ADC 26 BEST PRITCHARD CARTRIDGE EVER? or BEST CARTRIDGE EVER?


Dear friends: I always said that each day is a learning day and if like me that from several years now think always " out of the box " many of you will find out great rewards that audio always has for us as an unexpected gifts.

Obviously that’s not easy to think " out of the box " because to do that we have to have a different kind of self attitude where between other things we must to forget for ever at least the 50% of all the information we learned through our audio life in the AHEE. With out that " forget " we just can’t do it.

This review is more than an usual audio item review for many reasons I will try to explain over the thread.

First I want to leave very clear my room/audio system main target: STAY TRUER TO THE RECORDING.

To achieve that we have to think that usually the recording microphones are positioned at very near field of the MUSIC sources even like in the 3 Blind Mice recordings: inside the instruments. Recording microphones are not " seated " at 20m-35m. from the source as usually we listen when attend to a live acoustical music event. So we have to have self experiences of live MUSIC seated at near field. If some of us do not have that kind experiences then is very dificult to understand what I’m talking about here and elsewhere.

OK, the ADC 26 cartridge is a vintage Induced Magnet invented motor design by Peter Pritchard ( that pass away. ), it’s not a MM or MI or MC kind of cartridge design. Here you can read about and on his patent and a little of his audio life history:


https://www.stereophile.com/content/peter-pritchard

The cartridge under review is this:

http://i41.tinypic.com/2ihw6yo.jpg

that is part of the ADC 25, 26 and 27 cartridge family.

This is the ADC 25:

https://www.vinylengine.com/turntable_forum/download/file.php?id=31979

and this the ADC 27:

https://adelcom.net/ADC-adc%2027.JPG

and here the ADC 26 specs ( please take note those 15° stylus tip mounted angle. ):

https://www.vinylengine.com/library/adc/26.shtml


As you can see and read all seems very old and rudimentary with really humble cartridge specs ( nothing spectacular down there. ) where the elliptical stylus is: 0.03 x 0.07.

The ADC 25 red dot stylus ( exist the red blue 0.03 x 0.09 and the white dot. ) is similar to the 26 and the ADC 27 change is that is the same 26 stylus type but nude. I own all those models that comes with the same cartridge body but different color and where the cartridge motor in the 26 and 27 is similar and the cartridge differs only in the stylus and that the compliance instead 50 cu as in the 25 and 26 is " only " 40cu.

All these cartridges are my oldest ones ( comes from the 60’s. ) that I bougth years ago when started the very long MM Agon thread and I remember that I mentioned there the 25 and 26 but almost no one took cares about not even me because I really never gave it the enougth listening time to those cartridges and was only like a month ago that I really discovery this fenomenal, outstanding, astonishing and " perfect " performer.

When you listen it you are not listen as if was alike MM/MI/electrect cartridges but more as a live event/truer to the recording with some characteristics only shared for the best of the best LOMC cartridges.

I made my self developed evaluation proccess where I’m deep trained and is almost " bullet proof ".

The best MM/MI cartridge is with out doubt the AKG P100LE followed by Astatic MF-2500 and others as the JVC X1MK2 or the Technics EPC 100CMK4 but no one of them can even the quality performance levels of the ADC 26. The ADC is in a different league " the major league ".

I compared the 26/27 against the Colibri, Ortofon A95, Lyra Etna, My Sonic Labs Supereminent ( I think ? ? ) Dynavector XV-1s, Clearaudio Goldfinger and some other vintage top MC designs. No one of them beats overall the ADC 26.

The main 26 characteristics to beat belongs at both frequency extremes where if we want first rate quality performance there first condition is the transient response/attack of the music notes and develops of harmonics along the decay timing that’s where exist clear differences in between MC cartridges and all the other kind of designs. Nothing but the 26/27 compares with a top LOMC cartridges in those regards.

The transient response and fast timing decay in the low of the bass range is second to none and " mimic " what we can listen in a live event at nearfield position. With out this " sole " characteristic MUSIC as MUSIC just can’t exist and is here where belongs the MUSIC foundation.
At the other frequency extreme things are more of the bass range quality performance. In both frequency range it’s not only the rigthness of the transient response but the notes definition its very clear distinction in between and its harmonics. Exist no overhang or bold sound. At the high frequency range ( at the top. ) nothing can beats a Colibri 0.22mv output and the only contender for is precesily these ADC 26/27 ! !

