I actually preferred the Helikon to the Titan i which I replaced after 2 weeks with the ZYX Universe.
This cartridge is in a league of its own!
This cartridge is in a league of its own!
Cartridge for Graham 1.5
I think its more important for me not to get hung up on the Graham being criticized because itÂ’s a unipivot thus can not handle low compliance cartridges with lots of energy. I have read many posts about this and not found much about what worked. Without another arm like a Triplanar or SME V to test against I have to rely on opinions here. It is very reassuring to see all these different cartridges used on Grahams. I had considered the Sumiko Celebration and Dynavector XX-1 also. Personally I would rather purchase these cartridges over a different arm if I had extra money to spend. Sounds like the Helikon is very popular also. If I save my nickels I might be able to try another next year! If I keep this up I will have a cartridge collection also. I guess if the Graham can keep a Denon 103 in the groove it can handle pretty much anything I would throw at it. Thanks again for all the help. Carl |
Carl, make sure you experiment with the VTF setting. In my setup the recommended 2.3g doesn't sound best. At 2.3g depth layering, spaciousness and image separation/presence/dimensionality suffer somewhat. The music also sounds less coherent and engaging. It sounds good but not special at this VTF - *in my system*. Currently I have mine set closer to 2.1g (it's summer down hear in Australia, so this may be a factor). Of course the rest of your system/balance will influence your preferred cartridge settings - just a suggestion to try. BTW, I think the Jubilee sounds great on vocals - male and female - much better weight, realism and neutrality than my Crown Jewel (shelter clone). FWIW, here are my System details |