Regards. StereoNeedles? Many are satisfied customers. Ordered a stylus, repeated emails & three months to receive, it arrived with a skewed cantilever. Due to poor service, argumentative and borderline accusative statements made by their representative when the return of the damaged AT-25 stylus was requested, I'll not patronize again. Overseas/international buyers might research http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=stereoneedles.com+review&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8Peace, |
Regards, Raul: From your description the Satin seems to be a worthy consideration as C.O.T.M.
Those who participate in stylus exchanges do so with the intent of upgrading the performance of a cartridge, such as a lesser quality assembly with a nude, Shibata, ML or LC stylus, or by comparisons of aluminum, boron, titanium or beryllium cantilevers. In doing so, there is much to be learned about contributions made by various cantilever materials and stylus profiles.
You write: "and the frankeisteins only a joke." This implies you have experienced a number of Frankencarts. I'm sure I wouldn't be alone in appreciating an enumeration of combinations to be avoided?
Peace, |
Isn't every cartridge that get sent to SS, Axel or to whomever, becomes a Frankencart as soon as it becomes something other than original? To put a beryllium, sapphire, or a boron cantilever where there use to be an aluminum would make it a Frankencart. If Raul thinks "and the frankeisteins only a joke", then he has several of them in his collection. The difference with ours is that they only cost pennies compared to what he is paying to a retipper. Regards, Don |
Nandric, You are conflating the National Debt with the Balance of Payments. These are two entirely different things. Actually, neither is affected by private sales that cross national boundaries. |
Raul,
Thanks for getting back to me within the requested time.
Sadly, the Essential issue now needs resolving and I have emailed you about this. I look forward to your swiftest response.
As always... |
Dear Lew, I mentioned national debt 17142109490475 (of which 4,5 trillion is hold by foreign governements with China's part of 1,2 trillion). The trade deficit is 40294 million. Those amounts are very difficult to 'conflate'. One need only to Google 'American debt' and /or 'American trade deficit' and see for himself. BTW when you transfer to me $2000 for, say, my FR-64s there is the influx of dollars in Holland as a foreign currency. If you need to pay in euro's you will need to buy them with your dollars first. If I remeber well you was not very amused with the bank fees involved. However if my 'conflating' is of any help for your debt situation I would be glad to confess. |
Dear Griffithds: Yes a lot of FK because was no other alternative or like the Clearaudio where in original condition the stylus/cantilever combination was a shame.
But, so what?, it is obvious that a reference/standard beats the FK too: what's wrong with that? why that kind of " feellling " by some of you?: missed I something?
Regards and enjoy the music, R. |
Sorry if I misunderstood you, or, as Andre' Gide said, Sorry if I "understood you too quickly". Good to know you are concerned about the American economy. It saves me the trouble. I have my own FR64S, by the way, purchased from Switzerland. They did not notice the influx of my dollars, probably. |
Last Autumn I bought a new ATN20SS from StereoNeedles. The cantilever was a bit off-axis. I admit I should had returned it right away. But I wonder if they had ever refunded my money... |
Frankensteins (cartridges) only a joke ? I doubt that. Frank Einstein may very well have been a very intelligent man and must have been a close relative, a cousin maybe to Albert Einstein. Where can I buy these carts designed by Frank Einstein ? |
Dear Lew, I have the impression that you think to understand everything 'to quckly'. That is why you need to sometime correct your understanding afterwards. The connection my worry is about is stated in Europe this way: 'when America sneeze Europe get pneumonia'. The last as well as the first debt crisis is not caused by Europa but by America.
Regards, |
Raul,
Might I again ask that you make contact about the noted fault with the Essential? I really do want to believe that dishonesty plays no part in your latest responses and lack of such subsequently.
As always... |
Dear Dgob, This is obviously a public warning for the addressee but you actually need Jose for the job. I hope he is our member so can approach him directly?
As always, |
Nandric, That is "bullshit". Do you think the huge financial concerns that caused the 2008 collapse are either American OR European? They don't. They act only in their own self interest, and they have no nationality whatever. You need to learn more about capitalism. And really, in the end, what difference does it make? If you just hate the USA, that's your business; I feel sorry for you. |
Lew, Nandric might be referring to the European debt crisis, Greece and Spain. 17 different economies and 1 currency, good idea? Yes, that's our fault too. How else can they compete with the world's major reserve currency?
