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This is how the modern high-end styli looks like, they are transparent, this is what we call nude diamonds. Your linked pictures looks like a steel needles for 78 rpm from your grandpa :) |
This is how the modern high-end styli looks like [sic] Um... those are Lucite mock-ups several inches tall. |
Sure, but this is the best i can do with my macro lens with Replicant-100 (which is exactly like F.Gyger). This Replican-100 is pretty impressive on SPU Royal G mkII cart. One of the most complicated profiles in the history. |
This whole video is totally worth watching, but if you can’t wait to see a stylus tracing a groove, fast forward to 4:25. Electron microscope slow-motion video of vinyl LP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GuCdsyCWmt8 |
That is not an actual slow-motion video of a stylus playing a groove. That was made by stop action photography of static placement of the needle in the groove. It is an animation. |
Yep, as explained in the video.
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This is how the modern high-end styli look Judging from your posts, Chakster, you know quite a bit about ’vintage’ cartridges; at risk of making you blush, I’d say you’re an expert (I know I’ve learned from you). Just wondering, how do we define "modern"? Many of the "advanced" styli shown in those beautiful Lucite models have been with us quite awhile. IIRC, the Stereohedron was introduced for Quadrophonic —late-1960s-early ’70s? I saw one in 1971: close to half a century. And bravo for that shot of the Replicant-100, damn good for ’homebrew’. Ortofon’s shot is beautiful, but took hours to set up; just the lighting to show the facets so dramatically took time, professional lighting/photographer. I’d imagine you spent less time, with maybe one back-light for the see-through effect, one in front for detail? And of course cleaned it immaculately — and got a shot nearly as good. Care to share any photography tips? E.g. lens: you say Macro, but which one, what camera, what rez? Any extra close-up attachment? I can’t get nearly such fine results. |
Just wondering, how do we define "modern"? Many of the "advanced" styli shown in those beautiful Lucite models have been with us quite awhile. IIRC, the Stereohedron was introduced for Quadrophonic —late-1960s-early ’70s? I saw one in 1971: close to half a century. @bimasta You’re right, i think 70s-80s is a golden age of analog. For a cartridge design it was very important era. Some of the top cartridges from that era still unbeatable. The profiles of the styli envented in that era are still the best. Stylus invented for Quadraphonic was the JVC Shibata and Shibata is actually a surename of the Japanese engineer who invented this stylus. Many companies patented their own design, but they can’t copy previously patented design and name, so ve have variations. The oldschool stylus is Conical/Spherical, compared to this stylus any LineContact variations are "modern". The high-end styli are nude, square shank While the cheap styli are bonded round shank spherical or elliptical What was the last stylus patended? I think S.A.S. by Jico which is close to the MicroRidge and Audio-Technica’s MicroLine And bravo for that shot of the Replicant-100, damn good for ’homebrew’. Thanks Care to share any photography tips? E.g. lens: you say Macro, but which one, what camera, what rez? Any extra close-up attachment? I can’t get nearly such fine results. Believe it or not, but i use just iPhone with a few different kit of external lenses, they are all cheap as chips and made in China. Actually i got both for free from a friend. The better one is an old one, not available anymore. I took all of the pictures (you can find on audiogon) with it. However, both kits are just Fisheye/Macro combo, they are screwed together, to take a close up of the stylus i use only Macro (the lens is super small). It has a magnet and metal ring to stick on iPhone. This is how it works. As for the lighting it must be daylight at sunny day. One additional light on the stylus from the side (not always necessary). But that ortofon Replicant stylus is just BIG, for example the Audio-Technica Micro-Line stylus is super small, look here. Dynavector MicroReach stylus is also relatively small. This is just Grace elliptical. Images looks cooler when there is something colorfull on the background. |
As an aside although you did mention it Chakster.
I just purchased a Jico S.A.S stylus direct from Jico and had them ship it from Japan to me here in USA. Much cheaper than buying from any dealer here!
This was for a Shure M91e on my old Dual 1019 table and so far it is eye popping good and nowhere near broken in yet.
For anybody even thinking of trying a Jico S.A.S just go direct via their excellent website. |
S.A.S. is great @uberwaltz We've been buying them years ago, our Number One propagandist of S.A.S. is Halcro :) He has not only S.A.S. on boron cantilever (not available anymore from Jico), but Neo S.A.S. available on Sapphire or on Ruby cantilevers. Which one you have? I've only tried Boron S.A.S for Technics 205 series. There are a few old ones (NOS) for Shure cartridges available on ebay. I have only one cartridge for SAS replacement, this cartridge is Garrott P77, but the replacement is made for Shure cartridges as far as i know. They gave us good information about different profiles in comparison with their S.A.S. (Super Analog Stylus) on their website. |
bimasta,
You raise an interesting question. I don't know if there are many modern advances in cartridge design. Fundamentally, design has not changed in a long time. Even the exotic forms, such as optical cartridges (light source, shade attached to the cantilever, and photoelectric sensor); and field-effect transistor cartridges have been around for some time. So, it really comes down to a question of whether there has been any significant refinements or variations on existing basic models.
