Hear my Cartridges....đ¶
Thanks Jeff...đ Iâve heard nothing but good reports about the SPU A95 and itâs high on my list of âto tryâ cartridges...... I think the TK7SU sounded pretty good on one of my comparisons..... I hope you heard it? Would welcome some feedback or thoughts from you on any others of these cartridge comparisons....đ Kind Regards Henry |
For over 10 years I've been a big fan of the Japanese Victor Company and their design engineering 'know-how' in the 'Golden Age' of analogue. It started when I bought one of their vintage TT-81 DD Turntables followed by their top-of-the-line TT-101 Motor Unit shortly afterwards. I now have probably a dozen of their cartridges (THE BEST) and every product of their's that I've tried has been worthy. For over two years I have been looking for a good example of their X-1 MM Cartridge with its original stylus/cantilever assembly and finally found one (with a bonus SPARE replacement stylus). I couldn't believe my luck when just a few weeks ago....an original Victor X-1II Cartridge came up for auction and when I received it....its condition was almost MINT! I now had the Victor TOP THREE- X-1, X-1II and X-1IIE.... Frogman seemed to be impressed with the sound of the Victors he heard in my previous comparisons.....and he wondered which was the best of the three...? Perhaps he can now tell us.....? đ€ VICTOR X-1 MM Cartridge Mounted in DV-507/II ToneArm on solid Bronze ArmPod surrounding Vintage Victor TT-101 DD Turntable VICTOR X-1II MM Cartridge Mounted in DV-507/II ToneArm on solid Bronze ArmPod surrounding Vintage Victor TT-101 DD Turntable VICTOR X-1IIE MM Cartridge Mounted in DV-507/II ToneArm on solid Bronze ArmPod surrounding Vintage Victor TT-101 DD Turntable |
Perhaps it wasnât clear from my earlier comments, and to reiterate and clarify: I think that the AT 180 is an excellent sounding cartridge.  My comments, as always, were about the subtle differences between it and the other cartridge (the 150) being compared.  By no means should my commemts be taken to suggest that I thought the 180 is a âbadâ sounding cartridge. Re the Sony/SPU Silver: I agree with noromanceâs comment that the SPU sounds thinner and more âsplutteryâ (love it!) on the pipes.  However, my feeling is that the SPU is doing a better job of telling us what is actually on the recording, splutter and all.  The first clue to this possibility is heard with the very first note of the recording.  The guitar sounds more realistic with the SPU, letting us hear a more appropriate metal âtwangâ on that first note and throughout the piece.  By comparison, the attack of the guitar plucks sound a little too round and covered with the Sony.  The Sony also has a rather bleached tonal character while the SPU lets us hear more of the natural colors of the instruments.  There is also more overall clarity with the SPU letting us more clearly hear the very gentle conga drum playing which gets a little lost in the background with the Sony. To me the SPU sounds more realistic overall.  In the folk music (with some Baroque thrown in) style heard here pipes are normally played with the very prominent and almost percussive breath attack that we hear  The question becomes whether the SPU is exaggerating this splutteriness đ or not.  Given the SPUâs more realistic guitar sounds which normally have a lot of high frequency content and the slightly covered guitar sound of the Sony, my sense is that the SPU is the more accurate (to the recording) of the two. |
Victors: Well, I am not prepared to say which is the best by listening to only one recording this way, but I am pretty comfortable saying which is my favorite: The X-1IIE. My least favorite: the X-1II With both the X-1 and X-1II high frequencies sound overly prominent to the point of distraction and with excessive sibilance on the vocals. I like the X-1 very much for its very naturally colorful midrange. With the X1IIE the midrange is also naturally colorful, but high frequencies are much better controlled and balanced. Possibly as a result of this, vocals and the midrange in general sound fuller and more natural. |
