Moving on after van den hul


I've had van den hul cartridges (grasshopper & colibri) for almost 20 years. I love the sound, but I'm at the point of moving on after dealing with several rounds of questionable customer service.

My question is directed SOLELY at those of you who also love the van den hul sound: What other cartridges have you found that either (i) exceed the van den huls, or (ii) come close in important ways and provide an acceptable substitute?

(For those of you who do not share my enthusiasm for van den hul cartridges, PLEASE DON"T BOTHER RESPONDING TO THIS THREAD. It's not that you're not entitled to your opinion (of course you are), but rather that our ears and taste are sufficiently different as to make conversation on this issue irrelevant.)
jimjoyce25
Unfortunatelly your Triplanar does not match with the Goldfinger.
I live with VDH's over 16 years from Grasshopper III M SILVER to Symphonic Line RG6 GOLD to Insider & back to GLA IV to Black Beauty to first generation 3.5gr Colibri COPPER to XGP & finally to XPP.
I don't know for an alternative !

George
Homosapien :
Matches with less than 8gr & high compliance cartridges.
If you plan to buy a new one & allready have your Triplanar, I suggest you to prefer a customised "Condor" otherwise a second hand Colibri is a superb value but the risk of getting a bad or abused sample is not less.
If you can find one from someone you know, then go ahead! but be very carefull to set-up as I can confirm that every time I receive my repaired VDHs, I had to deal with a new and completely uknown cartridge. I suspect that at the last 4 years in the factory, they don't fix the particular problem, but they glue a new cartridge to your old cartridge shell. (Although they are honestly charge you only for the single damage repair).
Yes there are some things to concern about VDHs, but certainly it is worth the effort. (especially for you that you value the midrange openess-clarity & airy highs of the PROACs).

George
Geoch; how about a linear arm? good fit for goldfinger V2? have been considering a move for a while now. something else instead? anybody?
Hi Koegz
Your turntable has receive it's most legendary reviews with some Clearaudios. I cannot think of a safer recommendation.
It seems that your own personal taste does not favour to the (neutral) side of Lyra (once you've got the PC-1, the Goldfinger has also a slight touch of familiar dryness) & given the fact that you choose only one cartridge to live with, I'm heartily advise for the Goldfinger. An amazing cartridge, very easy going, to align & to enjoy for many many years as it's strengths are not going to let you down (robust build & sonic quality) or to be surpassed any soon.
I suspect it is a natural match for your table.
My Symphonic Line RG6 has spend 2 years of greatness with Goldfinger (even poorly matched with the Pluto 9A) and then I become addicted.
Still is my favourite & has a great distance from the rest Clearaudios. The reason that I choose the (special order for my arm) XPP, was a personal advice from Eddie Driessen. I don't have any regrets (etheral-delicate-dynamic-exciting-speed-finesse-precision-resolution-calmness) but I want to be honest to my shelf : Goldfinger is care-free, fuse-free & a long term world reference (transient speed-power-relentless pace-unimpeded liveness-illumination-clarity-detail panacea) that somehow closes the gap between analogue & the imaginable ideal digital. Where the XPP is let you to explore and detect the mystic of the music's ceremony, the Goldfinger's nerve can shock you with the unexpected directness that throw these as facts.
It's character goes beyond the smooth transaction of the familiar analogue signature to the point that it's vividly & alertly persona can manage to lower the perceived laziness of belt drive signature. Your turntable & your amps will be in heaven.
In my set-up I've found great dissapointment with some carts: Onyx(fat & mellow) LP(flat & boring) PC-1(cold & sterile) to give you an idea for my taste or perhaps the overal synergy. There are so many issues to mind & you can not ignore. You can never be shure. All I can suggest is to arrange a listening session IN YOUR HOME.

George