The notable one, to me, is Audiotechnica's ART 1000 cartridge which attaches very tiny coils to the tip end of the cartridge (just behind the stylus). As far as I know, this is a unique design. I think the cartridge sounds quite good. I heard it in a setup which usually features Koetsu cartridges. By comparison, it is a leaner sounding cartridge than typical Koetsu cartridges. I liked its very lively presentation--it sounds quite dynamic. |
The notable one, to me, is Audiotechnica's ART 1000 cartridge which
attaches very tiny coils to the tip end of the cartridge (just behind
the stylus). As far as I know, this is a unique design.
The ART 1000 is similar to the Neumann DST: http://www.badenhausen.com/images/Neumann1.gif |
Ketchup,
Thanks for the really interesting Neumann sketch. It certainly looks like a similar design, with the magnetic pole pieces and the coils oriented differently. |
@chakster It is the n91ed, LP gear have it listed at $199.95. https://www.lpgear.com/product/e007424.htmlBoron/aluminum cantilever from the specs. All reviews says it takes 40 hours or so to lose its initial brightness and for mid and bass to bloom. Just starting to hear some of that on last album I played. |
@larryi The notable one, to me, is Audiotechnica’s ART 1000 cartridge which attaches very tiny coils to the tip end of the cartridge (just behind the stylus). As far as I know, this is a unique design. Audio-Technica ART-1000 designer was inspired not by Neumann, they are inspired by Japanese design invented in the 70’s by VICTOR for Direct Coupled cartridges such as MC-1 It’s accuracy and reliability are extremely high, while unit per unit variations are minimised. The weight is almost a one hundredth that of conventional coils. Employment of a coreless coil eliminates the possibility of magnetostrition. The magnetic circuit is constructed of a samarium cobalt magnet and an iron cobalt yoke in the vertical configuration for obtaining an excellent magnetic efficiency so that the merit of the direct-coupled construction can be fully utilised. Shibata (0.1mm square diamond) on Beryllium cantilever, output 0.2mV, frequency response from 10Hz to 50000Hz. Hard to find in working condition nowadays, an old printed coil is fragile. I’ve bought 3 samples and only 1 of them is working! (I asked Peter Ledermann and he said it can be impossible to fix the coil, but he could check). Victor developed this techniques further in the 80’s with next models such as MC-10 and MC-L1000 If i remember correct when M.Fremer visited Audio-Technica in Japan they said they are inspired by Victor design. |
@uberwalts
It is the n91ed, LP gear have it listed at $199.95.https://www.lpgear.com/product/e007424.html
Well, you always buying something else for some reason. Your stylus is custom made stylus for LP Gear only (US, Cadada only), they are ordered JICO's $33 replacement with SAS instead of Elliptical. This is not bad, but not the best. That LP Gear always trying to be smarter than others, but they never say the truth, they are selling many styli, but most of them are custom made for them. I think the original JICO SAS that Japanese manufacturer sells worldwide on their website never comes with alluminum cantilever! First generation of SAS was previously available ONLY on Boron rod cantilevers and now available as Neo SAS only on Ruby and Sapphire cantilevers for the price over $450. Check @halcro review HERE with his pictures. The one designed for Shure N91 with SAS has Boron cantilever (not the alluminum) and the price is about 220 Euro as i can see HERE. |
@chakster
I never said mine was the LP gear one,I just used that as a convenient link.
As I said I bought mine direct from Jico.
Never bothered to really look at their spec, I assumed it was the same.
I also have the $33 one and an EVG one. ... Lol.
Good job. |
@uberwalts ahh, ok
For some reason i just can't find any SAS availabe for sale at JICO website. |
@larryi This is an image of the Victor MC-L1000 with PRINTED COIL under microscope. Audio-Technica guys were inspired by this vintage cartridge when they created new AT ART-1000 |
Chakster,
That is a very interesting picture. I like the idea of printing the coil (certainly easier than winding), but this structure looks a lot more massive than the ART-1000's coil, which must significantly increase the moving mass of the system (on the plus side, the large number of windings means higher output).
Have you heard the ART-1000 and can compare the sound to the Victor? There are a number of unusual designs that have gone by the wayside that actually sounded quite promising. I wish someone would make the field-effect transistor cartridge again (the gate element of the transistor is a permanently charged electret that is attached to the cantilever; to me, a really clever idea). |
@larryi hey, i tried to find a good working sample of Victor MC-1 since i missed a bunch of them doscovered by my friend on Gran Canaria Island in NOS condition in original boxes about 7 years ago. His price was ridiculously low, but at that time i could not find any information about that rare Victor cartridge until he sold all of them. Now i have working MC-1 and finally managed to get an MC-L10 (NOS) which seem to be the most balanced out of 3 of them (the MC-L1000 was next). The price for all those Victor Direct Coupled cartridges dramatically increased after Audio-Technica made their ART-1000. I’ve never tried the ART-1000 and its price tag is much higher than i currently pay for cartridges. So i study this method with Victor MC-1 and MC-L10. |
