Dear Downunder: Congratulations for that.
The headshell I'm using is the Jelco one. Before you mount the cartridge check that the stylus is fastened ( tight ) to the cartridge body through that tiny screw.
Btw, as is my usual habit, in cartridges of this level, my Technics sample was with Van denHul for a " refresh " before the review.
Regards and enjoy the music, Raul. |
In last few years I watched this Technics P100cMk4 cart going from obscurity to stardom. Very interesting and entertaining. |
Dear Raul, Do I understand correctly that you got an NOS Technics and sent it to van den Hul for.... what? Did they re-tip an NOS cartridge? It would be helpful if you could clarify just what they did to it. Do I also understand correctly then that your review pertains to a Technics that has been massaged by vdH? The sound could be quite different and certainly would be at least subtly different from a completely stock item. |
Raul
Jelco's website say their model HS-20 (only one they make) is Magnesium with chrome plating and painting in black. It is not aluminium.
So the belldream headshells would be an OEM Jelco? |
Have just purchased the Azden and was hoping to find the compliance with the cartridge specs in the box but not stated - can anybody advise please as not obvious from the web. Cheers. |
Alex, I just assume it is "high compliance" and start from there. But someone here will probably have the exact and probably inaccurate factory spec. Given the age of these specimens, it is almost certain that the compliance is no longer what it once was; compliance is probably lower now. I am having no problem with tracking or LF resonance using it in an 8.5gm headshell on a Dynavector tonearm, where the P-mount adapter adds 2-3gm of mass. Hope that helps. |
Dear Lewm: Yes, my Azden sample VTA/SRA set up is like you posted: a nice coincidence.
Regards and enjoy the music, Raul. |
Dear Downunder: You are right. Things are that Jelco,Nagaoka and BD are similar at your eyes and only if I look at the inside side I can be sure, but even then is not easy to say because there is no " name ".
The Nagaoka original headshell is way different from the current one. Was in that original ( 9.5grs. ) Nagaoka where the Technics say " No ", maybe I don't give enough time to the cartriodge settle down because normally these cartridges are tonearm/headshell friendly.
Now, you have a wide headshell selection so you can " play " with till ( after cartridge settle down ) you find the best match. Yes this is time consuming but the cartridge and music deserve that.
Regards and enjoy the music, Raul. |
Regards, Rual. It appears there is a consensus developing concerning the Azden: SRA is critical for optimized play, the nude "vital" line contact stylus demands it. After three weeks of getting acquainted with the YP-50VL, I find:
Tonearm (EPA-250, eff. mass 14gm., ADC 6.5gm mag. headshell) at 1 1/2 deg. positive VTA blends bass and hf's, the "sweet spot" is very sweet, but alas, exceedingly narrow.
1.1gm VTF refines upper mid and hf definition and detail, bass attack is much tighter. Cohesion was lost at lighter tracking force. Above 1.2gm, increased bass proportion/presence became distracting, this may relate to the EPA-250 TA/SP-15 TT characteristics.
The Azden is sensitive to capacitance values. At 300pF, hf detail and resolution are more refined. Cap. shunted above 300pF brings crystal clarity to cymbols, chimes, but female voice/stringed insturments exibit a slightly distorted, grainy character. Vocalist's breaths became a sibilant irritant.
Silver leads connected directly to the cartridge pins improved resolution and articulation.
The potential for quality is immediately evident but deliberate fine tuning is rewarding. VTA was the greatest influencing factor in getting the best from my example, VTF and capacitance were codependents.
On my antique SS system, etc., the Azden is a great cartridge for pleasurable daily listening, currently getting more arm time than two other favorites, a Shure V15-111/SAS/Cardas leads, permanently alligned on an interchangable EPA-501H armwand, and a pristine Grace F9-L/Lustre headshell for the EPA-250. All three make good music, each in their own special way.
|
Timeltel, "300pF" with what resistive load? The two parameters interact, so it would be good to know both. Just by eyeball, I would say that I right now am set at quite a bit more than 1.5 degrees positive VTA, more like 3 to 6 degrees, but very hard to tell exactly. I would guess that 1.5 degrees would be barely discernible by eye. Reading your comments, those of others, and based too on my own listening, perhaps the unique thing about this cartridge is its bass and treble extension (in both directions) and detail, while midrange so far is just "good". But because bass AND treble are so good, I am at a loss as to how to adjust VTA further to effect any improvement. Maybe loading is key. I will just listen for now. |
Greetings,Lewm: Good question. Excuse,please, I presumed all who had followed Raul's thread had adopted 100k Ohm resistance. I didn't say, my bad. Capacitance at 300 pico Farads includes tonearm and IC's. 400pF total really pushed the cartridge, great for R&R though. A nominal value of 100pF for tonearm and IC's is typical, mine at 97pF, some tonearms alone at over 200pF, this from the Boston Audio Society, sometime in the '70's.
