Dear @dhcod : Please read carefully this thread: https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/adc-26-best-pritchard-cartridge-ever-or-best-cartridge-ever Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS, R. |
Dear friends: I always talk only with cartridges that I listened/lisent in my own system and some of them in other system too and all my cartridges mounted in different tonearms. I bougth over 150+ vintage cartridges ( with some of them 2-3 samples because the sellers said the cartridge was in good condition ( NOS or not. ) and just performed really bad. ) That Stanton 981 is very good performer and different than the 881 model. Question is : performs at specs? I own it and the 981 performs better with the same stylus but coming from its brother Pickering . 1K is not a very high price. The really best MM/MI cartridge ever is no one of the cartridges named here that are good but far away from it. I’m talking of the vintage ADC 26/27 that was tested/compared with everything the same systems against Etna SL, Goldfinger, XV-1s, Colibri, A-95, My SonicLab/Air Tight ( and this week end vs the Anna. ) and no one of these LOMC carrtridges outperformed it Was listened not only for me but for the cartridge owners in my system and their great systems. That is the one to own. Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS, R. |
Dear @orpheus10 : Well, in life all is relative and from that point of view what for you is " heaven " for other gentleman can be BS. I think that everything depends on the overall context/scenario where " things " happens, how are surrounded and that context involve objectivity/subjectivity that's relative to: knowledge levels, ignorance levels, experiences and everithing that has relationship with live MUSIC and audio reproduction in home systems. R. |
Dear @dgarretson : IMHO the Etna needs a better tonearm and preferable no-knife bearing and certainly not an all metal headshell that's not a good " friend " for any cartridge. You own the Kuzma that's very well damped tonearm. In the other side tubes are not the best " friend " for any cartridge either. I know: all is relative as orpheus pointed out. R. |
Dear @dhcod : That Audio Note is better that what people could think and part as the same cartridge " family " like the very good Reson or Goldring and I can’t remember which other one. Same " family " but with different quality performance because each company ask for some especial cartridge characteristics. " stop listening with your wallet ", I think is rigth. Normally as more expensive is a cartridge in a manufacturer line as better quality performance has it. The problem is the stratosferic high prices the MC cartridges have today but when even at those prices there are gentlemans that pay for the the trend will continue: higher and higher with out true foundation of real quality performance levels that can in true justify those " crazy " high dollars.Reson is very good too, I owned. R. |
Dear @vortrex : Yes, that figure is correct. I tested in different arms not only mines but from the other gentlemans too. We don't have any problem for that regards. Through that long MM thread we had many many examples of very high compliance cartridges mounted on not medium but even very high mass tonearms with good performances, no trouble at all. R. |
Dear @vortrex : Maybe by ignorance: https://www.vinylengine.com/library/jvc/x1.shtml R. @dhcod : original JVC or ADC and other vintage ones are almost no wAY TO FIND OUT REPLACEMENT STYLUS. |
dEAR @orpheus10 : 1k FOR THAT nos VINTAGE 981 is not very high comparing with the today really high prices as the one example in the Grado Epoch that could or not be in true justified by its quality level performance. Btw, if I remember Stanton/Pickering had its own vintage Epoch models. Of course only the name. I own 2-3 vintage Grado cartridges and all sounds good and I have no doubt that the Epoch/Aeon are really good but for 12K I will love to put one of my ADC 26/27 samples " face to face ". At the end the cartridge main motor foundation as a transducer just did not changed at all, still are the same as 50 years ago. We discuss reciently about with other gentlemans in the thread: Diamond is a man's friend? ( or something like this. ). R. |
