Chakster, you got a slightly off-centered cart off eBay or whatever? Then you were just lucky this time as you may have received a junk instead. Keep your slightly off-centered sample as you can adjust your headshell to its spot position. A few degrees off-centered cantilever does not mean a thing, at least IME. Don´t let it go without auditioning, I think it would sound just fine on your TA.
Ah, now I see you have already tried it. Well done and good for you !
I´m very interested in those very short cantilevered Dynas and might purchase one some day. In fact, my SME III w/ its very light titanium-nitride arm wand will fit perfectly 23RS MR, very tempting to try one...
And it will fit my Trans-Fi linear tracker perfectly too. Very interesting indeed |
That was funny, but I think he won´t mind.
Seriously, for me a texter is a writer and what a great writer he is. His approach to cartridges in particular is actually very scientific and usually he is right IMO because he uses his true HQ gear meticulously as tools which they actually are. We are all kinda scientists here but he often explains his opinions in a convincing way, for me at least. All given info and true quality pics is quite astonishing, this speaks only how seriously he takes this strange hobby of ours and carts especially. He is not always 100 % right but he is a serious audiophile because he seems to spend all his time on Hi-Fi. Wish I had that much time ! He seems to be an analog fan and that´s just refreshing in this darn perfect digital world we are now living in.
He has become a significant and one of the most important contributors on vintage cartridges especially on MM kind and also is becoming on MC kind as we can see also in this new thread. Actually he carries the torch Raul used to do some years ago. And as now Raul praises digital as the only true kind it´s very enlightening to read Chakster´s comments on both vintage and modern cartridges here.
Keep ´em coming
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Sure it would be very interesting to read his reviews on much more expensive carts, vintage MC kind and modern FC (of Soundsmith) kind and other "exotic" designs, in near future hopefully. That would be fun...
Actually some time ago I was very interested in the Hyperion, the finest from Soundsmith, but I can get handful of vintage quality carts for its price so I suddenly lost interest. Still, I may very well try one in the future as it surely is one of the very finest cartridges ever. But I will never try Strain Gauge system no matter how much it possibly will be hyped.
The point is he (and we others) keeps searching for greatest carts and hopefully not totally change his mind to digital, no matter how "perfect" it may eventually become.
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That´s the point indeed. I personally would buy a NOS or even used Karat 17D(2 or 3) than the ridiculously priced Hyperion not to mention the Ortofon Anniversary. The latter ain´t worth its price, it just can´t be that good. For that price level I´d buy a totally new (MC) cartridge technology. And if I was rolling on money I´d go for Hyperion ... Btw, this Japanese eBayer has a few couple of Dyna Karats for sale: http://www.ebay.de/usr/samurai_electronics**?_trksid=p2047675.l2559 .
Has anyone bought carts from that guy ? |
Thanks for warning, I really appreciate your input and your honesty, your enthusiasm in so many ways here at A´gon.
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Btw, Micro-Ridge´s ridges literally wear out surprisingly fast. In fact, the sound starts to loose dynamics and nuances (detail) after 500 hours play, even on clean records IME. I noticed this more than thirty years ago using SHURE´s Micro-Ridge carts. Micro-Ridge may very well be the finest stylus profile resulting in best sound but you will need replacement stylii to maintain this quality level and if you care for your records.
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This Karat Nova 13D is seriously a rare find: https://www.audiogon.com/listings/1443678 The very finest from Dynavector IMO. However, I´m not interested because of its integrated headshell design. However, it can be used without its headshell as well. I think the cart itself alone is a superlative performer when fitted on an appropriate tonearm. Good luck for all ! |
Correction to my previous post: I meant Hyperelliptical (not elliptical)
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That´s good news. If the ridge is much more thicker, it may last for 2000 h. I will study this very carefully.
Actually elliptical lasts longer, i.e. maintain its functionality and thus its quality level longer than old Micro-Ridge because it has no ridge that wears out and changes sound quality dramatically. Elliptical loses its quality level more slowly, when correctly adjusted of course.
But old Micro-Ridge lasts a short time (only 500 hours IME). Don´t take my word alone, Peter Ledermann of Soundsmith knows this (and some others too).
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Didn´t I tell you : )
Raul, when old Micro-Ridge starts to lose its ridge (when it wears out) that immediately affects on sound quality: it first gradually and soon rapidly looses nuances (accuracy) and dynamics (power), i.g. sound becomes lame and that can be heard easily, IME since mid 80´s. At 600 point there´s nothing left what Micro-Ridge´s superiority initially was all about, and I never went further simply because of stylus tip start to wear the record groove itself really. Today my maximum is that 500 hours (app. 750 LPs). I think all this applies for SAS Micro-Ridge as well ?
If new Dynavector´s Micro-Ridge´s ridge is 4 times thicker than old´s it will last 2000 h. The question is, how tall the new Micro-Ridge really is. Very interesting...
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I´m glad that also Dover keeps bravely carrying the torch. Actually I was waiting for his entrance. He has that mighty Karat Nova 13D you see.
" ... ultimately each design they can only be described in the context of the environment in which they are placed..."
Exactly. TAs in particular and TTs/decks plays another key role, addition to phono preamps. Decca, Dynavector, Soundsmith, Ikeda , Audio-Technica etc have a different approach to the questing we are asking for. The finest there are but all different.