Six degrees of VTA seems severe. Please check my casual math but for an effective tonearm length of ten inches, rise then is .55 inches, just at 9/16", 13+ mm. I refered to angle rather than a measure in mm's, not all tonearms are the same length making elevation in mm's a variable. Angle is a more universal standard. 1 1/2 deg. is noticable, almost at 3mm positive with my 250mm eff. length arm. Check this math too, I confess to being barely proficient and I don't mind correction.
Bass and treble extension are commendable features with the Azden. Rather than calling midrange "good", I would say it is robust, even more excellent when the cartridge is broken in. Midrange and hf's do seem somewhat challenged by the attention the bass draws to itself. Capacitance, hot and loaded like a good woman or a $3 pistol, along with careful (for me, anyway) VTA and tracking force adjustment, tightened the bass and promoted the mids and hf's to what seemed a nicely balanced presentation. You're right, there is an interaction between these applications, the important thing is acheiving the voicing needed for one's system requirements. |
Thanks Lewm - I thought the same - intend to match this with a pristine SME III which gets mixed views but is best matched with high compliance cartridges. Has a light hedshell but maybe the adaptor will make it just right. Any suggestions on this match gratefully appreciated.
Best to all, this has been one cracker of a thread to follow!! I got hooked lusting after a B&O MMC2 and seeing it discussed here got me even further into the MM/MI tunnel of enlightenment. |
Has anyone tried a p-mount on a Morch regular armtube (non-precision)? I have avoided the p-mounts for a couple of reasons: 1) I am quite happy with the M20FL that I recently bought, 2) I am not sure that the narrow mounting area of the Morch regular armtube would work well with a p-mount adaptor.
By the way, since this is my 1st post to this thread, now would probably be a good time to thank everyone, particularly Raul, for their work on this endeavor.
Over the years of slowly moving up the resolution ladder, I have often found my right brain missing the sheer musicality of the cheap system I had back in high school when all I knew about was MM; but my analytical left brain kept me on the pursuit of detail. With the M20FL I can now have both. |
Dear Timeltel, with 1.5 degree, 250mm eff lenght, it's about 6.5 mm at the back (yours +13mm should be 3 degrees IMHO), mine is close to 5mm now and I am gonna raise it again, it sounded a bid hard and metallic initially. now I am getting used to it. the bass is too strong without raising the tail.
Alex, SMEIII should be fine, as Raul mentioned before, MM/MI are friendly to arms, I am very happy with the Azen on SME3009S2 (fixed headshell 6.5g total mass). |
Dear Siniy123: Thank you for show me the Technics P100CMK4 source where I bought my sample.
regards and enjoy the music, Raul. |
Dear Lewm: For you stay calm about: yes my Technics cartridge review was made when the cartridge return from Van denHul in original stock condition but now instead in NOS shape in NEW and original status.
What means NEW?, like if Technics build it this month. No I did not hear it before the Van denhul " trip ".
Regards and enjoy the music, Raul. |
Dear Downunder: Now that I inspect with more care the headshell that I'm using with the P100C MK4 is an aluminum one, which one?, I can't say it because I bought it second hand with out name. It looks that the other we named but it is not one of them, I know is aluminum because when I receive it I " check " against similar look magnesium ones by the sound that makes when you throw against a solid floor ( not wood but " ceramic ". ), the aluminum ones has a different sound than the magnesium ones: as you see aerospace science!
Regards and enjoy the music, raul. |
Dear Timeltel/Lewm: I agree with Dgarretson, the Azden goes settle down slowly: I have 25-30 hours and still hearing subtle/thin changes, I will give it other 10 hours before fine tunning.
Regards and enjoy the music, Raul. |
Dear Wdi: Welcome a board!
Btw, very nice system you own and that Lenco looks just gorgeous: congratulations!
I never try it in my Moerch but I can't see any serious/critical drawback with a P-mount cartridge design that preclude the use of that kind of cartridges, IMHO: you can go a head.