Meanwhile China is selling off US debt (down nearly 3T, they know a bad investment when they see it), and buying up gold. Ft Knox is now somewhere near Beijing. Not to worry. Once we start oil fracking we'll be the world's biggest producer. Just don't drink the water. Regards, |
Dear Lew, Your reaction is as those of Israeli about any critical remarks about the Israeli politics: anti-Semitic. Our economical expert Fleib should check the exchange rate between the euro and the dollar. |
Dear Lew, The debt crisis is easy to explain. No need for conspiracy assumptions. The banks have not their own (money) capital. They work with the money of their customers which are depositors or savers independent from the question if those are civil persons or legal persons. This money they lend to governements, companies or civilians. But when those lenders are not capable to pay the interest nor the principal amount back the banks need to reverse their account. Insteade of claims they have lenders which are not able to pay anything at all. So the banks need to debit those loans. This causes the crisis by the banks and consequently the general debts crisis. This is the so called credit economy. It is not possible to live on credit for ever. The question than is who or which country has such debts that they are not able to pay their loans back. We all have seen how difficult the solutions are. The Germans and the Dutch in Europe are not willing to pay for other countries as for the Greek.Cyprus is the exampel for the other countries in Europe.
|
Nicola Nandric esq, If you're going to post in English, maybe you should learn the meaning of the words. That tends to facilitate communication. Debt crisis - massive PUBLIC debt relative to tax revenues or government income. If the US government takes in $3T/yr, but spends $4T.....
Yes, the euro has lost ground relative to the dollar. Considering that the dollar is also losing value... That makes our goods cheaper in the rest of the world, but their goods more expensive here. The currencies losing value causes inflation. When it takes 50 euros to buy a loaf of bread you're in trouble.
No need to play the Israel/anti-Semitic card. I'll have someone come to your house and take your cigarettes.
Heard any good cartridges lately? Regards, |
The debt crisis is easy to explain. Where are the bond vigilantes, then? Why is inflation so low? Why is the yield on 10 yr US treasury bonds hovering near 2%? You'd think we could be more handsomely rewarded for the risk of investing in a debt crisis ridden economy. I love this thread. Where else can we find an expert on the AHEE's world domination as well as a lawyer who can 'easily' explain the most complex economic phenomena (in a short paragraph no less!) It is not possible to live on credit for ever. Perhaps, dear Nandric, you've read of Keynes' quip to this kind of 'reasoning': "But this long run is a misleading guide to current affairs. In the long run we are all dead." On a brighter note: I'd like to thank Halcro for trying out all those platter mats on his tt101. His suggestion to use pigskin on the bare platter is spot on. It has replaced my boston audio mat 2 and is a configuration that I would have never tried were it not for his precedent. |
Regards Banquo,
I'm so glad you were able to find a Victor pigskin turntable mat to try on your TT-101.......and that you were pleased with the results. Did you find the mat at TopClass Audio? Tommy used to have a few of them there....but I don't believe I've seen them for a while?
It's gratifying to think that a company like Victor in the 70s and 80s....which certainly wasn't a behemoth like Technics, Kenwood or Denon.....could afford to devote money (and a team) to the testing of accessories associated with analogue reproduction? All the experimentation that eventually led them to the production of these ultra-thin pigskin mats must have been done by endless 'listening' preceded by thought and analysis? If they had the nouse to delve into the minutiae of these 'accessories' (which at the time were hardly mentioned by even the esoteric high-end audio journals)......it bodes well for the thought, experimentation and 'listening' that they must have done for the design of their products in general?