Dear @orpheus10 : I really like R.Charles and Milt. The Bag's Groove by MJ is a great composition. I listen him with Dizzy, C.Bassie, Coltrane and obviously with the M. Jazz Quartet. I can't remember that recording, maybe I own who knows because with over 7K LP's is not easy to remember all. Anyway, my evaluation whole proccess is not exactly to listen to all one side LP or even one complete LP track. Over several years I choosed some LP tracks of every kind of MUSIC that over the time I up-dated if I found out something especiall to evaluate with. What I do is to listen small parts of a LP tracks with very special instrument sounds, distortions, special noices and even clicks/pops that even thiese clicks are performed by diferent cartridges with diferent tones. I'm looking not only for very special kind of every kind sound but very dificult to listen it in precise and clear/transparent way. Example: a tinny really tinned triangle sound in a " tutti " high SPL of an orchestra. I have tracks for every kind of " audiophile " quality sound: brigthness, agrseviness, mistraking, detail, power, dynamics, rythm, bass foundation , high frequency definition, bass overhang, tigthness, tracking abilities, saturation, etc, etc, etc. After all those very precise and individual characteristics then I follow with complete tracks/side lp as a overall evaluation where I'm looking for the sound of a live event. My evaluation always is at near field seat position and some times when I have doubts I try headphones. Normally I try to even SPL in between the items under evaluation and I listen at: 75db, 84dbs, 90dbs and 95dbs continuous SPL with peaks at 6db-7db SPL over the continuous SPL listening. Under that evaluation I use too some CDs to confirm mainly in the bass range . My proccess is very personal simple for me but could be complex for other gentlemans and always use the same tracks and same LPs. TYhrough my evaluation proccess I can evaluate in no more than an hour any single home audio system with almost no mistakes in the conclutions, the proccess is almost bullet proof not because I say so but some audiophiles in the USA that I was at their places can confirm about and of course my audio friends here in México. The foundations of my whole proccess was and is developed to know how away/near I'm of my main home room/system main target: truer to the recording. Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS, R. |
Dear @orpheus10 : That recording can works for some kind of evaluation but nuances is not per se what defines the overall differences. In that recording those nuances could be way obvious and what I do through my proccess is more " tigth " " less tolerant " and way lower nuances. As I said the first part of my test/evaluation proccess is with very special " isolated " music information. Inside my proccess I have parts of LP tracks for those tiny nuances but additional to nuances due that the item under evaluation gives you more information/pick-up a little more information for better tracking abilities. The true is that an overall proccess as the one I devloped over the years is really complex but gives you many things if you are well self trained on it and the high advantage is thta trhough it I or you know exactly and in specific what to look for. It’s more than all a true whole proccess to evaluate quality performance level not what I or you like it but if performs as should be. I use between other recordings Disco music from the 60’s-70’s where was really strident in almost any system well any not well roo/system set up. In the same way I use, classical, jazz, blues, pop, female, orchestras, solo intruments as piano or trumpet, etc, etc, "" Possibly, a 15K cartridge does everything perfectly, but not a 1K cartridge ..""" Through my process sometimes is the other way around like with my ADC 26/27 cartridge review. R. |
Dear @lewm : The real subject down there is MARKETING where the very high price of items as in this case cartridges makes that the hiogher the price more desirable for gentlemans/audiophiles that in reality has ( not all of them. ) poor knowledge level in MUSIC/Audio and even don't know what are looking for paying those high prices other than show it to their friends that are with poor knowledge levels but always impressed by the high price of his friend cartridge. What could happens if that Coral stone or the Blue Lace or the Goldfinger goes for 5K: something easy no one of those gentlemans buy it because are not so expensive. We have here in Agon and other internet forums really whealthy gentlemans as could be downunder,syntax and several others and they prefers and sometimes even laughs about cartridges at 1K-2K dollars. Dop you think that any of these gentlemans can buy from me the ADC 26/27 cartridge of the 60's that outperforms the EPC100CMK4 and even any today top LOMC cartridge?, no way. That kind of ADC cartridge is not to humble for them but not something they can be proud to show to their audio friends. The relation-ship between price and quality level ratio really disappeared many years ago and disappeared mainly by our each one ignorance and that's why manufacturers takes advantage of each one of us and this trend will follows and seems to me that's nothing that could styop it. In other thread some one ask if the high price of tonearms is a rip-off and some one posted that maybe it's and told the OP that in cartridges is even worst. Am I saying that cartridges must stay in a 1K-2K price range?, no not really could go a little higher but not to that 15K-28K that is totally unjustified no matter what. The other issue is that the gentlemans that bougth those cartridges at those very high prices are really satisfied with even proudly of it and the question to all of them could be: why are you satisfied with, compared against what? R. |