Now, your first reason is a good one but the Azden ( P-mount ) is worth to hear/have it: very good rewards.
regards and enjoy the music, Raul. |
Dear Raul, I guess my last question to you did sound like I was agitated. I just wanted to be absolutely clear on what it is that you are according such rave reviews, here and elsewhere on the internet. I foolishly sat still while others gobbled up those NOS Technics cartridges, but at least now I can have some hope that if I find a good used one, it can be revived to the level of yours by vdH service. But I also have so much other vinylphile work ahead of me that I should be able to wait for the ECP P100C, in whatever form. I have yet to "taste" the Andante P76, the AT20SS, the AKG P8ES, and the B&O MMC1 and MM20CL., for examples. And I am about to set up my Kenwood L07D turntable, now that it has been completely serviced, tweaked in a few ways, and calibrated. Everything moves slower for me than for you, because I have so many other obligations and distractions. I have you to thank for this adventure. This is the essence of a "hobby".
Dear Timeltel, I never even thought of doing the trigonometry to actually calculate how many degrees of VTA I am using. Very clever, yet obvious. It's a bit more difficult for me, because I am using the Dynavector DV505, where the vertically pivoted arm is so short, and the horizontal part of the arm is always level. I was just guessing at the angle by eye, as I said. |
Regards, Zhuwei1231: "And I don't mind correction". I used 90 degrees as a take off, at 180 deg., the error is by one half, it is as you determined. 6.5mm up at 250mm length. Thanks for the double check. |
Regards, Lewm. Thanks for your generous comments. As you follow these posts, you will find contributor Zuhweil231 much cleverer than I. I eventually scaled it out to find the source of error.
I did not mean to suggest raising VTA to increase hf's, it will, but at the loss of correct SRA, a slender margin with the line contact stylus and worth maintaining. Have you tried reducing VTF for bringing highs forward? As you concluded, cap. and load are also effective tools. I'm pushing mine like it was a Yugo. |
Sorry but this "refresh" thing has become a bit confusing. Raul, I had a similar question as Lew on what you auditioned but he beat me to posting.
So Raul, van den Hul will replicate the original stylus profile if requested with a retip, rather than mount one of his vdH tips? That is interesting because I believe Soundsmith uses their own preferred profile when retipping (as well as cantilever material), rather than duplicating the original stylus (and cantilever). In fairness, I have not inquired if Soundsmith would replicate an original profile for an added charge if requested.
This does relate to a question I did ask Soundsmith however. That was, how much of the sonic result with his rebuild comes from the new cantilever/stylus (and possibly different cantilever resonance and tip profile) compared to that of the motor design and construction of the original cartridge? His reply was "Impossible to say – too complex - it depends on how the energy is handled in each specific cartridge design."
One reason for asking was the recollection of Raul's comment a while back that he preferred the sonics of an original B&O MMC 20CL over a Soundsmith rebuild of that model.
Another issue with vdH though is pricing from the US. A friend checked on retip prices by vdH compared to Soundsmith for his vdH cartridge and vdH was 2-3 times more expensive.
No one said this would be easy. :-( |
Raul
What does VDH do to a NOS cartridge to bring it to "NEW" status. Does he replace any parts and are they the same - might be very difficult considering age of components.
What does VDH charge for such a service?.
Is this something you do with all your NOS cartdridges?
Lewm, If the Technics epc-P1000-mk4 does not float my boat, you would be welcome to take it off my hands for the price I paid. They seem to be quite rare. That is if Jasper did not want it as he has first dibs at the moment.
It will be interesting listening to it.
cheers |
Dear Wdi, I would like to echo Raul's sentiment. That Lenco looks gorgeous! If you made the plinth yourself, you are an artiste. If not, you still have great taste and acumen. You can go to my system site and see a fairly bad photo of my Lenco L75 in a PTP top plate on a slate plinth. I can only take artistic credit for choosing the colors of the platter and top plate (black in both cases). I am doing all my auditioning of MM/MI cartridges, so far, on that rig. |
Raul
ta, I'll use my Ortofon LH-2000 headshell with the technics.
Ortofon LH-2000 Headshell Solid aluminum build Weight: 12 grams Mount distance min 32,5 mm max 41,9 mm
cheers |
Thanks Raul and Lewm, but there's really not a lot to that Lenco plinth. I just glued together two maple cutting boards that I came across (does anyone else ponder the audio system possibilities while the wife is taking them through Bed, Bath, and Beyond?) cut a template, and got a friend to use his router to make room for the Lenco top plate.
This was before the PTP was available, and I have long been admiring your slate/PTP3 Lenco Lewm...I may have to acquire a 2nd Lenco now. |
Dear Timeltel/Lewm:Well, everyone.