Speaking of which......I wonder how Lew is going with the progress of his TT-101? |
Fellow frankensurgeons. After the Shibata has been sedated do you prefer a hot knife over the snips to de-wing the unit? Having never done this before with an LP Gear Shibata en-route and having read of both forms of surgery I am wondering the best way to approach this delicate task without botching it up completely or ending up with a cracker-jack looking cartridge. Even though it is on the bottom of the cartridge I will still know. The hot knife technique looks intriguing however somewhat melty. |
Dear Flieb, Learning consits in grasping thoughts as expressed in sentences (statements or propositions) not in learning the meaning of words. So much about your own understanding of linquistics or philosophy of language. BTW since Frege this 'rule' apply for words:'the meaning of a word is its contribution to the meaning of the statement in which it occurs'. Even worst is you economics because you obviously conflate budget deficit with national debt. And you have the preteniton to teach lessons to others. Even to speak for Lew in the Israeli context. His comment was that I hate America. Well by every critical remark about Israeli politics their reaction is that 'obviously' the critic hates Israel. You obviously missed the point. You also missed the point of my advice to check the exchange rate between the euro and the dollar. The contex was your own prediction that the euro will colapse. Any new cantilevers btw? |
Fellow Frankinsurgeon,
Some just use wire cutters, but I have found that the utility knife/Stanley knife works the best. Cuts through that stylus housing like butter if a new blade is being used. Prop the stylus housing up onto something that is square so the cantilever/stylus is floating out there in the air with the rest of the housing sitting flat. Go slow and think about what you are doing. You will be surprised at how easy it was and how good it sounds after it is installed. BTW. Welcome to the club! (grin)
Best regards, |
Nandric, This discussion about economics and now political views, has no place on this forum. Why don't you take your opinions and ignorance to a more appropriate venue?
Please don't address me again on these topics. Regards, |
Tubed 1, It is essential to have a small lip on the bottom of the plug so it's properly seated against the bottom of the cart body. If you position wire cutters flat against the plug you will get a near perfect lip. I think you can get a similar lip with a razor knife. Whatever works. Regards, |
Dear Banquo, Interesting post. But why you think that debts are so complex? For a lawyer an debtor is either in the position to repay his debts, make some arrangement with his creditor or get bankrupt. We now see that even national states are going bankrupt. As you should know according to the most economist Keynes is dead. He is reanimated in the USA and Japan with the help of the printing press but the 'long term' question is still there. One of the problems is the fact that many of us are still alive. So the 'argument' that 'in the long run we are all dead' looks ,say, very strange. What help is this for, say, the home owners who are not able to pay back the credit with which they bought their home?
|
Hi Halcro:
No, I don't have the original pigskin. I could have gotten it from Tommy way back when, but at the time my Victor was in the same state Lew's is presently in so I didn't want to sink any more cash into it.
As you say, he no longer has any so I got some sueded pigskin from the bay and cut it to size. Perhaps it's significantly different from the original? I guess I won't know unless Tommy sources some more.
Originally I tried it on top of both the boston audio mat and the stock victor rubber mat. I felt that the latter configuration attenuated both frequency extremes, and while the former did that as well (to a lesser extent) it helped erase some of the edginess in the highs of the BA Mat 2.
It's borderline incredible to me that the skin on the the bare platter offers the benefits that it does. Surely, the people at victor didn't intend for it to be used like this but rather on top of the rubber mat? The skin is so thin that I first thought that it wouldn't make contact at all with the vinyl. I then cut another piece of skin and double stacked it: the increased bass articulation was lost. So, I'm now back with just the one.
As you say also, the brake now stops the platter to a dead stop (with heavy records) whereas before it would take a revolution or so. I wasn't as worried about it, but it makes me wonder about the calibration of my brake (which is user adjustable and depends on load). |
Hi Banquo, I'd say you've done pretty well with the sueded pigskin from EBay. The Victor mat is sueded on top and tanned on the underside so yours sounds as if it matches perfectly?
I didn't realise that the brake function was user adjustable? Not that I need to do it......but how is it done? And you realise how practical the brake function is....because if you spin the platter, it keeps spinning for a long time. And as Lew says....it's a very light platter so the lack of friction on the platter bearing is very impressive. |
Dear Nandric:
I would respond but I fear the NSA moderators; that and I agree with Fleib that we should leave such matters off of this thread.
