Highest detail cartridges
Mr.Carr is right, but the topic is about "Highest detail cartridges" and i think there is a strong relation between frequency range, stylus profile, cantilever materials (and the whole design). But no one, i believe, can call a rolled-off cartridge a "Highest detail cartridges", right? It is not necessary that a person will like "Highest detail cartridges" more that some amazing cartridges like big and heavy low compliance the FR-7fz for example. I have all of them and i can compare them, the MM cartridges i have mentioned are the "Highest detail cartridges" for sure ! I do not speak about cartridges that i have never tried @bpoletti The list of vintage MM cartridges is the list of the "Highest detail cartridges" for your topic. @jcarr Denon DL-1000 has an effective tip mass 0.077 mg, but Technics top of the line MM cartridge (EPC 100c mk4) has an effective tip mass of about 0.056 mg (the world lowest tip mass?) and if it’s not the one of the "Highest detail cartridges" you can kill me. I like the Victor MC-1 for another reason, it's just getting me closer to the music. I was very impressed by this Direct Couple desing, look at the pictures of its structure http://audio-heritage.jp/VICTOR/etc/mc-1.html The coil is just above the cantilever and very close to the stylus tip. This is unique design. That was the inspiration for designers of brand new Audio-Technica ART-1000 https://youtu.be/PaoA4ZuGlOw |
I have owned the Technics EPC-1000C mk4 for quite a few years. Its very very good and ultra detailed with a ruler flat frequency response. Easily the most detailed and best sounding MM I have ever heard. the Lyra Atlas is top dog in detail retrieval imo coupled with dynamics, a clarity and purity that is unmatched imo. expensive thou :-) The Denon DL-S1 is another very detailed cart as long as you have the phono stage gain to drive it. |
Chakster, I am not sure why you are so obsessed with stylus tip mass, which should really be termed "moving mass", to indicate the total mass whose inertia needs to be overcome in order to start a transient, but in order of class, moving iron cartridges are said to have the lowest moving mass, to be followed by moving coil, and then by moving magnet types. I'm sure there's quite a bit of variation and perhaps even overlap within those categories, but I strongly doubt that any MM cartridge could be champion of that specification. Assuming I would care. Anyway, to the OP, it seems to me that certain brands are more known for detail retrieval than others, whether or not that was a design goal of the manufacturer. Two brands that fall into that category, in my opinion, are Lyra and Audio Technica. I'm thinking of whether to add Decca to that list. The trick is to get the details while remaining "musical". |