What normally works for me regarding VTA/SRA set up is to play around till bass frequency range ( especially low bass ) is spor on, where " permit " to the other frequency range ( mid bass, mid range, treble, ) to shows at its best where that bass frequency range is not an " obstacle/stop " to discern on music different " stages ". Not always is possible to do it in precise way but I try hard because when you own a system that goes down to 16Hz+ it is a must that the bass range is on target if you want first rate quality performance.
In a system like this you don't have many alternatives like in systems that does not goes so deep on the bass range and where you can " play " with the mid-range/treble performance that many times people tends to " exagerate " on highs that many times too are far from be " natural ".
Anyway, the VTA/SRA is record/system dependent and always critical to attain the best performance.
Regrads and enjoy the music, Raul. |
Dear Pryso/Downunder: I have a very old relationship ( almost personal ) with VdH due that use theirs services several times with VdH cartridges I own/owned and with several non VdH LOMC ones.
At the begining I send all those cartridges through a USA VdH dealer/distributor till and due that in México there is no VdH dealer/distributor I ask to send it directly and VdH accept in this way ( if exist a VdH representative in your country VdH does not accept direct " business ": period. ).
VdH him self is an owner of several MM/MI vintage cartridges ( including the EPC100 ) and I understand he likes a lot and has too almost all detail information on almost any MM/MI vintage cartridges. As all you know not only VdH is " famous " for its VdH stylus propietary designs but because they build it, all these facts IMHO gives to VdH some advantages over other re-tippers.
I already send to VdH around 10-12 vintage MM/MI for " refresh ", what means this?, normally fine tunning/refresh cartridge suspension other times re-tip. In either case I always ask to that the cartridge job be made/do it to leave the cartridge in ORIGINAL status. I'm very confidence with this ORIGINAL status that VdH try to attain. I have to say that if I don't have all that past experiences with VdH probably I don't leave that any one touch my Technics sample!
One example that could put some light on this Original VdH job is this: I own two Sonus Dimension 5 where one I bought NOS and the other used. Well the NOS never was near the high quality performance of the used sample, far from there. Over the time I decided that the used sample needs a re-tip and I send it to VdH along the NOS sample where in this one only ask a suspension " refresh ". When both cartridges return and after both settle down I can't say which one was the NOS, the sound on both cartridges is similar and if you see it through a microscope you can't say if there are any differences. I have to say that how the stylus is attached to the cantilever is unique to the Sonus Dimension 5 design and VdH copy exactly in the same way!
The VdH service is more or less expensive and they make a fee charge for non VdH cartridges. I'm willing to pay for this kind and work level that match my precise/non-compromise targets.
In the other side last time I use SS re-tipping service was with an original ruby cantilever cartridge LOMC design that when I receive it ( fixed by SS ) I note that the cantilever was larger than the original, I ask about and he told me that the cartridge need it in that way: for many people this could be fine certainly not for me.
Regards and enjoy the music, Raul. |
If someone (me) just wandered into this thread and wanted to know whether to buy a new MM or MC cartridge, where in the 1000+ posts should I look? I can't possibly read them all with my slow internet connection. I'm looking for a new cartridge so my linn dealer can install it for me. |
This thread is about vintage MM and MI cartridges. There is no attempt to analyze the relative merits of MC cartridge (relative to each other, that is). Here is a list of vintage and new MM or MI cartridges that you can buy today. All of these have received good reviews in this thread. I personally have not heard them all: Nagaoka MP50 or MP500 (the newest new version) Garrott P77i (new version of the Garrot P77, look for the Australian dealer) Andante P76 (one of many P-mount cartridges discussed here) Ortofon M20FL Super (available on eBay from William Thakker) Ortofon M20E Super (ditto) Several Grado models SoundSmith MI cartridges B&O MMC1, MMC2, MM20CL (rarely can be found NOS)
Others can add to this list. If you do not fear buying a used cartridge, there are several truly NLA cartridges that have received raves herein. You just have to read the thread and look on Agon and eBay for what you might want. Best bang for lowest bucks? One of the Ortofons, IMO. |
Lew, good thought to provide your list. However it might be helpful to identify new MM/MI separately from NOS, at least for those new to this thread or new to vinyl.