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Raul, sure there are cartridges that outperform Karat 13D or even Decca Reference in certain environment but not necessarely in all high tech stereo systems. There are so many different combinations of TAs, TTs and cartridges that even good old Michael can´t tell the truth.
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^ Very interesting ....
Gentlemen and Ladies ... I would like to take this opportunity and introduce you another quite rare Dynavector cartridge: I have this a very limited edition Dynavector Nova Karat modified solely for the Japanese audiophile community, approx. 60 cartridges were made. The cantilever is short made of boron w/ Micro-Ridge stylus, the body is made of wood and it´s an integrated design w/ aluminium headshell. I bought this from Hart Audio, UK two and half years ago. They said this rare Dynavector cartridge is from the first production line for demonstrating the new Karat Nova Series so this sample is very rare and seldom comes for sale. They said they played app. 10 hours at most, it was practically like new then. This differs from the famous Karat Nova 13D integrated design, the boron cantilever is not as short and the wooden body is much longer and thus heavier. There is no DV plate/labeling in front of the body. This really may be the prototype for the Karat Nova. I would very much appreciate your input and hopefully for further information of my sample.
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Frequency range from 3 Hz to 130 kHz .... measured on Air Tangent ...
Fascinating.
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No model number anywhere and unfortunately no papers came with. The only information is a stamped little mark "1" on bottom of the aluminium part (base) of the wooden body. My sample may very well be re-cantilevered though. According to Hart Audio in UK this was made for the Japanese market only not US. And the wooden body is much longer and heavier. https://1drv.ms/u/s!Ar2yUQrU4Bz4hHnjECkAx6g8EQuB
Whatever the case, a modern MC AT- ART9 has nothing on it in audio quality when using stand alone fashion on the aluminium wanded Trans-Fi linear tracking TA. Tracking easily 90 um at 1.5 g actually it´s the finest (and flattest, excuse my clumsy expression) MC I have heard, in particular mids is very transparent and highs so refined almost sweet but my knowledge and experience in MC kind is limited.
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I should have not said that... But I say thanks for Chakster for the Dynavector links but I still can´t find my sample there. Mystery not solved yet. Mine may also have a hyperelliptical stylus tip on short boron cantilever as the sound is very refined. Very well, as also this little correspondence apparently shows and thus reminds me one of the greatest thinkers of our time, Ludwig Wittgenstein. So sadly unknown to majority of humans, also here at Audiogon. Despite our Nandric´s constant reminders. And like we this or not Wittgenstein was absolutely right. " Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen". And I would like to take this opportunity and introduce you another great man, our national hero, well for some at least (smile), M. A. Numminen and his interpretation of the subject. This is a homage to great Wittgenstein: https://youtu.be/CGksgZKecKE |
Ivan, you are absolutely right: we must not forget Friedrich Nietzsche. In music, his ideal for Übermensch is also introduced in "Zarathustra" by Italian rock band Museo Rosenbach, in 1973. One of the very finest albums of that special subgenre, Classic Italian Progressive Rock.
Btw, I just sold my Dynavector Karat Nova 13D w/ its integrated aluminium headshell (Limited Edition of 60 samples), not because it isn´t good enough for my system (it is more refined sounding than AT-ART9) but I just don´t need anything extra for any cartridge. And to fund my other MC desires, of course. And in the end of the day, all this is just recycling, like we all do it.
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Yes I noticed that the cantilever wasn´t made of diamond but it is gray so probably boron but it is short (about 3 mm if I remember correctly). It was advertised as a very limited edition with number 1 stamped on metal, but no DV logo and wooden body is longer that "real" 13D. So possibly it is a prototype for all those short-cantilevered Dynas ?
Anyway, it is an excellent MC with refined and dynamic sound, also w/o its aluminium headshell and tracks 90 microns. It may be better w/ headshell but I´m not interested in integrated cartridge designs and I never used w/ headshell. Buyer says it´s a great buy so good for him.
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AT-ART9 needs at least 150 maybe 200 hours to really sing. Mine has just reached 190 hours (285 LP play) and sounds wonderful and nicely balanced w/ very deep soundstage at 1.8 g VTF and 100 Ohms, very slightly raised pivot. Has become my reference MC. The new 17DX is very tempting I admit. |
Very interesting, we hardly can wait. The ART7 has very low output, 0.12 mV exactly the same as the Highphonic MC-R5 that I will compare to ART9 in near future after some break-in time... |
Your Linn combo is a mediocre performer, no more no less. You would be amazed when hearing a true quality turntable/tonearm and you Karats will start to shine. For a belt drive deck I warmly recommend a vintage ORACLE DELPHI MK III at most with original GROOVE ISOLATOR "sorbothane" like mat (but not sticky like sorbothane), don´t waste your time with hard acrylic mat and stiffer suspended models starting from MK IV they sound worse (dull). I have had four different Delphis over the decades and know what are the best sounding ones. Good luck, whatever you may search for. Because you really need just that. More information about GROOVE ISOLATOR here: https://www.audiogon.com/listings/turntables-oracle-groove-isolator-the-original-special-compound-ru... |