I do have a thread relevant question for you. I'm thinking of getting the audio technica 150anv mm cart. IIRC, you asserted that your glanz cartridges are better and that the astatic mf 200 is basically the same as one of those glanz cartridges. Does that sum up your current view on this matter? thanks. |
Hi Halcro:
See top of page 22 of owner's manual for brake adjustment instructions. Basically: there are 2 variable resistors that are used to set the reverse current at each speed. Depending on how much 'leeway' is built into the resistors, you could perhaps use the MS Copper mat and have it dead stop. When I said that it is user adjustable, I didn't mean just any user. The degree of difficulty rules me out. I was going to have my tech do the calibration, but after my ordeal with the table I thought just leave well alone. |
Dear Banquo, The AT 150 ANV is the most expensive MM cart that I own but consider the present price as a bargain. All other MM carts I bought second hand on ebay. There are some which were NOS but, say, 30+ years old. This is of course a risky business by which (much?)luck is involved. The luck to find the 'cart of the month' , the luck to win the cart for a 'decente' price and the luck that the cart is ok. Non of those except the price is involved by the AT 150 ANV. Ranking own carts is merely based on subjecitive valuation but there is also the fact that we can reach consensus about at least some of them. In my present situation I would rank the Glanz 5 as nr.1 and than ex aequo : AT 180, Signet 10 ML, Glanz 71 l and AT 150 ANV. BTW the AT 150 ANV is produced in limited numbers that is why I decided to buy one before more then Raul's opinion are posted in this thread. I am glad I deed. Regards, |
Dear Friends, For me it is a blessing to use MM and MI, I can go direct in to my dedicated tube-riaa, and I will never look back on my very expansive MC-cards, they are all sold and gone for good. If you have the Trans-fi Terminator or another tangential tonearm, I can give you some good advice on choice of pickup. I have followed this tread, and have purchased some of the cards there have been recommended. Astatic mf-200 is a enormous good card, and it can outrange most MC-cards on pure music and it tracks really, really good. This has been my favorit for some times. You for sure need a high-compliance card to keep on track. But most importend, you need the best needle-shape - the most expansive cards in a range of a brand. But you also need the right material to the cantilever if you want to hear the harmonics and "real-life" sound of music and characteristics of instruments and voices. Here I found out that Ruby and Sapphire has the most living-like sound, when you listen to violin og female voices. Those gem-stones gives a more glorious sound. Some days ago I for the first time mounted my NOS Bang and Olufsen mmc 1. My dear wife, who is an concert pianist, spontaneouts said: this is it... It sounds more like the real thing, was what she said. And I agree. I think the Sapphire cantilever and the very low effective tip mass on 0.25mg is some of the answer here. It is MY new favorit. It is not as sublime a tracker as the Astatic. But the sound of the B&O are more brilliant and spartial. I'm begining to think - and hope - after many years, I can now forget about hifi and just feel og taste what my sences, my body and my wife tells me:) I think this could be MY everlasting SOTA-card. And because of living in Denmark, there will always be more B&O mcc1 in a short reach of distance. So dear friends, try this on your Trans-fi Terminator or another world-class tangential light-weight tone-arm, listen to the voice of a woman - and let me know whar YOU feel!
Have a nice weekend |
Dear Stonedagainagain: Good that you are enjoying the MM/MI alternative.
I can't agree more with you on the MMC1/2 B&O quality level performance. I have no single doubt is a winner and a lot better that many of the cartridges top regarded here ( including the FK. ).
The cartridge is very good tracker, I posted when I " discover " it years ago in this thread. Unfortunatelly only a few Agoner's bought it and many of them in reality don't gave it a good listening opportunity but if they as you did give a listening and match it perfectly on tonearm/headshell and load impedance/capacitance I'm sure they will be " surprised " as your dearest wife.
I think it could be a very hard task to put the B&O in a not top quality performance position. We only have to listen it.
The other good news is that the B&O MMC1/2 we can buy it today in NOS condition or second hand.
Regards and enjoy the music, R. |
Hi! Somebody gave me this on a PM....