We can add Shure, Stanton, Benz, other Ortofon models to the list of new MM/MI still in production. Also, I thought the P76 (a NOS) was sold out, although not to say the odd one may not still pop up on A'gon or Ebay. |
Lewm and Pryso thank you for your gracious responses. I will start researching. The first cartridge I bought was a Shure M91ED for my AR (in the '70s) and after that an Ortofon Concord 30 for a budget table. I still have the Ortofon laying around somewhere. Thanks again! |
Tim, That's exactly what I was trying to do, list the ones that are readily available new or NOS. I think you one can still find an NOS Andante P76, which would be the only one on my list that is indeed open to question as regards its availability. But heck, I have two of them in NOS condition myself. I would also admit that it would take a bit of luck to find an NOS B&O MMC1 or MM20CL, but I did. Perhaps those two should not be on a list of easy to find ones. |
I will add another MM cartridge to the buy list.
Empire 1080LT - NOS P mount. now available from William Thakker and a very nice sounding cartridge.
A lot more refined that say the Ortofon M20FL Super. |
Gosh. Everyone wants to pick on the M20FL. What do you mean by "refined"? Yes, the FL is a bit on the Technicolor side, but that's not a bad thing entirely. If we move away from that, we also move toward MC-ville. Been there. Problem is we are scattered all over the world and we have different tastes and systems. Given that, the degree of agreement is remarkable. |
Lew, by refined I mean that in the upper frequencies the 1080LT is smoother, yet has better detail (no, not not like a bright MC).
I just find the M20FL Super in direct comparison just a little ragged and mechanical.
cheers |
At some point perhaps I will get around to the Empire 1080LT, but at the rate I am able to evaluate these cartridges, that day may never come (as the Godfather said). In my sonic memory dating back probably 30 or more years, the Empire cartridges were always smooth, but smooth to the point of being hi-fi-ish. With modern gear, the sonics might be entirely different.
I have been using the Azden playing into the Ayre P5Xe set to its lowest gain setting. This is the first truly "high" high output MM I have tried. (The Grado TLZ and the Ortofon have lower output voltages, I think.) I am wondering whether the Azden could be overloading the Ayre on peaks. In my private emails to Charles Hansen on another subject, he seemed to think that my spending time with MM/MI cartridges was quaint but definitely a trivial pursuit, so I wonder whether he has designed in the necessary headroom that these cartridges demand. OR I just need to increase VTF a tad. Is anyone else using the Ayre? |
Dear Lewm: I think maybe you need your " Maranello speedway " for that racing " car ".
regards and enjoy the music, Raul. |
Also the Technics 205CIIL has the same low DC resistance of 30-40 Ohm and very transparent, warn and effortless presentation. Very recommended. |
Dear Raul, I applaud the use of metaphor, but I am afraid you've got me this time. Can you explain your remark? Did you mean to say that the Ayre is not good enough for the Azden? I doubt that. But it may fall down in the respect that it cannot handle the max voltage output of the Azden on musical peaks without overloading and distorting. Or as I mentioned it may be that I need to tweak VTF or some other parameter of alignment. |
Hi All,
Just to note that the Andante P76 is a much better cartridge (if slightly 'technicolor' in presentation) than I had realised. The key change in the performance that I am now receiving from it came about with my removing the pins on the p-mount adaptor and directly making contact between cartridge pins and headshell leads as suggested on this thread.
Maybe not in the class of my recently acquired Azden, Technics EPC-100 Mk4 or Glanz G7 but still a very good p-mount cartridge. Now, onto further familiarisation with some of those other options!! |
Dear Lewm: The Azden is one of the few cartridges that demands the best to shows how great it is. That Azden in your system IMHO is limited by the Ayre limitations, yes that Azden is that good.
Of course that you can have good performance through the Ayre but not the Azden " glory ". Lewm, the Ayre is a good item but certainly not the best out there for that Azden job.
All our systems has its own limitations but when we are talking on analog source ( cartridges ) reproduction the best IMHO we can do is to find/have the best phono stage we can afford, in many ways more critical than the tonearm and with the same importance.
Lewm, you are a good " driver ", own that " Ferrari " you need the right " racing speedway " for that car can show you its greatness. Yes, IMHO the Azden is that Ferrari and needs no 75mhp roads speed limits.
Btw, after more hours the EPC-P100C MK4 is still improving I report latter on.
