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Graham and Shelter matching - and other arms/carts

When you get a component that truly lifts your system up and reveals what's going on everywhere else, you learn things about your system that you hadn't realized before. My new Io Sig has shown me that I probably need a better linestage (I posted about this in Amps/Preamps), and it's also taught me something about arm/cart matching.

Now that the Io is in the system, I am hearing an unhappy balance between my Graham 2.2 tonearm and Shelter 901 cartridge. There's a tubby bass resonance that sounds to me like the Shelter cantilever feeding back into the unipivot arm structure. The outriggers on the Graham are supposed to minimize this effect, but perhaps the match just simply isn't made in heaven.

Instead, my Ortofon RS-212 tonearm, matched with Ortofon SPU Classic GM cart, is sounding much more balanced, real and musical.

That leaves me with the question of what to do with my Graham and Shelter. I'd like to have a "modern" arm/cart combo to compare with the classic Ortofon setup (I currently have 3 arms mounted on my table). My third arm is an Origin Live modified RB250, which currently has a Denon 103R mounted on it (probably not the perfect matchup either). The Shelter doesn't sound fantastic in the Rega - it's better in the Graham.

I do like the Shelter sound a lot, so I could buy an arm that's a more appropriate match for it, a Moerch perhaps. But I'd have to sell the Graham to afford that, and I kind of want to keep a unipivot.

Any recommendations for exchanging the Shelter and Denon for carts more appropriate for the Rega and Graham, or vice-versa?
patrickamory
dougdeacon
3,338 posts
 
Hi Frank,

I haven't used the WT arm myself, but a WT dealer told me last year the 901 was a fine match for it. I presume the 90X would be also.

Depending on your tastes in sound and music I might suggest looking at other carts. It's not hard to beat the performance of either of those carts for similar money. That's something I definitely have heard (and done) myself.
oregonpapa's avatar
oregonpapa
2,850 posts
 
Dougdeacon ...

Thanks for the response to my question. I've used a variety of cartridges on the Well Tempered ... the best so far was a Clavis. It was a good match for the arm and sounded great until I damaged the cartridge. I'm using a Grado Signiture now (1500) and not satisfied with the tracking. Great midrange though.

Frank
dougdeacon
3,338 posts
 
Hi Frank,

Shelters aren't known for their tracking ability either. The 901 has inner groove problems even on the best arms, including the top linear trackers. AFAIK the 90X has the same stylus and compliance so it's probably no better in this respect.

If you liked the Lyra's tracking but want a fuller midrange try a ZYX or Dynavector. Either one will out-track a Shelter or Grado. The micro-ridge stylus makes all the difference. The Grado stylus in particular is a war club by comparison. ZYX's are perfectly neutral in the midrange, from top to bottom in fact. I've read that Dyna's have slightly fuller mids but I haven't heard one to compare.
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rauliruegas
9,123 posts
 
Doug: +++++ " The 901 has inner groove problems even on the best arms, including the top linear trackers. AFAIK the 90X has the same stylus and compliance so it's probably no better in this respect. " +++++

Maybe you have that problems with your 901, I never had that experience: everything was fine. My 90X certanily does not have that problem: all about is to mate with the right gear around.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.
dougdeacon
3,338 posts
 
Raul,
I'm glad you didn't have inner groove issues with your 901, but the number of people who have is quite large. If it were just my 901 I wouldn't have mentioned it, or at least I would have warned that my experience might be unusual. It's not. I personally know 5 or 6 people who've had the same problems. A search on VA will turn up many more.

The more experiences Frank hears the better of course, then he can weigh the range of experiences for any cartridge that interests him.
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