Jan Allaerts Cartridge Experience?


I've heard some good things about the Jan Allerts MC1B and MC1B Mk II cartridges . These seem pretty rare and there seems to be limited fedback on them.

Do any of you have direct experience? If so how do they compare to other top cartridges, e.g., Zyx, Lyra, Dynavector, Koetsu, Clearaudio?

Thanks for the feedback.
aoliviero
Dear friends: Here are some facts about why exist the SUTs for LO cartridges ( at least is my point of view ):

- In the fifthies appear the MC LO cartridges ( As a fact: Ortofon invented in 1948. ). In that time all the phonopreamps were designed for HO cartridges MM/MI/etc. No one was in the design of high gain PP because no body need it.

- Ortofon and latter other MC LO cartridges never ask to the PP designers/builders to manufacture a high gain PP for their MC LO cartridges. What I mean is that never exist a cooperation job between the MC LO builders and the PP manufacturers.

- What was the comercial attitude of almost all MC LO cartridges builders?: to put on sale their MC LO cartridges along with a SUTs ( designed for it self ) for those MC LO cartridges.

- I can remember from Ortofon when they design the MC10, MC 20, Mc 30, Mc 2000, Mc 3000 and MC 5000, cartridges at the same time they offer the respective SUT: T 10, T 20, T 30, T 5000.

- Like Ortofon everybody do the same: Denon, Audiocraft, Fidelity Research, Koetsu, Micro Seiki, Accuphase, Dynavector, Highphonic, Audio Technica, Entre, etc, etc.

- In the mid-time what does the PP designers ( SS or tube ) for the development of a high gain PP?: almost nothing, almost all take the easy " cheap road " ( wrong/worst one ): that the customers buy SUTs along with their PP if they want to handle a LO cartridge. Some of the PP designers/builders incorporate in their " high gain " PP internal SUTs, exactly like today ones.

- No body take the challenge to design a HG PP with out SUTs. There are some exceptions: Curl, Levinson, Pass, Klyne, Classé, D'angostino, etc, etc,

- So we all are suffering the " easy road/ wrong road " that almost all designers/builders take it more than 55 years ago.

- All those comercial attitude never take into account us: the audio customers and never take into account the QUALITY MUSIC/SOUND REPRODUCTION. They don't care about in those times and many of them don't care about today.

Fortunatelly, in the last few years, some PP builders finally take the challenge ( others like me designed our self ones ) and we have some very good HG PP, many of them at very high price.

This change of comercial attitude: Bravo!!!!!!, could tell us that the best about is coming because the developtment of HG PPs are really " starting ", it is not a mature industry.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.
Dear Ebarker2: +++++ " I'm having a hard time waiting, and I pester Jan far too often. " +++++

Yes, this is part of the " price " that we have to pay for that kind of quality. You will be extremely satisfied: be patience!!!

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.
I have some information to share with all of the folks interested in these cartridges.

I have been trying to assess the method that Jan allaerts uses to specify his output voltage. I contacted him and he told me that he uses the following convention:

5cm/S , 1 KHz

Hope this helps some.

Andrew
I do wish that someone with extensive knowledge of the top Allaerts models could/would add some "extensive" thoughts,and insight into,what appear to be some extraordinary designs.When I look at the Allaerts website,and see the amount of manufacturing detail that goes into these little gems I can only imagine how fascinating the top models must sound.

Surely,like the extensive "Koetsu Crowd",or the Van den Hul/Lyra/ZYX lovers,of which there seems to be a deserved army,there must be a group of loyal Allaerts followers!!
Don't make me buy one,and be responsible for what could be a "forced" review. -:)

Where are you guys???

Best! ------ But,only if I get some feedback! -:)