"These cartridges were made in a clean room in a SOTA factory in Denmark, not in some Bronx basement like Joe Grado's, or a Mexican factory like Mr. Shure's stuff. The top two cartridges in the series used a special Namiki hollow-sapphire cantilever that was first used in an Accuphase cartridge that cost over $1000...in 1982! Mass production and less snob-appeal meant that the B&O cartridges sold for less than half of that, but not THAT much less! By the time it was discontinued, the MMC1 had a list price of about $575. Last time I checked, Soundsmith wanted $380 for their version of the MMC2, albeit with a solid-sapphire cantilever (I guess they can't source the Namiki ones anymore) like the older MMC20CL cartridge had. Even the MMC5 never sold for less than $100, nor should it have when competing magnetic cartridges from Audio-Technica, Stanton/Pickering, Grado, Sonus, Micro-Acoustics, AKG, ADC, Empire, Nagaoka & Shure were so vastly inferior!"
So it looks like, it is this very special "Namiki" cantilever that gives the B&O MMC1 its advantage on every other cards I have had on my TransFi Terninator (many!) The MMC1 was also handcalibrated and had better specs in compare to MMC2. MMC1 is a refined version of MMC2... So if we want the best, we must go for the ONE! B&O invented the stereo phono-pickup in the 50s - did they also make "The holy grail" of cartridges..? Yes for ME, this is at the moment a fact!
The best things in life are free. I guess phono cartridges aren't the best things in life. But who knows?
//Mikael |
Hi Stonedagainagain, Rather nasty PM touting your fav cart. Why do some people think it's necessary to denigrate other brands when recommending? Not only that, the PM has misinformation.
Grado is in Brooklyn, not the Bronx and why the basement remark? Joe Grado has the patent for the stereo cartridge. He formerly worked for Ortofon. At the time B&O was making carts, Shure was in the US and not Mexico. Both abandoned their tooling for carts. B&O is out of it entirely and Shure still makes a couple of models in Mexico. This is all common knowledge.
There were other carts besides Accuphase that had a hollow tube cantilever, but they were few and far between. This is not to say that the MMC-1 isn't a great cart, but it's not necessary to lie to make it sound better. Whoever sent the PM is doing B&O a disservice. Reaction against misinformation won't help their quality perception.
Perhaps you should sober up a little before you pass along such garbage. Regards, |
Dear Fleib, Cool down my dear fellowman, I just posted another members reaction on my findings. But anyway, thanks you for the correction... "In 1958, Bang & Olufsen introduced the first stereo pickup cartridge ever made in Europe..." (ups my mistake - they just introduced in Europe not the whole world) BeoworldHope you can take other things in life with just a smile... I do - and also U : ) And please, do not put any hard feelings into this very peacefull and global world-peacemaking tread <3 //Mikael |
Stoner, I'm not against getting high, but it seems some people lose their power of discernment. I'm not angry or excited, so nothing to cool down for. I also have no hard feelings about a silly post, merely pointing out inaccuracies.
This thread has gotten less friendly lately, especially with discussion of world economics and now politics. Maybe your enthusiasm for an old favorite, will help correct that. Regards, |
Fleib,
Who knows if Mikael got his moniker from some magic weeds, or seeds? Perhaps he has the experience of folks throwing rocks at him repeatedly? ;^) |
Hi Mikael,
Congrats for your intelligent choice for the Terminator/Salvation deck. And advice for the B&O MCC1. And for Raul too of course, as he stated in the beginning of this neverending story.
This extraordinary B&O cart was sold on eBay just a moment ago: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/321140283184?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2648.
Let´s hope the winner is an A´goner and will enlighten us !
Thank you all. |
Dear Harold-not-the-barrel,
Yes, and that X-ordinary cart will soon hit ist spiritual motherland and short after it does, it will sit on my Terminator/Linco L75... Stay tuned...
// Mikael - aka Stoner (as some of you guys call me) |
Linco = Lenco = my last TT - well and heavy modded with a massiv plint and a 15kg plate.
//Stoner |
Perfect !
Oh, you are running Terminator on Lenco L75. Another intelligent combo, wow.