As you can see the 26/27 specs says not very wide frequency range but when listen to it you can sware it goes from 5hz to over 100khz but the more important issue is the clear definition. When the timing in those frequency ranges are spot on then the overall MUSIC rythm is just spectacular and makes and moves all your feelings and body.

We all hear through all our body not only through our ears. We hear through the skin, bones, skind hair and millions of nervous terminations in the body and when you are listening to the ADC 26/27 all those have a true meaning as never before.

What about soundstage, layering, inner detail and the like: just very first rate. Tonal balance is outstanding nothing at the broad wide frequency range tells you " hey: I’m here ", exist a true coherence in between all frequency ranges.

Yes, it’s a UNIQUE listen experience a NEW listen experience coming from a very older cartridge and YES is the best Pritchard design and if you think that you already own the best cartridge ever you need to experience the ADC 26/27. I compared against the best out there in the same system with the same tonearms and same everything.

Was not only me but some other audiophiles friends where at least one of them is a music player. This one is a drummer/batery player and when he was at my place I run ( between other LPs. ) the Sheffield D2D with Ron Tutt and Jim Keltner great drummers with out telling him which cartridge was playing and my friend that’s a true expert with those instruments and golden ear by nature was " jaws dropping " and it’s because is incredible the TRUE of that kind of sound coming from the ADC’s
. This recording specially is something to listen through the 26/27 at 95db SPL with peaks in the 100db neigborhood, you can touch the sound and cut it with a sizzers ! ! !. It’s amazing.
The ADC never lost its aplomb no matters at what SPL you are listening from 70db to over 95dbs .

Every single good recording " sings " as never before of all what I experienced in my system and several other top audio systems.

One of the best MUSIC LP for testing any audio item is the Telarc 1812 and not because the cannon shots but overall frequency ranges that’s always a challenge for any cartridge andd for any audio system in other frequency ranges than the bass range.
No one of the other top LOMC cartridges can even overall the ADC 26/27 quality performance levels in this LP recording in all the frequency range other than the very low bass where the ADC beats to all of them.

I running the ADC 26 at 1.1grs and due ot its very high compliance ( 50cu. ) and cartridge body design is a very low rider when the 27 is only a low rider.
As with other top LOMC cartridges the alignment set up is critical but with the ADC 26 we have to do it with the best accuracy we can and with the VTA/SRA tiny/sligthly up at the tonearm bearing. This VTA/SRA is critical and as always not only depends of the accuracy overall set up but room system dependent.

That explosiveness, power, dynamics, transient response, thightness, flow, true tonal balance agresiveness, natural brigthness, rythm that usually exist only in a live MUSIC event with the ADC 26/27 you can feel that never was in your home audio system as nearer as with these ADC cartridges.

Those audiophiles terms as: lush, organic, color, smothness, bold, and the like does not exist through these " truer to the recording " performers. Those audiophiles terms/characteristics of sound just does not exist in the nearfield MUSIC live events are only characteristics " invented by the AHEE and very far away from reality.

The ADC 26/27 as the very top LOMC cartridges are made it for true music lovers more than for " audiophiles ".

I think that in the 60’s the ADC 26/27 you can get fro no more than 80.00 and today can compete against 15K+ LOMC cartridges.

This all new experience through the ADC 26/27 bcartridges came in the best moment when I 'm more mature in all subjects with MUSIC and audio and when my room audio system is at its best with all the up-dates and up-grades I can afford bor the better.

As always your contributions in the thread all are welcomed and appreciated.


Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.


Ag insider logo xs@2xrauliruegas
There is only one Sonus that never came to my radar:
Sonus Dimension 5 which is the best in that series, all lower models are often available for sale on ebay, except that one.

Another cartridge which does not impressed me at all was that top of the line ADC Astrion with sapphire cantilever.