Dear @halcro : Not only through different tonearms including that vintage today ( fashion ) 312 ( because is only a fashion and nothing else. ). In other thread I posted the very low knowledge MUSIC/Audio level of that gentleman against its very high whealty condition. Money per se means almost nothing like in that kind of systems/videos. Yes, an Astatic MF-200 could make that kind of job with very high quality levels. R. |
Dear @halcro : In audio all is dependent on at least to critical subjects: r00m/system quality level and resolution and each one of us MUSIC/Sound priotities. I forgot a third one: how accurated is your proccess evaluation to always know the very tiny differences/nuances in between the different items: are you sure to be aware of those differences other than the obvious ones? With out that all preferences/opinuions belongs to the common: " I like it more ". R. |
Dear @orpheus10 : That " MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS " goes way beyond SS vs Tubes technology limitations. As @johnss posted in the other thread both analog/digital signal pick up by the recording microphones is way manipulated that degrades it and we can't do nothing about because the damges already comes in the LP grooves. What can dowe to try to listen the LP's in the best way?. IMHO, try to listen it putting at minimum every single noise, distortions, anomalies, etc, etc developed during the overall play proccess. Than means that we need to know or learn how THD sounds along/added to MUSIC, same for IMD, noise levels, frequency response bandwindth. room/system relationship. Unfortunatelly in the overall room/system chain each link is a focus od developments of different kind of noises, distortions, anomalies that degrades the already heavy degraded recorded signal that comes in the LP grooves. I posted several times that my main room/system target is to stay truer to the recording and this means to put my room/systems developed noises, distortions, anomalies and the like at minimum. To do those we have to be self trained to be aware how detect all those developed " enemies " and how to put at minimum. Only to know how detect it how it sounds each of them is a true challenge for any one of us and we need a hard sel training, patience and a lot of time. When any one of us can be near of that target digital or analog always will performs with very high quality and you will listen those MUSIC nuances you are talking about with SS electronics. We have to learn if that high frequency " transparency " is just MUSIC or is added distortion what we are in true listen it, not an easy task but worth the rewards to enjoy rally enjoy MUSIC and not only that: " I like it ", that at the end means almost nothing because each one " I like it " is really different. Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS, R. |
Dear @orpheus10 : """
When a person becomes an audiophile, he no longer wishes to alter the music to suit his taste, but only wants the music from the source to come through unaltered. "" well that's the " perfect " target that all we know can't exist no matters what and that's why we have to take care how to be nearest or less far away of that " perfect " target. There are simple/sutil " things " that could helps us additional of everything we already know or that as me are just learnit to, examples of what I'm talking about: - seat position, that means not only the distance from the speakers but the build material and shape of that " seat. As simple the better but normally we look for a very confortable one it does not matters if that does not helps for a better listen quality. - kind of fabrics of our clothes when listening the audio system. Syntehic fabric goes against quality. - cleanse the ears at least twice a year with an specialist. - try not listen over 87db at seat position SPL for hours. - temperature issue is important too not only because cartridge suspention but because our ears and body. - we have to remember that we hear through all our body so as less clothe we wear as better enjoyment on MUSIC. -attend at least twice a month to listen live MUSIC. - think and take action/changes/modifications " out of the box ". - always make to our self these questions: " what if am I wrong and why could be? what to do? - try to listen as many different home audio systems as we can. To many issues to name it. R. |
Dear @tzh21y : ADC/Sonus came from the same designer but the latest ADC. I own and owned almost all Pritchard designs and all are very good but the best of all those is the ADC 26/27. @schubert , you can try your XLM with a medium mass tonearm and will " sing ". @dgarretson that is a very good tonearm by the AT group, I owned and will match very good your Sonus cartridge. Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS, R: |