Isn´t this a fantastic thread, hardly can wait for your report ! |
Dear Harold-not-the-barrel,
Yes, this thread has been and still are my biggest source to opgrade and inspire for finding MY audioheaven. Phono-cards is also the last link in my chain I still are fiddling with... I think I have the MMC2-EXpert in the end of the week. So I'l try to report next weekend. Thank's for the warm and friendly word about my choice af set-up. I also think that your Oracle/Terminator are a very intelligent and interesting combo.
//Stoner |
Hello all and happy fathers day. Well my technics epa 100 buy on the bay has turned into a real catastrophe. I have encountered a true fraud. Never again will I make a purchase from Australia. The arm was unusable due to bearing problems. The arm at rest sets down almost a inch due to bent arm rest. Anti skate is in need of repair and the headshel was not included as described. I had to pay for return to seller for paypals buyer protecton plan. Hopefully this fraud seller will take delivery soon so i can get my purchess price back less my shiping cost. What a bummer |
Dear Stltrains: Sorry to hear that. Whom was the seller: moniker?.
Regards and enjoy the music, R. |
Hey Raul goldenageanaloge. Delivery was taken today PayPal has issued a refund. To bad I already had Ken make me protractor and bought some bronze cord to build another arm pod. Mike |
Hey Don, SAS 1 stylus arrived from japan after several weeks .I installed it on the A&R P77. You're right. It is fantastic. Burn in time is now only 2 hours and it is in my opinion on the level of the Precept pc440, better than my Glanz 31l. But can not touch B&O MMc1 . The MMc is not better. It sounds different. Mmc cartridges have their own sound not to compare with. The SAS P77 's dynamics makes me speechless. soundstage is so deep and wide and the instruments are all at their places. Female voices -Tracy Chapman, Katie Melua are fantastic. so sweet and full emotions. But also Blues and Rock are perfect. The helicopter on The wall shakes my JE Labs open baffles. The Race by Yello was the best presentation I heard. Lyle Lovett , Steve Ray Vaughan and the new Black sabbath 13. I can not believe what high quality sound I hear with this 130 Dollar cart. no distortions, perfect tracker, no problems with s-tones on worn out records. Very deep and hard bass but always controlled. And all at 1.25g vtf, recommended by JICO.
Now I am fan of SAS stylus.
and Don thanks to you because of Frankenstein instructions. Playing CA virtuoso now with at3472 Jico stylus 0,3x0,7 at 1,4 vtf on a 12g effective mass tonearm. Transplant was very easy to do with a knife. regards.Knut |
Hi Knut,
Yes, that A&R P77/SAS is an absolute winner. I have bought a couple of spare SAS styli for my use. I was not aware that you also had joined the Frankenstein club! Welcome aboard. Your transplant was not only "easy to do with a knife", but think of how much money you saved. CA want 50% of new price for a stylus replacement, and I am sure your Jico is better than the AT replacement CA would have used. Congratulations on your successful surgery! Regards, Don |
Mikhael, Raul & Knut, I bought an used B&O MMC6000 from Withsolutions. This reputable seller says the stylus seems barely played under magnification, and the cantilever is straight. And having read the article and the specs I just couldn´t resist it. The MMC600O has a stylus profile very close to line contact and the cantilever is beryllium. And then came the resolution, so to speak: 0.22 mg effective mass, even lower than MMC1´s.
The lowest I know. http://www.beoworld.org/prod_details.asp?pid=726
Yes, the B&O cartridges must have a sound of their own. What is this particular B&O sound on the mighty linear tracker, a modern high-end quality level tangential arm ? For me it´s quite hard to think of more interesting subject on analog at the moment. Frankly, I was prepared to try a Soundsmith MI cartridge and suddenly came Mikhael praising his B&O MMC1 ! And this the funniest part of this fantastic thread, you never know what´s behind the corner. I´ll let you know more, hopefully soon... ;)
The Jico SAS is fantastic, a bit refined than the original Micro-Ridge/beryllium (by SHURE) in my system. |
Dear harold-not-the-barrel: I own it and was an earlier design, was the top of that B&O line and very especial cartridge. I did not listening in the last 4 years and is time to test again.
Good that now this thread is honoring the B&O designs at the level they belong: great cartridges, for say the least.
Go a head!.
regards and enjoy the music, R. |