But seriously there are two absolutely amazing MM cartridges, they are impossible to beat: AT-ML180 OFC (Boron/MiroLine) and Grace LEVEL II LC-OFC (Boron/MicroRidge) or F-14 (Beryllium/MicroRidge). For those of you who’re serious about top vintage MM should look for them as the reference! For more organic presentation the Stanton SC-100 WOS (Sapphire-coated cantilever / Stereohedron tip) and Victor X-1II (Beryllium/Shibata) are agreat too. Save your time and money and simply buy the best cartridges instead of some inferiour models from Sonus, ADC etc. If someone will tell your that some rare ADC is more expensive than the most problematic Technics cartridges, do yourself a favour and ignore it. The greatest MM ever made are all under $1500 today, most of them are under $700-1000 max, even in NOS condition. That Technics is the most expensive and overrated cartridge because of the Mexican thread, but 99% of the NOS sampes are all dead, after you will play one side of the record the cartridge almost lay down to the record surface (this is the best example how BAD is the suspension of Technics 100cmk4 or 205c mk4 cartridges). None of the vintage MM cartridges from many other manufacturers have such problem with suspension! So they are better and does not require crazy investment in refurbishing with VdH (his prices for service are the highest on the planet) who can not stay with original parts and most likely will refurbish the cartridge with different parts/material, most likely will replace the whole cantilever/stylus assemply with something different). No one on this forum can explain what VdH does with several samples of the Technics, so we don’t even know was a cartridge completely refurbished or not, but people just keep paying him rediculous fee for service. I’ve seen and owned various refurbished Technics 100c mk3 and 205c mk4 all of them were refurbished by experiences and respected vendors with completely different cantilevers/styli and that was the only was to keep them alive. Original Technic have unique cantilever (hollow pipe boron) and lowest effective mass stylus, replaceing them will change the sound! Many japanese manufacturers such as Audio-Technica made better cartridges with better styli and better cantilevers, those carts never ever had so many problems as the Technics.  

Don’t waste your time and money for retipping/refurbishing top vintage MM cartridges, they will never be as good as the originals, also the main benefit of MM design is a stylus replacement which can be purchased separately (NOS) even for some very rare models. Your MC does not have this option and this is the reason why i prefer an MM/MI/MF/IM instead of MC in many cases.
I just received it yesterday.  It looks brand new... thats a lot of years without use.  not sure how the suspension will be but it was worth a try. I will set it up in t he next few days
Dear friends: As I posted last nigth I was at my friend place whom is the owner of the Etna SL that I tested against the ADC 26/27.

We were there around 4+ hours and I brougth with me some of the same LPs we listened at my home.

First we listened his Ortofon Anna and the Etna SL in the top Thalea tonearm both great performers.
After that was the ADC 26/27 time and at the first evaluation LP track we confirmed ( we were not surprised for. ) what we listened at my home: the ADC 26/27 so high quality performance levels that depending of the room/system there are characteristics that are better than those top tier LOMC cartridges but exist one characteristics where the ADC is superior to these cartridges and the other LOMC I reported here and obviously better that any vintage/today well regarded MM/MI ones and that characteristic is its amazing: RHYTHM, we just dont's come back to listen to other top quality performer and when you return to it you fell that something is missed.

With out doubt these ADC 26/27 samples I own are the best and for a huge range/margin discovery/up date I experienced in all my audio life just: astonishing ! ! !

The " motor " of the 26/27 is something really special that Pritchard other designs does not outperformed in any way.

 At least one of my four stylus/cantilever in the future I will send to change it for a way better boron cantilever and a way better stylus ti´shape. I have no doubt that that will be a great improvement to an already great cartridge and deserves that kind of up-grade.

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.


I owned and comparing with P.P. ones this systems: AT ML150, Grace F9L, Shure VST-V, Nagaoka MP200, Goldring 2500, Goldring 1042. Goldring 900 -920IGC, Grado Reference Platinum , Elac 796 HSP Jubilee,  AT20SLa/SS20, AT 7 V, Acutex 412/415/420 STR, Acutex 312III/315III/320III STR, Digitrac 300SE, Ortofon Super OM40, Shure SC39ED, Empire 500ID

from P.Pritchard  I own every cart, starting with ADC1 up to the last XLM MKIV "private" from 1986.
Dear @luckyx02: Those Goldring 900 series, the Elac, AT 20SS and especially the Acutex 320 are very good performers and the humble empire 500ID too but needs a lot of hours to settle down as the Empire 1080 and I don't have the patience with this one.

R.