Regards and enjoy the music, Raul. |
My Azden arrived Saturday afternoon. I've got about 10 hours on it now. This is an amazing cartridge. As my wife says "alot could change as you go forward". She thinks I'm a little premature in my evaluation. Maybe, but I think she doesn't understand it could continue to improve. Then what?? Is she going to admit this could be a cartridge that will replace many cartridges at any cost? I will let you know. I would love to hear from others as their's breaks in and "improves". |
Dear Raul, I am not put off or insulted by your remarks on the Ayre. I have no dog in that fight, BUT I really don't think that the "problems" I am hearing, such as they are, reveal a qualitative shortcoming in the Ayre, except as noted the possibility that the Ayre is overloading on transients. I listened carefully last night for that type of phenomenon. What I am hearing is that the sound congeals on massed instrumental crescendos and gets kind of steely. This is not inconsistent with overload. By comparison, the Colibri (in a Triplanar on a slate plinthed Denon DP80 feeding directly into my modified MP1 phono stage) does a much better job of keeping things under control and delineating the instrumental lines. By the way, this evaluation was made listening to a fairly second-rate re-issue of The Genius of Ray Charles on feaux Atlantic. (Love the music.) The difference in sonics could even be due to the difference between the DV505 and the Triplanar, but I doubt that. When the music is simple in tonal character, the Azden does sound great. I tweaked VTF with my new digital gauge; that is not the problem. Next I will play with VTA. Eventually, yes, I will try to run the Azden direct into the MP1 phono section, but the MP1 will need a modification to accept such high gain, which I can do, altho it is a pain in the butt.
If you need a megabuck phono stage to appreciate this cartridge, does that not defeat the whole mystique of this pursuit, to a degree? Lets define "megabuck" as costing >US$10K. It would be interesting to learn what phono stages others are using with the Azden. Short of your phonolinepreamp, what would you suggest as an alternative to the Ayre, Raul?
Another simpler possibility is that the suspension of my particular sample of the Azden has suffered from the aging process and still needs more hours to come back to life. It's got about 4 hours now. Did anyone else hear what I described above, prior to break-in? |
LewM,
Always appreciate your input. I would ask if your two tonearm/cartridge setups were both aligned with their respective arc-protractors?
Best regards, Roy
|
Lew
I cannot believe you are overloading thye Ayre phono stage as long as you are using the appropriate gain. If you were using the 54db gain I could understand.
You are using the 44db gain right? |
Royj
thank you for that Technics P100cMk4 link last week. I got one of the last two.
Who got the other one? cmon fess up boys
Got it today and mounted it. WOW, fantastic cartridge.
Easily the best MM cart I have heard and that is only after a few records. |
Downunder, I have the Ayre on its lowest gain setting, as you surmise. This gives 44db gain in single-ended mode, but I am using balanced in and out, which is why I bought the Ayre in the first place, to feed my all-balanced MP1 with a balanced phono signal. The lowest setting in balanced mode gives 50db of gain. But that is not the parameter of interest. What one needs to know is (1) what is the voltage output of the Azden on peaks, and (2) what is the upper limit of voltage input of the Ayre at the lowest gain setting before it would start distorting. All phono stages are subject to overloading, but the information that would help one to know the amount of overhead available is often buried in a data sheet, if it is available at all. (The gain setting only determines what the linestage sees from the phono stage; it does not tell you what the phono stage [any phono stage] is capable of handling in terms of cartridge signal.) At the moment, the Azden is very good in terms of throwing a holographic image and in terms of bass and extreme treble response. Right now, mine is not doing so well on complex musical transients, at least compared to an expensive highly regarded LOMC cartridge in a top notch tonearm.
So, DU, based on your comment above, I guess you will not be selling your Technics to me. Heh-heh.
Royj, Both cartridges were set-up with a Turntable Basics protractor. I do not own any arc protractor at all. One confounding factor is that the geometry of the Triplanar matches that upon which the TTB protractor is based, whereas I had to twist the Azden (and all other cartridges) a bit in the DV505 headshell to line it up with the grids on the TTB. This is common practice, but it occurs to me that the peculiar construction of the DV505 may create unfavorable force vectors when the "twisted" cartridge encounters a warp or other surface irregularity in an LP. I do have a mind to get an arc protractor that matches the geometry of the DV505. Somehow though I do not think this is the cause of my "problem".
I wonder whether any of you guys have tried the Grado Statement Reference (their top "low output" MI cartridge), which can actually be bought new, albeit for fairly big bucks. I am curious about it. |
Downunder,
I got one of the EPC-P100CMkIV from the same link. Thanks again to Royj. Not sure if its one of the last two. Have not tried it yet! I also have the Andante P-76, B&O MMC1 and Azden YM-P50VL also waiting to be tested. Basically I am waiting for Raul's Essential 3160 Phonolinepreamp to arrive before I start trying these cartridges. Fun times ahead! |