI with another radical design and the entry level price will be around $1700.00 a piece.====Audpulse
Sorry for the entry level price typo error. Meant to type $7000.00. |
Fleib, according to the designer of the cartridge,almost all existing carts out there is a copy of one another. He said he almost went that route when he started using the lonely denon 103 as a base. But based on what he heard, he dumped the whole project and started afresh from the ground up. New cantilever material never used before by anybody. New needle design never used by anybody before. Winding material is same old copper but a different approach than what anybody has done before. Please pay attention to my usage of the sentence "anybody has done before". No sales pitch here my friend just an informed person by the designer of the cartridge. As for the MI, two things I can say for now is that the cantilever is thinner than that of a human hair but very stiff and the sound is in excess of 110 db. That is the information supplied so far. The next level of development of the MI is still foreign to me because it has been in the works for over three years now. |
I saw a piece on TV the other day about Liz Taylor's jewelry collection. It may have been on display locally or up for auction or something. She had some of the biggest sapphires in the world. (OK, no cracks; I'm hip.) Imagine how many cantilevers could be made from those.
Nandric, Along the lines of the above double entendre, what I had in mind in comparing Kate to the ideal female as envisioned by Rubens is that Kate is a taller slightly slimmer version of the latter ideal. But the general theme is consistent. Whereas in recent decades the ideal for female beauty has/had been drifting toward skinny, in a rather off-putting way, IMO. |
Dear nandric: +++++ " I think you should think your bold statements over... " +++++
first than all I'm not an expert on cartridge design and only through my first hand experiences, what I read and my common sense is where those statements came.
Let me to tell this and if JC or other cartridge designer can tell I'm wrong then that comes and post about:
in theory ( my theory ) there is no single white paper out there is no single mathematic model and no single cartridge designer that has cartridge design/build information real information tested information that can tell us that if I use a hollow boron cantilever ( example ) 7mm. long with an with 0.01mm thikness using a 0.2x0.7 mm ellipthical stylus with samarium cobalt magnet , with a suspension designed for a 16cu compliance using rubber inside and yokless at 0.23 output level, tungsten cartridge body, 8.4grs on cartridge weight and with 1.8grs at VTF, etc, etc,. Could that mathematic model tell me how that cartridge will performs through the frequency range and I mean not how it will mesures but how will sounds: tone color, dynamics level, inner detail, soundstage, etc, etc?
and what if instead of tungsten cartridge body I change for ceramic one? and what if instead of samarium cobalt I use neodynium? and what if the cantilever changes to aluminum with the same stylus shape?
how will performs that cartridge with each those design changes?
whom can came here and tell us hey: in this case the cartridge will sounds in this manner and in that other case in this way, etc, etc. All these with out testing the cartridge.
Nandric, IMHO that mathematic model is in hands of no one it does not matters the cartridge designer.
Nandric, that not only happen with cartridges but with almost any single audio item design: there is no mathematic models than predict the audio item performance with 90%-100% of precision and not only that but that permit make changes through the mathematic model and then gives the new perfromance prediction.
I think that you don't know the world you are living at audio level stages.
With all my respect IMHO almost all audio designers are " amateurs " with a huge of experience but nothing more. Some are enginners or mathematic mens or whatever but not audio scientifics audio professional scientifics.
Only my opinion.
Regards and enjoy the music, R |
Hi Audpulse, I thought you said $1700 MC. It's a $7K MI. That changes everything. Obviously Joe Grado has collaborated with Peter Ledermann and came up with a new MI with a laser cantilever/tip. Peter is a Denon dealer and does extensive mods to 103s. Maybe it's Peter without Joe. Good guess?
Still a refinement.
Regards, |
Fleib, no it is not Peter but I myself was without words for a MI to be projected at that price($7,000.00). |
Its been a long time since I owned this cart with Ruby cantiliver but I had two of the same cart and the canilivers of Ruby are the only ones i have ever broke, I have been playing records for 55 years. Could Ruby be too brittle for Mr. Carr. As in to many guarantee problems,, just a thought, anyone have an opinion, David |
I just placed my Signet TK-7LCA (with the original stylus) back in service. Wow, what a cartridge!! Even on my modest Thorens TD-147 with TP16 MkIII arm (7.5g eff. mass), this thing has detail, clarity, imaging, air and space that is far beyond what I get from my other carts (and well beyond what I thought was possible with this table/arm).
However, I am having one issue that I was hoping that you gurus could help me resolve: lots of surface noise. Much more than with the other cartridges in my small stable (ADC XLM II Improved, Sonus Blue Gold, Stanton 681EEE-S). With the TK-7LCa, I hear small pops and crackles almost constantly and often a bit of "swishing" noise during quiet passages. The surface noise is well separated from the music, seeming to come directly from both speakers while the sonic soundstage is well behind the speaker plane.
The table/arm are in tip top condition. I recently went through it, cleaning, polishing, and reoiling the bearing, and adjusting the suspension bounce/level, adjusted the tonearm bearing, the belt tension, etc. Listened to it for about 20 hours with the XLM following the tuneup and all was working flawlessy before deciding to try the Signet.
I aligned the TK-7LCa using the Thorens Baerwald Arc Protractor from Vinyl Engine - this one works great on my table, at least with my other cartridges. I started at 1.25 grams VTF and settled on 1 gram after extended listening. VTA is set a hair, and I mean just a hair, "ass up".
Most of my LPs are Mint- and I clean them all with a VPI 16.5 using the Walker Audio Active Enzyme 4 Step system. I really don't think the LPs are the issue as most are nearly dead quiet with the XLM.
Can you guys give me some idea what typically is the root cause of excessive surface noise and maybe some tips on how to reduce/eliminate it with the TK-7LCa?
Much appreciated, Dave |
Dear friends:
MM type power generation system ■ ■ Output voltage 2.5mV 5cm/sec .75 ~ 1.5 g needle pressure ■ (1.2g optimum) 10-30,000 Hz ± 3dB frequency band playing ■ ■ Channel separation 30dB/1kHz 20dB/100-15, 000 Hz Channel balance 0.75dB ■ ■ Compliance ten × 20 -6 Inches / Dyne 30 ~ 100 kΩ load resistance ■ ■ DC resistance 350Ω impedance 2 kΩ ■ ellipse needle 0.3 × 0.7mil diamond tip needle ■ ■ own weight 5.1 g PN-550E Stylus ■ ■ January 1968 release ■ ■ Notes vertical tracking angle of 15 degrees
these are specs of the Pioneer PC550-E that I bougth like a month ago. I never heard about this " baby ", was an unknow cartridge for me.
Where are " hiden " these kind of gems that are unknow for almost all of us?
I own other Pioneer cartridges but this one is an special one, a lot better as it looks. Btw, came with titanium cantilever and is the top of the line in that Pioneer series that has other models: 110, 220, 330, etc.
It is very good performer and an extraordinary tracker. I'm running it at 1.2grs on VTF and makes a wonderful job in that Telarc 1812 Overture shots cannon and all over the recording including the carrillon part.
Is mounted in my " new " Grace G840FB. This is a gimbal bearing tonearm, beautiful made so delicate and well delined at the sight with a slim figure that gives a fragile personality but the design is nothing like fragile but in the other way around with a very sensible low friction bearing: I just love it, a beauty of " sensible " tonearm.
The PC550E quality performance level is near the Precept 440LC : has the rythmum, tonal balance, dynamics, power, transparency and music easy flow that I admire in the Precept/ANV cartridges. certainly belongs to that NCG unique nice.
If you look somewhere my advise is to pull the triger. IMHO a must to hear.
As Acman3 said: why no one cares about in the past?.
Regards and enjoy the music, R. |
Regards, Raul: Have been using the PC-330 with a PN-550 stylus for several months, a very nice cart. And begging your pardon, the 770 is the TOTL. There's also a PN-1000, I believe Dgob mentioned it earlier. There's a real probability that this is also a family member. The vendor Platenspieler naedlin (SP?) offered both the elliptical PN-1000XE (elliptical) and the PN-1000 beryllium/Shibata stylus last year at a very reasonable price, can't find it now. Not sure about the 110 & 220 but the 330 550 & 770 motors are the same, the 330 is a .5 mil conical, there are also the other options. The 550 is (IIRC) 10-40k, excellent midrange clarity & bass transients are nicely displayed without excessive weight. Acman3 and Halcro were kind enough to assist me in putting the cart/styli together, thanks again guys. Micro used the same body. The appearance of the mount and stylus grip was modified for the Micro Seiki 3200 carts, there is a violet colored grip with a Shibata on aluminum which shows up frequently: http://www.ebay.com/itm/220396397740?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649There's also a series of Pio. carts with a round stylus insert, care needs to be taken in selecting the correct fitment. Not sure, this may be a Goldring OEM'd cart? Peace, |
In our discussion about styli and cantilevers nobody ever mentioned what is behind the cantilever. By all MC carts there is an aluminum tube on which the coils, suspension and tension wire are fastened. The cantilever is glued in this tube while the most 'retip repairs' consist in glueing a new cantilever/stylus combo in the same tube. The position of the coils in relationship to the magnets is determined by the VTF. Alas we can't see this position but our efforts with the VTF are meant to get this positon 'centered' right. By the recommended VTF by each cart we see 'tolerances' even above 1 g ( say: 1,5-2,5 g ). To my knowledge only J.Carr and Allaerts produce carts with the tolerance of 0, 1 ( Allaerts) and 0,2 g.(Carr: Kleos, Delos and Atlas).This of course means that the most carts are not pricise made while we can't ever be 100% sure to have got the right position. The added problem by 'exotic styli' is the SRA position which we try to get right my aiming-at. So there is much quess work by our beloved carts of both kinds.
Regards, |
Greetings Dave, I have two samples of the Signet TK-7LCa.....one with the original Signet stylus whilst the other has a NOS AT-155LC stylus assembly implant....and can agree with you that there is very little that this cartridge cannot retrieve from the grooves. You say that you've pressed it back into service.....after how long? Can you recall approx. how many hours you originally put on it before retiring it? If more than 1000-2000 hours.....it may simply be worn? If much less than 1000 hours......have you inspected the stylus with a 10X or 20X jewellers loup? Being a line-contact profile.....the stylus cuts through the groove and can pick up quite a bit of crud? It is critical to keep this stylus as clean as possible and brushing is not sufficient. Dipping in Magic Eraser in combination with brushing followed by dipping in Onzow Zerodust may be necessary to clear the crud and reveal the clean profile. Please let us know.....good luck. It's one of the best cartridges I've heard. |
Just picked up a Grace f9e and Signer tk7e. Do you guys go for all the way up the ladder with the Soundsmith remakes. Thacker has original tke replacements mighty reasonable. I have a 155 and 160lc stylus on hand. Thanks for any thoughts Mike |
Hi Mike, You'll actually need the TK-7Ea to be able to fit the 155Lc stylus. Good news is........there's quite a few out there. Just be patient :-) |